Wikipedia

South African Bureau of Standards

The South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) is a South African statutory body established in terms of the Standards Act (Act No. 24 of 1945).[3] It continues to operate in terms of the latest edition of the Standards Act (Act No. 29 of 2008) as the national institution for the promotion and maintenance of standardization and quality in connection with commodities and the rendering of services.

South African Bureau of Standards
Standards testing and accreditation overview
Formed1 September 1945; 79 years ago (1945-09-01)[1]
HeadquartersPretoria, South Africa
25°46′10.61″S 28°12′45.53″E / 25.7696139°S 28.2126472°E / -25.7696139; 28.2126472
Employees738[2]
Minister responsible
Standards testing and accreditation executives
  • Jodi Scholtz, Lead Administrator
  • Dr Tshenge Demana, Co-Administrator
Parent departmentDepartment of Trade, Industry and Competition
Key documents
  • Standards Act, 1945
  • Standards Act, 2008
Websitehttps://www.sabs.co.za/
Head Office of the South African Bureau of Standards in Pretoria.

Function

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The SABS plays a critical role in ensuring the safety, quality, and reliability of the products and services in South Africa, and in promoting international trade through compliance with global standards.[4][5]

Internationally, SABS experts represent South Africa's interests in the development of international standards, through their engagement with bodies such as the International organization for standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). SABS also holds the Secretariat for SADCSTAN, the standardization body for the Southern African Development Community of 14 nations.[citation needed]

Initiatives

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South African initiative on reusable sanitary products

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Coordinated by the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, the Sanitary Dignity Framework was created to improve menstrual hygiene. It establishes a framework for a consistent approach to the provision of sanitary dignity to safeguard and restore the dignity of disadvantaged girls and women.[6] The SABS intended to standardize the production of washable, reusable sanitary towels in August 2019. The standard was published on 6 May 2020 and is intended to help meet the diverse requirements of women and girls in South Africa who require hygiene menstrual management.[7]

Declaration on Gender-Responsive Standards and Standards Development

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In 2019, the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) signed the Declaration on Gender-Responsive Standards and Standards Development,[8] joining more than 55 other countries in an effort to enhance women's participation and representation in standardisation.[9] The declaration was adopted by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) in 2019.[10]

References

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  1. ^ "SABS - ABOUT SABS OVERVIEW". Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  2. ^ "SABS Annual Report 2021/22" (PDF).
  3. ^ "South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) | South African Government". www.gov.za. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  4. ^ "SABS". ISO. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  5. ^ "South Africa - Standards for Trade". www.trade.gov. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  6. ^ "Department of Women launches sanitary dignity programme in Umlazi, 3 May | South African Government". www.gov.za. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  7. ^ "UNFPA supports training of local social enterprises on the South African National Standards (SANS) 1812:2020 on washable, reusable sanitary towels". The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). 3 October 2020.
  8. ^ "Declaration on Gender-Responsive Standards and Standards Development | UNECE". unece.org. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  9. ^ "South Africa: SA Commits to Empower Women in Standards Development". allAfrica.
  10. ^ "UNECE gender declaration: one year on". ISO. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
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