STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT
True industry consensus
ASSE product and professional standards are developed through true industry consensus. This means that experts from all segments of the plumbing and mechanical industries, from across the US and Canada, gather to determine the minimum performance and knowledge requirements for products and professionals.
Together, the engineers who design products, plumbers who install, test, repair, and inspect systems, officials who enforce regulations, and educators who teach our nation’s plumbers join together to offer their expertise and collectively reach consensus on product and personnel requirements. Draft standards are developed by working groups, voted on by the consensus ASSE Product Standards or Professional Qualifications Standards Committee, then opened to the public for a 45-day review period – all comments are addressed throughout this process. ASSE standards stand up to public scrutiny – because they already have.
Deep knowledge and constant improvement of over 50 product performance standards for plumbing components – most notably backflow preventers and temperature actuated mixing valves – puts ASSE in a class of its own. ASSE standards are developed and revised under the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) accredited standards development process.
ASSE standards are developed and revised under the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) accredited standards development process.
ASSE International product performance standards, developed through industry consensus, detail how a product is intended to function under normal operating conditions and include testing procedures and requirements for performance, health and safety.
ASSE International professional qualifications standards, developed through industry consensus, set minimum education and performance requirements for professionals who test, install, inspect and maintain our buildings’ water and sanitation systems.
ANSI Accreditation is our statement of the value we place on open and fair consensus processes
ASSE International’s ANSI-accredited standards development process signifies a commitment to the creation of high-quality, market-driven standards in an open environment, characterized by due process and ANSI’s neutral third-party oversight. Due process is key to developing voluntary consensus standards in an environment that is equitable, accessible and responsive to the requirements of various stakeholders. The open and fair process allows all interested and affected parties to have the opportunity to participate in a standard’s development. ANSI brings valuable oversight to our program, and the ANSI name brings a level of confidence.
ASSE International working groups and standards committees help to develop and refine our standards. We need your input! Work together with all involved in the industry – from product engineers, manufacturers, designers and installers to testers and regulators – for the benefit of a stronger industry and public safety.
ASSE International's standards are developed and revised by requests from the public at large. In all cases, someone external to ASSE needs to propose a standard. An appropriate candidate for a standard is a technology, product, or service that has had enough market feedback so that practical performance rules can be agreed upon by multiple parties of varying interests. If you have a desire to develop an ASSE standard, we are very interested in hearing from you! Once your proposal is complete, it will go to the Product Standards Committee (PSC) or Professional Qualifications Standards Committee (PQSC), as appropriate, to assess whether or not the committee will move forward with it.
To request guidance for understanding any of ASSE International's standards, please submit your inquiry to the staff engineering group at staffengineer@asse-plumbing.org.