Compared with other standards, BS 7671 is pretty cheap. That may be because it is sold in much greater quantities than yer average Standard, or perhaps the aim is to encourage compliance.

Previous editions can be found on eBay pretty cheaply.

I'd like to see British Standards much more freely available. At one time Hampshire CC libraries subscribed, but not for many years.

Laws must be freely available and clear so that people can see what they have to do to comply. I think that the same could be said of BS EN ISO standards. However, there is a difference between a manufacturer buying a copy of say, BS 1363 to ensure that their plugs comply on the one hand, and a consumer who wishes to check that the plugs that he has bought do indeed comply on the other hand.

So should the BSI be nationalised and funded by the tax-payer?

Take BS7671 it refers to many other BS documents

We might be able to split that problem into two... BS 7671 tends to refer to other standards in two distinct ways - sometimes in the sense of to comply with BS 7671 on this point  you need to do what 'other BS' says, but often it's more in the sense of 'select equipment that complies with 'other BS' - in that case it's only the equipment manufacturer that really needs the other standard - the rest of us normally just need read the the manufacturer's data sheet to confirm it says "Complies with 'other BS'".

   - Andy.

Sergio Fernandez said:

I think that it would probably open a can on worms if the BSI was nationalied both politically and ethically.

I am conflicted on this one. On the one hand, I support freedom of information; but on the other, I am in favour of small government. I suppose that one can square the circle by the state (national or local) purchasing the right to view the Standards, which brings us back to public libraries.

Agreed. One might regard your ordinary domestic sparks as that equipment manufacturer.

Chris Pearson said:

ordinary domestic sparks

I would say they are a system designer as well when you consider Selection and Erection criteria.

A topic indeed worthy of a Friday debate, or any other day for that matter!

From my own business perspective, access to standards is often important but not critical. We specialise in relatively small projects in the hospitality industry, extension to a pub or hotel, conversion of a building to a restaurant or off-licence, that sort of thing.

My primary function is to ensure that the project is compliant across all aspects of building Regulations. On our plan submissions to Building Control, we must state that, for instance, the emergency lighting shall comply with BS5266-1 2016, even though it has been set out on the plan in full adherence of same. Not doing so for this or the fire alarm, fire safety notices, spread of flame, extinguisher systems, lift provisions, electrical installation, floor coverings…..you name it, would result in a rejection notice being issued. 
Now who is in receipt of all this high-brow material? Often a small local builder and his band of subbies none of whom would want to wade through any type of technical standards. They just need to be told what to do. That is the function of the plan and its attendant specification. 
So whilst I must quote the relevant standard on these documents, I do my very best to be cognisant of the person reading them on site rather than of the BC officer, who already has good technical grounding.

So in my world, which is generally around the bottom of the barrel, I doubt that free access to standards would have any major advantage. Good clear guidance is, however, a blessing for me, especially the range of free issue approved documents that address the Building Regulations!

Hi Mike

See URL below.  Might be worth a read.

eurogip.fr/.../

Hi Andy

See URL below.  Might be worth a read.

eurogip.fr/.../

Hi Graham

See URL below.  Might be worth a read.

eurogip.fr/.../

Sergio Fernandez said:

Hi Graham

See URL below.  Might be worth a read.

eurogip.fr/.../

UK is not in the EU (but does use harmonized standards for products in the same way).

As an example from above, though, BS 7430 is not mandated in legislation so if the UK accepted the view (and there's no indication one way or another that it will do so), the installation standards in general wouldn't necessarily come under this banner.

BS 7671, however, is referred to directly in the ESQCR and ESQCR(NI) ...

Very interesting development. probably with more impact than the folk who have done it yet realise.

And I would agree that you should not have secret laws, so the standards you require to read to meet the requirements of current legislation, which may be more than those named by doc number in the statutory instrument or whatever, should indeed be accessible - which may not mean free to take away.

I also appreciate that it knocks a hole in the bottom of the bucket for folk whose living depends on selling copies, so I do not expect resolution to be swift.
We may also end up with an odd situation where the international standard is open, but the national one derived from it is expensive.

Mike.

Very interesting development. probably with more impact than the folk who have done it yet realise.

And I would agree that you should not have secret laws, so the standards you require to read to meet the requirements of current legislation, which may be more than those named by doc number in the statutory instrument or whatever, should indeed be accessible - which may not mean free to take away.

I also appreciate that it knocks a hole in the bottom of the bucket for folk whose living depends on selling copies, so I do not expect resolution to be swift.
We may also end up with an odd situation where the international standard is open, but the national one derived from it is expensive.

Mike.