Each year, as the last snow melts away and the temperatures finally begin to rise, millions of Americans start planning for their annual bout of spring cleaning. And whether that cleaning involves wiping down the mudroom floor, vacuuming a neglected closet, or doing a bit of long-delayed yard work, voluntary consensus standards will be there to lend a hand.
While some people focus spring cleaning exclusively inside their homes, others give lawns and flower gardens some much-needed attention. ISO 22868:2011, Forestry and gardening machinery - Noise test code for portable hand-held machines with internal combustion engine - Engineering method (Grade 2 accuracy), provides guidance for evaluating the noise emission characteristics of chainsaws, grass-trimmers, garden blowers, and other gardening tools. This International Standard was developed by International Organization for Standardization (ISO) TC 23, Tractors and machinery for agriculture and forestry, Subcommittee (SC) 17, Manually portable forest machinery. ANSI-accredited standards developer and organizational member the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) serves as the ANSI-accredited U.S. TAG Administrator to ISO TC 23, while the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, an ANSI-accredited standards developer and organizational member, serves as the U.S. TAG Administrator to SC 17.
While spring cleaning can be long and involved, depending on how messy things got over the winter, voluntary consensus standards help to lighten the workload and support safe, effective cleaning all year round.