ISO 23234 and ISO 21542 security and accessibility standards
Contents |
[edit] Introduction
On 16 June 2021, ISO published two standards that give guidance to facilitate accessibility and security in the built environment.
[edit] ISO 23234: Buildings and civil engineering works – Security – Planning of security measures in the built environment
ISO 23234:2021 was developed by ISO technical committee ISO/TC 59, Buildings and civil engineering works. The standard details requirements and recommendations to help organisations put plans in place to protect against undesirable intentional actions. It provides a well-structured template to identify requirements and develop appropriate security measures.
The document describes procedures that need to be implemented at different stages of a building or civil engineering project, and the competencies needed to achieve the desired result.
[edit] ISO 21542: Building construction – Accessibility and usability of the built environment
ISO 21542:2021 was developed by the subcommittee SC 16, Accessibility and usability of the built environment, of the ISO technical committee ISO/TC 59. The standard specifies a range of requirements and recommendations related to the usability and accessibility of buildings. These include access to buildings, circulation within buildings, exiting from buildings during normal conditions and evacuation in the event of a fire.
This revised version of the standard offers an improved structure for easier application as well as extra information about aspects such as vertical circulation, acoustics and emergency evacuation.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
- Access and inclusion in the built environment: policy and guidance.
- Accessibility in the built environment.
- International Organisation for Standardisation ISO.
- ISO 22341:2021.
- RIBA approved CPD for crime prevention through design.
- Safety.
- Safety management.
- Security.
[edit] External resources
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