Get answers to common questions about ASTM standards, copyright, meetings, membership, and more.
> Formed in 1898, ASTM International (formerly the American Society for Testing and Materials) is a not-for-profit global leader in the development and delivery of voluntary consensus standards.
> ASTM members represent producers of materials/products/systems/services, users of those materials/products/systems/services other than for household use, testing labs, government agencies, trade groups, medical professionals, engineers, consumers and consumer advocacy groups, and academia.
> A standard is a document that has been developed and established within the consensus principles of ASTM’s procedures and regulations. Standards provide information to manufacturers, laboratories, retailers, and consumers. In ASTM International, the term “standard” serves as a nominative adjective in the title of documents, such as test methods or specifications, to connote specified consensus and approval. The various types of standard documents are based on the needs and usages as prescribed by the technical committees of the Society.
> More than 30,000 volunteer members from across 150 countries come together to develop, write, and support standards through their service on one or more of our nearly 150 technical committees.
> The benefits of standards are many and include aligning best practices, enhancing safety, maintaining uniformity, avoiding duplication of efforts, and building trust.
> Standards make us feel safer, protect our children, enable products to enter into the marketplace faster, provide consumer confidence, protect the environment and much more. Standards make their mark on almost every product, process, and service, including housing (building codes), food (organic food, sanitary requirements, and can sizes), clothing (sizing and labeling), household appliances (safety, energy consumption, and reliability), customer services (protection of personal information), consumer products (toys, furniture, sports equipment), and much more.
> This depends on several factors including the length of the document, complexity of the technology, research and testing needs, and marketplace urgency. The average is about 16 months, but new standards have been approved in as little as 9 months. With advanced technology, we try to get new high-quality, relevant standards into the marketplace as quickly as possible.
> ASTM International standards are developed within one of our nearly 150 technical committees. The work typically begins with an informal task group preparing a draft which can then be forwarded into the balloting process. For a standard to be published as an ASTM International standard, the document must successfully move through and pass ASTM’s rigorous consensus requirements. Balloting begins within a subcommittee before moving to the main committee/society/public review where all members have an opportunity to vote. If the consensus requirements at all levels are met, it then moves on to the Committee on Standards (COS) to ensure proper procedures were followed and due process is achieved.
> ASTM’s governing body is our board of directors, which is elected by the entire membership.
The board and its standing committees have established procedures to ensure that standards are developed on a consensus basis, that all dissenting parties receive due process, and that all our standards follow style and format requirements.
> An organization may do their own testing/verification and represent that their product meets an ASTM standard by referencing the specific designation (e.g.,“Complies with or meets ASTM AXXX-YY [and, where possible, the title of the relevant standard]”).
> ASTM International provides the ability for customers who have already purchased an individual ASTM product or subscription service to get authorized permission to share content or make reproductions of its copyrighted materials in two offerings: PAY PER USE and ANNUAL LICENSE. Learn more.
> ASTM's Training and eLearning Department is proud to offer continuing education units (CEUs), professional development hours (PDHs), and CPD hours for our expansive catalog of training courses. Learn more.
> ASTM does not certify products.
We offer voluntary certification programs for materials, products, systems, services based on globally-recognized standards, including ASTM, ANSI, CSA, NFPA, NIJ, and NOCSAE. These certification programs are offered through the Safety Equipment Institute, an ASTM International affiliate. Learn more.
> Our Training and eLearning Division offers several personnel certification programs designed to assess the knowledge and ability to perform, record, and report the results of ASTM standards. Learn more.
> When compliance with a standard is not mandated by law, market participants observe standards simply because it is in their interest to do so.
The content of voluntary standards may be incorporated by reference directly into government statutes and regulations and then must be followed as a matter of law.
> The National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 (NTTAA) requires federal government agencies to use standards developed by voluntary consensus standards organization such as ASTM. Using voluntary consensus standards means the government can avoid the costs of developing its own standards.
> Yes, federal government agencies are encouraged to participate in standards development organizations per the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 (NTTAA). Additionally, OMB Circular A-119 reinforces the goals of the NTTAA and clarifies that agency representatives can participate, vote, and even lead activities.
> While on the state level there is no uniform policy like the NTTAA, state government employees regularly participate in ASTM committees. Currently, more than 300 state government employees from departments such as transportation, agriculture, and healthcare are members of ASTM committees.
> Anyone who has interest in the field covered by a committee's scope is eligible to become a committee member.
> View the types of ASTM membership and join online. Your annual membership fee comes with one complimentary volume of the Annual Book of Standards in print or online.
> The membership fee for participating and informational members is $115 and the organizational membership fee is $400.
> ASTM memberships are based on a calendar year. The membership year is January 1 to December 31. Fees are paid in advance and not prorated. Membership will become effective upon payment of fees. Applications received after October 1 will be effective upon payment and valid through December 31 of the following year.
The taxability of membership fees is subject to the applicable sales tax rules and regulations of your jurisdiction.
Payment of the annual membership fee provides access to multiple committees at no additional cost. However, a separate application must be completed for each main committee since classification is based on the member affiliation and the committee scope.
The fastest way to join and receive your membership information is to join online. After your membership is processed, you will receive your member number along with instructions to access your MyASTM page via email. If you participate on an ASTM technical committee, the MyASTM page is where you can access committee ballots, meeting minutes, meeting information,
agendas, contact information of committee members, and more.
> Yes, ASTM offers several options for new members to learn the ASTM process and expectations. Visit the Virtual Classroom for Members.
> ASTM Members receive a 10% discount on all publications, subject to verification of membership number. If you're an ASTM Member, remember to log in when you come to the ASTM website so that the 10% discount is applied to your order. If members do not login, downloaded products will be charged at list price. Discounts do not apply to all products and cannot be combined. When discounts overlap, the higher discount will be applied. For example, a member who orders 10 copies of a publication will receive the 25% discount.
Open participation and the consensus process are core values and the principle strengths of standards development in ASTM International. To be successful, the consensus process depends on the ability of members to work together with an attitude of collaboration and collegiality. Each member is expected to participate and contribute in good faith to the standardization activities undertaken by the committee(s) to which they belong. There is no obligation to attend face-to-face meetings. You may participate by reviewing and voting on ballots online.
> A voting interest is defined as "an organization, a subsidiary of an organization or an unassociated individual member having a distinctly separate interest from any other interests with regard to the scope of a committee or subcommittee," while a voting member "has the official vote on ballots and motions concerned with ASTM standards."
While each voting interest is allowed one voting member, the Regulations also define non-official voting member as one "whose votes and comments on all ballots or motions shall be fully considered, but whose votes are not included in the calculation of the numerical voting requirements for standards."
Each ASTM member, whether an official voting member or not, can vote on all Society Review items as well as on each ballot of a main committee and subcommittee to which the member belongs. Negatives and comments submitted from all ballot returns, from official and non-official voting members alike, must be considered.
> Volunteer members, with guidance from ASTM staff, are elected or appointed to serve in various leadership positions and conduct the meetings in accordance with the ASTM Regulations Governing Technical Committee Operations.
> Any person who has an interest in the subject matter can attend an ASTM meeting. There is no requirement that you be a member of ASTM to attend, but registration is required.
> No. ASTM International's free meeting registration ensures fees are not a barrier to participation. Some committees collect a nominal voluntary activity fee to support committee activities like symposia.
> You can register for upcoming meetings in several ways:
Check the full list of upcoming events and register through our website or in your member portal My ASTM
> If an agenda is available for an upcoming meeting, you can access it by logging in to your My ASTM account. Go to your My Committees page and click on the link for Agendas under the appropriate committee heading.
> The chair leading the group will adhere to an agenda. Important actions are listed on the agenda. Attendees can bring any matter of importance before the group during the New Business portion.
> Most ASTM International technical committees meet in-person bi-annually and hold virtual meetings throughout the year. Visit the ASTM meetings page to search for a committee or contact your staff manager.
> The event chair or subcommittee representative must complete an official proposal and submit it to the committee representative, ASTM Staff Manager, and the Symposia Manager. The sponsoring technical committee’s executive subcommittee will review the proposal for approval of the event. Submit your form here.
> View Symposia Chair Duties and Responsibilities list here.
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