How Standards Australia Store's Custom Subscription service is changing the way organisations access standards

An innovative standards subscription service is set to transform the way critical safety standards are accessed and managed.

With a Custom Subscription from the Standards Australia Store (Store), organisations whose employees need to check industry protocols or safety guidelines can not only read them on any device but have absolute confidence they’re accessing the very latest version.

Each annual subscription can be tailored to meet a company’s exact needs in terms of the standards selected and the number of users who can reference them.

“We’ve simplified and enhanced the services available from the Store,” says Anna Vuong, Store’s Head of Ecommerce. “Each subscription creates a bespoke library that exists on a simple to use, online platform.”

The Custom Subscription is just one element of Store’s wider commitment to modernising standards access. It also offers curated subscriptions which have been tailored for specific trades, providing easy and affordable standards access for sole traders and small businesses.

A major advantage of the Custom Subscription is that every standard included is guaranteed to be up to date, and more standards or users can be added at any time.

When buying single standards, there’s a chance one or more of them may eventually be superseded or amended. Often, companies store them on specific devices or print them out and bury them in filing cabinets or drawers, accumulating scribbled notes and coffee stains over the months and years. With a Custom Subscription, if a standard is replaced with a new version, you are immediately notified.

Growing interest

After a hugely successful pilot launch in August last year, the new service officially became a permanent offering in July, and has attracted new organisations across several industries, with many purchasing a standards subscription for the first time.

One of them is the famous tourist attraction, BridgeClimb Sydney, where visitors can walk right up to the summit of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Its tailored subscription contains standards covering every aspect of health and safety to help ensure its staff and guests are protected at all times.

Its team can access them on any device at any time. “Standards hold immense importance for us, serving as vital reference tools,” says BridgeClimb’s Head of Safety, Sustainability & Critical Infrastructure, Simon Pitkethley. “Consolidating them in one platform streamlines our processes significantly.”

Popular collections of standards

While every organisation is different, and every Custom Subscription is unique to that organisation’s needs, some of the most popular standards for safety professionals have included:

• AS/NZS ISO 45001:2018, Occupational health and safety management systems — Requirements with guidance for use
• AS/NZS ISO 14001:2016, Environmental management systems — Requirements with guidance for use
• AS 3745-2010, Planning for emergencies in facilities AS/NZS 3760:2022, In-service safety inspection and testing of electrical equipment and RCDs
• AS/NZS 4836:2023, Safe working on or near low-voltage and extra-low voltage electrical installations and equipment
• AS 4399:2020, Sun protective clothing — Evaluation and classification
   

The publications available are not limited to safety standards, indeed, Standards Australia is the custodian of thousands of standards across nearly every sector of business and commerce. Vuong says she has found that many organisations choose a broad range of standards to meet the needs of the different functions within their business, such as design, engineering, manufacturing, and information technology.

Another useful function of the new service is that customers can create multiple ‘Collections’ from their library of standards. In a large company, different members of staff will need to look at different types of standards, so the organisation’s administrators can organise them accordingly to speed up searches and simplify the experience.

It means everyone can instantly see which standards they need, and read all the necessary information wherever they are — in an office, building site, or on the move.

Important benefits

Vuong has outlined four of the Custom Subscription’s key benefits:

1. Flexibility

As an organisation’s requirements change over time, so their package of standards can be updated accordingly. If more personnel need to see them, it’s easy to adjust the number.

2. Portability

There’s no need to take a huge pile of paperwork everywhere you go as the standards can be viewed on phones, tablets or laptops.

3. Personalisation

Users can add helpful notes or reminders to their online standards for future reference.

4. Efficiencies

The cost of adding individual standards to your online shopping basket can add up, particularly if they’re essential for several people. Custom Subscriptions can lead to cost savings, so represent better value.

“We’re really excited about how the Custom Subscription will change the way organisations manage their standards,” Vuong says proudly. “The platform is intuitive and easy to navigate, and the feedback we’ve received so far has been fantastic. Anyone who’s interested in finding out more, just needs to get in touch via our website.”

Find out how a Custom Subscription from the Standards Australia Store can benefit your organisation.

Image credit: iStock.com/Mariia Skovpen