Standards Australia

With school holidays underway and many families travelling, hosting sleepovers or accommodating extra guests, bunk beds and other elevated beds will be in frequent use across homes, holiday accommodation and camps. Whether staying with relatives, visiting a holiday park or heading away on camp, elevated beds are a common feature of holiday experiences.

New Australian Standard® works to bring clarity to ‘breathability’’ claims and addresses a hidden risk in infant sleep surface products. Australia is set to become the first country to introduce a national standard addressing carbon dioxide (CO₂) buildup in infant sleep-related products – a poorly understood risk often made more confusing by marketing claims of product ‘breathability’. In Australia, approximately 300,000 babies are born each year. Tragically, around 2,300 do not survive.

As prefabrication and Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) continue to grow in Australia, establishing a consistent industry language is essential. A shared understanding supports stronger collaboration, enables innovation and helps reduce regulatory complexity. To support alignment across the construction sector and jurisdictions, Standards Australia has released SA HB 268: Prefabricated building — Glossary of terms.

From professional electricians using them every day to guide installations, to the general public going about their everyday life with little consideration of their impact, the Wiring Rules are an important contributor to modern Australian life. AS/NZS 3000:2018, Electrical installations, known as the Wiring Rules, are the technical rules that help electricians design, construct and verify electrical installations. Developed by the committee EL-001, the Wiring Rules consist of two separate parts.

Standards Australia has expanded its online training offering with the launch of two new AI courses, creating a practical, standards‑aligned series designed to support confident and responsible AI adoption across industries. The new courses, Developing Responsible AI Systems and Understanding Data‑Centric AI, build on Standards Australia’s existing Understanding the AI Management System Standard course.

This National Volunteer Week (18-24 May), Standards Australia is recognising the contribution of more than 5,000 volunteers who support the development of Australian and international standards. Under this year’s theme, Your Year to Volunteer, people are encouraged to make 2026 a year of meaningful involvement – fostering connection, purpose and lasting positive change.

Standards Australia today welcomed the Australian Government’s commitment to sponsored public access to mandatory Australian Standards, calling it a major productivity and safety reform. The announcement follows strong momentum from industries across the economy, where the role of standards and building codes has been a central focus.

Australians living in bushfire‑prone areas now have access to new, practical guidance to help make homes safer and more resilient: before, during and after a bushfire. Standards Australia has released two new Bushfire Construction Handbooks, designed to turn complex technical requirements into clear, practical information that can be used in everyday decision‑making.

Protecting young children from button battery injuries remains a critical safety priority in Australia, with around 20 children rushed to emergency departments every week after suspected ingestion or insertion of these small cells. As the use of button batteries grows, so too does the need for stronger child‑resistant and new packaging designs that support safer storage, reuse, and improved recycling to reduce environmental impact.

Standards Australia is pleased to announce the two schools selected to represent Australia for the first time at the International Standards Olympiad, to be held in South Korea. Congratulations to Loyola College (VIC) and Methodist Ladies’ College (WA), whose students have secured places in this prestigious global competition.