International Classification for Standards (ICS) is an international classification system for technical standards. It is designed to cover every economic sector and virtually every activity of humankind where technical standards may be used.
Developed and maintained by the International Organization for Standardization, the ICS is intended to be a continuous work in progress and is updated when necessary. The latest edition of the ICS can be downloaded free of charge from the ISO web site.
Anyone may submit a proposal for modifications or additions to the ICS.
Purpose
The ICS serves as a structure for catalogues and databases of technical standards and other normative documents, and as a basis for standing-order systems for international, regional and national standards.
Classification principles
The ICS uses an hierarchical classification, which consists of three nested levels called fields (Level 1), groups (Level 2) and sub-groups (Level 3). Each field is subdivided into groups, which are further divided into sub-groups.
All classification levels are designated by a classification code (called notation) and a title. The notation is a set of Arabic numerals.
Top-level items, which have no parent levels, use a two-digit notation, for example: 43 ROAD VEHICLE ENGINEERING
The notations for groups and sub-groups include the parent-level notations. The example below shows a notation for Sub-Group 20 (Level 3), which belongs to Group 040 (Level 2) in Field 43 (Level 1). 43.040.20 Lighting, signaling and warning devices
Level 1 (Fields)
A field is the first level in the International Classification for Standards. It may represent one or a combination of the following: A sector of the economy such as agriculture, mining, construction or the packaging industry; A technology such as telecommunications or food processing; An activity such as environment protection, safety assurance and protection of public health; A field of science such as mathematics or astronomy.
At present the classification includes 40 fields:
01 Generalities, terminology, standardization, documentation
03 Services, company organization, management and quality, administration, transport, sociology 07 Mathematics, natural sciences 11 Health care technology 13 Environment, health protection, safety 17 Metrology and measurement, physical phenomena 19 Testing 21 Mechanical systems and components for general use 23 Fluid systems and components for general use 25 Manufacturing engineering 27 Energy and heat transfer engineering 29 Electrical engineering 31 Electronics 33 Telecommunications, audio and video engineering 35 Information technology, office machines 37 Image technology 39 Precision mechanics, jewelry 43 Road vehicles engineering 45 Railway engineering 47 Shipbuilding and marine structures 49 Aircraft and space vehicle engineering 53 Materials handling equipment 55 Packaging and distribution of goods 59 Textile and leather technology 61 Clothing industry 65 Agriculture 67 Food technology 71 Chemical technology 73 Mining and minerals 75 Petroleum, and related technologies 77 Metallurgy 79 Wood technology 81 Glass and ceramics industries 83 Rubber and plastics industries 85 Paper technology 87 Paint and colour industries 91 Construction materials and building 93 Civil engineering 95 Military engineering 97 Domestic and commercial equipment, entertainment, sports.
Level 2 (Groups)
The ICS second level, the group, is a subdivision of the field.
Level 3 (Sub-Groups)
Sub-groups are used in the ICS to subdivide groups into subjects that certain to a particular aspect of the subject covered by a given group. Regardless of the subject, virtually all groups include a sub-group No. 01 that covers the complete subject of the respective group. In addition, most of the groups contain a sub-group No. 99 for standards on subjects which do not correspond either to the subjects of the general sub-groups or to the subjects of the specific sub-groups of the respective groups.
Level 4 (Units)
Level 4 subdivisions are not part of the official ICS document. The ICS rules however allow users of the classification system to subdivide the official ICS sub-groups into so-called units, making them a Level 4 component of the International Classification for Standards. This is accomplished by adding a two-digit number to the notation of the sub-group being subdivided. However, instead of a period, new notations use a hyphen as a separator. For example: 35.220.20-10 Magnetic tapes