Who influences risk management standardisation processes? The example of risk management standards

The use of standards has permeated virtually all aspects of modern society. Standards should be seen as the combined result of the standardisers’ expertise and the effects of the dynamics of the standardisation process itself. This article explores why some participants are more influential in standards development than others. Using an insider perspective, observations are gathered from almost a hundred activities and three hundred hours spent with international and national standardisation workgroups related to risk management. Discussing power relations, this study exposes the high influence of individuals in standardisation. By knowing and using the rules of the game, individual participants may significantly impact the process and the output. The empirical examples also show that people with high proficiency in English interact more in international standardisation activities than participants with a lower command of English. The challenges of inadequate participation, particularly from the risk science community, and unbalanced representation in standardisation activities are also discussed in the article.