Organizations today have an opportunity to shape a better future, one that’s fairer, safer and more sustainable. But turning good intentions into action requires clear guidance and proven frameworks.
That’s where standards come in. They provide practical steps to help organizations embed best practices that benefit people, communities and the planet. From fostering workplace inclusion to keeping people safe and supporting the transition to net zero, standards make it easier to do the right thing - and do it well.
To make this journey accessible to everyone, some of BSI’s most impactful standards are available to download at no cost. These standards are designed to help you act on key societal and environmental challenges, while also giving you a simple and inexpensive way to understand what standards are and how they work.
Below, you’ll find a selection of our most popular free standards. Each one has been developed to help organizations address a key societal or environmental challenge and help you take meaningful steps toward positive change. Explore and download them to get started.
BS 30480: Suicide and the Workplace – Intervention, prevention and support for people affected by suicide - Guide
Suicide touches the workplace all the time, from colleagues navigating the loss of someone they worked alongside, to managers supporting a staff member dealing with bereavement, to customer-facing staff encountering someone in crisis. BS 30480 is the UK’s first dedicated workplace standard on suicide. It provides organizations with a practical framework to plan for, respond to, and support people when suicide impacts their workplace. It is adaptable to workplaces of all sizes and sectors, and signposts to specialist advice where needed. Download BS 30480.
BS 25700 Organizational responses to modern slavery. Guidance
Modern slavery is a risk for every organization. BS 25700 offers guidance to identify, address, prevent and report on these risks, beyond just their legal and statutory duties. The standard is suitable for every member of staff of any organization wishing to understand what good looks like and can be adopted regardless of sector, type, size, and nature of an organization’s activities. Download BS 25700.
BS 30416 Menstruation, menstrual health and menopause in the workplace – Guide
Providing adequate support for menstrual and menopausal health is crucial to achieving workforce equity. BS 30416 provides practical actions and adjustments, many of them simple, to improve the wellbeing of employees who are experiencing menstruation or menopause.
It can help organizations identify the misconceptions around menstruation and peri/menopause, reduce stigma, and create an environment where employees feel empowered to seek support. Download BS 30416.
BSI Flex 3030: Net zero transition plans for small and medium enterprises. Code of practice
Decarbonization can feel complex, but BSI Flex 3030 keeps it simple. This standard gives recommendations to SMEs designing and implementing their transition to net zero through a clearly defined plan leading to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions. A free introductory guide and checklist to using BSI Flex 3030 has also been developed to provide organizations with further support. Download BSI Flex 3030.
BS 30417 Provision of inclusive personal protective equipment (PPE) – Guide
The idea that one-size-fits-all PPE can protect every worker has never reflected reality. BS 30417 is a ground-breaking British Standard that provides much-needed guidance to organizations, health and safety professionals, and employees on how to provision PPE works for everyone, not just the mythical ‘average’ worker. It addresses safety, wellbeing, belonging and performance in the workplace. Download BS 30417.
BS 25800 Safeguarding for organizations – Guide
Any organization that has regular contact with members of the public needs robust safeguarding arrangements, both to meet public expectations and its statutory duties. BS 25800 shows UK-based organizations how improve safeguarding practices, respond effectively to any concerns and provide assurance that measures are in place to keep individuals safe from harm. Download BS 25800.
PAS 808 Purpose-driven organizations – Worldviews, principles and behaviours for delivering sustainability – Guide
PAS 808 helps leaders embed purpose into their organization’s decision-making and processes to tackle global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss and growing income inequality. It outlines worldviews, principles and the associated behaviours and activities of a purpose-driven organization and establishes common terms and definitions related to purpose. Download PAS 808.
PAS 1948 Diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace – Code of practice
To help embed diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) more widely, PAS 1948 gives practical guidance on how to develop and implement an effective DEI framework in any workplace. It provides recommendations for organizations on how to develop and implement policies and practices to support their DEI objectives, in keeping with their existing principles and framework. Download PAS 1948.
The ISO Net Zero Guidelines (IWA 42)
Launched at COP27, these widely recognized guidelines set a universal baseline for net zero action. They provide a common reference for understanding and planning for net zero for organizations across all sectors, sizes, and regions, developed with input from 1200+ experts from 100+ countries. Due to widespread demand for trusted net zero verification, the ISO Net Zero Guidelines are now being converted into the world’s first independently verifiable international standard through a global consensus process across ISO’s 170+ country membership. The global public consultation on the Draft International Standard is expected to open for comment in 2026.
Download the ISO Net Zero Guidelines and read about the upcoming ISO Net Zero Standard.
Take your next step with standards
Implementing standards doesn’t have to be complex. By starting with these free resources, you’re taking practical steps toward creating a safer, fairer and more sustainable society, while strengthening your organization’s resilience and reputation.
If you’re looking for further support with implementing these standards, we recommend exploring our Beginner’s Guide to Standards eGuide, which explains how standards work and how to implement them effectively.
Prefer to learn visually? Check out our video series, where we break down what standards are and how to implement them in simple, practical steps.
