The National Engineering Standards are formulated by the Engineering Standardization Division. These Standards are developed through a committee process and a consultative process with the voluntary involvement and the co-operative effort of all interested parties representing consumers, producers, users, public Institutions and independent technical Organizations.

The Institution appoints Technical Committees to advice and guide the Institution in these activities with the aim of gathering all possible expertise in the best possible way to maximize benefits to the national economy from these Standardization activities.

National standards represent coordinated solutions for use in technology, commerce, trade and administration  are intended to achieve:

• overall economy in terms of human effort materials, power and other resources in the exchange of goods and services;
• the protection of consumer interest through adequate and consistent quality of goods and services;
• safety, health and protection of life; and
• provide a means of expression and of communication amongst all interested parties.

These standards may be specifications for materials or products, they may be codes of practice  giving recommended practices in some field of industry, or they may be methods of test, glossaries of terms or may express some other form of standardization.

In the formulation of Standards, the policy of the Sri Lanka Standards Institution is to be in line with the International Standards and practices as far as practicable. To this effect International Standards are adopted, as Sri Lanka Standards, wherever feasible.

In the selection of Standards formulation projects priority is given to standards that facilitate internal and external trade and to enhance the international competitiveness of Sri Lankan products with the prime objective of safeguarding the interest of the consumer.

There are now around 1600 Sri Lanka Standards relating to products, commodities, materials, processes & practices. Many have been revised to take care of the developments in the new materials, processes and technologies. Such revisions are indicated with the year of revision. Sri Lanka Standards are intended for voluntary adoption by those concerned unless made compulsory by  acts and regulations.