Generalities Standards: October 2025 Monthly Overview

Looking back at October 2025, the Generalities, Terminology, Standardization, and Documentation sector experienced a notable surge in foundational standards activity. Five pivotal standards were published, each playing a critical role in shaping how industries across aerospace, mining, manufacturing, infrastructure, and emergency planning manage, communicate, and align technical information and compliance. This monthly retrospective provides in-depth analysis and synthesis of these standards, supporting professionals in navigating evolving requirements, catching up on missed updates, and aligning practices with global best-in-class frameworks.

Whether you are a compliance officer, technical writer, engineer, or a procurement specialist, understanding these developments is vital for risk reduction, efficiency gains, and regulatory diligence.

Monthly Overview: October 2025

October 2025 stood out for the breadth and depth of publications in the Generalities, Terminology, Standardization, and Documentation space (ICS 01). Not only did the month see the release of sector-specific vocabularies—critical in ensuring clarity across domains such as petrography, non-destructive testing, and earth-moving machinery—but it also introduced advanced frameworks for digital archiving and next-generation safety guidance systems. Many of these standards reflect continued efforts to unify global technical vocabularies, embrace digital transformation, and enhance safety and resilience.

Compared to prior months, October’s publications displayed a pronounced focus on standardizing core terminologies and system layouts applicable to diverse industries. A common theme was the need to future-proof documentation and compliance processes in an era of rapid technological change, legal complexity, and increased risk management demands.

The extension and revision of key frameworks, notably in aerospace LOTAR and safety signage, also signal an ongoing trend: standards are not static—they adapt to new contexts (such as electrification, digital transformation, and disaster risk) through iterative enhancement. This month’s releases collectively reinforce the sector’s commitment to consistency, interoperability, and clarity across international boundaries.

Standards Published This Month

prEN 9300-003 – Aerospace series – LOTAR – Long Term Archiving and Retrieval of Digital Technical Product Documentation – Part 003: Fundamentals and Concepts

Aerospace series - LOng Term Archiving and Retrieval of digital technical product documentation such as 3D, CAD and PDM data - Part 003: Fundamentals and concepts

This vital standard in the EN 9300 (LOTAR—Long-Term Archiving and Retrieval) aerospace series was published to establish the fundamental concepts governing the preservation and retrieval of digital product and technical data. As industries digitalize, the challenge of maintaining records that are accurate, auditable, and accessible over product lifecycles—often spanning decades—has intensified. prEN 9300-003 clarifies the differences between retention and archival, stresses the importance of data invariance (ensuring data remains unchanged over time), and details requirements around storage formats, validation, and the use of open, interoperable data standards for archiving.

Crucially, this document supports both regulatory and business requirements by mapping the life cycle of digital product data, guiding stakeholders through necessary processes for trustworthy archival, and linking these processes to frameworks like the Open Archive Information System (OAIS, ISO 14721).

This standard is primarily aimed at aerospace manufacturers, product lifecycle managers, compliance teams, and IT specialists responsible for long-term technical documentation management—but its lessons are broadly applicable to any industry with significant digital records management needs.

Key highlights:

• Introduces critical distinctions between data retention vs. archive requirements
• Mandates auditability and invariance for legal, safety, and certification relevance
• Links to open archival information models for cross-industry applicability

Access the full standard:View prEN 9300-003 on iTeh Standards

ISO/TR 5757:2025 – Earth-moving Machinery – Machines Utilizing Electric Rechargeable Energy Storage Systems (RESS)

Earth-moving machinery - Machines utilizing electric rechargeable energy storage systems (RESS)

As the heavy equipment sector rapidly adopts electrification, the need for harmonized and up-to-date terminologies and system reference points becomes acute. ISO/TR 5757:2025 addresses this gap by offering clear definitions and mappings for rechargeable energy storage systems (RESS) as used in earth-moving machinery. It describes battery architectures (cells, modules, packs, systems), core safety requirements, and differentiates types of batteries (swappable vs. integral, SLI vs. machine batteries)—alongside battery management and charging concepts. By referencing current standards and highlighting terminological precision, ISO/TR 5757 guides manufacturers and developers designing, testing, and integrating electric powertrains.

This technical report will be particularly useful for product designers, standards managers, fleet operators, and regulatory bodies responsible for safety, environmental, and operational compliance.

Key highlights:

• Comprehensive mapping of battery system elements and their interrelations
• Clear differentiation between onboard and off-board electrical systems
• Guidance for standard development and technical documentation in electrified machinery

Access the full standard:View ISO/TR 5757:2025 on iTeh Standards

ISO 7404-1:2025 – Coal – Methods for Petrographic Analysis – Part 1: Vocabulary

Coal - Methods for petrographic analysis - Part 1: Vocabulary

The fourth edition of ISO 7404-1 continues its foundational role by defining the core vocabulary used in petrographic analysis of coal, including updated input from international expert committees (e.g., the International Committee for Coal and Organic Petrology). It clarifies terms related to coaligenesis, maceral/mineral content, optical properties, and coal rank, as well as terminology relevant to analytical methods. By sharpening the precision and harmonization of terms, ISO 7404-1:2025 ensures laboratories, geoscientists, quality controllers, and regulators can interpret and report coal analyses with consistency across borders and supply chains.

The standard is applicable to laboratories and technical teams conducting coal rank analysis, process optimization, or reporting for compliance and trade.

Key highlights:

• Updates vocabulary coverage and integrates input from global expert panels
• Facilitates data integrity and comparability in coal analysis
• Supports harmonization of petrographic test reporting and classification

Access the full standard:View ISO 7404-1:2025 on iTeh Standards

ISO 22578:2025 – Graphical Symbols – Safety Colours and Safety Signs – Natural Disaster Safety Way Guidance System

Graphical symbols - Safety colours and safety signs - Natural disaster safety way guidance system

In response to global disaster risk and rising standards for public safety communication, ISO 22578:2025 builds a robust system for safety signage and evacuation guidance in natural disaster contexts. This standard specifies principles for sign design, selection, deployment, and maintenance that help guide people to safety during events such as tsunamis, floods, landslides, fires, and volcanic activity. Notably, it harmonizes with existing signage standards (ISO 7010, ISO 7001, and ISO 16069), ensuring global recognition and comprehension by diverse and multilingual audiences.

Guidance includes practical considerations for sign positioning, durability, legibility in varied lighting, and the use of supplementary symbols and languages. Public sector planners, safety officers, and facility managers responsible for disaster resilience and public protection will find ISO 22578 invaluable as they implement or revise evacuation and safety wayfinding systems.

Key highlights:

• Lays out clear principles for the design and positioning of disaster evacuation signage
• Promotes international harmonization through reference to globally recognized symbols
• Covers outdoor wayfinding from hazardous zones to designated safe areas

Access the full standard:View ISO 22578:2025 on iTeh Standards

EN ISO 5577:2025 – Non-destructive Testing – Ultrasonic Testing – Vocabulary (ISO 5577:2025)

Non-destructive testing - Ultrasonic testing - Vocabulary (ISO 5577:2025)

EN ISO 5577:2025, superseding the previous 2017 edition, serves as the authoritative reference for terminology used in ultrasonic non-destructive testing (NDT). This edition introduces a wide array of new and revised terms covering frequency, waves, probes, test objects, coupling, signals, and the evaluation of indications, while distinguishing itself by not addressing array-specific terms (now standardized separately as ISO 23243).

The vocabulary is crucial for practitioners, standard-setting bodies, trainers, auditors, and quality managers across sectors using ultrasonic NDT—ranging from manufacturing and civil engineering to critical infrastructure. Its adoption helps ensure that testing protocols, competency training, code compliance, and international collaborations are all built on a unified language framework.

Key highlights:

• Expands vocabulary coverage to reflect modern ultrasonic testing practices
• Integrates new signal and evaluation terms while referencing specialized standards for array technologies
• Enables clear, consistent communication between NDT professionals worldwide

Access the full standard:View EN ISO 5577:2025 on iTeh Standards

Common Themes and Industry Trends

Several broad trends emerge from the standards published in October 2025:

• Terminology Standardization Across Sectors: From coal analysis (ISO 7404-1) to non-destructive ultrasound testing (EN ISO 5577) and earth-moving machinery electrification (ISO/TR 5757), standardizing technical language remains foundational for interoperability, compliance, and quality.
• Harmonization with Digital Transformation: prEN 9300-003 underscores an industry-wide shift to robust, future-proof digital documentation, archiving, and traceability. The rise of digital twins, model-based engineering, and lifecycle management is mirrored in revised data management frameworks.
• Safety and Risk Management: ISO 22578 highlights the evolving role of graphical safety standards in response to more frequent and diverse natural disasters, supporting authorities in improving mass-communication and evacuation strategies.
• Support for Electrification: The growing prevalence of electric-powered heavy equipment, as addressed in ISO/TR 5757, signals the continued convergence between traditional mechanical engineering and advanced electronics management.
• Internationalization and Multilingual Application: Each standard emphasizes international applicability, reflecting increasingly global supply chains and cross-border operational requirements.

Compliance and Implementation Considerations

To ensure smooth compliance and effective implementation of these standards:

• Gap Assessment: Organizations should compare current policies, documentation, and operational protocols with the updated requirements and vocabularies, particularly if previously relying on superseded editions or national derivatives.
• Training and Communication: Technical and managerial teams need to be briefed on new or altered terminology, archive frameworks, and safety signage to bridge knowledge gaps and support competency development.
• Digitization Initiatives: For those in asset-intensive sectors (e.g., aerospace, industrial manufacturing), prioritizing the integration of prEN 9300-003 requirements into their digital archives ensures legal and operational continuity.
• Infrastructure Upgrades: Facilities in disaster-prone areas should plan for signage system audits and phased upgrades based on ISO 22578 to maximize clarity, inclusivity, and night/day visibility.
• Procurement and Specification: Update procurement specifications to require compliance with the latest vocabularies and digital documentation protocols, minimizing downstream risk.
• Timeline: As some standards have direct superseding implications (e.g., EN ISO 5577:2025 replaces EN ISO 5577:2017), internal compliance timelines may vary, but early adoption minimizes disruption during certification or audit.
• Resources: Detailed implementation guides and access to full text are available on iTeh Standards for further study and integration support.

Conclusion: Key Takeaways from October 2025

The standards published within Generalities, Terminology, Standardization, and Documentation in October 2025 illustrate a sector committed to clarity, international harmonization, and technological evolution. By revising foundational vocabularies, extending digital preservation practices, and fortifying public safety frameworks, these publications collectively empower professionals to navigate complex, multi-sector environments with confidence.

Recommendations:

• Prioritize updating documentation and training to align with new and revised vocabularies and frameworks
• Integrate prEN 9300-003 essentials into digital lifecycle management strategies—especially in regulated industries
• Leverage ISO 22578 and EN ISO 5577 to enhance safety and testing consistency
• Stay engaged with standards activity to anticipate workflow and compliance impacts before audits or regulatory deadlines

Staying abreast of these changes is not merely a matter of regulatory diligence, but a means of ensuring sustainable competitiveness, risk mitigation, and a culture of operational excellence in diverse technical fields. Professionals are encouraged to explore the full standards via iTeh Standards to support robust implementation and continual improvement across their organizations.