Where standards refer to body dimensions stated in other standards, it is advisable for the referring standard not to state the actual numerical values found in the standards referred to, but to refer to them indirectly by reference to the standard itself (sliding reference), in order to allow for updates of the values in the latter.
Standards bodies develop standards into which anthropometric data are frequently incorporated, owing to the purpose of the standard. All aspects which must be taken into account by designers during the design of products should if possible be considered during the development of the standard.
Many standards make reference to other standards in force. This is advantageous in the interests of standardization of dimensional data. Where anthropometric data are concerned however, the actual numerical values may change from one generation to the next (see Up-to-dateness of anthropometric data). For this reason, basic standards governing anthropometric data (e.g. DIN 33402-2; CEN ISO/TR 7250-2) are updated at irregular intervals without these changes being adopted directly in standards drawing upon them. As a result, users may be presented with conflicting anthropometric data, despite the reference to the standard being correct (for example: two different values for the lowest body height to be considered). For this reason, it is preferable to refer only to the standard as such, for example by stating that the 5th percentile of the body height to CEN ISO/TR 7250-2 is to be used. A similar procedure is recommended for the creation of formulae containing fixed values for body dimensions (for example, for a situation in which a helmet is worn: "50th percentile of the body height stated in CEN ISO/TR 7250-2 + 35 mm" rather than "1,714 mm + 35 mm"). This makes the standard more difficult to read and requires the up-to-date values to be taken from the standard referred to, but has the advantage of guaranteeing that uniform data are used.