As markets become more and more global, international standardization as a tool for breaking down trade barriers will continue to grow in importance in relation to European standardization.

In connection with electromagnetic fields, KANBRIEF 3/00 mentioned the updating of KAN Report 9 “Standardization in the field of non-ionizing radiation” (11/96). Part 2 of the revised KAN report is concerned with standardization in the field of optical radiation.

The need for standardization for the measurement of exposure

Interview with Horst Schmitthenner

Hazardous substances occur in almost all areas of the working environment. Laws and ordinances are passed to reduce the resultant health risks, and standards play an important role in this context as well.

Searching for standards relating to OH&S is often difficult in complex systems like the DITR database or PERINORM (the most extensive electronic database on standards with roughly 600,000 document references from 17 countries). OH&S-relevant standards are frequently only found if OH&S terms occur in the title and are thus indexed.

The French social security system is made up of categories in which different employee groups are insured. About 70% of employees are classified in the general category of wage and salary earners in industry and trade. Employees of the State, farmers, tradesmen and others belong to special categories. Within the general category, there are four sections: health insurance, pension insurance, family benefits, and occupational accidents and diseases.

At our homepage (http://www.kan.de) we supply information on the structure, tasks and member organizations of KAN and offer rapid access to topical information on the subject of OH&S and standardization. KAN reports and off-prints can be ordered free online by mouse-click. Both KAN reports and the KANBRIEF are available in full text versions, the latter as of late in PDF format as well. There are also links to further institutions and information on the subject of OH&S and standardization.