Ten years ago, the German Government, together with the industrial BGs, founded KAN, the Commission for Occupational Health and Safety and Standardization. The German Government thus fulfilled the duty imposed upon it by a number of EU directives to involve the social partners directly in standardization. KAN has since assumed further functions, namely by focussing standpoints on OH&S issues at national level and presenting them effectively during the standardization process. The need at various times for clarification and co-ordination between state bodies, statutory accident insurance bodies, employers’ and employees’ representative groups, and DIN in standardization issues of relevance to occupational health and safety is thus fulfilled in an efficient manner.

Since its inception in 1994, KAN has become an established part of OH&S-related standardization. Its knowledge is respected, its advice sought, and its comments carry weight. Owing to KAN’s mandate and composition, Germany has in it a powerful institution whose reputation extends well beyond the country’s borders.

Interview with Dr.-Ing. Peter Kiehl

With the founding in 1994 of KAN, the Commission for Occupational Health and Safety and Standardization, the KAN Secretariat was also created. The Secretariat comprises the departments of ”Safety Technology” and ”Occupational Health and Ergonomics”, together with offices for employers’ and employees’ representatives.

The Commission for Occupational Health and Safety and Standardization (KAN) , focuses the interests of German occupational health and safety experts in standardization. It exploits a range of instruments in the process, in order to co-ordinate positions between German national and regional authorities, employers, employees, and the BGs – the institutions for statutory accident insurance and prevention – and to present these positions in standardization activity.

The use of the formal objection in relation to New Approach standards is now sometimes being considered more critically, both by public bodies and by standards committees. KAN has gained a wealth of experience with this instrument.

Adopted in 1993, the German Consensus Statement (GDS) constitutes a fundamental point of reference for the work of KAN, which was founded in 1994. It details for Germany the EU framework conditions which shape the relationship between standardization and the health and safety of workers at work, and which were reaffirmed in 2003 in the Treaty of Nice2. This means that for occupational health and safety, complete harmonization is not planned for the foreseeable future, and the GDS remains fully in force.

In the Federal Republic of Germany, the responsibility for market surveillance lies with the regional authorities. Complaints regarding products generally result from a failure to observe or properly apply statutory provisions and standards.

Over 100 experts from OH&S institutions in Germany, Finland, France, Poland, Spain and the UK have already signed up to EUROSHNET, the EURopean Occupational Safety and Health NETwork.

In the Official Journal C 297 (9 Dec 2003, p.21-22) the European Commission has published its comments on EN 61242, ”Electrical accessories – Cable reels for household and similar purposes”.

A list of DIN draft standards of relevance to occupational health and safety and at the public enquiry stage in Germany can now be accessed free of charge on the Internet through NoRA. The usual key data (description of the standard, standard number, date of issue, deadline for appeals, etc.) are displayed for each of the draft standards listed. The database is updated monthly.