Principles of standardisation

Every standard starts with an idea. The idea for a standard can come about when harmonized requirements are needed for a new product or a new service, in order for example for it to satisfy certain safety criteria. As OSH experts, you can contribute to a safe working environment by submitting your ideas for standardization.

Anyone may submit an application for standardization. Such proposals are submitted via the national standards body in the country in question (DIN in
Germany’s case), which forwards them to the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) (or CENELEC for electrotechnical standards). 

Filing a proposal for a standard themselves is the first means of influence for OSH experts if this is deemed necessary for OSH purposes. This approach enables them to formulate their objectives for the standard at an early stage, thus setting the tone for the content of the future standard. But there are also other ways of exerting influence during the preparation of a standard.

If a sufficient number of CEN members give their consent and are willing to be involved in the development work and if the financing is secured, CEN assigns the project to a Technical Committee (TC), which in turn forwards the mandate to one of its Working Groups (WGs). At the national level, mirror committees follow the standard’s progress. The CEN members appoint delegates to the TC to act as a bridge between the European and national standardization levels and to represent the national opinion.

The most important and most effective way of exerting influence is to be actively involved in a standardization committee – be it at national or European level. 

The CEN members appoint experts to the WGs, who primarily express their opinion as specialists. 

The WG draws up a committee draft (CD).

The most important and most effective way of exerting influence is to be actively involved in a standardization committee – be it at the national or European level.

The TC informs the national mirror committee about how work is progressing. It is also the TC that decides whether the draft is sufficiently advanced to be passed via the national standards bodies to the public enquiry stage as a draft European standard (prEN) or whether the WG has to make amendments first.

During the public enquiry stage, all stakeholders can send in comments on the draft standard to their respective national standards body. 

In Germany, the Commission for Occupational Health and Safety and Standardisation (KAN) can provide support, if desired, for stakeholders seeking to draw up comments concerning OSH. If a key stakeholder in the standardization process, for example the OSH sphere, rejects a draft standard, DIN is not allowed to vote in favour of it at the CEN level (“Block vote by an interested party”). It is also possible to convince DIN to vote “No but...“. By so doing, DIN offers CEN a way to have the standard accepted by Germany as well if certain conditions are met.

It is also helpful to discuss the draft standard with OSH experts in other European countries before submitting a national comment (for example via EUROSHNET, the European network for OSH experts involved in standardisation, testing and certification).

During the comments resolution meeting, the national mirror committee discusses and evaluates all of the comments received. When a consensus has been reached, the mirror committee combines all of the comments in one common national comment and forwards it to the TC. All national comments are discussed by the Working Group (WG) and incorporated into the draft standard in accordance with the WG’s conclusions. 

Persons who have submitted comments on a standard are automatically invited to the comments resolution meeting. Here they have the opportunity to substantiate their positions and, if necessary, actively negotiate compromises. It is important to take advantage of this opportunity.

The resulting final draft is submitted to the national standards bodies for voting. 

Once it has been accepted, the standard is published and must be adopted as a national standard by all CEN members.

If a majority has been reached, the standard is published as European standard (EN) and must be adopted unchanged as a national standard by all CEN members. An EN standard therefore always becomes a DIN EN standard (NF EN in France, PN EN in Poland, etc.). 

European standards that are intended to specify a European product directive or regulation are listed in the Official Journal of the European Union. As soon as at least one Member State has adopted them into its national body of standards, they are considered harmonised standards and give rise to the presumption of conformity. According to the official schedule, a standard should be completed within three years.

Once standards have been completed and adopted at the national level, they are reviewed every five years. It is also possible to submit a proposal for revision at an earlier date. Again, KAN can support parties interested in doing so.

In the case of harmonized standards, there is a special way of exerting influence once they have been published if they do not comply with the European level of protection. In such cases, the individual Member States can submit a “formal objection” to the European Commission to prevent the standard from giving rise to a presumption of conformity – either completely or in part.