Learning with CE-coach: basic knowledge, step by step

CE marking provides technical products with a “passport” to the European market. In order to educate manufacturers on the importance of the CE mark and the associated obligations and liability risks, the Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Transport of Baden-Württemberg is providing basic information free of charge on the Internet in the form of the CE-coach learning application.

Products which do not satisfy the minimum requirements of the EU directives and are not therefore CE compliant may attract punitive measures from the market surveillance authorities: in the worst case, prohibition of placing on the market, or a mandatory recall. Manufacturers and importers of defective products also face high risks of costs and liability. Causes of manufacturers’ disregard for their obligations are, in many cases, ignorance of the proper application of the EU directives, and underestimation of the strategic significance of CE marking.

The CE-coach initiative

A sustainable improvement in the situation cannot be attained by official market surveillance measures alone. For this reason, the Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Transport of Baden-Württemberg has developed the CE-coach learning application in conjunction with partners from research, industry and education. The CE-coach is available free of charge on the Internet, and provides basic information on the subject of CE marking and conditions for market access for machines.

The learning application deals with five of the most important EU directives governing machinery. It focuses upon the Machinery Directive. The Low-voltage, Pressure Equipment, ATEXand EMC Directives are also addressed.

Further modules contain the following additional subject-matter:

• Requirements concerning the placing on the market of products in the European Economic Area
• CE management: duties of management regarding the organization of CE processes
• Corporate and personal liability risks in the event of noncompliance with the requirements
• Risk assessment: requirements and procedure
• Technical documentation: requirements and information on compliance with them
• Significance of standards
• Risk assessment in accordance with the Machinery Directive with reference to the example of a mitre saw
• Application of the Machinery Directive in the construction of controls
• Application of the Machinery Directive in the construction of special machines
• Application of the Machinery Directive during machine conversions
• Application of the EMC Directive in panelbuilding

The learning application employs a multimedial structure. Tuition texts for independent study and summary slides are supplemented by audiobooks, videos and interactive graphics. Further information, such as the texts of the directives, is provided in annexes. The new guide to application of the Machinery Directive has also been incorporated into CE-coach. The learning application comprises over 15 hours of tuition. The learning durations are stated for each subject. The individual modules are self-contained, permitting phased learning. Registered users can mark the sections that they have already learnt. The CE-coach is intended for designers, managers, and anyone involved in the CE process within companies. Lecturers in higher education, who can use the CE-coach within their own teaching provision, and students wishing to extend their knowledge in this area, are however also invited to use it.

Dirk von Locquenghien
dirk.vonlocquenghien@uvm.bwl.de