Common specifications are European implementing acts that are intended to ensure that the public interest, such as the protection of health and safety, is nevertheless satisfied in the case of non-existent or inadequate harmonized standards. They are technical specifications that aim to harmonize product requirements in the same way as standards.
KAN has published this position paper on this instrument.
The essential principles of standardization apply only in part to standardization documents such as DIN SPECs, VDE SPECs, VDE rules of application, CWAs and IWAs. The Commission for Occupational Health and Safety and Standardization (KAN) therefore considers such documents inherently unsuitable for governing occupational safety and health issues.
Standards are an important element in prevention activity for safe and healthy workplaces. Elaborated at European and increasingly also at international level, they set out technical requirements for products and define measurement methods for emissions such as noise, vibration, radiation, and harmful substances. At the same time, standards increasingly impact upon non-technical areas such as the harmonization of management systems, services, health care, and qualification. Against this background, the signatories have agreed upon a set of joint positions on their standardization policy.
The non-visual effects of artificial lighting are a topic with a bearing upon the safety and health of workers at work. If standardization activity in this area is planned, the German government's policy document concerning the role of standardization in the safety and health of workers at work requires consideration first to be given to what extent such standardization is permissible.
The Guide to the implementation of directives based on the New Approach and the Global Approach (the ‘Blue Guide’) was published in 2000. Since then, it has become one of the main reference documents explaining how to implement the legislation based on the New Approach, now covered by the New Legislative Framework.
The policy paper was drawn up by the working group on “Standardization in the health and safety of workers at work”. The working group was set up by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and consisted of representatives of the federal states’ supreme labour protection authorities, the Federal Agency for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA), the Secretariat of the Commission for Occupational Health and Safety and Standardization (KAN), the umbrella associations of the social accident insurance institutions, the social partners, DIN (German Institute for Standardization) and of VDE (Association for Electrical, Electronic and Information Technologies).
The policy paper was first published in 2015 and revised in February 2021. In particular, the update clarifies that the Policy paper now formally and completely replaces the German Consensus Statement.
Since November 2016, a process description has underpinned the policy paper (see "11/2016 Description of the process..." in this list). The process description expands on the policy paper where the latter relates to new or ongoing standardization work items with reference to the health and safety of workers at work. It describes the functions of the various parties involved, the procedural processes and supports the objective of incorporating the expertise of all OSH stakeholders into KAN's position in an appropriate and timely manner.
"CEN/CENELEC Workshop Agreements"
Edition 2.2 - October 2019 (Update of 2nd Edition)
setting out the requirements for accreditation and market surveillance relating to the marketing of products and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 339/93 (9 July 2008)
PART I - <link file:2477 download "Öffnet eine Datei">Role of the Commission's Standardisation requests to the European standardisation organisations</link>
PART II - <link file:2478 _blank download "Öffnet eine Datei">Preparation and adoption of the Commission’s standardisation requests to the European standardisation organisations</link>
PART III - <link file:2479 _blank download "Öffnet eine Datei">Guidelines for the execution of standardisation requests</link>
AGREEMENT ON TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO TRADE.