[ Focus: International representation ]
ET: What happens when the IEC technical committee has approved the proposals of the working groups? GD: Once the proposals have been agreed at IEC technical committee level, they are then forwarded to bodies representing various industry sectors and regions for further discussion and potential modification. In the case of Europe, the proposals go to CENELEC where there may be changes at an EU level to accommodate particular requirements. From CENELEC, the draft standard is then passed to
the appropriate organisations in individual countries. In the UK, this is the BSI and, in the case of IEC60364 (to continue that example), the proposals would be dealt with by a joint BSI-IET committee – JPEL 64. The organisations then feed back to the relevant
IEC technical committee, and suggested changes are subject to further discussion and modification.
ET: Is there much scope to make changes at national level? GD: Yes, further changes are often made at national level, in our case through BSI and the IET. The key criterion is to ‘implement the safety and technical intent’ of the standard, so we can introduce UK clauses that reflect different working practices or safety and technical aspects at national level. From the initial proposals for a new standard – or a change to an existing one – there can be a lot of meetings, discussions, debates and changes after the initial drafts.
ET: How is adherence to the standards policed? GD: Each country has an organisation that is
We are there in the role of UK experts, not just representing the ECA
responsible for policing their national standards; in the UK this is the BSI. The chairmen of each of the technical committees also play a key role in ensuring that standards are interpreted correctly in their own country, so everything is checked very thoroughly, including translations between different languages.
ET: How long does all of this take? GD: The whole process can take five to six years from initial discussions, though where there are safety implications, progress can be much quicker. Also, we often know about safety issues and subsequent new product developments some time in advance, so we can often get involved long before the products get to the market.
ET: At which point does the ECA get involved? GD: In order to ensure the UK has a voice, it is essential that we are represented at as many levels as possible. However, when you consider how many working groups there are, it would be physically impossible to be on all of them so, if we can’t be present, we try to represent the UK’s viewpoint through position papers submitted to the various working groups. Also, our early involvement is essential. There is no
point in waiting for proposals to reach BSI level, as by then it’s too late to make any radical changes. I sit as a board member on the British
Electrotechnical Committee (BEC), which is typically where the UK standards policy is debated and established. Once this is agreed, this policy is taken into the European or international arena with the appropriate body. It’s important to emphasise that when we attend
28
ECA Today December 2013
SHUTTERSTOCK / VLADGRIN
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68