European Safety Standards [NA]

[Keith Lane]

I've got to research the manufacturing safety standards for European manufacturers, similar to what OSHA has here. Things like warning devices (barriers and such) and standards for lifting devices such as slings and overhead cranes.
Anybody here ever hear of an organization that does this? Are these what the ISO standards are? We are setting up an operation to produce 30 railroad cars a day in Russia, and European standards are the order of the day right now.
Thanks. I figure some world traveler on here might know the right place to at least start.

 

[Trapper John]

Sorry, not an expert. LGH in the UK is a big rigging/hoisting outfit with a presence in the U.S.

http://www.lgh.co.uk/training/index.htm


Trapper John

 

[Matthew]

You'll probably need to start looking at CE directives, that's part of the European Community standards to try to level the playing field among all the members. They have requirements similar to UL and OSHA regarding personal safety equipment, and a whole lot of other things.

I'll see if I can find a resource for you - we build equipment in-house that needs to conform to CE standards, but we are doing the manufacutring here, not there.

Matt


edit: uggh - I forgot how much fun the Europeans can be when it comes to regulations:

http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors_en.htm has a few things to get you started - for manufacturing equipment they'll have requirements for personal safety (guarding, emergency stops, ...), noise limits, all kinds of things.

I think we hired a consultant at first, until we figured it out. We still have to hire an outside company to come in and certify certain equipment to measure the EMC levels that are being generated.

That's about the best I can do for now.

 

[vontresc]

In Germany a lot of that stuff may be done by the TÜV (Technischer Überwachungs Verein). The do all sorts of product testing, including boiler testing, and biennial car safety checks.

 

[ScottM]

I am not an expert in that area but I would start as Matt suggested. Ther eis also Europe's OSHA http://osha.europa.eu/en/legislation/

Another good place to start, simply because it is in English is the British Standards Institute http://www.bsi-global.com/ This will also link you into CE.

 

[Ghery]

If you are building product subject to any of the new approach directives, you can find their text and the current list of harmonized standards at http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/newapproach/standardization/harmstds/reflist.html.

I'm always checking the OJ for changes to the list for the EMC Directive.