MESSAGES 2008-02

Rules on the mechanical resistance and stability of construction works
Policies concerning spatial planning, construction and housing are prepared within the Ministry of the environment and spatial planning. According to the Construction act, the minister responsible for environmental and constructional matters develops or issues, in cooperation with ministers responsible for other sectors, regulations in the form of rules that are further supported, if necessary, by technical guidelines or standards. For example, the Rules on the mechanical resistance and stability of construction works are part of the so-called building regulations. They define essential requirements for buildings. But these requirements need to be explained more in detail, and that is the role of standards, or Eurocodes, in this particular case. The article presents the relation between regulation and standards, engineering of load-bearing constructions and the role of the Rules on the mechanical resistance and stability of construction works and Eurocodes. It also emphasizes that a lot of time and effort was needed to replace the old legislation, implement the new European legislation and bridge the gaps to cover also all national characteristic and special features.


Eurocode 8 - New Standards for the Design of structures for Earthquake Resistance
The decision to adopt Eurocodes was made relatively early in Slovenia. The reason was that the then existing building regulation, inherited from the former Yugoslavia failed to follow the rapid development of seismic engineering in the last decades. The fact that there were no regulations for earthquake-resisting bridges during the period of intensive motorway building was especially critical. For this reason, the second part of Eurocode 8 for bridges was implemented first. All the parts of Eurocode 8 had to be adopted as Slovenian pre-standards or SIST ENVs before 2001 because they were not completed and adopted as European standards at that time. Slovenia was very active in the development of Eurocode 8 at the European level. Several comments were made to working documents and proposals were put forward to improve the standards. The article presents the series more in detail. Because it introduced and implemented the standard relatively early, Slovenia has gained considerable experience by now. Eurocode 8 has become a part of study programmes of the universities of Ljubljana and Maribor and a number of seminars and trainings have been organized as additional, advanced courses for engineers in the construction sector.


European Standards for Structures
European standards for structures are aligned and compatible with one another. Issues concerning all types of concrete structures are dealth with in standards of the Eurocode 2 series, which are presented more in detail in the article. The list of Slovenian standards for concrete structures also includes ENVs (pre-standards) which have been replaced by new ENs (standards). The author also presents the main features of SIST EN 1992 or Eurocode 2 standards.


Eurocodes - Their Development and Role
Eurocodes are a set of codes of practice for designing buildings and civil engineering structures. They have been developed for a long time and represent an important achievement for construction industry and European economy in general. The article presents the milestones of their development, from the first idea to their present status. The process of development, adoption and alignment took 35 years; the professionals in building design and civil engineering have been informed about it for the last fifteen years. Now it is time to put these extensive set of documents in practice. There are as many as 59 documents or more than 5000 pages to be transferred from paper to practice. Some objects in Slovenia, such as for example border crossing Obrežje and the Faculty of mathematics and physics in Ljubljana have already been designed or renovated on basis of Eurocodes.


National Annexes to Eurocodes for Snow Loads (SIST EN 1991-1-3) and Wind Actions (SIST EN 1991-1-4)
The development of European standards for structures showed that it will be very difficult to achieve complete harmonization of these documents, unless national annexes to Eurocodes are developed. Slovenia prepared a number of national annexes, among which also annex to SIST EN 1991-1-3 for smow loads and annex to SIST EN 1991-1-4 for wind actions, which are described in the article.


New Standards for the Design of Timber Structures
New European standards for the design of timber structures (Eurocode 5) have been developed on basis of the latest scientific knowledge. They introduce the latest calculation methods common to all structures. Eurocodes refer to a number of other strandards such as those defining the characteristics and quality of materials, requirements for use, testing, determination of characteristic values etc. Standards defining strength classes of solid wood and glued laminated timber are especially important. The article focuses on the classification of timber and references to other standards, and explains the CE marking required in the CPD directive. It also gives some additional information on the national annex to Eurocode 5 on snow loads and wind actions which are typical for Slovenia.


MESSAGES 2008-01

Textiles Care Labelling and GINETEX
The symbols used for care of textiles are graphic symbols used in the marking of textile articles. They provide information necessary to prevent irreversible damage to the article during the textile care process and specify the use of symbols in care labelling. The symbols have been developed by the International Association for Textile Care Labelling (GINETEX). They are registered trademarks and the property of GINETEX. The association is composed of 15 member countries. Slovenia is an observer member and has established a technical committee (SIST TC OVT) within the Slovenian Institute for Standardization to deal with matters concerning the care of textiles. GINETEX has given the right to use the symbols in EN ISO 3758:2005 Textiles Care Labelling Code using symbols to the international technical committee ISO/TC 38 Textiles (and the European technical committee CEN/TC 248 Textiles and textile products).


Textile Product Labelling
Several changes occurred in the field of textile product labelling with the accession of Slovenia to the EU. Before 2004 manufacturers were obliged to indicate fibre composition, maintenance information and number/size of the product on the label. Nowadays, only fibre composition is obligatory in accordance with the Rules on fibre composition specification and textile names (Official Journal of RS, 29 Dec 1999, No. 109). A major change also occurred in the field of leather products where labelling is no longer obligatory. Fear that this "contracted" list of obligatory information on the textile product labels would have negative consequences proved unfounded. In fact, the entry into the common market and competition put an end to it, because suppliers realised that unlabelled or poorly labelled products do not attract consumers, and even if they do, troubles may emerge in case of complaints.


Indications on Textile Products Mostly Left to the Supplier
Following changes and enforcements of new acts such as the Standardization Act, Technical Requirements for Products and Conformity Assessment Act and the Consumer Protection Act, marking or labelling of products is no longer defined as obligatory or as a horizontal requirement for all products on the market. It remains obligatory only for products under special regulations and according to Article 2 of the Consumer Protection Act (Official Journal RS, No. 98/04 - official consolidated text), enterprises >shall communicate to the consumer any necessary information as to the properties, sales conditions, application and intended use of these products<. They may also use generally recognizable symbols and pictures, and an abridged company name, providing that unambiguous identification of the enterprise is evident through this name. The article gives an overview of Slovenian standards in the field of size labelling and answers some of the most frequently asked questions concerning labelling and declarations that SIST Inquiry Point receives from our customers.


6th CEN/TC 264/WG 9 Meeting in Ljubljana
Environemental protection is becoming increasingly important and with it, also the importance of emission monitoring is growing. The system for continuous monitoring of emissions (CEMS - Continuous Emission Monitoring System) consists of a system for automated measurement (AMS - Automated Measuring System) and a system for automated evaluation (DAHS - Data Aquisition and Handling System). The requirements concerning AMS are uniform in all European countries whereas the situation in the field of DAHS lacks uniformity. For this reason, a special workgroup has been established within CEN/TC 264 Air Quality: WG 9 Quality Assurance of automated measuring systems was established in 2006. The workgruop is currently preparing a new Euroepan standard concerning quality assurance of AMS data. The working title of the document is TC 264 WI 264076:2006 - Stationary source emissions - Quality assurance of AMS data. The workgroup had its 6th meeting in Ljubljana. The meeting took place at SIST on 15th and 16th November 2007 and was attended by 13 repesentatives from 8 countries (Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Switzerland, and Great Britain).


Messages 2007-11

Personal Protective Equipment
The author continues her series of articles on the activities of the Market Inspectorate of the Republic of Slovenia with describing the responsibilities of the Inspectorate in the field of personal protective equipment as defined in the Technical Requirements for Products and Conformity Assessment Act (OJ of RS, No. 99/2004), the Rules on personal protective equipment (OJ of RS, No. 29/2005 and 23/2006) and the List of Standards which gives rise to the presumption of conformity with the rules of personal protective equipment (OJ of RS, No. 95/2007). The article also gives definitions for personal protective equipment and presents the three categories for equipment classification, the requirements, the instructions for equipment use, the tasks of personal protective equipment surveillance and the measures the inspectorate can order during inspection.


Messages 2007-09

Successful Completion of Technical Assistance Project for the Transposition and Implementation of European Regulations in BiH The European Commission has recently financed several projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the aim of which is to help the country in its efforts to increase export of products and foodstuffs and to protect lives and health of its citizens from dangerous products. The basic precondition for both is the transposition and implementation of EU Technical Regulations regarding product safety and establishment of technical infrastructure for the evaluation and surveillance of conformity of products with these regulations. In this context, the Technical Assistance Project for the Transposition and Implementation of European Regulations in BiH was carried out. SIST participated in this project and assisted local experts in developing the methodology for the transposition of new approach directives into the national system, in preparing national regulations, and in establishing the national info point through which BiH can perform notification procedures in accordance with the WTO/TBT agreement. The conference held at the conclusion of the project showed that most of the tasks were completed successfully. Institutions such as for example the Food Safety Agency of BiH, the Market Surveillance Agency of BiH and the Institute for standardization have been established during the project. And even though some problems remain, which are mostly the result of insufficient number of staff at the ministries, non-harmonized work and non-existence of institutions, the success of the project inspires confidence that the work will be carried on and will lead to independent and successful work of the relevant institutions in BiH.


Messages 2007-7/8

Safety Requirements for Inflatable Products for Use in Shallow and Calm Water
Summer means time for leisure and vacations. Adults spend their time away from work and daily routines. Children put homework and exams aside for two months and enjoy their holidays swimming, diving, playing games, practising sports etc. Though the atmosphere in this period is very relaxed, caution shouldn't be thrown to the wind. The market offers a wide range of products for leisure activities and when these products are intended for children, they have to be absolutely safe. It is important to check that they are suitable in terms of age group and that the packaging contains instructions for safe use. To provide users, distributors and manufacturers of toys and other equipment for children with the essential safety information, the Ministry of the economy prepared a table. The products are divided in groups and all regulations applying to each of the groups are listed as well. The table should serve as a guideline for designers, manufacturers and distributors of leisure products to comply with the essential safety requirements of Slovenian (and European) legislation. The table is based on materials prepared by the European Commission and on the work of many technical committees (Directive 88/378/EEC concerning safety of toys, Directive on personal protective equipment (89/686/EEC), Directive (2001/95/EC) on general product safety, Commission Decision 2005/323/EC on safety requirements for floating leisure articles for use on or in the water, information concerning specific types of products in other member states which reflect the current situation in the EU, etc.).


Testing of Playground Equipment
Play is an essential part of any child's development. Slides, swings, climbing structures, play houses and similar play equipment contribute to the development of motor and social skills, ensure physical fitness, stimulate competitiveness and enhance self-confidence. However, play can also be dangerous and to minimise the number of accidents with toys or on playgrounds all the actors within the chain (from design, manufacture to installation and maintenance) must ensure that their products or services are safe. The easiest way to achieve this is to comply with the requirements of standards. As member of the EU, Slovenia also adopted European standards that concerning the safety of playground equipment. These standards can be divided into three main groups: general, specific and supplementary standards. General standards specify general safety requirements for all types of playground equipment; standards of the second group concentrate on additional safety requirements for specific equipment such as swings, slides, carousels, runways; the third group focuses on the procedures for installation and use of playground equipment, protection against falling, maintenance and inspection. In Slovenia, the safety of playground equipment is regulated by the General Safety of Products Act, according to which all manufacturers >shall market only safe products<. In other words >only products complying with safety requirements of voluntary Slovenian, international or European harmonised standards shall be placed on the market<. In practice, the safety of playground equipment is tested by competent test laboratories. The tests must cover all requirements of the general standard and when necessary, also the requirements of the specific standard. Testing procedures shall be carried out systematically and special attention shall be placed on tests covering entrapment and falls.


Messages 2007-06

When Standards Become Part of Technical Regulations
The article presents the difference between regulations and standards and their relationships. Standards are basically non binding documents and their application is voluntary. However, if legislators include them in technical regulations and make references to them, their application becomes mandatory. The article describes the legal basis for referencing in Slovenian public law. Legislators can use different types of references to standards, depending on what they want to achieve with a specific reference. References can be direct or indirect, dated or undated. The article also gives a short description of harmonized standards and references to standards in private law.


Messages 2007-05

Legislation and Standardization in the Field of Pressure Equipment
Pressure equipment legislation is one of the oldest technical legislations in the world. With its introduction, the number of accidents in this field has dropped significantly through history. The article starts with an overview of the development of pressure equipment legislation and then concentrates on the importance of the PED directive (23/97/EC), the adoption of which introduced a unified management of the field throughout the EU rather than management at national level as in the past. This approach helped remove barriers to trade and facilitated free movement of goods. Slovenia implemented the requirements of the PED directive with the Rules on pressure equipment published in February 2002. The Rules comprise a general text giving all legal requirements and seven annexes describing technical requirements and procedures more in detail. The second part of the article presents the differences between the old and the new legislation, describes different types of conformity assessment modules and lists harmonized standards from the field. The last part of the article focuses on one of the main changes to the old legislation, namely the introduction of quality systems in quality assessment procedures, and shortly describes the role and tasks of notified and appointed bodies and the supervision over the use of pressure equipment.


Olga Naglič, Chairperson of the SIST Technical Board for the General Field
After secondary school she continued her studies at the Faculty of chemistry and chemical technology where she took a degree in organic chemistry. She began her career in Izolirka, a manufacturer of insulating materials and then moved into the field of surface wood preservation for a couple of years. Finally, she returned to bitumen and waterproofing as head of department for building material at IGMAT. Her first encounter with standardization was in the time of the Yugoslav institute for standardization. Most of her work has been closely connected with standards and compliance with standards requirements. She participates in the work of the European committee CEN/TC 254 which covers the area of flexible sheets for waterproofing and shares the knowledge and information gained with other experts working in this field. As the chairperson of the Technical board for the general field she will try to focus on the development of those areas of standardization where there is need and interest in Slovenia. She believes that Slovenia should preserve the existing level of products and services quality and set more ambitious yet attainable goals. This way Slovenian products and services will be competitive and comparable with products and services in foreign markets. Mrs Naglič believes that the awareness of the benefits of standardization in Slovenia is strong in those areas where there is enough interest from industry and trade. Experts in these areas put forward initiatives and actively participate in the process. She believes that more effort should be put in the development of original national standards and in the translation of fundamental standards into Slovenian. This is the only way to bring standards closer to the user. She concludes that young experts should be given more opportunities to participate in the process of development of European and international standards.


Drago Majcen, Chairperson of the SIST Technical Board for Electrical Engineering, IT and Telecommunications
Mr Drago Majcen graduated from the Faculty of electrical engineering and started his career in the postal and telecommunications sector. At first he was head of the radio-relay systems maintenance centre; later he became manager of the Sector for the supervision, management and maintenance of the telecommunications system and then moved to the position of management board member of Telekom Slovenija. At the same time he was also chairman of the supervisory board of companies Impulz and Komcard and member of the supervisory board of Mobitel. He has been working for Mobitel since June 2004 as the company's representative in international organizations. His first encounter with standardization was during his first job, where the work and organization of the company were based on rules and instructions developed on basis of international guidelines and standards. Later he became chairman of SIST/TC RES Radio equipment and systems and since last year he has been chairman of SIST/TC MOC Mobile Communications. Mr Majcen believes that the development of standardization in a country depends on a number of things. The most important are the vision, strategy and interest of a country's government and its ministries. These are specified in national programmes and projects which show the actual support given to national standardization or, in our case, to SIST. Concrete directions and actions show what kind of economy, industry, entrepreneurship and consumer society we want. Mr Majcen emphasizes the importance of internal resources (human resources and their knowledge and ambitions) for effective work and quality of performance of technical committee members. When elected Chairman of the Technical board for electrical engineering, IT and telecommunications he insisted that board members got acquainted with all documents and work of the secretariat under the previous mandate. Following that some changes and amendments regarding the organization, responsibilities and deadlines were suggested. In the future, he will concentrate on the work of technical committees and focus on the improvement of mutual information exchange and coordination between the technical board, technical secretaries and chairmen of technical committees, subcommittees, workgroups and project groups. His next step will be dedicated to the organization of SIST. With regard to the current status of Slovenian standardization he thinks that much too often people in our country forget that not knowing or not complying with standards and guidelines means blocking the access not only to the European and international market but also to the increasingly competitive domestic market. Standards define the shape, characteristics and use of most products and services; that is why we practically can do without them any more.


Changes to European Legislation in Non-Harmonized Areas
At the end of February, the European Commission forwarded to the Council a proposal for a Regulation concerning the use of national technical regulations for products that are lawfully marketed in another Member State and that are not subject to Community harmonisation. In practice, national technical rules still constitute important barriers to free trade within the EU. The Commission assessed that such barriers reduce the trading of goods within the internal market for up to 10 % or 150 billion EUR. These barriers can be removed by harmonizing the national regulations or by applying the so-called >mutual recognition principle<. The latter prevents individual countries from prohibiting without justification the marketing of lawfully manufactured products to another EU member state. The country of destination must either accept alternative technical solutions or justify why it cannot accept an alternative to such solutions. Unfortunately, the principle of mutual recognition also has some negative aspects such as the lack of awareness of companies and national bodies about its existence, the legal uncertainty regarding its scope and the burden of proof, and the risk for companies that their product will be denied access to the market of the country of destination. The proposal of the Commission is important for Slovenia because effective functioning of the internal market in the non harmonized product sector mainly affects small and medium size companies which represent the majority of companies in Slovenia. The purpose of the Regulation is to define the rights and obligations of national bodies and companies wishing to market the products already lawfully marketed in another member state, in an EU state that denies market access on basis of its national rules. The proposal places the burden of proof on the national authorities denying market access and consolidates legal security for the companies by obliging the authorities of the country of destination to motivate the refusal.