The final meeting of the joint working group revising the ISO/IEC Guide 51 Safety aspects – Guide for their inclusion in standards was held recently in Berlin. The last revision was completed in 1999 and the third edition will include a strengthened focus on risk reduction; updated terms used in the context of consumer safety; and additions relative to vulnerable consumers. The Guide is currently being prepared for publication.
The guide assists standards writers to recognize and include safety aspects in their standards. It is applicable to any safety concern related to people, property or the environment and any combination of these via a risk reduction approach arising from the use of products, processes or services.
The Working Group consists of representatives from EU countries, Canada, USA and Australia. A CFA representative has been the only delegate from the southern hemisphere representing Australia through Standards Australia; she has attended a number of meetings over the last three years and we thank her for all her hard work and contribution that has resulted in an excellent document.
The CFA provides volunteer representative on Standards Australia Technical Committees as part of the CFA Standards Project; if you are interested in finding our more about the Project and/or becoming a volunteer CFA Standards Representative please contact the Standards Coordinator standards@consumeraction.org.