The effects of Eyjafjallajkull, the Icelandic volcano that so disrupted European travel during April of 2010, also cast its shadow over standardization activity, as it erupted only a few days before the scheduled meeting of CEN/TC72 in Stockholm. As a result the meeting had to be abandoned, as many of the delegates were unable to reach the venue. However, in these days of modern communications, all was not lost, as CEN/TC72 continued to function via E-Mail and the Internet, albeit to a lesser degree than would have been the case if the meeting had gone ahead. From this interchange it was clear that there had been some progress on the Annex ZA / EoC issue, which has delayed so many of the EN 54 series of standards, and that a way forward appeared to have been agreed between the Task Group assigned to this issue and the CEN Consultant. The results of this agreed route have been communicated to all of the conveners of the various working groups within CEN/TC72, who are each responsible for the individual parts of EN 54. It is important to note that while the evidence of this work is apparent, in that EN 54-23, a relatively straight forward standard, has progressed through the system, it is by no means clear
if a more involved document, such as EN 54-2 with the so called options with requirements, will now find a navigable route through the CEN system.
A consequence of the above is that EN 54-2 and EN 54-4 both remain unpublished by CEN in a consolidated form, which leaves industry and test houses alike with the added challenge of having to design and approve products with unfinished European standards to support their work.
Following the change in the structure of Euralarm, which was announced last year, the organisation continues to devote considerable resources to the important area of standardisation. The key objectives being to provide a valuable resource for members, both in terms of providing information about this potentially complex area and also in being able to drive the preparation of open high quality standards that have the effect of removing barriers to trade throughout the EU and EFTA countries. One change has been that SC2 has now become TG-FS ( Technical Group Fire Standards ), and while the name may have changed, its role remains more or less the same.
Stewart Forbes
Euralarm Observer in CEN TC72