Clear explanations for the complex world of standards

With electrical discharge machining, safety is of the highest priority. That’s because there’s an invisible danger lurking for those who use the machines: electricity. It can be the cause of painful injuries for users. Unlike other economic regions, Europe has enshrined strict safety regulations in its laws for machine manufacturers. That's why the working group dedicated to updating ISO 28881:2022 “Machine tools – Safety – Electrical discharge machines” worked closely with harmonized standards (HAS) consultants. We spoke with Orio Sargenti, Chairperson of the “ISO/TC 39 – Machine Tools” committee, about the 2022 revision.

ISO 9001 is considered the mother of all management systems. Worldwide, it is still the most well-known standard by far. The system sustains itself by being updated regularly and adapting to the latest market conditions. In 2020, the most recent vote took place on whether ISO 9001:2015 should be changed and to what extent. During the review vote, something unexpected happened; there was no unanimous vote in favour of a revision. In an interview with Thomas Krähenmann, the chairman of the INB/NK 140 Quality Management and Quality Assurance (Swiss mirror committee), we spoke about the background for this, what will happen next, and the enduring importance of quality.

In our stories, there have been several instances in which we have gained insight into various ISO working groups and became acquainted with the work that they do. But what exactly are these ad hoc working groups? They constantly have their eyes and ears open in a specific market in order to pick up on needs that have changed or new developments. They propose topics to their technical committee (TC) that will be then be voted on and used to work out new standards. One of the more recent committees is TC322 Sustainable Finance, which began its work in 2018. Franz Knecht leads the associated ISO TC322 AHG 2 Future Standard Developments technical committee, and spoke to us about how they evaluate new topics.

Inland waterway transport is becoming increasingly popular around the world. This is a development that can be traced to countries setting ambitious goals for shifting transport to water as well as to the general growth in demand for this form of travel. However, this trend is also facing challenges such as lower water levels, a new awareness of the need for sustainability, a shortage of licensed skippers and the absence of a joined up management system. All of this suggests that it’s high time for a change of course that would include adopting a uniform standard on all inland waterways and accelerating decarbonisation. The new draft standard Safety and Sustainability Management System ISO/CD 28701 is based on the ESG principles and unifies existing regional regulations in an international system that lends itself to a certification framework. We spoke with Sascha Gill, who is one of the initiators of the standard as well as convenor of the ISO/TC 8/SC 7/WG 1 working group.

What does aptitude testing do? It is used to assess whether employees are suitable for the position to be filled – a major responsibility with access to sensitive data. By using everything from the simplest interviews to assessments over several days, candidates are tested for ability, values or personality in a professional environment. But who assesses and controls aptitude diagnostics? Until today, no one. The professional title of aptitude diagnostician is not protected in this country and the professional field is an unregulated area except for federal data protection. For the Föderation der Schweizer Psychologinnen und Psychologen (FSP, Federation of Swiss Psychologists), it is high time to change this situation. The idea: To launch a common basis of standards and, based on this, a certification for the professional title. Annick de Buman, specialist leader of the working group “SN 33430 Requirements for job-related aptitude diagnostics”, has taken us along on the journey.