Does anyone know of a source for a primer on CE regulations, red tape, acronyms, and how the system 'works' ;) ?
I've been involved with compliance testing for a little over a year, and looking back, I would have really appreciated a primer. Some of the questions I had were: 1) What is the relationship betweens Directives/Product Standards/Test Standards? 2) I have a shelf full of IEC Test Standards. I have to meet _all_ of them!? 3) Distinction between Generic product standards and specific product standards - which ones apply? 4) What do I do if there isn't a standard for my product? 5) There are multiple standards pertinent to my product. Which one do I use? 6) Who are CENELEC, IEC, CISPR, and what are their relationships? 7) CENELEC standards versus national standards. 8) When CENELEC votes on a standard, it's law - right? 9) What are DOP, DOA, and DOW (especially pertinent considering the current posts about EN50082-1). 10) What do I do about my (long-lifetime) product as the DOP, DOA, and DOW pass by? 11) What is an Amendment, and is it treated differently from other standards? 12) What is self-certification, Competant Bodies, Notified bodies, Technical Construction Files (aka 'routes to compliance'). 13) What are the implications if a manufacturer ignores the Directives and ships product (with/without the CE mark). Note: this does not pertain to me! Bill Lyon's FAQ at http://world.std.com/~techbook/compliance_faq.html is an excellant source of information. I did have a problem 'seeing the forest for the trees'. I would have found a general overview of the process a big help. Maybe I should contact Bill and offer to put something together for his FAQ ... -- Patrick Lawler [email protected]
