To beat the challenges of the corona crisis, DIN has agreed with the European Commission to make various standards on medical equipment available free of charge until further notice. The aim is to tackle the growing shortage of protective masks, gloves and other products faced by many European countries. Providing free access to the standards will facilitate the work of the many companies wishing to reconvert their production lines in order to manufacture the equipment that is so urgently needed. Using standards can help ensure the safety of medical devices and personal protective equipment and provide support and practical guidance to the manufacturers involved in their production.
Why is a charge usually made for standards?
Standards are products for which a fee is charged in principle. Users of standards enjoy a range of benefits: these include increased efficiency, cost savings, easier market access and reduced product liability risk. In Germany, standardization is a form of self-regulation by industry. This ensures that the standards users themselves determine which standards are in line with the market. By purchasing standards, standards users also ensure that DIN, as a non-profit association, can continue to organize its standards work on a private-basis independently and efficiently.
Who develops standards?
Standards are developed by those who subsequently use them. The broad participation of all stakeholders, a transparent development process and the consensus principle ensure the wide acceptance of DIN Standards. Anyone can submit a proposal for a new standard. All those interested in a specific standards topic can participate and contribute their expertise. Before a standard is officially adopted, a draft version is published so that the public can make comments. Experts working on a standard must come to agreement on its content. To ensure they reflect the state of the art, standards are regularly reviewed by experts at least every five years.
You can find the German standards here.
For more information go to https://www.beuth.de/en/special-editions-standards-for-medical-equipments