Success stories 2012-03

Setting Standards. Creating Value.Institute

Success with StandardsTestimonials from companies and organizations

Member of CEN and ISO | ISO 9001:2008 certified

A collection of best-practice reports

2 Success with Standards

Austrian Standards manages a unique

network of some 5,900 experts to bring

together their manifold knowledge and

expertise. Thereby, we create the basis for

the development of generally accepted

standards. We make this know-how accessible

through publications, training and further

services for application.

Standards guarantee high quality and security

and promote competitiveness and economic

growth.

Imprint: Success with Standards – Examples of Austrian Enterprises Publisher: Austrian Standards Institute, 1020 Wien | Vienna, Heinestrasse 38 // www.as-institute.atEditing & Design: Dr. Johannes Stern (Austrian Standards Institute, PR & Media)Translation: EuroTextServices, C. Plunger & R. Thaller OEG E-Mail: [email protected] © – ASI 2012-03


Success with Standards 3

The sun only has to shine 4 On the basis of a standard, Johann Brandmayr developed a new, highly efficient measurement technique solar thermal collectors and earned the Innovation Award of the University of Applied Sciences of Wels.

To know the standards means to know what is required 6 – the advice of KommR Ing. Franz Bamberger for all those who want to succeed – just like he did – in the markets of Russia and Eastern Europe

Strong through standards 8Berndorf Bäderbau: Standards ensure high quality and open the door to the East.

High levels with standards 10Klagenfurt Regional Hospital: The level of sterilisation of medical instruments improved dramatically with the help of standards.

The quality makers 12Protected Workshop St. Pölten: Quality management, standards and certificates ensure a good position in the free market.

For the safety of the youngest 14MAM baby products: Participation in European standardzation significantly raised the safety of pacifiers and secured MAM’s market position.

New wood with standards 16MIRAKO Thermoholz: Innovation, determi nation and European standards pave the way to market leadership.

What counts is the best solution 18Schindler Aufzüge und Fahrtreppen: Ing. Anton Marschall about standards as a success factor and standardisation as a career springboard.

Effectiveness in hospitals 22OÖ. Gesundheits- und Spitals-AG: How online standards management saves time and money in Upper Austria‘s hospitals.

Without standards, I would have had to close down« 24The diving expert Martin Denison rescued his company by standardization and raised diving safety world-wide.

Swiss Risk Management based on Austrian Standards 26For the first time a government introduced such a system – based on ON Rule ONR 49000.

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The sun only has to shine

His newly developed measure-ment technique for characterizing solar thermal collectors earned Ing. Johann Brandmayr (31) the Innovation Award of the Universi-ty of Applied Sciences of Wels. This gives Austrian Standards good reason to take a closer look at the standard-based innovation and talk with the successful developer.

enewable energies undisputedly are a promising solution for the future of energy supply. The Climate Change and Energy Package adopted by the R

European Union in 2008 defined a 20 percent share of renewable energies in energy consump-tion as a legally binding objective. The related Austrian Climate Strategy drawn up in 2010 gives special emphasis to solar thermal energy, i.e. the conversion of solar energy into usable thermal energy.To reach the EU’s ambitious objective, energy production systems must be deployed optimally. The determination of their effectiveness and effi-ciency requires valid performance indicators. The basis for performance und reliability testing is laid down in the European Standard EN 12975-2 “Thermal solar systems and compo-nents – Solar collectors – Part 2: Test methods”.The modernization of the specifications resulted in new requirements for the field testing of these products. The Upper Austrian engineer Johann Brandmayr recognized this opportunity: For the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT), he and AIT engineer Franz Helminger developed a new, highly efficient measurement technique that pro-vides an improved characterization of solar ther-mal collectors.

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Certified quality is a competitive advantage

Austria is one of the leading nations in the production of solar thermal equipment. Almost one in four collectors installed in the EU is “made in Austria”, and the high quality of Austrian prod-ucts is in demand world-wide. Competition, however, increases and major players enter the market. Thus, quality control and proof of verified performance data become ever more important.

Up to now, tests required considerable time and human resources. Nevertheless, it was not possible to create a really comprehensive calcu-lation model.

Standards raise quality Johann Brandmayr addressed this aspect:

“Conventional methods measure the perfor-mance of a collector under almost stable condi-tions. The collector remains on the test stand for several days as the values measured must be constant for 10 to 15 minutes. During that peri-od, parameters such as solar radiation, irradia-tion angle and cloudiness must not change. As a result, continuous monitoring is required so that testing is highly time-consuming and labour- intensive.”

ÖNORM EN 12975-2 permits testing condi-tions that are close to reality. Johann Brand-

data from the measurement points to calculating the test results. “This significantly reduces labour intensity, while the information content of the re-sults is optimized. Thus, Austrian solar manufac-turers can be even more competitive in interna-tional markets,” explains Mr. Zeller.

The testing process itself did not change radi-cally. The distinguishing characteristic of the new test stand is its automated operation. The previous method required optimal conditions and constant parameters, e.g. for solar radiation and cloudiness, and therefore had to be continu-ously monitored.

Deviations improve resultsFor the new technique, the sun only has to

shine. In contrast to previous testing practice and in line with ÖNORM EN 12975-2, changing parameters are explicitly desired. Owing to the new calculation model based on multiple linear regression, deviations improve the quality of measurements since tests can be performed un-der real-life conditions.

Moreover, the measurement data obtained are also comparable across different testing insti-tutes. As the system is certified under the Solar Keymark scheme of the European Committee for Standardization CEN (www.estif.org/solarkey-mark/index.php respectively www.solarkeymark.org) it bears an internationally accepted quality label that is based on standards and the comparability of measurement results. The award-winning scientist Johann Brandmayr emphasizes that this is ultimately a must.

Brandmayr: “In order to innovate successfully, you have to rely to standards. After all, compli-ance with applicable standards assures the quality of products and processes and permits sustainable development and improvements.

Herbert Hirner

ÖNORM EN 12975-2 Thermal solar systems and components – Solar collectors; Part 2: Test methods

In order to innovate successfully, you have to rely to standards.” Presentation of the Innovation Award of the University of Applied Sciences of Wels to Ing. Johann Brandmayr (r.)

Test stand for thermal solar systems on the Austrian Institute of Technology

Distribution of the measurement points recorded under dif-ferent conditions

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mayr’s solar test stand for the characterization of solar thermal collector under quasi-dynamic conditions meets these requirements very well.

Brandmayr: “On account of the standard, a program had to be developed for gathering, sav-ing and analysing the data measured. I developed the required software for my test stand, took it into operation and verified it at the Austrian Institute of Technology.”

Innovation improves efficiencyAccording to Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Peter Zeller who

teaches at the University of Applied Sciences in Wels, the advantage of this innovation is that it allows for test automation – from loading the


f you know the standards, you know what is required. Especially in economic relations with Russia, standards are of great importance. And therefore, you

You should get well-informed in ad vance that is the advice of KommR Ing. Franz Bamberger, the Eastern Europe/Russia officer of the Presidents Group of Austrian Standards Institute, for all those who want to succeed – just like he did – in the markets of Russia and Eastern Europe.

To know the standards means to know what is required

should get information in advance”, recom-mends KommR Ing. Franz Bamberger to all enterprises who want to go East and enter the markets of Russia and the CIS region. Mr Bamberger, who has been extremely suc-cessful as a “small countryside stonemason” – as he modestly describes himself – since the 1980s, knows what he is talking about: “The products must comply with standards there, and this has to be evidenced by certificates.” If you do not have certificates or the product differs from the standards, you are in trouble. The lorry is stuck at the border until a valid certificate is submitted. This again may result in further de-lays. Therefore – according to Mr Bamberger, who has been vice-president of the Austrian Stan-dards Institute for many years and Eastern Europe/Russia officer of the Presidents Group since June 2011 — you need to familiarize yourself with the requirements and obtain the

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these occupations and that the crafts are an economic factor. In this context, Austrian com-panies also have the major task of transferring know-how if they want to promote craftsman-ship and skills. SMEs are of special importance in this respect.

CEN membership of Russia? To Mr Bamberger’s regret, European stan-

dards do not really play a role in Russia yet. This will probably only change if — according to his wish — Russia becomes a member of the Euro-pean Committee for Standardization (CEN) or at least moves closer to European standardization. “You need to ‘embrace’ Russia further in order to achieve common solutions that go beyond the existing Memorandum of Understanding bet-ween CEN and GOST.” After all, one thing is clear for him: “If you want a globalized economy, there is no way around finding a common inter-national language for trade. And that’s what standards are.” –J. Stern

relevant certificates. These relate mainly to Rus-sian GOST standards, but increasingly also to British BS standards because numerous foreign architects, especially from the US, are active in Russia today who use standards drawn up in English.

»Kreisky is to blame.« The managing partner of Franz Bamberger

Steinmetzbetriebe that include a total of five companies and around 100 employees already started his business activities in Eastern Europe and Russia before the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989. “Then Federal Chancellor Kreisky is to bla-me,” he says with a wink in his eye. In the early 1980s. the first projects funded by Kontrollbank were implemented in Hungary and then in Po-land where small companies were able to ride along as subcontractors of big Austrian con-struction enterprises and gained a foothold in the East.

In concrete terms, this meant: establishing contacts to a financially strong client base and offering stone and marble for banks, hotels and increasingly private homes. Today, Bamberger’s focus is on Russia and specifically Moscow where stone has a certain tradition so that the company now also has its own administrative of-fice in Moscow.

Prefabricated products are still manufactured in Austria, the project supervisors are from Au-stria, too, and the material itself comes from all over the world. When asked why he ventured into the markets of the East and Russia, Mr. Bamberger refers to his curiosity and taste for adventure, but also states that “when you want to grow as a medium-sized Austrian company you have to expand to other markets. Austria is too small for that. And in this context, the coun-tries of Eastern Europe and then Russia simply were a natural choice.”

Useful hintsIn addition to the good advice of familiarizing

oneself with the standards and certificates re-quired in future markets, Opera buff Bamberger, who speaks a little Russian himself, is fluent in Serbo-Croatian and travels to Moscow approxi-mately every six weeks, has a few more hints for entrepreneurs wishing to succeed in the East and Russia: “You have to adjust, you need to get to know the mentalities and habits, which no longer include the cliché of Vodka drinking ses-sions. Then you will also discover many similari-ties.” At any rate, sound craftsmanship is in high demand, adds Bamberger, who highlights Austria’s excellent reputation in this field.

Many countries still have to catch up especial-ly with regard to crafts and the training of skilled workers because, during Communist times, the focus primarily was on industry rather than on crafts. The Czech Republic and Poland already realized that thorough training is required for

The GOST-CertificateIn many cases, a GOST-certificate is obligatory for exports to Russia (Russian Federation). This legal requirement for marketing and customs clearance of goods in Russia, you can achieve at Austrian Standards plus Certification (AS+C).Learn more: www.as-plus.at/en/certification/ certification-of-products/gost-certificate

KommR Ing. Franz Bamberger, Eastern Europe/Russia officer of the Presidents Group of the Austrian Standards Institute


When people hear the name “Berndorf”, they usually think of cutlery. A subsidiary of the Lower Austrian steel processing company, however, has specialised in quite a different field: pool construction. Standards open up the door to the East. Customers demand certi-ficates and high quality, and that is the focus of the corporate philosophy.

Strong through standards



tandards are our theme every day,“ says Dipl.-Ing. Peter Jauschowetz. The technical director of Berndorf Bäder-bau knows exactly what he is talking

about. The Lower Austrian company constructed around 5,000 swimming pools in the past thirty years. The stainless steel pools that will last for 2,000 years comply with applicable standards and even offer more than that: Rounded steps under water, punched knobs to prevent slipping and tested drainage devices and heads.

The stricter, the betterAfter all, building and selling is not enough.

Peter Jauschowetz, who is a trained facility and mechanical engineer with a special focus on en-ergy technology, gives priority to standards. At the Austrian Standards Institute, he contributes to standardisation because “Berndorf traditional-ly prefers strict standards. Whenever there is a German and an Austrian standard on a specific topic, we opt for the stricter one.” There are ap-proximately 40 standards for the construction, planning and operation of swimming pools. They give top priority to safety and hygiene, which is regulated in the Act on Hygiene at Swimming Pools and Bathing Waters in Austria.

In black and whiteSafety and hygiene are not just a legal require-

ment, but also a demand made by the custo-mers. “The customers call for certificates and confirmations,” explains Mr. Jauschowetz with regard to his core markets in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Southern Tyrol and Luxembourg. In Eastern Europe, the situation is quite different. There, standards are not a matter of course and not as well integrated into everyday life as in Au-stria. “In the new markets, we set the standard and thereby define the quality level when we build municipal or hotel pools,” states Mr. Jauschowetz. From Slovakia to Lithuania. Russia and Latvia, the stainless swimming pools made by Berndorf are in high demand and Peter Jauschowetz counts on standards there.

Managed with qualityStandards not only prevail in the spacious pro-

duction hall, but also in the offices. The compa-ny has been certified according to the quality management standard ISO 9001 since 1995. “Our employees do not notice the standards any more as they are practiced day by day,” explains Dieter Gruber, Quality Manager of Berndorf Bä-derbau. Drawing up project descriptions and do-cumenting processes are a matter of course. In parallel to moving to new offices on the compa-ny’s premises, an administrative innovation was introduced: an internal logistics programme that is based on ISO 9001. Quality Manager Gruber much appreciates the high transparency of the processes. Errors can be identified in a targeted way and processes can be optimised with pin-

point accuracy. Formerly, irregularities occurred when the stainless steel panels were cut. “We checked the process and found that the dimen-sions had been correctly scanned, but discove-red that one of the cutters did not wear his glas-ses at the most important moment.” The issue was resolved very quick ly. When it comes to criticising standards, Gruber has to think a while before one thing comes to his mind: He would like to be able to copy and distribute standards bought in the company.

European trend to more safety

Let us come back to pool construction pro-per: Current standards contain many aspects of safety, qu<ality and hygiene. However, the-re is still work for Mr. Jauschowetz in the standardisation committees: “A gap relates to play equipment at swimming pools.” Ropes, high bars, parallel bars as well as climbing walls and towers are not covered by standards yet. The guests usually feel safer above water and therefore experts have to give further thought to this equipment. Mr. Jauscho- wetz ex-pects that a preliminary draft will be available in 2009. This project could also provide an impetus for standardisation at the European level.

The next prioritiesBefore that, basic requirements will change in

Austria. In April 2008, the Act on Hygiene at Swimming Pools was amended and, as a result, the related standards had to be revised as well. There is a trend to higher safety. This can also be seen in European standardisation: Risk analy-sis will become a routine element of safety engi-neering. “We do not want be taken by surprise. Therefore, we prefer to contribute to the deve-lopment of standards,” says Mr. Jauschowetz out of conviction. He can only identify potential for improvements in the case of standardised re-quirements that are not fully understandable. Such cases are seldom, but they still exist, e.g. impact testing for installed parts whereas two different materials do not come into contact in stainless steel structures.

For Berndorf Bäderbau, standards pave the way to success. Since 1990, the number of em-ployees has risen from 70 to 200 plus 50 additio-nal ones in subsidiaries. “By actively participating in standardisation, we can have a positive influ-ence on developments and know about new focal issues before other competitors,” says Peter Jauschowetz looking at his strong brand. –P.K.

Link: www.berndorf-baederbau.at

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High levels with standards

When the surgeon calls for scissors in the operating theatre, he gets a sterile instrument. That seems to be a matter of course. However, there are different levels of sterility. At the Klagenfurt Regional Hospital, the sterility of medical instruments has dramatically improved in recent years because a committed team integrated tests into routine processes based on standards and — almost as a by-product — raised the level of a related equipment standard.

tandards have become my hobby,” ex-plains Horst Taferner with a smile. The former head of the Central Sterilisation Supply Department (CSSD) at the Klagen-

furt Regional Hospital achieved an accomplishment within five years that would have been impossible without standards: Building an internationally renow-ned management structure for instrument cleaning, raising the quality of sterilisation and integrating tests into routine work.

“Again and again, teams of visitors come to us to learn more about our operations and to get new ideas for their own work,” Mr. Taferner explains proudly.

A decisive resolutionIt all started several years ago. In 2000, the

hospital’s management decided to centralise sterili-sation operations. Up to that time, there was a wor-kroom for preparing surgical instruments next to each of the 26 operating theatres. Because of this decision, a centralised unit was established and con-struction work started. Parts of the basement of one building were adapted and new instrument washers according to ÖNORM EN 15883 as well as additional surgical instruments — for logistical reasons — were purchased. Moreover, the sterilisation equipment was also brought in line with ÖNORM EN 285. Thus, the CSSD lives up to the state of the art.

Horst Taferner was the ideal man for implementing the new standards. After starting as an intensive-ca-re nurse in 1982, he moved to the operating theatres and then on to sterilisation where he had worked as a team member for eight years before taking the helm — and responsibility for the big restructuring.

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Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Sandra Eder, MBA, and Horst Taferner, Head of the Central Sterili-sation Supply Department of the Klagenfurt Regional Hospital

Clear structuresThe new centralised unit needed a new ma-

nagement. Mr. Taferner prepared the ground for certification according to ISO 9001:2000. That required clear instruction flows, development of guidelines, traceable paths and processes, error monitoring and continuous staff training. Five years later, the certificate was obtained. Why did it take so long? With 35,000 surgical interventi-ons per year, certification was a large-scale pro-ject. Moreover, by creating the infrastructure, Mr. Taferner brought about a crisis for the equip-ment manufacturers that eventually resulted in products of a higher quality benefitting all other sterilisation units as well. However, let us start from the beginning.

Perfecting equipment testsMedical instruments are first washed and then

sterilised. For decades, this has been done — to draw a comparison with everyday life — in a dis-hwasher and then in a pressure cooker. The le-vel of cleanliness is defined in ÖNORM EN 15883. The efficacy of cleaning was verified — to put it simply — by soiling the instruments with test soiling made up of mashed potatoes, egg and food colouring agents, cleaning them and checking the result. A new test method using sheep blood developed by the Institute of Ap-plied Hygiene in Graz was optimised in co-ope-ration with the team of the sterilisation unit in Klagenfurt. “Sheep blood is closest to human blood,” says Taferner and goes on with a little bit of pride: “All over Europe, the equipment market collapsed.”

Complex surgical equipmentThe new standard was followed by another

challenge from Klagenfurt. After all, not all the in-struments are as simple as tweezers or surgical knives. Out of the 35,000 surgeries performed in Klagenfurt, almost 3,000 are complicated inter-ventions requiring complex equipment. Heart surgery, laparoscopy and lower abdomen inter-ventions increasingly rely on minimally invasive techniques. This means that the patients do not have any long incisions but only two or three “holes” near the surgical field. The surgeon ma-nipulates handles that are connected to the in-struments by a long tube. These instruments are made of complex materials — mixtures of metal and plastics —, have many angles and bends and have to be disassembled before cleaning.

Improving the equipmentTo clean complicated instruments — screwed

links, tubes and sleeves — in accordance with the new standard, the interior of the cleaning equipment had to be re-designed and built anew. Metal pipes with holes for cleaning tubes, washing processes going in both directions and, in some cases, clamps for bringing small parts into the right position were needed and also de-

veloped over the years. “The suppliers were up-set when we told them that their previously good equipment was not in line with the standard de-manded in the call for tenders.” The equipment manufacturers have learnt. And so did Taferner and his team.

Audits creating added valueTherefore, it took five years up to the first vali-

dation according to the standards ÖNORM EN 554, EN ISO 15883 1-2 and the ON Rule ONR 112069. In 2005, the time had come. The staff was trained, the system was in place. “Each au-dit took us one step further,” explains Taferner. After 2005, training was improved. An error ma-nagement system was introduced, which raised the satisfaction of surgeons and nurses. In con-crete terms, this means that the surgeons can file complaints. By means of a new bar code, it is possible to track the method and time of cleaning and the person in charge for each in-strument. Further structural and technical chan-ges were a matter of course. Then an auditor rai-sed a new challenge for Mr. Taferner by asking a simple question: “How can you prove that the instruments are as clean as you think they are?” The next project was born.

Research follows developmentIn 2006, the re-positioned sterilisation unit

launched a research project. The main issue was how is it possible to prove that the instruments are clean in everyday operation? Since October 2005, the chemist Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Sandra Eder has been working at the Klagenfurt Regional Hospi-tal. Mr. Taferner contacted her — with success. Within eight months, they implemented a re-search project during full operation. Three tests — a wipe test, a washing test and a laboratory test — were examined. With the help of the che-mist and the hospital’s Institute of Laboratory Diagnostics, the tests were prepared for the users in a practice-oriented way. The team de-veloped a test set that can be easily applied by the staff — no university graduates — and that is both effective and inexpensive. The next major audit will take place for certification in 2008, and Mr. Taferner — now responsible for improving the nursing care system within the hospital ma-nagement — is looking forward to it.

International attentionThe Central Sterilisation Supply Department

became a model for many because of its stan-dards-compliant organisation. After its presenta-tion at the World Forum for Hospital Sterile Sup-ply, international companies came to see how the system really worked in practice. And there was only one way to achieve success according to Sandra Eder: “I cannot ‘sell’ a standard alone, but only within the overall package of practical application. Thereby, the standard is filled with life and improved.” –P.K.


The quality makers

Doorplates, camera housings, control systems for escalators in London and bespoke parts for car doors: What do these things have in common? They are all made by the Protected Workshop St. Pölten. The company has conquered its place in the free market by specifically counting on quality management, standards and certificates.



tandards define a framework in which we can use our creativity and flexibility in a targeted way,” says Ing. Alfred Daxbacher. In his function as the qua-S

lity manager of Geschützte Werkstätte St. Pölten Ges.m.b.H. (Protected Workshop St. Pölten), he is at the interface between organisation, work and external presentation. The offices of the headquarters in Hart near St. Pölten prove that this is not only his personal opinion: Right in the lobby, the company showcases the ISO 9001 certificate, an environmental management award, quality labels and other “quality trophi-es”.

A great varietyThe Workshop does not merely manufacture a

single product. Its activities range from contract processing to the supply of components and entire systems. The product range covers seven areas. The most important segments are electri-cal assembling as well as metal working and processing. For the big customers SIMEA (Sie-mens Industrial Manufacturing, Engineering and Applications) and Schindler (elevators and esca-lators), for example, the company produces con-trol cabinets, cable harnesses, controls, thyristor groups, high-performance heat sinks, turned, milled, stamped and bent parts and much more.

At the headquarters in Hart, the focus is on diverse metal working and locksmith products: car components, special parts for gearboxes and specialised welding work. In the nearby pro-duction hall in St. Pölten, control cabinets are assembled for international customers, cables are perfectly pre-assembled and, in most cases, the related housings are produced individually. The factory located in Gmünd processes textiles.

Last year, the Protected Workshop generated revenues of 25 million euro. Persons with special needs account for 71 percent of its employees. Hence, sanitary facilities for handicapped em-ployees and ramps for wheelchair users are a matter of course.

Special needsSome of those who work at the Protected

Workshop suffered an injury on their skilled jobs that made it impossible for them to return to a “normal” workplace, e.g. the installer who broke three vertebrae. Today, he can work here and meticulously installs cables in control cabinets. As he cannot sit or stand any longer after one hour, a specially designed worktable was built

Ing. Daxbacher: “We take account of the re-quirements laid down in standards because we want to achieve our objectives.”

for him. With his foot, he can lift and tilt the table so that he can continue to work. Such adaptati-ons go far beyond any standard and regulation.

The best wayStandards are important for the company es-

pecially in its external presentation. “We adjust the quality of our products and services to the requirements of the customers and the market,” explains Mr. Daxbacher. He is responsible for quality management certification according to ÖNORM EN ISO 9001 in the company and will make efforts to obtain international product cer-tificates in the future. Gradually, the planning sy-stem is aligned to ISO 14001 (environmental ma-nagement), but the Protected Workshop still wants to wait before embarking on certification. “Standards ensu-re compatibility, define a code of good practice and provide guidance,” states Mr. Daxbacher.

International successThe success achieved proves

the strategy right. Since the company’s foundation approxi-mately 25 years ago, the small workshop that had less than ten employees grew to become a me-dium-sized and eventually into a big industrial company — at least by Austrian standards. It employs approximately 450 people who manufacture products for diversified markets. Ten percent of the production is exported, e.g. to Germany, England and North America. SIMEA has already awarded the preferred supplier sta-tus to the Protected Workshop St. Pölten several times.

A wrong attitudeStandards are seldom experienced as an ob-

stacle. “If the users do not realise the purpose and meaning of standards, further explanations are needed,” says Mr. Daxbacher. Frequently people believe that standards are prescriptions that must be observed. Mr. Daxbacher holds a different view: “We take account of the require-ments laid down in standards because we want to achieve our objectives.” And this attitude may be the secret behind the success of the Protec-ted Workshop St. Pölten. –P.K.

Link: www.gw-stpoelten.com

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For the safety of the youngest

acifiers — small objects of everyday use — are veritable high-tech products that are well conceived in every detail, have to meet many safety requirements and pass very tough tests. P

Maximum safety to the benefit of the youngest: That was the focus of European standardisers when they developed ÖNORM EN 1400 — under Austrian convenorship.

All that is laid down in ÖNORM EN 1400. Not only ma-nufacturers and consumers, but also experts of various disciplines, such as medicine, were involved in the de-velopment of that European standard under the leader-ship of Austrian Peter Röhrig, CEO of MAM Babyartikel GmbH.

The primary objective of the “pacifier standard” is to reduce accident hazards. Pacifiers, as they are found in the everyday life of young parents, satisfy the natural need of babies to suck between meals and comfort them. Therefore, they are designed in such a way that they can stay in baby mouths for a longer time. A paci-fier must not have any protruding, sharp tips and edges, and its surface has to be smooth. It should be as easy to grip as possible so that it can be easily removed from the child’s mouth. Stickers or parts that may come off are not permitted. The mouth shield must have a mini-mum size and at least two vent holes sized 20 square millimetres each. Thus, the child can breathe if the paci-fier should get stuck in the mouth by accident and the pacifier cannot be sucked into the larynx because of a partial vacuum. Orthodontic studies also yielded fin-dings on the ideal characteristics of this soothing object: it should not be too hard and not too soft to prevent jaw deformations. –sz



»Nobody wants to make any mistakes here.«

An interview with Peter Röhrig, CEO of MAM Babyartikel GmbH, who has pro-duced pacifiers since 1976 and has been active in standardisa-tion for many years. He paints a lively pic-ture of the complex origin of the European pacifier standard and explains the benefits of actively contribu-ting to standards.

have access to sound studies and documentati-ons.

The work on the European pacifier standard took almost ten years. Why did it take so long?Röhrig: There were already national pacifier standards in some countries and it was difficult to find a common line as several countries at-tached great importance to detailed issues and cherished different philosophies.[...] Hence, many opinions and methods had to be reconciled in this standardisation project. It was also necessary to strike a balance between chemical and mechanical requirements. Physi-cians and university clinics were also involved and important new findings were obtained. It is quite interesting to note that there were hardly any discussions between manufacturers, test in-stitutes and consumer representatives but rather between countries.

How did the work develop?Röhrig: Das Thema Kinder ist sehr emotional, und niemAny topic related to children is highly emotional, and nobody wants to make any mi-stake here. On average, 25 persons participated in the meetings and, over the years, team spirit developed. Personal animosities were put aside to get a good development going. When the de-legates themselves had already achieved agree-ment, the toughest challenge was to convince everybody in the respective home countries. Es-pecially authorities and agencies raised many objections.[...] An important point is that there are a great number of safety warnings for the users, e.g. they should not dip the pacifier in a sugary sub-stance and should not tie a ribbon to it. Based on the intensive examination of accident re-search results, we know that people do not no-tice many details if they are not explicitly made aware of them. Just think of a toothbrush for children: 18-month-old toddlers should never run around while cleaning their teeth because the consequences could be fatal if the child simply slips while holding the toothbrush. Parental con-trol is a must here. The toothbrushes must not be too colourful and funny because otherwise, the children would see them as toys.It is always good to co-operate with product de-signers who, on the one hand, are aware of con-sumer preferences and can create a visually ap-pealing article and who, on the other hand, are familiar with production processes and medical studies helping them to align products to the physical and mental development stages of children.

Which advantages does a “standard-compliant” pacifier have for babies?Röhrig: Quite recently, pacifiers were still frow-ned upon because they were said to deform the jaw. Today, we know that the opposite is true. On ultrasound images, you can already see foeti with a thumb in their mouths. Children have a natural need to suck and, if they are allowed to satisfy it with pacifiers, they stop by their third birthday in two out of three cases. Only 20 per-cent of the children who suck fingers or cloth tips abandon this habit at the same age. The ol-der they get the higher the risk of irreparable de-formations caused by sucking. Up to the fourth birthday at the latest, there is a certain self-he-aling effect, i.e. when the force is no longer ap-plied, the teeth re-align. Thereafter, the child is sure to need braces. Therefore, dentists are in-creasingly active in preventive research.

Pacifiers, however, have a much greater varie-ty of medical aspects. It is a well-recognised fact that saliva is involved in digestion, kills two-thirds of bacteria and prevents caries. Frequent-ly, however, the glands of babies do not function properly during the night and pacifiers stimulate salivation. People who produce little saliva are demonstrably more prone to disease.

In neonatology where special pacifiers are used, sensational success was achieved. These premature infants still have to learn the sucking reflex so that they take in food more quickly and gain weight. Thus, tiny babies with a birth weight of 650 g were able to survive.

In the past ten years, several studies on the sudden infant death syndrome found that child-ren with pacifiers are less at risk than control groups. This is the reason why Dutch health au-thorities officially recommend the use of paci-fiers.

How safe are pacifiers according to EN 1400?Röhrig: There is no absolutely safe product. Life always involves risks, but all known hazards were taken into consideration. We can now say that the efforts were wor-thwhile: A highly comprehensive and very strin-gent standard was produced. On average, the good national standards were further improved and those countries that did not have any speci-fications before, profit very much from the new standard.

How did you benefit from participating in Euro-pean standardisation?Röhrig: The personal benefit that you get as an active contributor to standardisation is obvious: You learn about all risks in your field of activities as you hear straight from the source when inci-dents happen. You also learn to differentiate between what has to be taken seriously and you

Link: www.mambaby.com


Hubert Mitteramskogler is not an average businessman. In the past two decades, his hardwood sawmill has become the market leader in the segment of thermal wood based on innovation and determined efforts. Almost as a by-product, European standards were developed on this topic.

New wood« with innovation & standards

he high-temperature kiln does not look particularly exciting: a metal box as big as a booth in a car repair shop that is hollow inside and has black walls. It T

smells of a mixture of smoked meat and cara-mel. The smallest of the four chambers has room for ten cubic metres of wood and the big-gest one for 36. “There the hardwood is submit-ted to controlled heat treatment until it has the characteristics that we need,” explains Hubert Mitteramskogler. Hardwood is input and wood having the quality of tropical wood is output. It is called “thermal wood” in the market and “ther-mal modified wood” in standardisation.

Innovation born from an old idea“When we started there were no standards

and we simply had to try everything ourselves,” says inventive Mr Mitteramskogler with pride. In August this year, the pre-standard ÖNORM CEN/TS 15679 on thermal wood was issued.

»



“The heat eliminates OH groups, the wood be-comes drier and loses volume. In parallel, its structure changes so that water can hardly be introduced,” explains Mr. Mitteramskogler.

Pest resistance without chemicalsThe product holds another trump card: it is re-

sistant to pests. Conventional wood is treated with lacquers and preservatives to prevent infe-station by longhorn beetles, auger beetles and fungi. Thermal wood can pass the tests without chemicals. As it is as compact as tropical wood, there is no room for wood-degrading fungi and bacteria. In addition, there is still another envi-ronmental aspect relevant for climate protection: Transport routes are short.

The issue of colourMr. Mitteramskogler sees further potential for

standardisation in the future. There is one spe-cial issue that is constantly on his mind: “Colour is clearly related to wood quality.” In order to prepare the ground for standardising this relati-onship, sensors are mounted in the high-tempe-rature kilns. Continuous monitoring permits the accurate production of specific wood grades. It is still open when a standard on this topic will be drawn up. Mr. Mitteramskogler has invested much time and money in research and standar-disation. What comes now after the period of sowing? — The harvest! Thermal wood products made in Gaflenz are in high demand from Scan-dinavia to Asia. The quality delivered in the mar-ket is guaranteed by standards. –P.K.

Austrian wood finds new fields of application: From instrument making to bathrooms.

Link: www.mirako.at

Standards are of special importance to MIRAKO’s Managing Director Hubert Mitteramskogler

Its origins date back several years. At the end of the 1990s, Mr. Mitteramskogler discovered a long-forgotten technique through literature re-search. In 1924, coniferous wood was thermally treated in Canada: this raised the quality of wood by making it harder, more durable and more resistant to pests. Then, trials started in Upper Austria.

Ingenious beginningThe very first steps: Experimenting and tinke-

ring. In a do-it-yourself approach, Hubert Mit-teramskogler and his team started with a high-temperature kiln from a glassworks in the year 2000. After the trial phase, the first industrial kiln was built two years later. However, Mr. Mit-teramskogler did not have to do everything sin-gle-handedly. For research and tests, he co-operated with research institutes near and far: His partners were and are EMPA Switzerland, ihd – Institut für Holztechnologie Dresden and universities in Liverpool, Madrid, Hamburg and Freiburg.

Standardisation makes senseThe products made by MIRAKO (Mitterams-

kogler) are now more than varied: splash-proof wooden flooring for bathrooms, pool decks, flooring for balconies, noise barriers and even musical instruments such as oboes and organ pipes. However, ingenious Mr. Mitteramskogler has even more new ideas: for example, a fully developed façade system made up of wooden cladding and support structure.

Standards are of special importance to him: “Similar products that do not live up to the high quality that we supply have appeared in the mar-ket. I see standards as a protection.”

Definitely superiorOak, beech and ash are typical hardwood ty-

pes whose quality is raised by the thermal treat-ment at MIRAKO’s plant. For instance, its dura-bility significantly increases as measured in line with ÖNORM EN 351-2. It can achieve a quality class of 1 to (at worst) 3. Moreover, the stability of the material considerably increases after it is submitted to temperatures of more than 160 °C.

Related standards

Prestandard ÖNORM CEN/TS 15679 Thermal modified timber – Definitions and characteristicsÖNORM EN 351-2 Durability of wood and wood-based products – Preservative-treated solid wood; Part 2: Guidance on sampling for the analysis of preservative-treated wood


What counts is the best solution«

» When the safety of lifts is discussed in Austria, you soon come across one name: Ing. Anton Marschall. The 52-year old Lower Austrian has substan-tially influenced this debate in the past few years – in his func-tions as the head of the lift de-partment of TÜV Austria and as the chairman of the competent technical committee at the Au-strian Standards Institute. In October 2009, he joined Schindler Austria, a leading manufacturer of lifts and escala-tors, to take over the manage-ment of the company at the beginning of 2010.

Interview with Ing. Anton Marschall, top manager at “Schindler Österreich”, about standards as a success factor and standardisation as a career springboard.



Ing. Anton Marschall, born in 1957, graduated from a secondary school for electrical engineering, subsequently worked for a lift manufacturer for four years and then as a lift expert and head of the lift engineering department for TÜV Austria for 29 years; in October 2009, he joined Schindler Au-stria and took over the management of Schindler Fahrtreppen und Aufzüge GmbH at the beginning of 2010. Committment to stan-dardisation: Until De-cember 2009, he chaired the Technical Committee 017 on Lifts, Escalators and Passenger Convey-ors at Austrian Standards Institute and served as the Austrian delegate to the European and Inter-national TCs on “Escala-tors and passenger con-veyors” (CEN/TC 10 and ISO/TC 178) and on the Board of the Austrian Standards Institute as one of the two representatives of TC chair persons.

Why do you feel so safe in lifts, Mr. Marschall?Marschall: Simply because lifts are among the best regulated and best tested products. All the technical aspects and requirements are fully covered by standards so that safety and reliabil-ity are guaranteed. This development already started very early on, which also applies to the “division of labour” between legislation and tech-nical standardisation — e.g. in the European Lifts Directive, and has proved well over the years.

Has standardisation always been important to you?Marschall: I have dealt with lifts since 1976 and, hence, standardisation has always been an important factor in my work. Each lift component relies on standards that, in fact, only contain mandatory requirements in this field. Of course, it was only natural that I started to con tribute to the development of standards. In 2001, I was elected chairman of the lift TC 017 for the first time. Hence, standardisation has always been a crucial issue for me — especially contributions to it at the European level.

What does it take to be successful in standardisation?Marschall: Standardisation is management. Standards allow you to ensure sustainability, which is the reason why you standardise something. To do this, you need qualifications — you must technically understand the subject matter — and you need clear objectives: what do we want to achieve and by when? The basis for this is communication. A good standards ma-nager must be able to explain to everybody in-volved what is to be gained so that they want to contribute and are full of enthusiasm.

You said that standardisation is manage-ment. What is your management philoso-phy as the new managing director of Schindler Austria? What is the most promising approach?Marschall: Many books have already been published to present different views and many more will still be written about this theme. The spectrum ranges from authoritarian manage-ment, democratic management or laissez-faire management to the “one-minute manager”. From my perspective, sustainability is a vital basis for the success of a company. The key qualifications that you need to achieve it are: technical qualifications or knowing the subject matter, conceptual qualifications or setting objectives, methodological qualifications or achieving the objectives and, of course, commu-nication qualifications or leading people. Finally, you also need social responsibility, i.e. moral and ethics, and most of all, you need to be authentic.

How did you experience standardisation so far?Marschall: In my experience, a technical committee is a forum of equal partners without hierarchies that is characterised by virtually grassroots democratic processes. In it, people with different interests meet to develop something that will have sustained success. The focus is not on reaching compromises, but what counts is the best solution. International and European meetings are particularly interesting as the participants come from different cultures and have different concerns. These meetings that are well-groun-ded on mutual recognition and appreciation aim at creating a “product” that provides a sound basis for all of Europe. At the international level, you are integrated into a big network: you know all the partners in Europe and you are known and appreciated.

Speaking of networks: In recent years, you were also involved as an expert in nu-merous projects that were organised and implemented by Austrian Standards Insti-tute Consulting with the EU’s support and funding. Which experiences did you make in these projects?Marschall: The value of these EU projects cannot be overestimated. They make an impor-tant contribution to knowledge transfer in those countries wishing to approach or join the Euro-pean Economic Area. When you work as a speaker and trainer, you learn very much in such projects. You broaden your own knowledge and very intensively reflect on what you actually do in order to be able to pass your know-how on and share it with others. During these projects, you establish contacts which you can also use to the benefit of the company you work for. Of course,


What counts is the best solution«»

this is not a one-way street, but rather a process of giving and taking.The Austrian Standards Institute has built enormous expertise in this field that, hopefully, will also be used extensively in the future.

From TÜV Austria to the helm of one of the biggest lift and escalator manufacturer: was standardisation of help to you in this career move?Lifts and, along with them, standardisation have decisively shaped my professional life to date. The experiences that I gained and the networks that I am involved in form part of my biography and, of course, have been very helpful.

How important is standardisation to Schindler? Is it a management priority?Marschall: Standardisation and co-operation in standards development is an important part of management at our company. It lays the founda-tion for success in business. The benefit it generates is clearly communicated to the actors involved. We make sure that our interests and those of our customers are advocated so that we can offer high quality at a favourable price.

What do you think about the significance of standards in economic policy?Marschall: In European legislation, the New Approach calls for standards. They describe how the requirements laid down in EU directives can be met and how the principles defined by policy-makers can be implemented. Standardisation has breathed life into the European idea.Just take the example of the European Standard series EN 81 “Safety rules for the construction and installation of lifts”. In this field, it is the most widely used standard world-wide. It is applied all over the world, also in China and Russia. This clearly is a competitive advantage. The same is true for EN 115 on escalators and moving walks.

Ing. Marschall about …

TÜV Austria: “In the 29 years that I worked for TÜV Austria, it changed from an ‘Austrian’ lift testing institute into a notified body recognised at the European level and from a non-profit organisation into an internationally active enterprise that operates in free competition in line with economic principles.”

Schindler Austria: “Schindler Aufzüge und Fahrtreppen GmbH lives up to high quality and safety standards. The Schindler Group is active globally – this is very clearly reflected by our motto: »Schindler moves 900 million people every day!« It enjoys a high reputation among its customers world-wide. My tasks at Schindler’s constitute a seamless continuation of my previous professional development.”



You did not only chair the technical committee for lifts and participate as a delegate in European and international meetings, but also are a member of the Board of the Austrian Standards Institute. What will be the position of Austrian Standards in roughly five years?Marschall: Let me describe it vividly by means of a newspaper article on a private household from the year 2015: The networking of app-liances, building technology and communication technology has progressed so far that every-day tasks are accomplished automatically — from vacuuming to daily shopping. And the reader learns: standardisation makes it possible. The Austrian Standards Institute is the key contact when it comes to bringing together processes and technical interfaces. The mission statement »Setting Standards. Creating Values.« has proved well.

You made a career change in 2009. What does change mean for you?Marschall: Continuous development is the basis of success. Here, the principle is: Nothing is so good that you cannot improve it.

This interview was carried out by Dr. Johannes Stern


Effectiveness in hospitals

en locations, 9,300 employees and a standards manager who, in addition to his “normal” tasks in the organi-sation, invests five to seven hours of

How online standards manage-ment saves time and money in Upper Austria’s hospitals.

This time per month: The “OÖ. Gesundheits- und Spitals-AG” (gespag, for short) always keeps abreast of the latest developments in standardi-sation with just a few mouse clicks by means of the effect services of Austrian Standards plus. Having a market share of around 45 percent, gespag is Upper Austria’s biggest hospital organisation and operates eight general and two specialised hospitals.

They have to observe a high number of stand-ards. The latest version of all these documents always has to be available. Therefore, gespag opted for the effect services of Austrian Stand-ards plus.

Managing standards centrallyDipl.-HTL-Ing. Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Karl Müller is a

pioneer user of these new services. Represent-ing the owner, he is responsible for implement-ing projects related to building services and electrical equipment as well as catering equip-ment. The aim was to manage centrally the en-tire body of standards and automatically receive information on new, revised or amended stand-ard documents.

The costs involved were an important criterion for decision-making. Previously, the hospitals managed their standards independently from one another. With around 2,500 documents in total, it was difficult and time-consuming to keep up-to-date. Uncertainties and multiple purchases occurred — the latter mainly because it was impossible to transfer utilisation rights when different entities purchased the docu-ments.

120 persons have accessThe effect services considerably simplified

matters. All ten hospitals gathered under one virtual roof. Around 120 persons – executives from diverse disciplines – can access the plat-form and also report whether they require addi-tional standards, and these experts are frequent-ly able to assess these needs better than the staff at the headquarters.



Dipl.-Pflegew. (FH) Ingrid Wimmer: “Being involved costs money and resour-ces, but it is absolutely necessary. It is worth it!”

Dipl.-Ing. Karl Müller about the effect services: “It is self-explanatory. Even new users find it easy to use.”

The transition developed step by step. Nego-tiations with Austrian Standards plus Publishing on the scope and licensing conditions were followed by thorough reflections on the stand-ards that absolutely have to be available at all hospitals.

Costs pay offThe portfolio included approximately 1,500

standards at the start and has grown continu-ously ever since. In retrospect, Karl Müller says: “Implementation and initial acquisitions consti-tuted a significant financial investment. How ever, you must not forget that the costs pay off later on as other cost factors are eliminated.” He is very satisfied with using the system: “It is self-explanatory. Even new users find it easy to use. Up to now, I had hardly any requests for help.”

The flexible user permission system ensures that everything can be well organised and that you always have a good overview. An important aspect is the automatic update of the entire portfolio. Outdated documents belong to the past. Access to new orders is very rapid and, hence, standards can be made available to the users in next to no time. To ensure that the system really works for all users, they must have prompt access to the standard they need.

Feedback from customers like gespag is in-valuable for the further development of the effect services. Karl Müller still has a few items on his wish list: “Sometimes colleagues do not search carefully and want to order a standard that actually is already in our portfolio – a kind of alert would be helpful in such cases. And access statistics would be important for internal control-ling.” It would also make sense to get an auto-matic warning upon duplicate orders and, additionally, this could reduce search efforts before ordering.

No two customers are alikeGerald Hinterberger, customer advisor at

Austrian Standards plus, who tailors the set-up the effect services to each customer passed on the suggestions to the internal programmers. “Online standards management is not an off-the-shelf product. There is a basic idea that is useful for many customers, but, of course, each of them has special needs. We respond to these as far as possible. Thus, the software becomes even more user-friendly over time.”

Quality management made easyDipl.-Pflegew. (FH) Ingrid Wimmer works in the

field of quality management with a focus on patient care and manages interdisciplinary pro-jects, such as the gespag-wide documentation project. She is one of those having access to the system and lets us have an inside view of every-day work with the effect services. The docu-mentation covers both IT issues and many pro-cesses of day-to-day hospital operations. Here, you have to reflect carefully on how various aspects are considered and where contents can be optimised or pooled. The needs of the mater-nity ward naturally differ from the requirements in trauma surgery or the care of multi-morbid geriatric patients. Many departments of the gespag hospitals are certified under ISO 9001 and use a multitude of standards – be it in the blood analysis laboratory, be it in nuclear medi-cine or pathology. The task of the management is to make sure that the employees observe the standards. It takes care of implementation and for providing adequate training to everybody.

... then you have won.Ingrid Wimmer finds working without the effect

services difficult to imagine even though teeth ing troubles had to be overcome. She reports: “When you start to work with standards you virtually have to learn a new language. However, once you have digested the contents that, as it were, are stated at a meta level so that you understand what they have to do with your own operations, then you have won. Then, standards offer clear structures and orientation. This faci-litates your work and prevents rank growth.” Ingrid Wimmer also contributes to standardisa-tion – in working group 250.03 on quality management in patient care – and highly appre-ciates the insights gained from these activities. The management fully supports her participa tion. “Being involved costs money and resources, but it is absolutely necessary. It is worth it!” she says with conviction and remembers: “When you pre-pare working instructions it is vital to draw on existing standards or ON Rules. Of course, you sometimes think ‘That’s self-evident, I knew that anyway!’, but sometimes it is good and helpful when contents are presented in a well structured way.”

Regina Slameczka, MAS


Without standards, I would have had to close down.«

»

How the Austrian-British diving expert Martin Denison discovered standardisation, thereby rescued his company and, almost as a by-product, raised diving safety world-wide.

rom Austria to the whole wide world. For once, this is neither a story about Austrian music or painting nor the sto-ry of the Austrian diving pioneer Hans F

Hass. It is the simple story of a standard develo-ped in Austria that spread to the whole wide world in just a few years. Starting in the clear la-kes of Salzkammergut, it now makes diving safer and worry-free throughout the world.

How did it all start? As usual in standardisati-on, a specific requirement and a concrete ne-cessity stood at the beginning. And, as Plato al-ready new, necessity is the mother of invention as well as the mother of any standard. Martin Denison, Austrian diving expert with British roots, realised that in the mid-1990s.

Teaching at the Vienna University Sports Insti-tute, he was responsible for training diving in-structors within the Austrian Diving Federation. In 1994, he started up his own business and trai-ned instructors in line with the system of the US-based Scuba Schools International (SSI).

Then, in the run-up to Austria’s accession to the EU in 1995, a new Sports Act was adopted in Upper Austria, which severely threatened his work. Denison: “The certificates that we issued would have been invalid after the Act’s entry into force. Training teachers or instructors who are not allowed to work because their qualifications are not recognised makes as little sense as pro-ducing nuts and bolts that do not match.”

Solution by a service standardWhat now? To solve this problem, the idea

was born to create a standard, a special service standard. At that time, the theme of services in standardisation was intensively discussed for the first time — at the national level as well as at the European and international level. Reflections were made on transferring the system of volun-tary standardisation that had proved well for products for many decades to the field of ser-vices — not least to make the European market more transparent or even open it up. In fact, the area of scuba training and related services tur-ned into one of the (first) great success stories of services standardisation.



People gathered around a tableThe rest is not history, but current practice.

The idea of developing standards came true very quickly in Austria of all countries, which is not re-ally a centre of diving. Denison: “We talked with Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Peter Jonas who was the commit-tee manager in charge at the Austrian Standards Institute at that time and reflected on the stake-holders involved and how to motivate them to participate. All of a sudden, people gathered around a table who would normally cross the street to avoid meeting each other. However, the work gained momentum and the draft of the first diving standard – ÖNORM S 4260 ‘Services of leisure industry – Safety-re-lated minimum requirements for entry level trai-ning for scuba diving’ — already became avai-lable in the summer of 1997. From there, it was only a relatively short way to further documents for this sector as well as to European and direct-ly on to international standardisation.

“Around 70% of the specifications that we de-veloped in Austria are also contained in today’s European and International standards,” explains Denison and adds: “That was also significantly influenced by the development of this sector, which evolved from a sport traditionally orga-nised in federations into an industry with nu-merous commercial service providers.

World-wide need for regulationsThe European activities demonstrated the

enormous need for harmonising diverging re-quirements — be it on the part of the federations or on the part of private-sector service providers. Around 35 representatives from 17 states, inclu-ding Northern European countries, made active contributions. In particular, Norway attached great importance to consumer protection provi-sions that were also included in the standards, as Denison reports. This view is also shared by the diving expert because those who register for a diving course enter into a contract with an in-structor or school — and the “students” should have accurate information on what the “instruc-tor” or “school” offers or has to offer. The rele-vant standards lay the foundation, and certificati-on in line with them ensures that the quality re-quired is fully implemented.

Nowadays, diving courses and dives are very often booked via the internet world-wide already before people go on a holiday. The providers should inform the customers on what they get for their money as well as on the standards applied. Denison: “That is an enormous compe-titive advantage that should be exploited.”

Standards have become indispensibleThe world-wide acceptance of this standards

series is an important success of an idea origi-nally limited to Austria alone. For example, Egypt and Greece — two destinations popular among divers — only license scuba schools or diving

centres if they are certified according to the rele-vant International or European standards.

»Today, that is the recognised standard.«An Austrian entrepreneur initiated them and

brought them to the international level with the help of other market partners and the support of the Austrian Standards Institute.

Martin Denison is truly pleased: “We made a small step in Austria and thereby succeeded in raising safety world-wide.” By now, he reports, many national federations and all major commer-cial operators are already certified according to these standards, and all of them had to make improvements: “Today, that is the recognised standard throughout the diving world.”

As Denison stresses, his initiative and commit-ment paid off in many respects. When he is as-ked for the price he had to pay for participating in standardisation, he cites three things: “My work, my time and my travels.”

And he immediately adds another question: What would it have cost me not to take part? “My company and my livelihood. Without stan-dards, I would have had to close down.” With the help of the diving standards and certification, he was able to prove his competence and the standard of training he offers his customers also in compliance with the new Sports Act.

Can standards be a solution for me?Which experiences and findings would he like

to share with others — in particular with small and medium-sized companies? “You should first ask whether a standard can be a solution for you or for your company. If the answer is yes, you should talk with your national Standards Institute and propose a new standardisation project. Such a talk does not cost anything and participation in standardisation – in Austria – is also free of charge. You only have to bear your own travel expenses and time expenditure. In my case, that was really worthwhile.”

To conclude, Denison states that you should also ask yourself another question: “What does it cost me if I do not get involved and others define rules that are out of line with my needs, interests and experiences, but which I have to comply with because they are laid down in a standard? Hence, it is best to join in right at the start.”

Dr. Johannes Stern

Martin Denison, Lector at Vienna Universi-ty Sports Institute and Managing Director of Scuba Schools GmbH in-itialised in the mid of the 1990s the first three (pure Austrian) standards for the training of diving in-structors. Today, these standards are recognised throughout the world.In May 2010, Denison was awarded a prize for his outstanding commit-ment to standard-related initiatives: “He has ma-naged to transfer an exi-stence-threatening situat-ion into a chance and to benefit from it with the help of standards, initia-lised by himself“, said Univ.Prof. DDr. Walter Barfuß, President of Austrian Standards in his laudation.


Switzerland: risk management based on Austrian standards

It is really sensational: For the first time, a government introduces a complete risk management system. Its foundations were developed at Austrian Standards – the ON Rule series ONR 49000.

On 24 September 2010, Swiss Presi-dent Doris Leuthard announced the implementation of a risk management system based on the specifications of

ONR 49000 developed in Austria. This set of ru-les that is considered to represent the state of the art world-wide covers all the processes and steps required for the introduction and practical implementation of comprehensive risk manage-ment – from risk identification to the training of highly qualified risk managers. Since 2004, more than 100 experts from almost 50 nations have contributed to its elaboration under Austria’s lea-dership.

For Swiss management consultant and risk manager Dr. Bruno Brühwiler who was substan-tially involved in its development, the ONR 49000 series constitutes a key steering concept for good governance. Based on a top-down approach starting from the perspective of the top management, it helps to reduce uncertainty in decision-making, close information gaps and better tackle complexity. The simple question of what can go wrong triggers new reflections that also support the strategic objectives in their entirety.

Switzerland: Risk policy raises securityThe Swiss Federal Council which has already

engaged in risk management activities since 2004 looked for a suitable system that could live up to increasing requirements. Eventually, the Swiss found what they needed in neighbouring Austria. “ONR 49000 provides helpful guidance, and we do not have to reinvent the wheel,” summarises Nicole Heynen, who is in charge of co-ordinating the risk management activities for the Swiss government, the major advantage of the system that is going to be introduced step



by step in the Federal Chancellery, the seven departments (ministries) and around 60 agen-cies.

In her capacity as project manager, Nicole Heynen gathers the risk results of the depart-ments and prepares risk reports for the Federal Council. These highlight the most significant risk scenarios for each department that are discussed intensively and form the basis of risk prevention programmes. “Risk management is an ongoing task that affects everybody and is continuously performed by all,” Ms. Heynen sta-tes the essence of risk management in a nuts-hell. In the case of Switzerland, it concerns a total of 36,000 federal employees.

In the best and in the worst caseUp to now, 30 risk managers have been trai-

ned and further courses are scheduled in all the seven departments for 2011. Risk expert Bruno Brühwiler who will provide the training on site: “We orientate to the objectives of the adminis-tration and try to make concrete risks tangible. By drawing up scenarios that reach ten to five years into the future, we anticipate the situation from diverse perspectives and analyse what could happen in the best and in the worst case.”

In the implementation phase, it was not quite easy to achieve consensus among the different departments, as Nicole Heynen explains: “Since risk management is not an exact science, every opinion and view had its merits.” Now that the risk policy has been officially adopted, the main challenge is to implement it and bring about the related change in the risk culture.

Not obligation but genuine commitment“We do not want to impose an obligation, but

achieve a genuine commitment of all the depart-ments,” states the federal risk manager. This has already been fully accomplished in some depart-ments, while others still do not give high priority to this field. “It is, however, particularly important to identify strategic and policy risks, too,” says Ms. Heynen. The ultimate objective is to use the harmonised methodology and system that the ONR 49000 series offers for represent ing the key risks per administrative unit, per department and for the entire Federal Council and for facilitating their consolidation.

About 1,000 risk managers trainedAt Austrian Standards, where a total of 123

employees support the economy, administration, academia and consumers in the development and application of standards, more than 900 risk managers have been trained on the basis of these specifications. They come from diverse sectors – from banking and healthcare to the energy and automotive industry – with the spec-trum ranging from domestic SMEs to company groups active globally. “We expect that the one

thousandth risk manager will complete training in early 2011,” Bruno Brühwiler states with great satisfaction and continues: “As a result, we get an enormously broad effect and an incredible experience base.”

A signal that sets an exampleIn Mr. Brühwiler’s opinion, the application of

ONR 49000 by the Swiss government is an important signal that sets an example. He hopes that many enterprises and public institution will follow this model. Brühwiler: “Risk management according to ONR 49000 as a governance concept is hardly spectacular, but all the more sustainable.”

Managing Director Ing. Dr. Gerhard Hartmann of Austrian Standards also sees with great pleasure that the Austrian specifications are implemented in the political practice of the Swiss federal government: “This is a real recognition of the work accomplished at Austrian Standards. When this project was launched there were quite sceptical voices calling into question the need for such a set of rules. The training of risk managers on a generally accepted foundation based on a consensus of all stakeholders and, of course, the introduction by the Swiss government shows that we took the right deci sion.”

“The vision has developed extremely well,” concludes Mr. Brühwiler, “and Austrian Stan-dards has set new international standards that are accepted world-wide.” Nicole Heynen is also confident that ONR 49000 is the optimum solution: “First results can only be expected in two or three years at the earliest, but we can al-ready see that the culture is changing.”

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Risk management is an ongoing task that affects everybody and is continuously performed by all.»

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Particularly important to identify strategic and policy risks, too.»

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