numbers needed for certification

RCD Standards conformance.

Hi Guys
I am currently wading through the RCD with a view to self-certifying ( Class D) small rowing boats, but I seem to have come to a block wrt to the ISO standards. The declaration requires you to specify the standards to which you conform. As I see it, this implies you have to buy copies of all of the relevent standards in order to know if you do or not.
This appears to be another stealth tax, can anybody clarify/confirm this is true, or know what other standards can be used.
Thanks in advance
Chris

 

Chris,

The word standards is used very general! It does not have to be the Iso-standard refered to in the "Guidelines to the Directive". For example, for the Essential Safety Requirement item 3.1 (structure) you could use the Rules of a Classification Society.
But you are right, if you want to know to what you have to comply with you have to buy the relevant standards as they are the minimum requirement! In case of a Cat. D rowboat the amount of standards is very limited. Just from the top of my head, the ESR's you have to comply with are:

Hull identification
Builder's plate
Falling overboard and reboarding
Owner's manual
Structure
Stability/Buoyancy
Max recommended load
Anchoring, mooring & towing.

In the "Guidelines" you can find the apropriate standards.

Hope this helps a bit?

 

Hi Chris,
It is correct that in order to certity that you are CE compliant you must be aware about the (ISO) stds. But in Belgium you can make a visit to BIN (Belgian Institute of Normalisation) and consult the documents you need and copy them or write them down for free. Don't you have a similar thing in the UK?

Greetz,

Daniel Peeters

 

Erik,

You are correct! The Directive 94/25/EC, the European Recreational Craft Law, is regulating the placement of products on the market. But not what you do with them once you have purchased such a product. This is left to the conveniance of the individual countries.

However, it won't be long, if it hasn't happened already, till insurrence companies will base their quotes on design category and reject claims on the basis that the craft was not intended for the designed category.

Regards,

 

How did you determine the design category if you don't have the standard? BTW, what's the overall lenght of your design?

That is for 90% correct, atleast that's my opinion, furthermore a lot of countries are going for the self-regulating market! So no dedicated cops to track down the uncertified boats. You run into trouble once you start to export!

And that is why you have so many CE consultants now!

Keep asking, I'll reply

 

This is not entirely correct! The assesment module Aa is only to be used when the harmonized standard is NOT used!!!