Standards Watch | CWA 15902: A standard? standards in confl ict with published CEN standards does not apply to the CWA. We who participate in standards development know the process can be tortuous at times, but it is a walk in the park compared with attempting to get consensus from nations instead of companies. National laws can be obstructions to agreeing a way forward, especially in an industry which has creativity in its backbone. The unwillingness of some nations to agree to fl exibility is a massive challenge, but we will get there one day. Ron Bonner serves as PLASA’s Technical Resources Manager and Safety Adviser. Ron joined PLASA 10 years ago after careers in the Royal Navy and as a fire fighter in London. He is a Chartered member of the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health and a member of the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management. How long is a CWA effective? A CWA is valid for a limited duration of three years or until its transformation into another deliverable. In the case of the CWA 15902, that other deliverable could be a full-blown EN standard. When three years have passed, the CEN Director of Pre-Standards consults the former Workshop participants to see whether a renewal of the publication for a further three years is appropriate; if not, the CWA shall be withdrawn. The CEN Director of Pre-Standards acts as the contact person for issues arising from the application of the CWA. The Director is empowered to contact any or all of the former Workshop participants in discharging this duty. National laws can be obstruc-tions to agreeing a way forward, especially in an industry which has creativity in its backbone. PLASA is actively involved in exploring the avenues to have the work carried out to elevate CWA 15902 into a complete European Standard. There is a growing sense amongst all the original participants that this would be a good move. If it lapses, we’re back to differing national standards. The problem is that this is not that straightforward. There is no committee currently set up in CEN to handle this work, so one must be formed. I have to approach CEN via the standards body in the UK, the British Standards Institute, BSI, to ask for this to be considered. As with most things, there are costs, and the standards institutes in the UK and in mainland Europe demand huge secretariat fees for such work, but there is a possibility that PLASA in the UK could act as the Secretariat with help in meeting rooms and the editorial process being offered by BSI for free. This isn’t cast in stone, but negotiations will be on-going over the coming weeks. “ “ Our new Animation Low Res Video Curtain by features LEDs in a random array as opposed to a grid format, which enables improved display of organic shapes and lowers total cost of ownership. Plus, a standard curtain weighs less than 100 lbs so there’s no need for a large, expensive setup crew. Fold it, wrap it, drape it, use it as a ceiling curtain, or install it on a track system. Comes with its own controller and software, and compatible with most existing media servers and playback devices. See our video demo and learn more at http://bit.ly/animation-curtain. Rose Brand Theatrical Fabrics, Fabrications & Supplies Serving the Entertainment, Event & Display Industries ©2011 Rose Brand NJ 800.223.1624 CA 800.360.5056 RoseBrand.com FALL 2011 61 PROTOCOL