INF. 9

ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE

INLAND TRANSPORT COMMITTEE

Working Party on the Transport

of Dangerous Goods

(Sixty-eighth session,

(Geneva, 15 -19 May 2000)

Comment on the Proposal from Germany in doc. 2000/5

regarding Fire-fighting appliances

Transmitted by the Government of Norway

1.	While fully supporting the proposal from Germany of amending paragraph 8.1.3, Norway would, nevertheless, like to propose a minor change to the proposed new text of 8.1.3.2.

2.	In their proposal, Germany states that ?ÿ.the fire extinguishers shall undergo periodic inspection by persons authorized by the competent authority ÿ?.

3.	Norway agrees to the necessity of introducing some requirements of skill of the persons carrying out such inspections, especially since CEN was not able to come up with a uniform European view on this. Since the introduction of the new European standard EN 3, the Norwegian national standardisation body have set up their own standard on the maintenance and inspection of fire extinguishers, including detailed descriptions of a ?competent person?. National legislation on fire safety makes reference to this standard in all circumstances where regulatory text requires fire extinguishers to be maintained and inspected. This means that in Norway there will be no ?authorization by the competent authority?, nevertheless ensuring an equally high level of competence of the persons carrying out maintenace and inspection of fire extinguishers, and we would like this to be reflected in the new text of 8.1.3.2.

4.	Norway therefore proposes the following modification to 8.1.3.2 proposed by Germany:

8.1.3.2	Fire extinguishers shall undergo periodic inspections by persons authorized by the competent authority or in accordance with authorized national arrangements at intervals of not more than 12 months to check that they are in working order.

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