WSAA is pleased to announce Technical Note (WSA TN-08) is now available for comment. WSA TN-08 sets out product conformity assessment requirements, additional to those specified in the relevant product Standard(s).
Technical Note: WSA TN-08
Title: WSAA Technical Note (WSA TN-08) Product Conformity Assessment Requirements
Publisher: Water Services Associations of Australia
Comment Closes: 1 June 2017
Changes to Australian Standards affecting Future Water Industry Contracts with Suppliers
Conformity Assessment requirements are the key criteria for determining the level of assurance with which a product meets product Standards. They can vary from a quick desktop of a manufacturer's claims through to field testing and extensive verification. Until now every Australian Standard has specified the level of conformity assessment required as a minimum to demonstrate compliance with the Standard. Standards Australia have recognised that this one size fits all approach pre-empts legitimate market choices and may result in market distortion and inefficiencies. To avoid this Standards Australia have deleted sections in Appendix A relating to product certification from all new and redrafted Standards, including those currently under review and not yet published.
Standards Australia drafting protocol continues to allow product conformity requirements (test methods and associated sampling procedures) so the sections of Appendix A relating to the minimum sampling and testing frequency plan remains.
As a result of Standards Australia implementing this policy, Users (including Water Agencies, Suppliers and Regulators) will now need to declare how product conformity assessment is to be carried out and by what parties (i.e. first party, second party and third party) for each Standard, by their business. This change takes effects immediately. This change will impact most procurement contracts tendered by water businesses.
There are several options to addressing this change ranging from: developing a uniform reference document based on product classes and risk, to which all water utilities (and potentially other related industries can refer); to each utility writing their own contract clauses (WSAA could assist here by providing some standard wording).
These options will be discussed and a preferred path forward developed at the next Codes and Product Appraisal Reference Group meeting scheduled for early June 2017.
The outcomes from this meeting will be circulated to the members for final agreement and use. As an interim measure WSAA has introduced a WSA TN-08 that sets out product conformity assessment requirements, additional to those specified in the relevant product Standard(s).
WSAA will continue to revise and update WSAA Product Specifications impacted by these changes, as they occur. This will ensure Australian Urban Water Industry will able to prescribe an acceptable level of conformity assessment.
How to submit comments
Comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome by manufacturers, suppliers, designers, conformity assessment bodies and asset owners, using the comments form and emailing codes@wsaa.asn.au by COB 1 June 2017. A copy of WSA TN-08 is attached, along with a comments form.
If you have any queries, please contact Carl Radford on email carl.radford@wsaa.asn.au
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28 Apr 2017
