The risk assessment, often incorrectly referred to as a risk analysis, is one of the most important documents for manufacturers to prove that a product is safe in accordance with European legislation. In practice, however, it has been shown that in many companies it is either not implemented at all or only in a very rudimentary way. Typical misconceptions in [...]
In future, industry and retailers will be obliged to provide a Digital Product Passport (DPP) for products placed on the market. The basis for this is the new Ecodesign Regulation 2024/1781, which obliges manufacturers to record and publish extensive data on every product. The introduction will begin as early as February 2027: the first products, such as textiles, must then be provided with a digital [...]
For medical devices, it is possible to provide instructions for use in electronic form. However, this was previously limited to certain products by Regulation (EU) 207/2012. New regulations under Regulation (EU) 2017/745 With the current Medical Devices Regulation (EU) 2017/745, this option has been retained in Annex I, Chapter III. More precise regulation was provided by the Implementing Regulation (EU) [...]
Withdrawal announced: VDI 4500 Sheet 6 on technical documentation In June 2025, it was officially announced that Part 6 of VDI Guideline 4500 ("Technical Documentation - Documentation Process - Publishing") is to be withdrawn. The guideline is considered technically outdated and no longer meets the current requirements for modern documentation processes. However, the withdrawal [...]
The systems used in today's industrial landscape are becoming ever more extensive and complex. Comprehensible, clear and structured plant documentation is essential. It not only ensures compliance with legal requirements, but also contributes to efficiency and safety in operation. Digital provision makes it easier for plant operators to access information for training, service and other [...]
Issue date: March 2025 DIN EN ISO 20607: Safety of machinery - Instruction handbooks - General principles for design A new draft of DIN EN ISO 20607 has been available since this month. The standard deals with requirements for the design of operating instructions for machinery. These requirements are a supplement to chapter 6.4 of DIN EN ISO [...]
Some of you have probably heard the term "digital product passport" (DPP for short) recently. But what is behind it and could it open up a new field of activity for technical writers? Background: The Ecodesign Regulation 2024/1781 Based on the new Ecodesign Regulation 2024/1781 from this year, manufacturers will in future be required to [...]
A number of new EU directives and regulations have been published in recent months, which also place requirements on technical documentation. In view of the numerous changes, it is not easy to keep track of everything. In this blog article, I will give you a quick insight into the upcoming developments. Product Safety Regulation (EU) 2023/988 The new Product Safety Regulation comes into force on 13.12.2024 [...]
Date of issue: December 2022 DIN EN ISO 7010/A4, A5 and A6: Graphical symbols - Safety colors and safety signs - Registered safety signs - Amendment 4 to 6 Three supplemented drafts of DIN EN ISO 7010 have been published. The standard deals with safety colors and signs for accident prevention, fire protection, protection against health hazards and for escape routes. [...]
Note: This text is an initial, subjective assessment of the new guide to the Machinery Directive, which is currently only available in English. On April 18, 2024, the EU Commission published a new guide to the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC as version 2.3. The guide replaces version 2.2. By and large, with the exception of statements on technical documentation, there have been no [...]
