Designing standards for practical application

What motivated you to join the DIN standards committee? 

Vincent Pannard: My motivation was a mixture of curiosity and professional ambition.
Standards provide a reliable basis for safe, high-quality products and safe work processes. I was interested in how such standards are developed: the process behind them and how different perspectives are combined to form a common text. At the same time, I wanted to provide impetus when standards no longer reflect the current state of the art in order to promote innovation.
Another point was the desire to make texts clearer and more unambiguous. Standards that have developed over time often contain wording that can be interpreted in different ways. Standardization is about creating clarity so that content is understandable for everyone.

What technical or organizational challenges do you encounter in committee work? 

Vincent Pannard: The coordination process is indeed a major technical challenge. Many fire protection regulations are often developed not only at the national level, but also at the European level (DIN EN regulations). This means that discussions and coordination are influenced internationally, which makes the processes more complex and time-consuming. At the same time, however, this also increases the scope of the results.
In terms of organization, committee work is a world unto itself, with clearly defined procedures, numerous terminology abbreviations, and formal approval loops. Familiarizing oneself with these processes requires patience, but it is a prerequisite for the creation of robust, generally accepted standards.
I have been active in DIN committees for about a year now and quickly realized that it takes time for all parties involved, i.e., fire protection competitors, insurers, and industry specialists with their respective expertise, to reach the same level of understanding. It is precisely this intensive exchange that ultimately makes the work so exciting and valuable. 

Where do you see the greatest added value of your work – for you personally and for our company? 

Vincent Pannard: The greatest added value lies in the exchange of knowledge and experience. Fire protection is a small, specialized industry – and topics such as oxygen reduction for fire prevention are even more specific. Historically, many regulations have tended to focus on extinguishing systems. This makes it all the more important to introduce new approaches into the dialogue at an early stage.
I think it is important for both us and the industry to actively contribute our experience, further develop standards, and improve fire protection overall – in some cases even by helping to shape new regulations. When it comes to new technologies in particular, it is crucial to raise awareness of them in the relevant committees and develop clear guidelines for their use.
Personally, I benefit from networking and exchanging ideas with experts from other countries, insurers, and competitors. This gives me a real knowledge advantage and new perspectives. 

Why is it important for companies like ours to be represented in standardization committees? 

Vincent Pannard: By directly contributing our expertise, we can pioneer new approaches to fire protection. A good example of this is the inclusion of oxygen reduction systems in regulations. WAGNER has been actively involved in the development of these standards from the outset and has made a significant contribution to optimizing the results by providing expert explanations of the technological properties.
Standards serve to confirm that solutions are “tested” and reliable. Operators cannot and do not want to rely solely on our statements as manufacturers. That is why consensus within the industry is particularly important when it comes to new technologies. Guidelines such as the EN standards carry considerable weight internationally and help to establish our solutions more widely, thereby increasing the level of safety in many industries.
Strategically, committee work is crucial because guidelines often take effect at short notice and can influence ongoing projects or products. Some products may even be completely called into question by new requirements. When developers, manufacturers, and installers are informed at an early stage and can participate in the design process, it is possible to react in a good time, plan adjustments, and thus protect your own company while offering customers the optimal, standard-compliant solution.  

How does participation in the committee specifically affect the quality or practical relevance of standards? 

Vincent Pannard: The involvement of experts has a direct influence on the practical relevance and comprehensibility of standards. Requirements must be clearly formulated, technically feasible, and consistent with the intended protection goals. Especially in the case of innovative, non-conventional fire protection solutions, we can use examples from everyday work to show where theoretical specifications prove themselves in practice or where they reach their limits. In the committees, we therefore examine very carefully what effects certain formulations in the draft may have on later implementation, for example on the achievement of protection goals, functional reliability, or conformity assessment. This feedback allows ambiguities to be identified at an early stage and requirements to be designed in such a way that they are technically sound, realistically implementable, and comprehensible to users. This results in standards that reflect the state of the art and are widely accepted by customers, insurers, authorities, and the fire department. 

Vincent Pannard, thank you for the interesting insights into the work of the committees.