Plant Safety Commission
The Commission for Plant Safety (KAS) is an independent body that advises the German Federal Government or the responsible Federal Ministry on issues relating to the safety of plants within the meaning of the Federal Immission Control Act (BImSchG). The Commission for Plant Safety is the successor body to the Major Accidents Commission (SFK) and the Technical Committee for Plant Safety (TAA).
Working in the KAS and its sub-committees is a personal honorary position. Representation is therefore not possible.
Tasks of the Commission
The tasks of the KAS are regulated in § 51a BImSchG. These include the expert demonstration of ways to improve plant safety. This takes place at regular intervals and for special occasions. In addition, the KAS proposes rules corresponding to the state of the art of safety technology (safety rules, technical rules for plant safety - TRAS), taking into account the rules that exist for other protection goals. After hearing the highest state authorities responsible for plant safety, the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety can publish these rules in the Federal Gazette. The Commission for Plant Safety checks within appropriate time intervals, at the latest after five years, whether the published safety rules continue to correspond to the state of safety technology. The KAS also develops and publishes guidelines, reports and working aids on the subject of plant safety. In addition, it evaluates safety-relevant events and the reports of the experts according to § 29a BImSchG.
composition
The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), in agreement with the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (BMAS ), appoints representatives to the Commission for Plant Safety (KAS) in addition to representatives of the federal authorities involved and the state authorities responsible for immission and occupational safety in particular from the following areas:
- science,
- the environmental associations,
- the trade unions,
- the experts according to § 29a BImSchG,
- the approved monitoring bodies in accordance with Section 17 (5) of the Equipment and Product Safety Act (GPSG),
- the professional associations ,
- the economy involved,
- the committees set up in accordance with Section 24 of the Industrial Safety Ordinance (BetrSichV) and Section 21 of the Hazardous Substances Ordinance (GefStoffV).
The commission for plant safety consists of 27 experts in the current appointment period. The current chairman of the KAS is Stephan Kurth from the Öko-Institut in Darmstadt. He was elected for the 5th appointment period in November 2017 at the constituent meeting of the KAS. He succeeds Thomas Schendler from the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) , who chaired the third and fourth appointment period. According to the rules of procedure of the KAS, re-election for the chairmanship of the KAS is only possible once.
An appointment period lasts three years. A renewed appointment to the KAS or one of the sub-committees is possible.
The current, fifth appointment period should end in November 2020, but will be extended due to the Corona crisis.
Chair of the Commission
- 2005 - 2011: Christian Jochum
- 2011 - 2017: Thomas Schendler
- since 2017: Stephan Kurth
swell
- Rules of Procedure of the KAS (PDF, 363 kB)
- List of members in the KAS
Web links
- Commission for Plant Safety with publications by the Commission for Plant Safety, the Accident Commission and the Technical Committee for Plant Safety
- BMUB KAS
- Current appointment period - notice of the BMU
Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) | Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management (BASE) | Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) | Federal Environment Agency (UBA) | Disposal Commission (ESK) | Nuclear Technical Committee (KTA) | Plant Safety Commission (KAS) | Reactor Safety Commission (RSK) | Expert Council for Environmental Issues (SRU) | Radiation Protection Commission (SSK) | Environmental Advisory Committee (UGA)