November 2025: New Standards for Environmental and Workplace Safety Released

Environmental protection and workplace safety are evolving at an unprecedented pace, with major updates to international guidelines published in November 2025. This month, five significant standards have been released, providing updated technical requirements and best practices for professionals engaged in recycling, water quality, and occupational health. These newly published documents address the latest methodologies in plastics recycling, enhance protections for potable water, and introduce standardized procedures for measuring workplace dustiness—including nano-scale particulates. This article summarizes the scope, requirements, and industry implications of these standards, providing direct access links for full documentation via iTeh Standards.

Overview / Introduction

Environmental, Health Protection, and Safety standards underpin global efforts to promote cleaner industries, healthier workplaces, and safer products. Whether manufacturing, handling, or disposing of materials, adherence to robust international specifications is non-negotiable for regulatory compliance and competitive excellence.

Why do these standards matter?

• They ensure safe working environments and protect human health.
• They enable organizations to demonstrate compliance with environmental and safety legislation.
• They provide a framework for sustainable business operations and innovation.

What will you learn?

• Updates on plastic waste recycling, including biological/organic methods.
• Technical requirements for safeguarding potable water systems.
• Advanced methodologies for dustiness measurement in bulk materials, essential for health risk assessment and process control.
• Implications for compliance, best practices for implementation, and direct links to official standards.

Detailed Standards Coverage

ISO 15270-5:2025 - Guidelines for the Organic Recycling of Plastics Waste

Plastics — Guidelines for the recovery and recycling of plastics waste — Part 5: Organic/biological recycling

This new international standard offers comprehensive guidance for the recovery and recycling of plastics waste classified as industrially compostable through organic or biological processes. Targeting pre-consumer and post-consumer waste, it lays out critical terms, methodologies, calculation rules, and quality requirements related to the organic recycling of compostable plastics.

Scope and Key Requirements:

• Establishes terminology and calculation methodologies for evaluating organic recycling processes.
• Details types of organic recycling technologies, including aerobic composting and anaerobic digestion.
• Specifies requirements for determining inputs, outputs, and quality of recyclate material.
• Recommends integration with material, test, and product standards (e.g., ISO 17088, ISO 18606).
• Excludes test methods for defining recyclability and home composting processes, focusing strictly on industrial contexts.
• Outlines the importance of ensuring contaminants (non-biodegradable plastics) are appropriately excluded from organic recycling streams.

Who Should Comply?

• Waste management operators
• Composting facilities
• Packaging and plastics manufacturers
• Environmental compliance teams and procurement specialists sourcing compostable materials

Practical Impact:

• Seasonal collection processes, treatment plant operations, and downstream integration can now follow uniform criteria and definitions, enhancing material qualification and traceability.
• Supports the generation of high-quality compost and aligns with regional legislation on recycling definitions.
• Ensures only appropriate waste streams are recognized as recycling for regulatory and sustainability reporting.

Key highlights:

• Standardizes key terms and calculations across the recycling industry
• References critical existing standards for compostable plastics
• Clarifies industrial vs. home composting, ensuring clarity for product labelling and end-of-life management

Access the full standard:View ISO 15270-5:2025 on iTeh Standards

EN 13079:2025 - Devices to Prevent Pollution by Backflow of Potable Water

Devices to prevent pollution by backflow of potable water – Air gap with injector – Family A – Type D

Potable water integrity is vital for health, and this updated European Standard governs the specifications and requirements for air gap with injector devices, a primary defense against the contamination of drinking water systems by backflow.

Scope and Key Requirements:

• Applies to air gap devices (Family A, Type D) for potable water systems with nominal flow velocities up to 3 m/s.
• Covers both factory-assembled products and in-situ constructed air gaps.
• Includes detailed requirements for device design (upstream and downstream orifices, receiving vessels), materials, tolerances, and verification/testing protocols.
• Introduces design updates: reduced minimum air gap size, optional anti-splashing plates, and enhanced validation procedures.
• Aligns device specification and operations with EN 806 and EN 1717 series for potable water protection.

Who Should Comply?

• Building services engineers and designers for water supply systems
• Manufacturers and installers of backflow prevention devices
• Facility maintenance teams and health & safety officers

Practical Impact:

• Reduces the risk of potable water contamination, meeting both regulatory and insurance requirements for commercial, public, and residential buildings.
• Ensures easier compliance through clearer definitions, tolerances, and verification steps.
• Mandates phased replacement of older devices, supporting ongoing safety and reliability.

Key highlights:

• Updated definitions and technical requirements for air gap devices
• Reduced air gap size with new engineering options for anti-splashing
• Streamlined testing and documentation requirements

Access the full standard:View EN 13079:2025 on iTeh Standards

EN 15051-1:2025 - Workplace Exposure: Dustiness of Bulk Materials (Part 1)

Workplace exposure — Measurement of the dustiness of bulk materials — Part 1: Requirements and choice of test methods

Airborne particulates in industrial settings present significant health risks. EN 15051-1:2025 delivers fundamental requirements, environmental controls, and methodological guidance for measuring the dustiness of bulk materials—essential for risk assessment and control in manufacturing, handling, and transportation environments.

Scope and Key Specifications:

• Defines sampling strategies, environmental conditions, and analytical procedures for dustiness measurement.
• Outlines material conditioning, moisture and density determination, and reporting protocols for compliance.
• Provides a categorization scheme (very low, low, medium, high dustiness) for consistent reporting and communication.
• Serves as the “umbrella” document, referencing EN 15051-2 (rotating drum) and EN 15051-3 (continuous drop) for specific test methods.
• Does not apply to dust from mechanically reduced solids or specific application procedures.

Who Should Comply?

• Occupational hygienists and industrial safety officers
• Bulk material manufacturers and processors
• Facilities conducting risk assessments or sourcing dust control systems

Practical Impact:

• Enables accurate benchmark comparisons across products and processes, supporting safe design and effective mitigation.
• Supports legal compliance for airborne particulate exposure in the workplace.
• Informs the selection and implementation of process-specific testing methodologies.

Key highlights:

• Unified definitions and reporting protocols for dustiness measurement
• Direct guidance on choosing suitable test methods for different materials
• Extensive environmental and procedural controls for data reliability

Access the full standard:View EN 15051-1:2025 on iTeh Standards

EN 15051-3:2025 - Continuous Drop Method for Dustiness Measurement

Workplace exposure — Measurement of the dustiness of bulk materials — Part 3: Continuous drop method

Focusing on the continuous drop method, this standard augments workplace exposure monitoring by simulating dust generated during continuous bulk material handling (e.g., filling, loading, unloading operations). It specifies test apparatus design, procedures, and calculation/reporting methods for both inhalable and respirable dust fractions.

Scope and Key Specifications:

• Defines apparatus and protocols for reproducible measurement of dust released in continuous falling operations.
• Outlines sample conditioning, environmental requirements (humidity and temperature), replicate testing, and in-house reference powder procedures.
• Provides a standard categorization scheme to facilitate health risk assessment and material selection.
• Offers modifications for measuring additional fractions (with limitations detailed).
• Explicitly excludes mechanically treated solids (cut, crushed, etc.).

Who Should Comply?

• Workplace safety engineers
• Industrial hygienists monitoring air quality
• Bulk material suppliers and transport operators

Practical Impact:

• Enables reproducible, standardized quantification of dust emissions during routine industrial operations.
• Supports informed engineering decisions on process modifications, ventilation, and control requirements.
• Aids in demonstrating regulatory compliance and minimizing worker exposure risks.

Key highlights:

• Captures dust generation under realistic, process-based scenarios
• Improves workplace health risk assessment through better exposure data
• Supports consistent, cross-industry benchmarking for dustiness

Access the full standard:View EN 15051-3:2025 on iTeh Standards

EN 17199-5:2025 - Vortex Shaker Method for Dustiness of Respirable NOAA and Nanoparticle-Containing Materials

Workplace exposure — Measurement of dustiness of bulk materials that contain or release respirable NOAA or other respirable particles — Part 5: Vortex shaker method

As industrial use of nanomaterials increases, reliable assessment of dustiness for powders containing or releasing respirable Nano-Objects, their Aggregates and Agglomerates (NOAA) is crucial. EN 17199-5:2025 brings a sophisticated methodology to this domain, defining the vortex shaker method for comprehensive particle emission analysis.

Scope and Key Specifications:

• Outlines test setup, instrumentation, and procedures for vortex-induced dust generation from nanomaterial powders.
• Measures respirable fraction (by mass and number), emission rates, particle size distributions (down to 10 nm), and supports morphological/chemical characterization.
• Applicable to a wide range of powders, nanomaterials, nanofibres, and nanoplates, with detailed exclusions for certain forms.
• Method designed to simulate high-energy industrial processes, vibration, or worst-case workplace scenarios.
• No classification scheme yet available; standard slated for future update as more data accumulate.

Who Should Comply?

• Nanomaterial manufacturers and processors
• Occupational health professionals assessing nanoparticle exposure
• Industrial laboratories and regulatory compliance officers

Practical Impact:

• Reduces uncertainty in risk assessment for emerging materials, where conventional methods may fail.
• Informs control measures and safe product development for advanced powder materials.
• Facilitates regulatory compliance in industries adopting nanotechnology.

Key highlights:

• Advanced measurement of dustiness for nano-object powders (NOAA)
• Number-based emission indices and particle size analysis, including electron microscopy support
• Improved simulation of high-risk, real-world agitation and dispersion scenarios

Access the full standard:View EN 17199-5:2025 on iTeh Standards

Industry Impact & Compliance

These newly published standards significantly enhance the infrastructure for environmental and safety management in industries spanning waste management, water supply, bulk materials handling, chemicals, nanotechnology, and more.

Business Implications:

• Organizations must review and update procedures, equipment specifications, and staff training in line with the latest terminology, methods, and compliance requirements.
• For dust-generating industries, the new dustiness measurement protocols are critical for accurate exposure assessment and meeting occupational health regulations.
• Adoption of ISO 15270-5:2025 and EN 13079:2025 helps companies align products and system designs with evolving environmental and health safety expectations.

Compliance Strategies & Timelines:

1. Conduct a standards gap analysis against current practices and documentation.
2. Update or draft new standard operating procedures and staff training materials.
3. Audit equipment and process control for alignment with new testing methodologies.
4. Roll out compliance updates in anticipation of regulatory enforcement or customer requirements, typically within a 12–18 month window after publication.

Benefits of Adopting These Standards:

• Enhanced trust and credibility with regulators, customers, and stakeholders.
• Improved process efficiency, product safety, and resource management.
• Mitigated legal and reputational risks due to non-compliance or unsafe practices.

Risks of Non-Compliance:

• Legal penalties and business disruptions due to environmental or workplace safety violations.
• Potential exclusion from markets or tenders requiring up-to-date certifications.
• Increased health risks, insurance costs, and environmental liabilities.

Technical Insights

These standards share several core technical features and requirements:

• Consistent Definitions and Categorization: Unified terminology and categorization schemes across dustiness and recycling standards enable easy benchmarking and comparison.
• Sampling and Testing Rigor: Emphasis on environmental controls (temperature, humidity), sample conditioning, and replicate testing foster reliable and reproducible results.
• Risk-Focused Methodologies: Standards simulate real industrial scenarios—handling, agitation, and processing—so data are directly applicable for health and safety risk assessments.
• Advanced Instrumentation: Especially for nano-materials (EN 17199-5), requirements for electronic counters, electron microscopy, and high-precision balances are specified.
• Best Practices for Implementation:
  • Document standardized procedures for dustiness and recycling rate calculations.
  • Ensure all equipment is properly maintained, calibrated, and validated per standard requirements.
  • For potable water devices, verify installation and system commissioning against new minimum distances and anti-splashing features.
• Testing and Certification Considerations:
  • Formal reporting structures, calibration using reference powders, external lab certification where required.
  • Integration with ISO, EN, and regional regulatory requirements for audits and third-party verification.

Conclusion / Next Steps

Key Takeaways:

• Five new international standards (November 2025) address core challenges in plastics recycling, water protection, workplace air quality, and nanomaterials safety.
• Robust, harmonized methodologies support better compliance, risk management, and process improvement.
• Organizations must act proactively—review new requirements, plan updates, and embed changes across all operations.

Recommendations:

• Assess your current compliance status and prioritize areas most impacted by these changes.
• Engage internal teams and external consultants to bridge knowledge and resource gaps.
• Invest in advanced measurement technology and staff training as needed.
• Monitor further updates—especially for standards under ongoing review/expansion.

Stay Updated:

Explore the full set of documents and gain access to the official, comprehensive standards through iTeh Standards. Stay ahead in environment, health, and safety compliance by integrating these latest practices into your operations.