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IMFormation
April 2004
All change at Exeter House
In the February
edition of IMFormation, members were advised of the impending departure
of Peter Griffin. We wish Peter well in his new employment and thank
him for his services to the Institute over the last 5 years
The Institute
is pleased to announce that new members of staff have been recruited
and took up office on 1 March. We look forward to the new team leading
the Institute forward to achieve financial stability as well as a
strong membership both individual and sustaining companies, and to
develop education and training programmes
Ken Hoare
- Development Manager
Ken commenced his career as a manufacturing engineer with Triplex
Safety Glass. Later he changed direction and the latter part of his
career has been spent as a consultant finding jobs for engineers from
graduate to senior management level, for most of the blue chip engineering
companies.
His position
at the IMF is to develop, both within the UK and overseas, the activities
of the Institute, to increase its profile and to provide development
opportunities for the Institute. Maintenance of member services, training
development, liaison with other organisations and recruitment of individual
and sustaining members companies are part of his remit.
David Meacham
- Administrative Secretary
David has worked previously for a trade Association - the Hardware
Federation, and more recently for Birmingham City Council.
In his position
at the Institute, David will take over the general day to day duties
and the services to the membership. He will be responsible for servicing
Standing Committees especially the Education and Training Committee
and the Examination and Qualifications Board.
Jean Sturch
- Financial Secretary
Jean has been a devoted member of staff for 21 years and has helped
steer the Institute through it education and training programmes,
and more recently the examination board, as well as looking after
the financial affairs with diligence. She has now elected to transfer
to part-time employment and concentrate solely on the financial aspects
of the Institute.
Corporate Sustaining
Membership - MacDermid joins
MacDermid are delighted to announce their participation
in this recent initiative and through their global business groups,
will ensure the IMF's activities and journals are made available to
their employees. In particular, MacDermid's innovation teams, research
groups and environmental awareness staff will be encouraged to play
an active part in presenting scientific papers and technical papers
to a wider audience and thus further the technical capabilities of
the surface finishing industry.
In offering this new grade of membership, the Institute
is presenting International companies, such as MacDermid, with the
ability to engage their staff on a global basis and the opportunity
that this brings to utilise and further the knowledge of the membership.
By supporting this initiative the International companies in the surface
finishing industry by recognising the importance of engaging in a
truly 'world-wide 'scientific community.
Health, Safety and Environment
Scottish Executive Environment Group
The Solvent Emissions (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (SSI 2004 No.26)
came into force on 28 January 2004. The regulations transpose EC Directive
1999/13EC on the 'limitations of emissions of volatile organic compounds
due to the use of organic solvents in certain activities and installations'.
The new controls, which will be implemented through the established
PPC regime, will be enforced by the Scottish Environment Protection
Agency (SEPA). A copy of the regulations can be viewed on the HMSO's
website at
www.scotland-legislation.hmso.gov.uk
The Scottish Executive, in liaison with SEPA is preparing guidance
for operators who may be affected by the new regulations, a copy of
which can be obtained from the Scottish Executive and SEPA website
at www.scotland.gov.uk or
www.sepa.org.uk
Protecting People (Defra)
'Protecting people and the environment from hazardous chemicals' is
a consultative document and partial regulatory impact assessment on
the review of the UK Chemicals Stakeholders Forum and options for
national action on chemicals. The consultation period will end on
4 May 2004. The document can be viewed on the Defra wedsite at www.defra.gov.uk
Chemicals Essentials
There are many legal requirements facing small businesses using chemicals
in the workplace and can be very confusing for industry. The development
of the Chemicals Essentials concept is a joint venture by the HSE,
EA and SEPA working together to meld their respective legal requirements
into a unified system of rules to integrate H,S & E guidance.
Chemicals Essentials builds on practical advice in a user-friendly
format and is an excellent example of government agencies working
together to produce practical help for industry. A demonstration CD-ROM
sets out how the system could operate and provides specimen guidance
for selected chemicals and tasks.
For further information look at the EA, HSE or SEPA websites.
Action on hazardous waste
The Hazardous Waste Forum has published four key recommendations as
part of its action plan to reduce hazardous waste and encourage more
effective environment management. There should be:
· clarity and firm and fair enforcement of regulatory and legislative
requirements, in particular with respect to the Landfill Directive;
· greater awareness raised among business and industry to promote
waste minimisation and environmentally sound management of hazardous
wastes;
· clear information on the likely capacity requirements for
the treatment and disposal of hazardous waste, and a task force should
be set up to review progress on the provision of this capacity; and
. work put in hand to build on the Waste Strategy 2000 to develop
policy instruments to encourage waste minimisation and environmentally
sound management, to develop better data on hazardous waste, to develop
targets for waste reduction and address the issue of household hazardous
waste.
Packaging Waste Recovery Notes
Defra are investigating allegations of inappropriate issuing of Packaging
Recovery Notes and Packaging Waste Export Recovery Notes (PERN's).
The investigation hopes to identify weaknesses in existing arrangements
by examining robustness of recording and monitoring systems and audit
trails adopted by the packaging reprocessors.
European Polluting Emission Register
EPER was launched on 23 February at the European Environment
Agency in Copenhagen. The register includes all 56 industry sectors
covered by the IPPC Directive. It is a joint initiative between the
EEA and the EC and will report data on the emissions of 50 specified
pollutants covering the 15 member states and Norway. Data from the
10 accession states will be added at a later date. It is hoped that
the data obtained will capture 90% of EU emissions.
Amended rules on major accident hazards
Amendment to the Seveso Directive has entered into force following
the publication in the EU's Official Journal. The new directive extends
the scope of activities covered by the COMAH directive to include
chemical and thermal processing operations in mining and operational
tailings management facilities containing dangerous substances. Industrial
operators are required to put into effect management systems, including
risk assessment of possible accident scenarios and an obligation to
provide to the public information on industrial risks what to do in
an emergency. Other provisions include staff training and the production
of risk maps. Member states have to comply by 1 July 2005.
COSHH Essentials
HSE has now published a paper version of COSHH Essentials: Easy steps
to control chemicals. It has been issued to complement the Internet
version and help employers, particularly those in smaller businesses,
control exposure from the use of hazardous substances at work. The
72 sheets give guidance on industry specific activities and preparations.
HSE recognises the need to give people a choice of format. There is
a checklist for doing your own assessment. Priced £30 from HSE
Books
Recent Prosecutions
First prosecution under IPPC regime was successful when an engineering
contractor was fined £6,000 with £2,947 costs for breaching
a condition of an IPPC permit requiring that the plant be kept in
good operating condition. The prosecution was against the contractor
not the permit holder. The contractor was employed to design, construct,
commission and performance test a heat and power plant on behalf of
the permit holder. Under Regulation 32(6) a person other than the
holder of an IPPC permit can be charged where the breach is attributed
to an act or omission on their part, regardless of whether the permit
holder is prosecuted for the same offence.
The fact of the case concerns the release of sodium hydroxide from
a split in a bunded tank used to store the material and a failure
to properly secure a hatch in the bunding. No risk assessment had
been undertaken before electrical work had been carried out to the
tank and no procedures had been followed to check the integrity of
the tank and bunding before the deliveries of materials were received
at the plant.
Detergent used to clean an airport runway started to
foam and could have endangered the safety of aircraft was washed into
a gully. Staff were unaware that the gully connected to a brook and
a river. The detergent had a direct effect, killing several thousand
fish.
The operator was fined £30,000 with £3,458 in costs.
For dumping four bulk containers of hazardous waste
on a pathway, a man was jailed for 2 months. The incident was so severe
that more than £30,000 was spent by emergency services to clean
up the site.
A skip hire company was fined £1,700 with £1,300
costs, and its director fined £800 with £700 costs for
dumping asbestos in a residential area of a town.
A total of 13 charges were brought under Producer Responsibility Obligations
(Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997 against a company including failing
to register under the regulations, failure to take reasonable steps
to recover and recycle waste and for failure to supply the Environment
Agency with certification showing compliance with the regulations
The company was fined £19,000 with £1,206 costs.
Editor's Note. Whilst the above offences were not by
surface finishing companies, the message is clear -
Break the regulations - expect to be prosecuted.
Company News and Products
Sheen Instruments
Sheen Instruments a leading specialist in quality control, measurement
and testing instrumentation and systems for the surface coatings industry
has recently been approved by Lloyd's Register for the award of BS
EN ISO 9001:2000 Quality Management Systems standard. Sheen have been
supplying testing instruments 50 years and this latest approval demonstrates
continuing commitment to maintaining the highest standard of product
quality and technical support for customers. Details - tel: 020 8541
4333
IMF News & Events
MIDLAND BRANCH
25 May 2004 - Seminar on the Nickel Risk Assessment. Joint event with
the Nickel Development Institute.
Presentations include:
· The Nickel Risk Assessment Process - an update
· Reducing nickel losses to the environment
· Implications of BREF/IPPC for nickel platers, followed by
a forum and question time.
No charge for attendance but please advise Secretary of your intention
to attend via -
Tel\fax 0121 308 0777 or e-mail to: ronread@ic24.net
Recent Examination Successes
Tutored Foundation Course - January 2004
# Parker G South West Metal Finishing Distance Learning Foundation
- February 2004
# Buchanan D HBC Engineering Solutions Ltd
# Edwards K Fuji Seal Europe
* Fuller T HBC Engineering Solution Ltd MF1 - General Principles
- January 2004
Adams S MP (Eastern) Ltd
Still B Thomas Keating Ltd MF3a - Electrochemistry - January 2004
# Shute E
* with merit # with distinction
New members and transfers
Student Tuawere
T.J Loughborough
Young Affiliate Dalton
S.L. Solihull.
Handy
S.L. Stourbridge
Affiliate Musto
G.R. Tewkesbury
Fellow Chaplin
D.P. Co. Dublin
Crichton
T.J. Chesham
Taylor
C Warrington
Metal Finishing Golf Society
The Society will be holding their annual competition for members of
the IMF and associated parties on Thursday 20 May 2004 at Handsworth
Golf Club, Birmingham. competitions will be 18 Hole Stableford/Medal
in the afternoon. Entry forms are available from Asbury Brodie &
Co Ltd, 1 Dover St, Birmingham B18 5HN or Hon.Sec.J.R.Bate 21 Sunningdale
Close, Birmingham B20 1LH.
British Standards
DRAFT STANDARDS for PUBLIC COMMENT
03/321256 DC
ISO/DIS 2082 Metallic Coatings. Electroplated coatings of cadmium
with supplementary treatments on iron and steel
03/321258 DC
prEN 12472 Method for the simulation of wear and corrosion for the
detection of nickel release from coated items
03/32321260 DC
prEN 14863 Vitreous and porcelain enamels. Determination of the edge
covering on enamelled steel plate to be used in heat exchangers
03/321261 DC
prEN 14864 Vitreous and porcelain enamels. Enamel coatings applied
to steel for writing surfaces.
Specification
04/30085780 DC
BS 6001-7 Sampling procedures for inspection by attributes. Accept-zero
sampling system based on credit principle for controlling outgoing
quality (ISO/DIS 18414)
04/30107827 DC
ISO 17925 Zinc and/or aluminium based coatings of steel. Determination
of mass per unit area and chemical composition. Gravimetry, inductively
coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry and flame atomic absorption
spectrometry
BS EN PUBLICATIONS
BS EN ISO 2360:2003 Non-conductive coatings on non-magnetic electrically
conductive basis materials.
Measurement of coating thickness. Amplitude-sensitive eddy current
method.
(Supersedes BS EN 2360:1995)
BS IMPLEMENTATIONS
ISO 16701:2003 Corrosion of metals and alloys. Corrosion in artificial
atmospheres. Accelerated corrosion test involving exposure under controlled
conditions of humidity cycling and intermittent spraying of a salt
solution
(No current standard superseded)
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