SPFA News & Announcements

SPFA Presents at the Center for the Polyurethanes Industry Annual Conference

SPFA staff including Kurt Riesenberg, Executive Director, Kelly Marcavage, Certification Director, and Dr. Richard Duncan, Technical Director, along with Bonnie Strickler, President of PUFF Inc, all presented at the CPI Annual Conference on various topics. The new SPFA PCP certification program was highlighted along with movement of the program to accommodate company accreditations and international delivery, and SPFA exhibited in the tabletop display area. Attendance was up again for several straight years. Congratulations to CPI for another great event.

SPFA Commits Resources on Sprayfoam to Homebuilders

The SPFA Board announced a commitment to complete a builder’s checklist on SPF to improve SPF contractor – builder communication. The checklist, expected to be surpassed over time with more materials oriented toward the builders and customers, will offer useful information on installation quality, health and safety, typical planning considerations for a worksite, and highlight information about SPFA’s Professional Certification Program (PCP) to inform and empower builders on the topics that are most relevant to them.

"One of the most important things we can do as an industry to maintain a high level of quality, safety and OSHA compliance on the worksite is to coordinate with those other stakeholder industries that typically share the worksite with us," said Kurt Riesenberg, Executive Director of SPFA. "The relationship and communication between builder and sprayfoam contractor in the field is essential for success, and that is reflected in SPFA working with the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) to facilitate similar conversations across our industries," he continued.

Read more here.

Board Updates

At the SPFA Board of Directors meeting at SPFA headquarters in Fairfax, Va., members made motions to support the following actions of staff:

1.Formation of an inter-industry Advisory Council to the PCP certification program allowing for partner industry organizations to coordinate on delivery, topical coverage and promotion.

2.Formation of a short-term task group to work with several builders identified by NAHB in completion of SPF-specific resources and materials for homebuilders.

3.Development of materials and efforts, and specific coordination for informing and assisting member contractors on issues related to the newly-released OSHA NEP.

Hybrid Insulation Guide

SPFA’s Building Envelope Committee (BEC) is finalizing the hybrid insulation guide, developing a model insulation specification (CSI Format), and insulation installation certificate to include fire protection coatings, for SPFA member contractors to use. These new documents will help member contractors to gain new business by improved product-type selection and avoid compliance issues with building code officials.

SPFA Forms Advisory Council/Safety Committee for New PCP Certification Program

SPFA recently held its Board of Directors meeting and produced several actions, including the agreement over a formation of an Advisory Council for the new PCP certification program consisting of representatives from general construction and industry. The Board also directed staff to form a Task Group with NAHB representatives to complete a reference document on SPF for homebuilders, and committed to bringing more accessible resources to its members similar to the recent webinars on ventilation practice, building science and the new OSHA NEP.

The Safety Committee will supporting the SPFA PCP certification program, and within its scope of work consider producing things like monthly or bi-monthly webinars on chemical and jobsite safety topics, possible development of model written safety and respirator protection programs for SPFA member contractors. The new SC is working presently to develop a set of OSHA/ANSI compliant jobsite safety signs, with two slated for release later this year.

Start Planning for SprayFoam Convention & Expo, Jan. 26-29, 2014

-Network and develop valuable connections.Join your industry for the SPF event of the year! Imagine the possibilities:

-Find solutions to your pressing business needs.
-Learn about advances in the SPF industry.
-Get the training you need to be the best.

Watch for updates on the 2014 SprayFoam Convention & Expo at the SPFA website: www.sprayfoam.org.

Industry-Level Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for SPF in Progress

In November 2012, SPFA released final reports that documented the SPF industry's Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study. This announcement and detailed report can be found by clicking here. This study documents the detailed results of the overwhelmingly net-positive environmental impacts of generic LD, MD and roofing SPF products from cradle to end-of-life. The six impacts studied include primary energy demand, global warming (carbon footprint), ozone depletion, eutrophication (nitrogen release), smog and acidification (acid rain). While the study met all requirements of ISO-14040 and 14044, the results need to be summarized in a third-party environmental product declaration (EPD). EPD's, following the Product Category Rules (PRC) for insulation, provide an important verification of the results that assist in product selection under sustainable building programs such as USGBC's LEED, IgCC, GreenGlobes and other similar programs. UL Environments will be the most likely developer of the SFPA's industry-level EPD. For more information on the EPD development, please contact Rick Duncan, Technical Director of SPFA at rickduncan@sprayfoam.org.