SPFA Completes New Worksite Safety Signs
SPFA recently completed two new safety signs for restricted access to worksites (No Entry and No Hot Work). These safety signs, produced by the SPFA Safety Committee, will be offered to the membership in the Members Only section of the website, and samples will be provided in the convention bags at the 2014 SPFA SprayFoam Convention & Expo. Digital files will be available for companies to download and print for their use. These signs should be used on all worksites to aid in compliance with the OSHA NEP and Hazard Communication.
Underwriters Laboratory Environment (ULe) Publishes Environmental Product Declaration for SPF
ULe and SPFA initiated development of an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for SPF in 2013 as a continuing step toward effective product and environmental stewardship. The EPD further validates the findings of the 2012 release of the SPF Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). This Declaration, along with the LCA, are recognized by sustainability experts as additional verification of a product’s environmental performance. The EPD will be maintained on the ULe website, and can be found here. Click here for a PDF of the LCA.
SPFA PCP Certification Exams Break 1,000
The SPFA Professional Certification Program (PCP), rolled out in February 2013 at the SPFA Annual Convention and Expo, hit a notable milestone in November 2013 with the completion of the 1,000th test hosted by Sprayfoam Nation in West Haven, CT. November 2013 was actually the second highest test-taking month on record for the new program, only eclipsed by the opening month of February 2013 at SPFA’s National Annual Convention. Program administrators and volunteer leadership comprised of contractors and manufacturers in the SPF industry, expect numbers to keep building through the winter and spring as contractors begin to have more downtime to focus upon completing their certification requirements. Notably SPFA will be offering opportunities at the 2014 Convention in Palm Springs, CA (Jan 25-29) for contractors to complete their Field Exams, PCP written tests, and even offer second tier requirements like First Aid/CPR.
SPFA Publishes Cold-Climate Hybrid Insulation Guidelines for Zones 4-7
In a continuing effort among the SPFA Building Envelope Committee (BEC) to issue guidance materials on hybrid insulation, additions to the previously published Hybrid Guidelines are soon available for download by members. The new content covers "cold-climate" Zones 4-7 and recently received approval from the SPFA Technical Oversight Committee (TOC). Members recognized that, while SPF is typically the insulation of choice, the marketplace practice of producing hybrid insulation systems is prevalent and would benefit from consideration of related issues. A Hybrid Insulation System is a combination of insulation types typically arranged so the SPF insulation acts as an air barrier and/or a vapor retarder, and the other insulation type contributes by adding R-value. The document will be available in the Member Only section of the website and a link will be sent to members as soon as the document is posted.
SPFA Committee Updates
>>Building Envelope Committee (BEC) – Mark Fortney, Gaco-Western, chair
On October 2, the BEC met in-person in Tucson, Ariz. Ten members attended. The committee members present approved a new hybrid insulation guide for cold climates and a code-compliant installation certificate to include insulation and fire-protective coatings. These documents will be published by SPFA within the next several weeks. In addition, an industry-level Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for SPF is complete and will be available on the UL Environment website later this year. New BEC projects include developing a foam thickness measurement procedure, extending AY-140 to include interior basement wall application, and working with the metal building industry to update our metal buildings guidance document. A new research project to measure the compatibility of SPF with low voltage wiring will be started this year. The next BEC meeting will be by teleconference on January 13, 2014.
>>Roofing Committee (RC) – Roger Morrison, Deer Ridge Consulting, chair
The RC met by teleconference on October 22. Included in the agenda was an update from the RICOWI and RoofPoint programs, an update on the new SPF Environmental Product Declaration. The Roofing Committee members present also selected three AY documents to update during the next year including AY-102, AY-127 and AY-110. Potential new projects discussed included developing a guidance document for SPF Roofing used with Photo-Voltaic installations and a guideline for SPF Roofing and Transition Membranes. The next meeting of the Roofing Committee will be an in-person meeting on February 25, 2014, one day before the International Roofing Exposition in Las Vegas.
>>Safety Committee (SC) – Joe Bolduc, Masco Contractor Services, chair
The SC met by teleconference on November 7. The primary goal of this meeting was to develop a comprehensive contractor safety program package free for SPFA members. This package will include templates for a Written Safety Program, a Respiratory Protection program, safety training and accident recording, among other items. The SC also discussed ways to help member contractors prepare for OSHA’s new National Emphasis Program (NEP) for isocyanates, and made plans to finalize the new SPFA jobsite safety signs.
If you are interested in participating on any of the SPFA technical committees, please contact Rick Duncan, SPFA Technical Director (rickduncan@sprayfoam.org) or any of the committee chairs listed above.
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.
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:
-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.
-Learn about advances in the SPF industry.
-Get the training you need to be the best.