PIR insulation became 2017 headline after the Glen Fire Tower fire event. Its trade association, which seeks to gain industry recognition as a trusted expert, said to Simon Robinson, IMA (Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Insulating Materials Manufacturers) about what will happen next in the industry and the association.
In the 12 months since Simon Storer was chief executive of the British Polyurethane Foam Institute, he changed the name of the association and set out to address the issue of radiation and dust from the Grenfell Tower fire, a very busy year.
'We decided to change the name of the association before the tragedy of Grenfell, so the incident was not the reason for the change of name.' "It's not easy to change the name of a trade association," said Storer, "I knew about BRUFMA at the time of the CPA (Building Products Association) but with the exception of Foam, most Do not understand what the rest means.
Storer explained that the problem now is that in addition to insiders, the outside world's understanding of the bubble is usually limited to soft foam and decorative furniture foam, which in the past may have little effect and that the association's name has not changed since its inception in 1967 However, the Grenfell tragedy in June 2017 confirms the need for the association to be recognized as a PIR (polyisocyanurate) and PUR industry representative.
Storer's lack of awareness of the above identified means that no one will know about the association asking for information within hours, days and weeks after the Grenartar fire. "Non-PIR representatives say too In many cases, 'he said, it also makes it impossible for BRUFMA to suggest in this context that the industry is using PIR insulation correctly.
'If we want to be responsible for our information, we need to be trusted organizations in the industry,' he said. 'By changing the name, we make ourselves more accessible and open.'
Being a manufacturer of insulation materials seems a daring decision for this organization focused on hard foam for the past 51 years, Storer explained that the association represents the majority of insulation materials sold in the UK and said: 'The next few In the future, we will release another 30% of capacity and another three new production lines will come on stream.
A total of 10 panel manufacturers are active in the UK and Ireland, as well as eight associate members - four of the five global MDI producers - and six other companies including the manufacture of blowing agents This means that IMA covers all PIR and PUR producers in the UK market.
'Since we have to continue to improve the energy performance of buildings, using polyurethane foam / polyisocyanates is the best method,' he said, adding that in the future, efficient insulation is expected to gain market share.
However, the Grenfell tragedy will cast a shadow over some time in the future. "We all want to make the building safer, but the construction industry also has a responsibility to ensure that other goals set by the government and society are met," Storer said. "Buildings must be warmer More efficient and more comfortable, providing owners with less money and more health. '
If we focus solely on the standard of safety, we are actually saying that what we are building now is not a satisfactory building for 20 to 30 years, and we will need to renovate it in the next generation, and we know how difficult it is.
He added that fortunately tragedies such as the Grenartar fire were extremely rare.'It seems like a series of failures, 'he said.'No water sprinklers, no fire doors, no second There was no exit sign, we had to handle it properly, and the Hackitt report gave us a chance to do so.
Judith Hackitt, the recent Minister for Health and Safety of the United Kingdom, has been appointed by the British government to investigate the building control and regulation system after the Grenartar fire. In connection with public investigations and the Metropolitan Police criminal investigation of the causes of the fire In contrast, the Hackett Report 'Building a Safer Future' is an independent survey of future building codes and fire safety.
"Many in the construction industry have been aware of the shortcomings of the system for some time now and it has become too complicated and open to explain, Storer explains that after the Grenfell tragedy, people wanted quick fixes, but Storer did not think there was any solution that could stand the test of time.
This is why IMA is eagerly looking forward to Hackett's interim report, in which the British Building Code "does not apply."
Leave the polyurethane industry, the building code seems to have a long way to go, but it is also hard-core thermal insulation material manufacturers to establish credibility or reputation of the domain.Product reputation depends on how it is designated and installed on the building.
The Hackett Interim Report outlines several areas that have influenced IMA's selection of materials in the renovation work at Grenfell Tower.
As stated in the report, "Design change control and quality assurance were poor throughout the process, and the original design was not put into practice and material quality assurance and staffing were severely underutilized.
The interim report adds that there is no way in the UK to ensure that normative changes are adequately evaluated in terms of building performance or safety.
Storer said the IMA plans to guide nominees, architects and constructors through a series of industry roundtable talks in the UK in 2018. He is extremely interested in publishing a complete Hackitt report.
Storer has been busy for the first year as head, and he will be quite busy for the following year.