IPANA NEWS
The Industrial Steel Drum Institute (ISDI) and Plastic Drum Institute (PDI) have completed the professional recording of their educational webinars. The ISDI webinar, titled Steel Drums 101 – The Technical Edition, builds on the successful webinar developed for first responders. The PDI webinar, Plastic Drums 101, delivers content on both the history and technical aspect of plastic drum selection. Both webinars will be available for use during training on their respective websites www.whysteeldrums.org and www.plasticdrum.org. Next up is the professional recording and production of three educational webinars on IBCs by the Rigid Intermediate Bulk Container Association (RIBCA). This will be followed by a webinar on polyethylene resin and its use in industrial packaging.
The Industrial Steel Drum Institute welcomed a new Associate member, Grotnes based in Niles, Michigan, in September. Mr. Mike Walker is the point of contact for Grotnes. According to their website, “Grotnes is an innovative manufacturer of customized and integrated metal forming equipment and cells for the automotive, aerospace, agriculture, petroleum, power distribution, and rigid packaging industries.”
Association of Asia-Oceanic Steel Drum Manufacturers (AOSD) 10th International Conference is being held on October 14-17, 2019. The AOSD Steel Drum International Conference is held once every three years. The theme of this conference is the new mission of the steel drum industry focusing on innovation, environmental protection and social responsibility. The conference will be hosted by the Chinese Packaging Federation (CPF) in Suzhou, China. Mr. Stavig, Industrial Steel Drum Institute (ISDI) and International Confederation of Drum Manufacturers (ICDM) Chairman, will deliver key remarks about the North American and International steel drum industry during the conference. Tri-Sure Closures, Mr. Jack Wang, and Merco Machinery, Mr. Patriek Van Parysand and Mr. Johan Rabaeys, are also participating. You can view the draft agenda by clicking here.
In early September, the Industrial Steel Drum Institute (ISDI) submitted comments to Transport Canada in regard to the draft Safety Standard CAN/CGSB-43. The Canadian draft requires that all steel drums over 60L shall have two rolling hoops. Although this requirement is not new, this proposed revision does not harmonize with the UN Recommendations or US DOT standards where drums may have hoops. The rolling hoops requirement would prevent the use of straight sided steel drums over 60L although they are widely used by industry, especially for viscous materials. ISDI added a straight sided drum spec during the last revision of the ANSI MH2 standard. You can view ISDI’s comment by clicking here.
Mark your calendar twice for the 2020 IPANA Annual Conference to be held in Chicago, Illinois and the 2021 IPANA Spring Conference to be held in Lansdowne, Virginia. The Fall annual conference will be held at the luxurious Intercontinental Chicago Magnificent Mile on October 6-8, 2020. This historic hotel is located on North Michigan Avenue with a magnificent view from the 32 floor Tower Lounge. The IPANA Spring Technical Conference 2021 will be held April 19-21 in the Washington, D.C. area to take advantage of all the nation’s capital has to offer. The Lansdowne Resort is located on a beautiful 500-acre setting on the Potomac River only 12 miles away from Washington Dulles International Airport. The resort is located in wine and equestrian country, with lush rolling hills that take you far away from the hustle and bustle of Washington, D.C.
Regulatory Updates
A notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) was issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to extend the date by which state driver licensing agencies must comply with certain Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse rule requirements. The Clearinghouse is a database that allows licensing and enforcement officials to check a commercial driver license holder’s drug and alcohol violations. The NPRM purposes a delay of three years for the phase in of the compliance date for requesting information from the Clearinghouse (currently Jan. 6, 2020). According to the agency, the delay is needed to allow FMCSA time to complete its rulemaking. Interested parties have also expressed concerns with privacy issues related to the data base and this delay will allow FMCSA to address those issues. Public comments will be accepted until October 6, 2019. The January 6, 2020 compliance date will remain in place for all other requirements spelled out in the Clearinghouse rule such as driver registration.
The Department of Labor (DOL) has published the final overtime rule. This rule is intended to replace the controversial 2016 Overtime Rule which was placed on hold by a temporary injunction in 2016. According to the DOL, “The final rule updates the earnings thresholds necessary to exempt executive, administrative and professional employees from the Fair Labor Standards Act’s (FLSA) minimum wage and overtime pay requirements, and allows employers to count a portion of certain bonuses/commissions towards meeting the salary level.” Key items in the final rule include setting the “standard salary level” to the equivalent of $35,568 per year. The “highly compensated employee” threshold will increase to $107,432 per year. In their announcement, the department claims that 1.3 million workers will be newly eligible for overtime pay. You can click here for a fact sheet published by the DOL. The rule is effective January 1, 2020.
News
The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) recently released the results of a study on the effect of truck driver detention at customer facilities. Truck driver detention is known as impeding (delaying) the truck and driver before unloading occurs. ATRI collected data on over 1900 truck drivers and motor carriers between 2014 and 2018. The data compiled from the study shows that during the four-year period, detention frequency and length has increased. The final report also noted the impact on driver productivity, regulatory compliance and compensation. “ATRI’s new detention research definitely helps us understand the full financial impact associated with detaining drivers,” said Edgar R. McGonigal, chief financial officer of Bestway Express, Inc. “From a safety and economic perspective, this research gives the trucking industry new insight into how both carriers and drivers should implement driver detention strategies.” A copy of this report is available from ATRI at TruckingResearch.org.
Fed Ex has announced shipping rate increases and surcharges effective Jan. 6, 2020. The hikes will be in the Express, Ground and Freight divisions.
People, Places & Things
Greif, Inc. announced it was awarded a Gold Rating in sustainability performance by EcoVadis for the second year in a row. EcoVadis is an independent rating agency specializing in the evaluation of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), including sustainable development and performance monitoring of suppliers. Greif scored in the top four percent of all companies evaluated by EcoVadis. “We are proud that EcoVadis has once again recognized Greif’s commitment to sustainability with a Gold Rating,” said Ole Rosgaard, Greif Senior Vice President and Group President, Rigid Industrial Packaging and Services and Global Sustainability.
National Coatings Inc is pleased to announce the appointment of Jim Koval to become President of National Coatings Inc. Jim’s announcement is a clear reflection of the company’s strategy and commitment to transition, sustainability and growth for many years to come. The future looks promising and with Jim leading the change, National Coatings Inc. looks to continue to have controlled growth and success. Mr. Koval’s knowledge, vision and expertise in the packaging industry, will be a major asset for National Coatings and its customers for years to come.