Flashings

PPG Industries receives government award

PPG Industries Inc., Pittsburgh, has received a $2.1 million award from the Department of Energy (DOE) to design an automated photovoltaic (PV) module manufacturing process that eliminates assembly time and labor. Delivered through DOE's SunShot Initiative, the funding will be used to develop liquid encapsulants that enable PV modules to be manufactured without the need for capital-intensive laminators.

PPG Industries will match the award, resulting in a $4.3 million project investment, and plans to partner with Flextronics International Inc., San Jose, Calif., to design and test the pilot line at the Flextronics Milpitas, Calif., facility that also will produce 60- and 72-cell modules.

"With the proposed manufacturing approach, we expect to increase module throughput by a factor of four at half the capital expense of the existing process," says Andy Meshanko, PPG Industries market development manager, industrial coatings. "With these cost savings and more efficient module designs, we can advance the goal of achieving grid parity for solar power."

The SunShot Initiative is funded through DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and seeks to make solar energy fully cost-competitive with traditional energy sources by the end of the decade.

For more information about the PPG Industries project, visit www.ppgindustrialcoatings.com.

OSHA proposes compliance extension

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a proposal to extend the compliance date for required crane operator certification from Nov. 10, 2014, to Nov. 10, 2017. The proposed three-year extension also would extend the existing phase-in requirement that employers ensure their crane operators are qualified to operate the equipment.

On Aug. 9, 2010, OSHA issued a final standard on requirements for cranes and derricks in construction work. The standard requires crane operators on construction sites to meet one of four certification options by Nov. 10, 2014. A number of parties raised concerns about the certification requirements, and after conducting public meetings, OSHA decided to extend the enforcement date so the certification requirements do not take effect during potential rulemaking or disrupt the construction industry.

Additional information about the proposed extension, including a list of frequently asked questions and detailed notes from the stakeholder meetings, is available at www.osha.gov/cranes-derricks/index.html.

UL announces new partnership

Underwriters Laboratories (UL), Northbrook, Ill., announced a partnership agreement with PRI Construction Materials Technologies LLC (PRI), Tampa, Fla., an independent, accredited testing laboratory dedicated to construction materials. Through the partnership, PRI will participate in UL's Data Acceptance Program, enabling PRI-generated data to be used toward UL product certification. Products tested at PRI now may be eligible to bear UL's trademark.

"The agreement provides our mutual customers with all the testing services they need at their location of choice and have their products bear the UL mark as evidence of code compliance for building officials, engineers, architects and specifiers," says Kevin Faltin, UL's director of building materials and suppression.

For more information about the partnership, visit www.ul.com.

ERA challenges LBNL study

The EPDM Roofing Association (ERA) is challenging a study released by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, Calif., that cites white roofs are the most "cost-effective" roofing option during a 50-year time span and calls for the phasing out of black roofs. The LBNL study was published in the March 2014 issue of Energy and Buildings.

"Our members make black and white roof membranes," says Ellen Thorp, ERA's associate executive director. "We strongly oppose any recommendation that irresponsibly promotes the use of one of our products over another based on faulty science. We question the validity of this study since it is based on a sample size of only 22 roofs, and we are challenging the conclusions that the authors draw from the data."

ERA convened a panel of experts to discuss the LBNL study and its findings. The panel concluded the study was marked by "a systematic failure to understand that roofs are systems, not a single component."

More information about ERA's review of the LBNL study is available at www.epdmroofs.org. To view the study online, visit www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378778813007652.

Guardian Fall Protection recalls self-retracting lifelines

Guardian Fall Protection, Kent, Wash., has recalled certain self-retracting lifelines after discovering a potential performance problem in complying with ANSI/ASSE Z359.14-2012, "Safety Requirements for Self-Retracting Devices for Personal Fall Arrest and Rescue Systems," for -40 F cold conditioning tests. There have been no reported injuries resulting from the issue, but failure to return the specified units may result in serious injury or death. The part numbers being recalled are #109010 (20-foot, 3/16-inch Galvanized Cable Edge Series Self-Retracting Lifeline) and #10915 (30-foot, 3/16-inch Galvanized Cable Edge Series Self-Retracting Lifeline). The recall is limited to 20- and 30-foot self-retracting lifelines and does not affect other Guardian products.

If a unit's serial number starts with the letter "A" and there is not a stamped "G" on the front cover, the unit needs to be returned. To ensure safety, please inspect your inventory serial numbers and ship products back to Guardian Fall Protection. All affected units will be recertified free of charge. Guardian Fall Protection's customer service will provide instructions for shipping returned products.

For more information, contact David Gambini, Guardian Fall Protection's quality assurance director, at DavidG@guardianfall.com or visit www.guardianfall.com.