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January-February 2017

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8 PalletCentral • January-February 2017 palletcentral.com INSIDE NWPCA N W P C A A N N O U N C E M E N T S A N D U P C O M I N G E V E N T S The Netherlands and Sweden Wood Packaging Federations Commit to NWPCA's Pallet Design System™ T he NWPCA is proud to announce new Pallet Design System™ (PDS) marketing partnerships with Nederlandse Emballage- en Palletindustrievereniging (EPV) in The Netherlands and Svenska Forpackningsforeningen in Sweden. Each organization will exclusively market PDS in their respective countries, with their members receiving significant discounts on leasing the industry leading software. NWPCA's President/CEO Brent McClendon noted, "We are very excited about this phenomenal opportunity to partner with these two great organizations and further the rapid expansion of PDS across Europe." With PDS, pallet manufacturers and recyclers in The Netherlands and Sweden will have access to the leading and most-used pallet design software in the world, and be better equipped to provide their customers with pallets that utilize timber efficiently, while also ensuring the safe and effective transportation of their goods. Fire Code Update: Pallet Proposal Very Near to Completion N WPCA has been working with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) since 2015 on new safety code language for outdoor pallet storage. An NFPA committee met in Milwaukee, Wisconsin late last year, where NWPCA's proposed language was reviewed and approved. Assuming continued support, it is expected the language would officially get adopted into the code in 2017. The previous NFPA requirement for outdoor pallet storage had a maximum storage limit of 400 square feet for all facilities storing pallets. The new code language distinguishes between pallet manufacturers and recyclers and other facilities, and prioritizes best operating practices. In doing so, storage limits will be expanded- the width (but not length) of a pallet array to 60' or 100', depending on spacing provided from the pallet array (8' or 20' respectively). On a separate track, the International Code Council (ICC) considered outdoor pallet storage code proposals. Late last year an ICC committee approved our proposal that similarly focuses on best operating practices. After a period of open public comment, no contrary public comments were submitted against our proposal. The ICC membership in the end accepted our language, and NWPCA will provide a summary of their action, along with that of the NFPA, at the NWPCA Annual Leadership Conference (ALC) in Tucson, Arizona. A number of companies and organizations continue their hard and intensive work through this long and involved process and deserve our appreciation. NWPCA's Fire Code Task Force, chaired by Jordan Piland, Atlas Pallets, along with our consultant Bill Koffel, and CHEP, and their consultant Bob Davidson, have all done an outstanding job helping the industry effectively communicate and advocate for code language that advances best practices, improves fire safety, and better protects first responders. NWPCA's work with consultants on fire codes and safety concerns achieved great success in 2016, and will expand in 2017. A series of OSHA webinars, along with fire code educational resources, are on the docket for 2017. NWPCA has plans to work with both code organizations in 2017 and beyond, and is developing code compliance resource materials for 2017 as part of our continued vigilance on fire safety. PDS Trial Version Now Available N WPCA is pleased to announce that we have released a trial version of PDS. Prospective users can attain a fully functional version of PDS for a two-week evaluation period with the following restrictions: 1 printout, 5 total saves (of one file or different files) and 10 analyses. To request a trial, visit PalletCentral.com (click the Pallet Design System tab to "Request a Free Trial"). If you have any questions, contact Dr. Brad Gething, NWPCA Director of Science & Technology Integration at 703-519-6104. NWPCA President/CEO Brent McClendon (center) with Heidi Brock, Aluminum Association; Dick Doyle, The Vinyl Institute and Jerry Schwartz, American Forest & Paper Association during NAM Leadership Conference.

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