Sustainable Stainless Charter
The Sustainable Stainless Charter was signed during the ISSF Annual General Meeting of Members (AGM) on Sunday 16 May. The Charter commits the 48 stainless-producing members of ISSF to operate their businesses in a sustainable way with regard to finances, the environment and employee safety. The agreement also calls on ISSF member companies to maintain high ethical standards and to involve customers, suppliers and local communities to help them fulfil their sustainable development commitments.
Safety Award and Good Safety Practice
During the AGM, two ISSF member companies were presented with the first ISSF Safety Awards. The Awards recognise initiatives that have made an outstanding contribution to the safety of everyone who works within the industry. Awards were made to ArcelorMittal Inox Brasil and Nippon Metal Industries for their contributions to safety in the workplace. The ISSF Safety Awards are a continuation of ISSF’s long-term commitment to making the stainless steel industry a safe place to work.
During the award ceremony, a new publication was launched which contains examples of best safety practice from around the world. Titled Good Safety Practice in Stainless Steel, the book contains examples of real-life accidents as well as examples of preventative safety initiatives that have been developed by ISSF member companies. ISSF hopes that by sharing these examples, stainless steel producers in all parts of the world will be able to learn and improve their safety performance, leading to an industry in which there is zero harm.
Sustainable Stainless
Sustainable Stainless is the theme of a series of brochures that have been prepared by ISSF and that will be launched during ISSF-14. The brochures examine how and why stainless steel is utilised within a particular industry. Case studies show how companies are working with stainless steel and ISSF member companies to produce stainless solutions that are effective and sustainable. The following brochures will be launched during ISSF-14. More titles will be added over the coming year. All brochures can be downloaded from the worldstainless website (www.worldstainless.org/About+ISSF/Publications/)
Railcars in Stainless Steel
Utilising stainless steel to create railcars increases the sustainability profile of the rail industry. Its durability and minimal maintenance requirements make stainless a good choice economically. Energy saving lightweight designs, a high level of recycled content and 100% recyclability at-the-end of life are the cornerstones of stainless steel’s environmental profile. Add the bright contemporary finish of stainless steel and the sustainability profile of the rail industry is further strengthened. Stainless steel in railcars is a good example of how the social, economic and environmental factors of material selection interact to make a technical solution sustainable.
Cooling with Heat
Stainless steel plays a key role in a new generation of adsorption chillers, the heart of environmentally friendly cooling equipment. A significant percentage of the energy consumed in our industrialised societies is used to keep rooms within a specific temperature range. Cooling accounts for much larger a percentage of global energy consumption than heating. Much of the energy used for cooling is consumed by air conditioning of homes and offices in summer and in hot climates; and by the many commercial and industrial processes – such as food handling – that depend on a controlled level of temperature. Conventional cooling systems utilise a compressor, which is usually electrically driven and hence energy-intensive to operate.
Annual Review
ISSF will also published its Annual Review during the conference. The 2010 edition contains an overview of the work of the Forum in the past year. Following the successful launch ISSF’s new street furniture website (www.street-furniture.org), the Annual Review is illustrated with examples of stainless steel street furniture from around the world.
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