European lead sheet industry commits to far-reaching Code of Practice, published by the European Lead Sheet Industry Association
London (PRWEB UK) 20 July 2014 -- Members of the European Lead Sheet Industry Association (ELSIA) will ensure that suppliers of lead maintain the highest standards of health, safety and quality through a series of commitments set out in a revised Code of Practice published today.
The Code covers the entire lifecycle of lead sheet products from sourcing through manufacturing, use and finally disposal and recycling. Among the commitments of ELSIA members are:
• ELSIA member companies will supply enhanced health and safety information to their customers including a Leadworker Safety leaflet and safety data sheets
• Member companies will ensure that no employee has a blood lead higher than 30mcg/dL by the end of 2016 - this is lower than the current regulatory standards for blood lead in Europe
• All ELSIA members commit to buy 100% of lead for their construction requirements from recycled materials
• All manufacturing sites of ELSIA member companies will commit to achieving ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and BS OHSAS 18001 (or equivalent) accreditation.
Fitting lead sheet to buildings is a skilled job that requires the use of contractors that have sufficient training to do this effectively and safely, therefore in another move ELSIA has agreed that its lead sheet products will in future be labelled to specify that they are for “professional use only.”
Ben Travers, ELSIA Chairman said: “The Code of Practice demonstrates that the lead sheet industry takes a responsible approach towards its customers, its employees and the environment.
“We want to ensure that suppliers of lead sheet maintain the highest standards of health, safety and quality and the adoption of this Code supports our conviction that lead sheet is a long-term, low maintenance construction material fit for the 21st century and beyond."
The Code of Practice also recognises that responsibility does not end at the point of sale - it contains a commitment to ensure continuous improvement that encourages regular blood lead sampling of professional users as a health monitoring tool, the promotion of reductions of blood lead levels and the recycling of all lead scrap arising from lead sheet.
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About lead sheet
Architectural lead sheet is an attractive part of the skyline in many historic European towns and cities and is also a feature in many innovative modern building designs. It is a durable product lasting more than 60 years, has an environmental footprint that is smaller than many alternatives and as it is extensively recycled it can be used repeatedly without loss of performance.
About ELSIA
ELSIA is the trusted voice of the European lead sheet industry. Its members have production operations in France, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Spain and the UK. ELSIA promotes the sustainability credentials of lead sheet and highlights the benefits of lead sheet as a long-term, low maintenance construction material with low environmental impact. Its membership is committed to a Code of Practice for the responsible use of lead sheet.
See here for a list of ELSIA members
Bob Tolliday, International Lead Association, http://www.ila-lead.org, +44 2078338090, [email protected]
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