Fraser Hale, Product Development Director at Hubbard Products, a Zanotti Group Company, has been selected by BSI, the UK standards body, to be a representative for the UK transport refrigeration manufacturing industry on a technical committee of CEN, the European Committee for Standardisation. CEN has agreed to produce a new European Standard that will obviate the ATP agreement, which has existed as a European Standard for over 25 years for the performance of insulated and refrigerated vehicles carrying foodstuffs across international borders.
The ATP standard has been maintained by a technical committee made up of representatives from all the signatory nations; it meets annually. Each nation maintains its own technical committee from which an international representative is drawn; these too usually meet only once a year. There are a number of issues linked to improved technology and increased legislation that ATP does not address, and an up to date, harmonised European Standard is keenly sought by many EU member nations.
The new standard is aimed at setting minimum performance targets and test protocols for refrigeration units on road transport vehicles and, in so doing, addressing the perceived shortcomings of ATP.
Fraser says, “Within the CEN structure, national representatives attend international meetings once or twice a year. BSI is the UK representative and they call together appropriate experts to sit on the International Working Groups. There is usually a BSI expert in attendance, a member of a representative trade body, and other experts from the industry. BSI had nominated two experts to the new Working Group (WG13): one from Transfrigoroute and one from the body builder sector, and wished to appoint a third representative from a transport refrigeration manufacturer.
“Hubbard produces a wide range of commercial and transport refrigeration solutions for all applications, including low-noise under-mount diesel units as well as a selection of refrigeration units suitable for panel vans through to box bodies and trailers. I believe that Hubbard’s long standing, high quality design and production and its commitment to continual product development, put us in a good position to advise the Working Group on the content of this new standard.
“I was honoured to be asked to represent the UK transport refrigeration industry at International level and to be able to influence the direction of legislation and technological advances in our sector. On behalf of the whole Technical Team at Hubbard, I’d like to thank BSI for their recognition of our leading role in the UK market and for the opportunity to assist with this important project.”
The first meeting of the new Working Group will be in September in Munich.
Hubbard Products
Tel: 01473 890522
www.hubbard.co.uk
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