PACKAGING TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE VOL 5 235-236 (1992)

Report on the National Safe Transit Association Annual Conference 1992

Ben Parsons Pira International, Randalls Road, Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 7 R U , UK

The Association is based in Chicago, Illinois. The premise of the Association is that ‘all manufactur- ing, engineering and quality efforts are in vain if the product arrives at its destination in a damaged condition’. The objective of NSTA is to reduce in- transit damage through a standardized programme of preshipment testing, certification and identifica- tion. Experience shows that when the programme is conscientiously applied an economic balance be- tween overall packaged production costs and phys- ical distribution adequacy will result.

In May 1992 the N/ISTA (National/Internation- a1 Safe Transit Association, as they also like to be called) held their annual conference. Two of the papers presented at the conference held in Ogun- quit, Maine, are reproduced here-they are:

Total Package Performance Testing

Lejo C. Brana, CP-P Director, Riviana Foods Inc., Houston, Texas and Developments in European Packaging Standards and UN Testing

Ben Parsons, Pira International, Leatherhead, Surrey.

The keynote speaker at the conference was Mr Mohindra of Riviana Foods. He identified the changing pattern in the retail trade consolidating operations with larger stores, larger distribution cycles and the changing demands of the consumer, looking for convenience foods and convenience shopping to fit changing lifestyles. As environmen- tal issues become commonplace, the consumer takes greater interest in these matters. There is a need to fit within the international arena and a great desire to influence the development of stan- dards, with the threat of European Standards and Ordinances becoming a barrier to trade within the international marketplace.

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0894-3214/92/050235-02 $06.00 c>1992 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Conference was well attended with the fol- lowing analysis of attendees:

% Industrial 40 Transport 15 Test Houses 5

Others 35 Packaging 5

100

It should be pointed out that many of the American Industries run their own test house operation and there was a good mix of technical and managerial input into this conference.

The theme developed around the need for better international understanding, improved communi- cations, the development of quality and interna- tional standards in the world of packaging. This was taken up by the majority of speakers through- out the event, which underlined the need to estab- lish a more rigid approach to test regimes, to ensure that standards of testing are compatible on the international scene.

The programme of speakers is appended and indicates the considerable mix achieved by the organizers, at the same time attaining an adherence to the main programme of damage control, both in the maintenance of standards and quality systems. Practical examples came from suppliers, and a major user approach to product protection and control came from L. L. Bean. The freight industry took a lively and active part right through to the end of the event.

The Dynamic Discussions of Diversity high- lighted one of the major concerns in test house regimes-that of compression tests, and the ade- quacy of the one-off test. The general consensus would appear to be three or more replicates.

This was an excellent conference with an enthusi- astic and participating audience and deserved a

Rereiced 25 June 1992 Reiwed I A u p ~ ~ l 1992

236 B. PARSONS

wider attendance. Information on further papers on N/ISTA can be obtained through Ben Parsons, Pira International, or direct from N/ISTA at 43 East Ohio Street, Chicago, Illinois 6061 1-2791.

APPENDIX

1992 International S a f e Transit Conference: Program of Speakers

Keynote address: Packaged Product Damage Con- trol: A Growing International Challenge R. B. Mohindra, Vice President, Technical Services, Riviana Foods, Houston, Texas.

Preshipment Testing of Returnable/Reusable Pack- aging Drew Graham, President, Hardy-Graham, Inc.

ECT and the Alternate Rule-How to Use or Not Use Manuel Rosa, ProPack Testing Laboratories.

Packaged Product Damage Control: Cross Dock Operations Richard Koopman, Consolidated Freightways, Inc.

Packaged Product Damage Control-Railroad Operations Harry Grosso, Assistant Director, Damage Preven- tion Engineering, Association of American Rail- roads.

Preshipment Testing in the UK P. J. B. Parsons, Consultancy Group, Pira Interna- tional.

Preshipment Testing as Damage Control in Distri- bution of Retail Products Bob Olive, Distribution Centre Manager, and Sandy Norman, L. L. Bean Company. Effect of Palletization on Warehouse Design, Ma- terials Handling and Transportation Paul Evanko, St Onge Company, York, Pennsyl- vania. Preshipment Testing as Damage Control for Heavy Industrial Products William Brown, Senior Packaging Engineer, PPG Industries, Inc.

Registrant’s Field Trip to L. L. Bean Distribution Centre Evaluating Package Designs for International Ap- plications

Susan Brooks, Laboratory Manager, Container Testing Laboratory, Inc.

DOT 181/UN Chapter Nine Update Paul Bomgardner, Hazardous Materials Specialist, American Trucking Association.

Regulatory Impact-Including UN Requirements on Shipping in the USA and Canada Andy Li, Vice President, International Compliance Cent re.

Preshipment Testing for Consumer Commodities Carl C. Hein, Vice President, Packaging Technolo- gy, R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company.

Packaged Product Damage Control: Via Total Package Performance Testing Lejo Brana, Director of Packaging, Riviana Foods Packaging Testing Centre.

Dynamic Discussions of Diversity There are many diverse opinions in the packaging profession. It was the intent of this session to provide an open forum to review two of these that are voiced regularly in preshipment testing circles. To really be sure that a package is adequate, at least three should be tested. Most packages moving through the transportation environment are sub- ject to compression: compression tests therefore are essential in proper preshipment testing.

State of the Industry Presentation Robert Heitzman, Editor of Packaging Digest; Vice President, Delta Communications, Chicago, Illinois.

Preshipment Testing as Damage Control for See- through Packaging on Big Ticket Items Michael Burrall, Sales Manager, Reichel & Drews Inc., Itasca, Illinois, and Robert A. Jackson, Staff Engineer Packaging, GE Appliances.

Current Research of Packaged Product Damage in the Warehouse and Distribution Centre Environ- ment Gene A. Bodenheimer, Damage Track Division of Supermarketek Systems, Inc.

Innovative Trends from Ameristar Packaging Com- petition John B. Cudahy, Manager, Program Services, In- stitute of Packaging Professionals.

Claims Reduction through Instant Photography Nick Romania, Packaging and Claims Control, Polaroid Corporation.