This year the IIAR Marketing Committee released its first State of the Industry report. The objective of the report was to compile various data sets and information about the industry and present it to IIAR members in an easily digestible way to share valuable information.

“Our goal this year was to initiate the report for the membership of IIAR,” said Stephanie Smith, the marketing sub-committee chair. “We focused on inspections and violations with the EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] and OSHA [the Occupational Safety and Health Administration] because there is a lot of data and they’ve been given initiatives to get that data out… I think its valuable to see what’s going on with these agencies and what they’re finding.”

“We focused on inspections and violations with the EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] and OSHA [the Occupational Safety and Health Administration] because there is a lot of data and they’ve been given initiatives to get that data out… I think its valuable to see what’s going on with these agencies and what they’re finding.”

–Stephanie Smith, the marketing sub-committee chair.

Smith said the visualization of this data helps end users to determine where they might need to look at their programs in terms of safety and determine where potential hazards might be. The report provided graphs to break down the types of violations reported to both OSHA and EPA and dollar amounts of penalties leveled against violators. “I think it’s important to see where OSHA is finding violations in other facilities so you can address these issues at your own facility and make sure you’re up to par,” Smith said.

The report also gives a brief insight into regulatory and standards updates as well as an update on the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards Program (CFATS). Since Oct. 2015, IIAR has been working with the Department of Homeland Security regarding the department’s Chemicals of Interest list. While Smith said there has not yet been major movement on this topic, its inclusion in the report is meant to keep members aware and abreast of potential changes they might be facing in the future.

Looking forward to the 2019 report, Smith said the focus will be on where the industry is headed and focusing more on low-charge systems and alternative refrigerants. It will also widen the focus internationally to better understand the industry on a global scale.

To help draft the next report, the committee released a survey to gauge what members might like to see. “Ultimately, we need help from industry members – we want to know what they’d like to see discussed,” Smith said. She encourages all members to visit the IIAR website to participate in the survey, which asks:

• For those who have classified reportable incidents to the National Reporting Center as “other” or “unknown,” was there more information later to classify it differently? If so, what was the new classification?
• What new technologies (cascade systems, low-charge systems, etc.) are end-users actually using and how do they compare to “traditional” ammonia refrigeration systems?
• If the membership could make one change/suggestion to the regulatory community, what would you change/ suggest?
• What is the biggest challenge faced for end-users in the industrial refrigeration industry?
• What information would you like to see in future reports?

Those who wish to respond can do so on the IIAR site by searching for the 2018 State of the Industry Report.

“Generally speaking, the intent of the report is to try to quantify data that’s of interest to the membership of IIAR,” said Werner Paulus, the marketing committee chair. “We’re trying to take a handful of specific topics on an annual basis and then report on those topics with input from the members.”