SPF safety update Jim Andersen
The spray polyurethane foam (SPF) industry continues to grow and
develop new uses and applications for SPF. During the SPF
industry's pioneering phase of the late 1960s, SPF's commercial
uses were for insulation and roofing applications. As the
industry's use of SPF grew, roofing industry trade associations
began developing and writing application guidelines.
SPF's growth was not without problems. The Federal Trade
Commission (FTC) led investigations into flammability issues during
the early 1970s, which led to extensive fire testing, research, and
the issuance of a widespread communications program to inform those
involved with SPF or plastic-based products about the products'
potential flammability issues.
However, the SPF industry continued to evolve, and in the 1980s,
NRCA formed an SPF committee to
begin drafting documents for SPF roof system applications. The
Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance (SPFA), as well as its
predecessor, the Urethane Foam Contractors Association, also
introduced several documents and training programs for SPF
applications.
During the late 1990s, the residential market for SPF insulation
grew dramatically. And during the past five years, the housing
segment has shown a 60 percent increase in SPF use according to the
Center for the Polyurethanes Industry's 2008 End-Use Market
Survey on The Polyurethane Industries in the U.S., Canada, and
Mexico. To meet demand, more applicators are becoming educated
about and involved...
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