From 1 November 2013, all container owners who are Full Members of the Container Owners Association can benefit from the Container Floor Quality Assurance Audit Programme, managed by the Institute of International Container Lessors (IICL).
The IICL floor audit programme began in 2006 and provides guidance on the quality of the manufacturing process of plywood mills that supply container flooring. The procedure focuses on steps in the plywood manufacturing process that are most critical to the production of high quality container flooring. The control of these processes is the key to producing a quality product.
Currently, up to three audits are carried out per year, involving 16 manufacturers of hardwood and bamboo plywood container floor panels. The audits help to assess the source of the materials, the storage and preparation of the materials and the control of the manufacturing process.
“We are pleased to announce the extension of the IICL container floor audit programme to all full COA container owner members,” explains Nigel Stribley, COA representative for Floors and Paints and Director of Blue Sky Intermodal. “This will provide valuable information about floor suppliers, to help container purchasers with the selection of container flooring for new production.”
Flooring manufacturers seeking entry to the audit program are first evaluated and vetted by a combination of our independent auditing staff as well as IICL and COA member companies.
“It is important that the programme assists manufacturers already being audited, in order to maintain and improve the quality of their products,” says Nigel Stribley, adding that theFloorboard Quality Assurance Programme will also help to strengthen the co-operative relationship between the IICL and the COA.
For further information about the database, please contact Patrick Hicks at the COA Secretariat on secretary@containerownersassociation.org or tel: +44 (0) 20 8390 0000.