Paul Baxter, a member of the IFSA Technical Committee, represents the Association on a number of committees dealing with penetration and linear gap sealing. Paul has represented the Association on the main fire resistance British Standard Committee FSH22 for sometime, but recently, due to the retirement of the previous Chairman, Paul has also taken over the Chairmanship of the sub-committee dealing with penetration and linear gap seal system tests. For sometime Paul has also represented both, IFSA and FSH22, on the International Standards Organisation (ISO) Working Groups where he has been responsible for the generation of a new test procedure using standard configurations for the generation of the Field of Application of penetration seals, which he has done with conjunction with Peter Jackman, Technical Director of International Fire Consultants Ltd. It was in this capacity that Paul attended the ISO TC92/SC2 meeting in Budapest this Autumn to make his final presentation on the draft in order for it to go out for enquiry as a Draft International Standard (CD stage). In the meantime, Paul had to represent FSH22/3 at a meeting of the newly formed CEN/TC127 Working Group 2 Task Group which was setting out to begin the revision of the EN1366-3 test procedure of penetration seals. The standard had only recently been published as a full EN, but this had been done on the condition that it would be revised very quickly and the TC127 Working Group meeting was part of this intended revision.

Unfortunately for Paul, this group met on the same week as his ISO meeting in Budapest, and this resulted in Paul travelling to Vienna from Budapest in order to participate in the CEN meeting. This meeting was a two day affair because it also reviewed the current draft of the linear gap sealing method test EN1366-4 Paul then returned to Budapest in order to participate in the Working Group 1 of ISO TC92/SC2 which deals with the basic fire resistance test upon which the penetration seal test is based. The next CEN meeting on the revision took place only three weeks later in London, which Paul also had to attend. One more meeting is planned to take place before the end of 2004 and Paul will need to be holding FSH22/3 meetings in order that he is adequately briefed by the UK Experts for attending the CEN Working Group meeting.

Considering that Paul is a co-opted member of IFSA, having taken retirement a couple of years ago and now having no company allegiance, he is keeping very busy in his 'retirement'. IFSA, however, benefits from being actively involved in the drafting of these standards that will also affect the members’ products. IFSA works hard to shape the test methods and European Technical Approval processes, to ensure that they are relevant to UK legislation and compatible with the members’ products and interests.