Satra seminars on key footwear issues

SATRA has travelled coast to coast in North America to deliver free seminars to members seeking advice on key footwear issues. The week-long, SATRA USA Roadshow started in Los Angeles, then Dodgeville, Wisconsin, and ended in the snows of Boston, Massachusetts. SATRA deputy chief executive Richard Turner, who chaired the seminars, says: 'The roadshows have been regular events for several years and provide us with ideal opportunities to visit our members in the USA and update them on relevant issues * including water resistance, water-based adhesives and restricted substances. Several issues were raised during discussions and, as a direct result, several members now have new work programmes running with us.' SATRA specialists Sue Winckle and Steve Rose were also on the tour. Sue explained common failures and the correct storage and transportation of leather and leather footwear. She also presented statistics for the number and cost of slip-related accidents and described relevant tests and guidelines employed at SATRA. Steve Rose covered essential elements of good audit practice, stressing that care was needed in selecting staff for internal audits to ensure they were impartial but expert enough in the area to be assessed by auditors. He gave examples of typical ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 checklists and explained the procedure for undertaking the audit. He also explained the essential elements in setting up an in-house test laboratory and how to obtain SATRA accreditation. Richard Turner covered restricted substances and chemicals either banned or closely controlled in the workplace, the general environment, the product (where legislation often applies) and substances not necessarily banned but best avoided. Richard also reviewed recent research areas that had led to new tests being made available exclusively for SATRA members. These included the Advanced Moisture Management Test (AMMT) based on using an artificial breathing or sweating foot.