This month we have for readers some spectacular and not-so-spectacular news for the conveyor industry. After twelve long years, the corrections to SANS 1313-1 are now underway, in that the SABS has prepared an amendment to the standard correcting all the errors that are in the version of SANS 1313-1 that was published in 2012. Details of the errors can be found on www.cmasa.co.za. That is the spectacular news.
The not-so-spectacular news is that there are lengthy approval processes of Committee Draft (CD) and Draft South African Standard (DSS) stages to go through before publication can be finalised. Another unresolved issue is the removal of Notes to Purchases (Annex A) from all standards.
Standardisation practice
SABS intends to remove all “Notes to Purchasers” from South African National Standards. SABS claims this is in terms of good standardisation practice and that the National Standards Body (NSB) and the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) cannot offer guidance in terms of tenders, orders or contracts between parties as SANS are voluntary standards. The perception within SABS appears to be that the Notes to Purchasers are a barrier to international trade.
SANS 1313-1 Notes to Purchasers reads “The following requirements shall be specified in tender invitations and in each order or contract:
a) the material of rolls (see 4.1 and 4.2) [section 4.1 metallic rolls; 4.2 Non-metallic rolls]
c) the type and series of idlers, whether with in-line or offset rolls and the type of roll shaft ends (see clause 5). [Clause 5 Types and series of idlers and types of roll shaft ends]
Jay Pillay
Chairman
