Product Approval POC

Minutes
October 2, 2007
2:00 pm – 6:30 pm
Embassy Suites Hotel
3705 Spectrum Blvd , 33612
813-977-7066

Product Approval POC Attendees: Ed Carson - Chair, Herminio Gonzalez, Nan Dean, Chris Schulte, Christ Sanidas, and Paul Kidwell.  Staff present were Mo Madani and Joe Bigelow.

There was a quorum present.

1.  The minutes for the August 20, POC meeting were approved as presented.  The agenda was approved as submitted.

2. Manufactured Building Issues:  Michael Ashworth, Program Manager for the Manufactured Buildings Program, presented the report on manufactured building projects.
A.  Ila Jones of DCA presented the current Manufactured Buildings Program budget of FY 2006-2007  and expressed that fees are appropriate at this time and there is no need for adjustment.
B.  Michael Ashworth presented the proposed changes to Chapter 553, Part I FS for discussion only and to solicit feedback on the subject.  No action is needed at this time.
C.  Michael Ashworth presented State of Maryland piggybacking on the Manufactured Buildings Program on the BCIS.  It was mentioned that the State could recoup some of the costs that were invested into the current BCIS system.  The Committee requests and recommends that the Commission authorize DCA to pursue selling the copyrighted BCIS website screens developed by Information Systems of Florida, to other states, to include the Manufactured Buildings Program module and the Product Approval modules.

3.  Product Approval Program Staff Report.

(A) Staff presented possible software for holding web based Product approval meetings.

(B).  Product Approval and Entities Statistics Report.
Staff presented the products and entities statistics report to the Committee and stated that in the next cycle we will surpass the 10,000 FL number mark.

(C) Discussion of schedule of penalties for validation entities:  Staff provided the POC with specific language for inclusion into Rule 9B-72.  The POC voted in favor of the new language drafted by DCA attorneys and the PA Administrator. POC voted to request that the Commission consider the inclusion of the proposed schedule for penalties for validation entities in the proposed Rule revision (9B-72).

(D) Discussion of Certification agency Certificate expirations.  Staff stated that a letter was emailed to all the manufacturers and entities, informing them that certain products which were approved using the certification compliance method are expired and that a review of the application is needed too determine if a quality assurance is in good standing.  Staff also expressed that certain manufacturers had concern regarding the level of work and the cost of updating the expired certification.  At the meeting the committee discussed the issue and solicited comments from the attendees.  Based on the comments received the POC took the following action:

1.  Staff will send a letter to the manufacturer informing them that they need to update their expired certificate no later than the end of the year.

2. Long term solution – Create a database field to require the manufacturer to input an expiration date for the QA and to create a mechanism for the system (BCIS) to notify manufacturer/QA in advance of expiration that their QA program is about to expire and needs to be renewed.

3.  Short term – Staff will work with manufacturers to remove obsolete products and to streamline the revision process necessary to add new certificates.

4.  Discussion of Declaratory Statement: The committee discussed and provided recommendation on the following request for the following Declaratory Statement:

DCA07-DEC-180 by Michael Gong, ITW Buildex

Committee action:  The POC deferred consideration of the declaratory statement until the next meeting for additional information could be gathered from the petitioner on their application.

DCA07-DEC-181 by Joseph D. Belcher, on behalf of the IHPA

To the question, Can a manufacturer, such as Eastern Metals Supply (EMS), designate or form an association, such as the American Shutter Systems Association (ASSA), to serve as its designee to apply for and obtain approval of a product or construction system which requires fabrication or assembly prior to installation and serve as the Product Approval Holder for association designated authorized user members, such as fabricators, assemblers, and installers? The ASSA would provide a Quality Assurance Program at the EMS manufacturing site(s) and each member would provide an independent Quality Assurance Program at the fabrication or assembly site as described in the request for Declaratory Statement.

 

Answer:    Yes, The association as described would not be a designee but an owner of a proprietary system of construction.  That system being defined by the product approval application and being subjected to Quality Assurance by the entity identified within the application.

 

To the question,  Can a manufacturer, such as Eastern Metals Supply (EMS), act on behalf of manufacturer designated authorized users, such as fabricators, assemblers, and installers, to apply for and obtain approval of a product or construction system which requires fabrication or assembly prior to installation and serve as the Product Approval Holder for such manufacturer designated authorized users? The manufacturer would provide a Quality Assurance Program at the EMS manufacturing site(s) and each authorized user would participate in a Quality Control Program at the fabrication or assembly site(s) developed and administered by the manufacturer in conjunction with the manufacturer’s Quality Assurance Entity as described in the request for Declaratory Statement.

 

Answer:   Yes, provided that the Quality Assurance program designated on the application for approval is implemented throughout the manufacturing process.

 

5. TB&A Report

(A) Review product approval and entity applications.
      The committee reviewed and provided recommendation on product applications provided by TB&A.  See attached report.

FL 9024 was forwarded on to the structural TAC for consideration and review.

 (B).  TB&A provided a report with recommendations on nine entities for consideration as follows:

1.  TST 3160, Timberco Inc dba TECO- (Product Testing Laboratory) - Approved

2. QUA 1743, Underwriters Laboratory Inc- (Product Quality Assurance Entity)- Approved

3. QUA 6927, Quality Systems Management Inc. – (Product Quality Assurance Entity)- Approved

4.  VAL 6970, Timberco Inc dba TECO – (Product Validation Entity) – Approved

8. Adjourned at 6:50 P.M.

________________________________________________________________________

---Action needed by the Commission:

Commission Actions—Product Approval POC:

 

1. POC recommends that the Commission authorize DCA to pursue and negotiate the licensing of the product approval and manufactured building program with other states.

 

 

2. POC recommends that the Commission adopt the schedule of penalties or product approval validators as amended by the POC.

 

 

3. POC recommends that the Commission authorize staff to send a letter to product manufactures notifying them that they are required to keep their product certificates updated and must ensure all are updated by December 31, 2007. In the short term, staff and the PA system administrator are authorized to work with manufacturers to remove obsolete products, and revise their certificates as either an editorial revision or technical revision, depending on the level of work required by the administrator to implement the update.

4. TB&A provided a report with recommendations on nine entities for consideration as follows:

1.  TST 3160, Timberco Inc dba TECO- (Product Testing Laboratory) - Approved

2. QUA 1743, Underwriters Laboratory Inc- (Product Quality Assurance Entity)- Approved

3. QUA 6927, Quality Systems Management Inc. – (Product Quality Assurance Entity)- Approved

4.  VAL 6970, Timberco Inc dba TECO – (Product Validation Entity) – Approved