News Article
ATLAS Stays One Step Ahead!
Posted Tuesday 20 March, 2007 | Permalink
ATLAS - Association of Technical Lightning and Access Specialists has demonstrated once again why it is the leading organisation in the Specialist Access and Lightning Protection Industry with the launch of the first BSEN 62305 lightning protection training workshops.
The arrival of the new British Standard for Lightning Protection, which has taken over 20 years and literally 100’s of lightning protection experts from 28 different countries to write has dominated the media in recent months. The sheer size of the new document; five times the size of its predecessor, where the most significant changes are to the approach and amplification of risk assessment, has sent many experts reeling.
ATLAS is determined to lead by example and has established the first set of BSEN 62305 Introductory workshops in the UK. These are exclusive to ATLAS members and are designed to make the transition to the new standard as easy as possible.
John Sherlock, Chairman of the ATLAS Lightning Conductor Technical Committee has been representing the UK at IEC and CENELEC level. He is also a member of the BSI Technical Committee that has produced the new BSEN 62305.
"While this new, true European Standard is an amazing achievement for international cooperation and technical convergence, ATLAS has some justifiable concerns; on the one hand, for the first time ever, we have the foundation for a globally accepted lightning protection standard that meets today’s needs. On the other, we must ensure that this culmination of such a vast amount of hard work carried out by technical bodies throughout the world over a 25 year period does not fall by the wayside because it cannot be understood by the actual installer. We all recognise how vitally important it is that everyone gets to grips with the practical changes as quickly as possible.” - John Sherlock, Chairman ATLAS Lightning Conductor Technical Committee
ATLAS ADVANTAGE
From August 2008 all clients, major contractors and employers will require proof of BSEN 62305 accreditation from its subcontractors. ATLAS is preparing its members now to ensure they maintain their competitive advantage. Consequently, ATLAS expect a record number of new membership applications as companies quickly realise that only by becoming an ATLAS member can they gain access to this invaluable training.
“This is a unique opportunity for companies in a homogeneous market to cement their professionalism and differentiate themselves from competitors both at home and abroad. The ATLAS BSEN 62305 workshops and subsequent accreditation will become the industry benchmark by which professionals will be judged!” - Robert Bird, ATLAS President
