Following a meeting in Paris at the end of June 2007, the COA Board of Directors have agreed to the establishment of a Flexitank Working Group. 

For further information and the WG's Terms of Reference, click here

The Leader of the Working Group is Bill Brassington, who can be contacted on ets.consulting@btinternet.com   

Container Repair

Standard Repair Times: A COA recommendation for standard container repair times is presently being prepared. Following discussions between relevant organisations, a draft of this will be prepared in early-2007.

Standard Messaging Format: As part of the Container Repair WG, a standard system for sending container damage/repair data (to enable a unified ISO code for repair estimates) was proposed at the COA Singapore meeting. This WG is now being established, and companies willing to participate should contact the COA secretariat (secretary@containerownersassociation.org).

Container Coatings

Code of Practice: Following the Container Coatings seminar in Singapore, Corrosion Specialists Lithgow Associates, who chaired and managed the seminar, were invited to develop a comprehensive “Painting Code of Practice” for the COA. Funded by sponsorship from coatings companies, the CoP will be developed so that it:

-          does not increase manufacturing costs

-          achieves a 10 year coating performance cycle to first maintenance

-          integrates the CoP various international standards, where appropriate

The project would involve

(i)                 factory/production appraisal

(ii)                producing a 1st CoP draft

(iii)               Material Testing Programme – Part 1 (Development) and Part 2 (Implementation)

The Part 1 Development would be undertaken and finalised by beginning mid-2007, so that a presentation can be made at the next Members Meeting in June.

Part 2 of the testing programme (Implementation) would involve Independent Laboratory Testing - and would be funded by individual paint suppliers.

New Materials/Hot-Metal Spraying: Research into the use of new materials for container coatings, and for applications of hot-metal spraying for the container business, is now under way

Container Flooring

(a)   Biocide flooring treatment

As part of the COA’s co-operation with Ensis on the survey of biocide floor treatment, shipping lines and leasing companies have been continuing to provide samples to the COA, for subsequent inspection by Ensis.

(b)   Alternative materials

The environmental issues relating to flooring are an important issue for the COA. The 3rd report on alternative flooring materials, prepared by WG leader Marc Weidemann, was published mid-2007.