PGC Symposium Focuses on Hurricanes and Windstorms

The Protective Glazing Council (PGC) is holding its Annual Symposium this week at the Crystal City Marriott in Arlington, Va. The two-day event includes ten sessions, providing information about protective glazing technologies standards, and plenty of networking opportunities. Various attendees have agreed that the annual event is a must for keeping up with the latest standards, testing methods and industry developments.

Wednesday's sessions focused primarily on hurricane and windstorm issues, and covered everything from current standards, standards developments and testing procedures to insurance-related issues. The event was opened by Scott Haddock, president of PGC International, who welcomed attendees and then turned the podium over to a representative from The Safe America Foundation in Marietta, Ga.

"We save lives that otherwise might be lost to crashes or disasters that occur in every aspect of our lives," explained Henry Munford, executive vice president of Safe America.

Munford's organization is a 501-C-3 nonprofit, licensed by the state of Georgia. The foundation partners with corporate, governmental, public and private sector organizations and other nonprofits to improve safety awareness and preparedness. Munford attributed his position to a favorable upswing among Americans in gift-giving, accompanied by an increased focus on safety issues since events like September 11th and Hurricane Katrina. He said there is a growing understanding among Americans that federal and state governments cannot tackle safety concerns on their own and, post-September 11th, non-profits have rallied to help. Fenestration is just one area Munford covered in his presentation.

Representatives were on-hand to explain various industry viewpoints, including those of the insurance and testing industries.

"Anything Mother Nature can throw at you, we can throw at your product," said Jeffrey E. Gould, P.E., senior engineering specialist for FM Approvals. A division of FM Global, a commercial and industrial property insurance provider, Gould's company provides third-party product testing and certifications. He said the primary concern for insurance agencies continues to be water intrusion and related damages. While pointing to a chart illustrating the expected affects of various category hurricanes, Gould explained that the insurance industry does provide incentives for protective glazing features, but he said it's "not always a deal killer."

Following his presentation, several attendees posed questions regarding how independent companies and organizations achieve acceptance of third-party certifications and testing methods throughout the industry. There were also questions relating to acceptance and relevance outside of the expected Miami-Dade area.

Stay tuned to USGNN.com™ for further updates.

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