Why StoneAge Supports the Global Industrial Cleaning Coalition (GICC)

The Global Industrial Cleaning Coalition (GICC) is a group of industrial cleaning safety associations, asset owners, contractors, and equipment manufacturers voluntarily coming together to contribute to the creation of standardized industrial cleaning principles around the world. The mission of the GICC is to help save lives and reduce injuries in the industrial cleaning industry.

Why is this important? The use of high pressure water jetting as a primary means to clean is growing around the world. Cleaning with water is highly efficient and more environmentally friendly compared to other methods of cleaning. The downside of water jet cleaning is that it’s very dangerous if not properly performed. Unfortunately, each year the industry sees too many water jet injuries, and worse, fatalities.

High pressure water jetting can be performed safely but it requires the development, adherence, and training of regimented safety requirements. Many countries have well-documented requirements such as the WJTA’s “Industry Best Practices for the use of High Pressure Waterjetting Equipment,” but most don’t. Because high pressure water jetting is commonly performed in plants globally, many multi-national asset owners have expressed an interest in aligning water jetting safety guidelines across countries where their facilities are located to eliminate safety incidents and improve plant efficiency. Owner representatives want to established safety associations such as the Belgium-based safety organization Stichting Industriele Reiniging (SIR), France-based S3C and the United States–based WaterJet Technology Association (WJTA) to provide a basis for contractor safety and technology implementation on a global scale.

At StoneAge, we believe we have a responsibility to support the efforts of the many industrial cleaning safety associations within our global industry. Because waterblasting is the most common method of cleaning and is inherently dangerous, we all need to do our part to ensure our colleagues in the industry go home to their families safely and in good health each night.

The Global Industrial Cleaning Coalition is doing the important work of bringing awareness to the need for consistent and managed global safety standards, which is why StoneAge stands behind the GICC and will do our part to spread the word and get every corner of the world on board with working under safe conditions every day and on every job.

If you wish to get involved click here to take a stand for a safer, more productive industry. Membership is free and open to anyone involved in industrial cleaning.