As an active player in the passive fire protection industry worldwide, I have some sympathy for the views expressed by Wilf Butcher in his Viewpoint last month [Give us the tools, p 12]. But at the same time, I feel his disparaging reference to US standards is misleading and does not explain in any way why they are being increasingly specified in preference to the good old British Standards, or newer European ones. The Far East and Middle East have traditionally favoured British Standards. Yet from conversations with customers in these markets it is evident that over the past few years, they have been confused and frustrated over the apparent phasing out of these standards and, at the same time, the very slow progress in the adoption of the European Standards intended to replace them.
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