News from Geneva

IPLOCA Secretariat Staff Soon to be Deconfined

Working from home is no longer compulsory as of 31 May in Switzerland. Swiss authorities have also promised to introduce a coronavirus immunity passport by the summer which will entitle vaccinated people to various privileges.

In a press conference held mid-May, Swiss authorities said that they would put in place an electronic app compatible with the European Union’s immunity passport “by the end of June this year”. The Head of the Crisis Management and International Cooperation Section at the Federal Office of Public Health told the press that an internationally coordinated vaccination certificate would soon be available. As reported by ‘The Local Switzerland’, the Government’s plan will probably allow those who have been vaccinated, as well as people who have tested negative and those who have recently had the disease (proven by serological tests), to take part in certain activities. On a domestic level this is likely to include attending events, playing sports and visiting restaurants, while at an international level it will include a QR code for travel.

Switzerland has already indicated it will take part in the European Union’s COVID-19 passport project.

Webinars Update

Informative webinars have continued to keep the membership up to date on projects completed in difficult circumstances, award winning innovations, new technologies, and associations working for the benefit of the pipeline industry.

Air & Nitrogen Solutions

Atlas Copco Rentals was invited to present on 8 April following the webinar given by Techfem on the Trans Adriatic Pipeline Pre-commissioning Project in February. Atlas Copco Rentals guarantees quality of service, environmental care and personnel safety by a triple ISO certification. They offer specialty rental solutions under several brands around the globe.

Italians do it Better

A presentation given by Paolo Garbi, Sales Director at Laurini Officine Meccaniche on 20 May explained an unprecedented, tailor-made solution. In 2019, a customer contacted Laurini to excavate a trench in a seabed at a depth of up to 3 m. The Laurini team decided to propose

New Allied Institution

At the end of March a webinar was held with the Construction Safety Research Alliance (CSRA) which has recently signed an agreement with IPLOCA to become an Allied Institution.

The CSRA, based in Colorado, U.S.A., brings together industry leaders and experienced scientists to concentrate on transformative construction safety research. It is the only industry-funded research group focused exclusively on advancing the science of safety and has approximately 50 member companies. The Alliance has made great strides towards the elimination of serious injuries and fatalities by enhancing the science of safety. CSRA offers IPLOCA members the possibility to participate in their monthly Communities of Practice. These are forums where safety professionals share best practices on certain themes such as energy-based safety, challenges and opportunities. IPLOCA members can attend CSRA’s virtual conferences (organised ad hoc) at no charge, and also have access to the research materials that are posted on the CSRA website that include field guides, white papers, and video presentations.

Should you be interested in any of the benefits of this newly formed alliance, contact Matthew Hallowell, matthew.hallowell@colorado.edu.