b'3.UpdatedHandbook.OSHAhasrecentlyreviseditsOSHAHandbook forSmallBusiness.Thebookgivestipsonaworkplacesafetyplan, describesmethodsforself-inspectionanddiscussesOSHA\'sconsultation services.Toobtainafreecopyofthe41-pageHandbook,writeto: OSHA U.S.DepartmentofLabor RoomN-3641,3rd&ConstitutionAve. Washington,D.C.20210 Attn:OfficeofPublicandConsumerAffairs RSTC/PERFORMANCECRITERIAFORBUR RSTCGroupSaysPerformanceCriteriaforBUR MustBeBasedonAcceptabl eTestMethods TheRoofingsystemsTechnicalcommittee(RSTC),ajointtechnical committeeoftheAsphaltRoofingManufacturers\'Associationand theNationalRoofingContractorsAssociation,hasissuedastatementontheNationalBureauofStandards"PreliminaryPerformance CriteriaforBituminousMembraneRoofing." ThestatementissuedbytheRSTCgroupcoversperformanceattributesproposedbytheNBSandevaluatesthetestproceduresand theapproachestosettingthesepreliminaryperformancecriteria. "Certainperformancecriteriacanbeuseful,"RSTCstates."However,it wasagreedthattobeofvaluetotheindustry,performancecriteria mustbebasedontest methodsthatcanbeperformed byanyreasonablywell-equippedtestinglaboratoryatareasonable cost.Initialemphasismustthereforebeplacedonthedevelopmentoftest methodsandnotontheestablishmentofcriteria." TheRSTCsaysit recognizesthe"outstandingcontributions 11ofthe NBSininitiatingeffortstodevelopaperformanceconcept.At thesametime,it referstotheproposedstandardsas"verytenta-tiveandpreliminary"innature. PerformanceattributesproposedbytheNBSwereconsideredbythe RSTCinthelightofworkdoneinmemberlaboratoriesofthe ARMAAdHocCommitteeonPerformanceTesting.Theconsensusof thegroupisasfollows: TensileStrengthisrecognizedasanimportantengineeringproperty ofaroofingmembraneandexistingmethodsoftest(ASTMD-2523) areconsideredadequate.Tensilestrengthisoneoftheproperties consideredintheevaluationofthermalshockresistance. ImpactResistanceisaperformanceattributeofthetotalroofing system,butthehailguntest wasnotconsideredapracticalmethod oftest.Roofsaresubjectedtoimpactsotherthanhailandless expensiveandlesssophisticatedmethodsoftestcanbedeveloped. Suchamethodispresentlyundergoinground-robintestingamong AsphaltRoofingManufacturersAssociationmemberlaboratoriesand thetest methodhasbeensubmittedtoASTMforapproval.'