This session announced a new project collaboration between IFRC and Oxfam GB to develop guidelines for the use of plastic sheeting in the field, which was welcomed by Meeting participants.
The first speaker opened the session by stressing the importance of plastic sheeting. He noted that while IFRC had spent $10M on sheeting in the past 18 months alone, as yet there were only a handful of publications which considered standards and good practice. He proposed that the guidelines booklet proposed would be free and he hoped that it would be distributed with plastic sheeting.
The second speaker recounted in more detail the few publications existing on plastic sheeting, who was involved in developing them, and what was the purpose of them.
The third speaker talked about some of the ways which plastic sheeting can be fixed to objects, typically wood. He presented some preliminary tests carried out on various fixing mechanisms.
The fourth speaker spoke about the schedule for developing the guidelines booklet and how partners might become involved. He invited participants to attend the first meeting of the working group in Oxford on 11th December 2006, and he expressed the intention to publish the book in the summer of 2007.
A lively discussion followed on the many ways in which plastic sheeting is used. For more information please visit the plastic sheeting booklet website.