Recently, Brent Kooiman, Senior Project Engineer at Interstates, became a principal member of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 36 committee. NFPA is widely known as a codes and standards organization and can be found all over the world. The mission is to eliminate death, injury, property and economic loss from fire, electrical and other hazards. Through more than 300 consensus codes and standards, compelling research and training, NFPA develops educational programs, tools, and resources for all ages and audiences.
Kooiman’s committee, NFPA 36—Standard for Solvent Extraction Plants, sets the standards to mitigate fire and explosion hazards in facilities extracting vegetable oil from soybeans, canola, sunflower and other oilseeds. The process of unlocking oil is efficient and reliable but can cause hazardous conditions due to use and volatilization of solvent. Brent works alongside a network of industry specialists to review, discuss and implement safety standards for solvent extraction plants. All members possess a technical expertise, professional standing and commitment to public safety.
“We’re proud of and grateful for Brent’s 20+ years of dedication to the oil seeds industry,” says Doug Post, President at Interstates. “This new role is a great opportunity for Brent and Interstates to learn from other experts and to contribute to our clients in this industry.”
At Interstates, safety is one of the foundations on which we’ve built our business; it’s at the heart of our company and key to our success. Brent’s pledge to this committee puts Interstates in an industry-leading position—to continue making the right decisions on the job and maintaining one of the best safety records in the business. We strive to understand our clients’ day-to-day facilities operations so we can provide training, improvements, knowledge and education for operational excellence. In an ever-changing world with new technologies, keeping conversant on industry knowledge and safety is a commitment to our people, our partners and our community.
Note: Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, Interstates has decided not to print our Spring 2020 Current Connections publication.