Sharpening NAFEM’s Technical Liaison Committee (TLC) to meet members’ future needs

Keeping abreast of the myriad federal and state regulations, standards, certifications, codes and other decisions that impact commercial foodservice equipment and supplies is challenging. Whether it’s BPA in smallwares, energy emissions on the hot side or refrigerants on the cold side, NAFEM’s Technical Liaison Committee (TLC) is a go-to resource for members. To ensure that this continues to be the case, TLC Chair Bill Sickles, P.E., manager, product safety & compliance, InterMetro, Wilkes-Barre, Penn. and Vice-Chair Stephen Schaefer, compliance engineer III, Hoshizaki America, Peachtree City, Ga., are working with NAFEM staff to sharpen the focus on the TLC.

“TLC meets twice a year and the agenda works well,” said Sickles. “However, over the years we’ve begun to see a little overlap between the reporting by the Task Groups addressing certain issues and that of the Nationally Recognized Testing Labs (NRTLs). So, we’re retooling a bit to make sure we use our time together most wisely and reduce the potential for overlap or confusion.”

TLC meetings are traditionally held in the spring in conjunction with the National Restaurant Association Show and in the fall, usually hosted by a NAFEM member or one of the NRTLs. This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the spring meeting was canceled, and the fall meeting will move to an online webinar. All representatives from member companies are invited to attend.

“The aim of the TLC is to keep members informed of any U.S., Canadian and international forces impacting our businesses from a technical point-of-view,” said Schaefer. “Many NAFEM members are small businesses that don’t have large research and development teams. TLC does a good job keeping us informed so we’re not blindsided by changes. It’s also a great opportunity to collaborate with peers and give back to NAFEM in a beneficial way.”

NAFEM will share additional details on pending TLC changes as this work continues. The next TLC meeting is Thursday, Nov. 12 from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Central. Registration is now open.