Re: Chairman's update
Posted by: (---.dynamic.dsl.as9105.com)
Date: August 13, 2009 09:09AM
Mike Clark has forwarded to me and the committee the following e-mail sent from Robert Herring, Chairman of the NTET, through Stuart Gray to our club. My observations are that Robert Herring is still not prepared to deal with the committee directly. I assume that Robert Herring by using the word onerous which as you know means “burdensome, causing or requiring trouble” simply confirms his and the NSCA’s intentions.
It’s not for Robert Herring or Stuart Gray to dictate to our club. We’ve already dealt with trouble makers over these past few months when our worldwide membership forced out the G15. I’m surprised that the G15 do not endorse PSSR2000 bearing in mind the grief they gave us all over it, it’s a famous U-turn in an attempt to find a new home. I don’t understand what is meant by “the spirit”, the law is the law. Their total lack of understanding of how steam cars work is amazing. There are numerous types of steam cars and they all operate differently, yet through ignorance they’ve tried to bring them all into one flawed rule. I have made a number of enquiries since receiving this, including talking to the much respected Tony Reen of SFP Inspection Consultancy one of the few inspectors qualified to operate under Health & Safety rules. He had no knowledge or input with regards to the claims made in this e-mail. We as a club have been operating for 20 years so why has the NTET taken 20 years to make this mistake whilst trying to dictate to us. I see it as no co-incidence that it has happened at the same time as the formation of the NSCA.
With regards to him claiming to have sought consultation with us in the past, I can find no record of it over the past years, in fact the NTET hardly recognized our existence. Had they consulted I’m sure that Peter Williams and co during their many speeches would have brought up that we weren’t co-operating, after all this was their pet topic including working to the strict guidelines of PSSR2000.
The NTET and NSCA clearly have no understanding with regards to MOTs, in fact the NTET never mentions it, albeit it’s the law. The NTET should stick to what it knows best, traction engines, and we will stick to what we know best, steam cars. Unfortunately the NTET has decided that it knows best with regards to steam cars, a catastrophe in the making. I ask one thing of Robert Herring and the NSCA that is to do one decent thing, GET BOB DYKE BACK AT DORSET. He’s been there for the past 20 years without trouble, he’s one of the best ambassadors the steam car movement has ever had and we all owe him a great debt of gratitude, including NSCA. They instigated this mess and should put it right and Robert Herring could easily do this, he only has to tell Dorset that a mistake has been made, which it clearly has with regards to fuel and boiler systems.
For the benefit of Robert Herring and NSCA I will point out that firstly the responsibility of one’s vehicle is that of the owner. With regards to steam cars you must have an MOT and you must also continue to keep the car road legal. Where boiler certification is required you must obey the full requirements of PSSR2000 and use a qualified inspector to do so. If the certificate you give to your insurers is not to this standard it’s possible that your insurance could be invalidated, and you must continue to maintain your boiler to this standard. You must declare your car to be a steam car to your insurers. You must also obtain a tax disc. If you do the above you will be road legal. You will also then, more than probably, meet all the standards required when attending off-road events.
May I suggest that in future we stop giving the NSCA a voice in any way on our Phorum, they don’t support us or the law, in fact they tried to destroy us and are still trying. They are in the past now and they’re isolated and I feel we should leave them there as a bad memory.
Dear Mr Clarke
We note the concerns expressed on your clubs Forum under the topic 'Chairman's Update' over the proposed inspection of fuel pressure systems on steam cars and the advice given to NTET Rally Organisers.
Our Chairman, Mr Robert Herring feels it is onerous on you to allow him the right of reply on behalf of the NTET and all steam car users and as such would be grateful if you could post the following statement from him.
Regards Stuart Gray, NTET General Council Member.
As the Chairman of the NTET I would like to offer some explanation to your concerns relating to the advice given to Rally Organisers over inspection of fuel pressure systems on all steam cars. We accept that this will still need further clarification. The NTET does not endorse either the Pressure Equipment Directive or PSSR 2000, but it does enter into the 'spirit' of both in its code of practice and Duty of Care ethos. Fuel Systems are for the most part outside the scope of both the Directive and the Regulations and therefore exempt, however with our Duty of Care ethos, in our code of practice we are currently, together with a number of our independent pressure systems inspectors, looking at devising a written scheme of examination for all steam cars with both fuel and steam pressure systems, that would be acceptable for both steam car owners and the inspectors. It is likely that the fuel pressure systems would only require a visual inspection of the system under working conditions to ensure that there are no leaks and that any fuel pressure relief valves are operating correctly, as this would pose a risk if the valve did not function, thereby allowing the fuel pressure systems to reach unacceptable levels. We have sought consultation with the former SCCGB in the past on the whole aspect of developing a code of practice and guidance for steam cars, that has been called for by our Rally Organisers and David Smith who heads the Technical Services Unit would be pleased to receive any constructive comments from all steam car owners and users on this subject, irrespective of what club or society that they represent.
Robert Herring - Chairman NTET