Carbon Nanotube pioneer Thomas Swan & Co. Ltd. has achieved the first-ever AssuredNano accreditation under a new international scheme to ensure best practice in the safe and responsible production of nanomaterials.
AssuredNano is the premier safety, health and environment (SHE) accreditation scheme for organisations working with nanomaterials and Thomas Swan & Co. Ltd. underwent rigorous and exacting auditing under the scheme by expert consultants. The accreditation process is comprehensive, covering manufacturing procedures, risk evaluation, handling, transportation and training - and accreditation is followed up by annual independent audits.
"Thomas Swan & Co. Ltd. is a world leader in the manufacture of single walled carbon nanotubes and we have put considerable effort into our associated SHE systems to ensure best practice is followed." said managing director Harry Swan. "Gaining accreditation to AssuredNano gives us and our customers the reassurance that an independent party thinks we are operating responsibly and to best practice as well.
"We are very proud that Thomas Swan & Co. Ltd. was selected to participate in the beta test to commission the AssuredNano accreditation scheme and to have become the first organisation to achieve independent certification." said Harry.
Thomas Swan began production of high purity single and multi-walled carbon nanotubes in Consett, UK, on its original pilot plant in 2004, following four years of development with the University of Cambridge. Since then, the business has gained valuable commercial and technical experience through close collaboration with key customers and the University of Oxford.
The company commercialised the business under its Elicarb brand and became the first single-wall carbon nanotube (SWNT) supplier in the USA to achieve a Pre-Manufacturing Notice (PMN) with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2008. It remains the only manufacturer to have issued a Notice of Commencement (NOC) indicating commercial sales of SWNT in the USA.
Dr. Keith Robson, CEO of AssuredNano, commented: "AssuredNano is the only nano-material SHE Accreditation Scheme which covers all facets of a business' operations and is annually audited for compliance. We are absolutely delighted that Thomas Swan and Co. Ltd. chose the AssuredNano scheme as a way of demonstrating to its stakeholders its comprehensive commitment to nanomaterial responsible care."