Origins
EEMUA's roots trace back to the post-World War II era, a time marked by significant change, reconstruction, and economic growth. The chemical and oil and gas industries boomed, leading to the creation of new products like polymers, plastics, and insecticides. Production technologies advanced rapidly, outpacing existing standards and guides.
The Early Years
By the late 1940s, major UK industrial players, including Anglo-Iranian Oil (now BP), Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI), Courtaulds, Lever Brothers, and Shell Petroleum, recognized the need for collaboration. Their goal was to establish standards for equipment and materials selection, specification, and engineering plant construction, promoting standardization and best practices in the industry.
In 1949, the Engineering Equipment Users Association (EEUA) was founded, and in 1950, it was formally incorporated as a limited not-for-profit company. EEUA quickly produced high-quality guides, such as the 'Factory stairways, ladders and handrails' guide, which became an industry standard and saw its 8th edition published in 2014.
1970s
The oil shock of the 1970s led to significant changes in the petroleum industry. In 1983, the Oil Companies' Materials Association (OCMA) merged with EEUA, resulting in the formation of the Engineering Equipment and Materials Users Association (EEMUA). The introduction of the UK's Health and Safety at Work Act in 1974 marked a shift towards greater regulation, and EEMUA began focusing on best practices for regulatory compliance.
1980s
The tragic Piper Alpha disaster in 1988, the world's worst offshore accident, underscored the need for improved safety standards. EEMUA responded by developing CompEx, a pioneering competency scheme to ensure that personnel working in hazardous areas had the necessary knowledge and theoretical understanding.
1990s
The early 1990s saw incidents like the Texaco refinery fire in Pembrokeshire, UK, and the Union Carbide chemical disaster in Bhopal, India, highlighting failures in alarm systems. EEMUA expanded its expertise in alarm systems, producing publications such as EEMUA Publication 191: 'Alarm systems – a guide to design, management and procurement.' The association also developed expertise in storage tank operations, launching the CompeTank Scheme in 1995 to train, assess, and certify personnel involved in tank storage and distribution.
2000s
Environmental protection became a priority in the early 2000s, a trend that continues to grow. EEMUA remains active in various environment-related areas.
The Association Today
Today, EEMUA has over 65 Corporate Members and 30 Associates from various sectors. Its technical activities now encompass the full scope of industrial asset management, providing members with extensive engineering expertise from initial design to decommissioning.