The Southern African Corrosion Institute will host World Corrosion Awareness Day on April 25 in Glen Austin, Midrand.
The aim is to educate the public about the direct and indirect implications that corrosion has on the environment, safety and economy among others.
Executive director of CorrISA Petra Mitchell said the direct cost of corrosion was estimated to be about R130 billion and costs the country about 4% of its GDP.
“Indirect costs are at least three times the equivalent to the direct costs. However, several independent studies have shown that 25% of the abovementioned effects and costs of corrosion can be prevented by applying known technology,” said Mitchell.
She said based on the research, one ton of steel could turn to rust every 90 seconds and 50% of every ton of steel is used to replace corroded metal.
Mitchell said this placed a significant emphasis on the importance on corrosion education.
“When it comes to the science of corrosion, research, and the study of corrosion mitigation in general, there is not enough done at schools and universities to make people aware of and to study corrosion.”
She concluded that there was a massive health and safety risk, financial implications and environmental impact if we did not take care of our respective assets.
Details: Corrosion Institute 010 224 0761.
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