ncca December 2011/January 2012

The official journal of the National Carpet Cleaners Association

newslink

Features:

Cleaning Viscose Rayon

Membership Benefits

page 2

Contents

03

03

06

09

10

12

14

18

22

25

26

28

29

30

32

From the editor

President’s report

Getting it right at the beginning

It’s dry but is it clean?

Woolsafe Educational Conference

Sales tactics

Cleaning fabrics containing

Viscose Rayon

Benefits of membership (part one)

Who can you believe?

A time to reflect

When is it time to redesign you site?

Payatrader - offer for NCCA

members

Fuel tax

Christmas 2011 - the birth of a

new tradition

Health and Safety law in Scotland

Published monthly by:

Editor

Editor in Chief

Design Editor

President/Technical Director

Vice President/Marketing Director

Vice President/Events Director

Member Liaison Director

Associate Liaison Director

The National Carpet Cleaners Association

62c London Road, Oadby, Leicestershire,LE2 5DHTel: 0116 271 9550Fax: 0116 271 9588E-mail: admin@ncca.co.ukWebsite: www.ncca.co.uk

Nikki Law

Keith Robertson

Nikki Law

Paul Pearce

Keith Robertson

Nigel Lay

Glyn Charnock

Denise Pitt

www.facebook.com/NCCAFloorCarewww.twitter.com/NCCA_floorcare_

Opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Association or it’s officers or members. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the statements within this publication, we cannot accept responsibility for any errors, or omissions, or matters arising from any clerical or printing errors, and whilst every care is taken of manuscripts and photographs submitted to us, we can accept no responsibility for any loss or damage.

©Carpet Cleaners Association Ltd 1994 (Trading as the National Carpet Cleaners Association).No part of this Newsletter may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the Carpet Cleaners Association Ltd.

Page 3

From the editor - 2012 renewals

Continued on next page

enewals for 2012/2013 membership will be sent on April 1st 2012 and due for payment R in full by May 1st 2012.

The Articles of Association state: “Any Member wishing to resign from the Company shall give 60 clear days notice of his intended resignation in writing to the Secretary and at the expiry of such notice shall cease to be a member, but in default of giving such notice, at least 60 clear days before the expiry of the current year, such member shall be liable to pay the subscription for the ensuing year”. This item is legally enforceable.

We would like to emphasise the message from the November issue of Newslink; that if you are experiencing difficulties or considering not renewing your membership to please contact us. We never like to hear that a member has decided that they no longer plan to be part of the NCCA, and we would like to work together to try to assist where we can. There is an option to split the annual subscription fee over four months using your credit/debit card on a recurring payment scheme should it be required,

details of which can be obtained from the NCCA office.

Another requirement of your renewal is proof of your insurance. Again, this year, we will only be accepting Public Liability schedules that clearly state that they include either Treatment Risk or Products Liability. Please make sure you send all the correct required documentation along with your payment, this will aid in the swift processing of your renewal.

If you do not wish to renew your membership for the coming year, notice must be put in writing to the Company Secretary before the 31st January.

Important Notice: All members who have not yet completed a full year of membership will still be receiving a subscription invoice due on May 1st. The fee will have been reduced in respect of how long you have been a member. Payment of this invoice will bring your renewal in line with the rest of the membership and your renewal year will run from April to April from then on.

President’s reportou are probably sitting down reading this and unwinding from yet another manic December. Y I don't know about you but for me it started

slow but now looks like it’s building to an extremely busy month. So I am relishing a few days off over the holiday period. Hopefully January will be another busy time for us.

Those of you that know me know that I like to read, anything from a book on rugs or textiles to something that helps or motivates me in business. Well this year I found a new author in the motivational world. His name is Jon Gordon. He is quite an inspirational writer and produces those easy to read books with a good story that explains a process from start to finish. The first book I read of his is called 'The Energy Bus'. It tells the story of George who is down on his luck and nothing seems to be working for him at home or at work. Jon explains the progression of Georges next few weeks when the folk he meets on a bus share with him 10 rules of how to fuel his life and work and team them with positive energy. It may sound a little corny but you can very quickly start relating the scenarios to your everyday life. Mind you, if you are

like me, I went on a bus for the first time in I don't know how many years recently and found it difficult to sit still. It also taught me that perhaps driving for a living can be quite stressful because with both of the buses I ventured on I was greeted by a surly bus driver who really didn't want to be there - which made two of us I suppose.

Jon has written several in the series, which are The Seed, Training Camp and Soup. I recommend them all as they all relate to how we run our lives. So if you get any book vouchers from Santa you will know what to do with them.

I mentioned earlier about being busy in January, which reminded me of the year when the weather was quite bad making it difficult for us all to get around, with customers cancelling because of the weather and so on. In many ways it was quite bleak. What are you going to do when you have a day ahead of you and can't get out and earn money? Well I suppose you could start off by watching Jeremy Kyle, then This Morning and maybe Loose Women, then lunch and a

page 4

To All Members from

The Staff And Directors

of The NCCA

snooze. Later on you can watch Grand designs, Cash in the Attic and then Come Dine With Me. After tea you can watch Emmerdale and then… OK you get the picture! Or you could go through your database and select all those clients you haven’t heard from for nine months or more and send them a reminder about having their soft furnishings cleaned. Or write a newsletter to all your clients (there are plenty of free templates on the Internet or within your software packages). It doesn't have to be about cleaning, in fact that is the last thing you want to do. If it is the first one of the year you could get some info about keeping warm or saving money on your heating bills, get them ready for planting in the garden or provide a good recipe or two. All this can be found easily on the internet. Tell them a little about you and your family, such as achievements since you last cleaned for them and so on. There are masses you can do. Oh! And don't forget January's special offer, such as 'Two for One' or 'Buy two and get one free' or 'Have two carpets cleaned and have one protected for free' The list is endless, but do something after you have read one or two of Jon's books.

Continued from previous page

Page 5

NCCA COURSESCarpet & Upholstery Cleaning

Spot & Stain Removal

IICRC COURSES (SURREY)Water Restoration Technician

Fire & Smoke Restoration Technician

Odour Control Technician

Water Restoration Technician

IICRC COURSES (HERTS)Carpet Cleaning Technician

Upholstery & Fabric Cleaning Technician

Carpet Cleaning Technician

Upholstery & Fabric Cleaning Technician

Visit: www.iicrc.co.uk for furtherdetails on IICRC Training Courses

20th - 21st January23rd - 24th March25th - 26th May13th - 14th July21st - 22nd September23rd - 24th November

16th March19th October

15th March18th October

10th - 12th January with Adam Jankowski

31st January - 1st February with Adam Jankowski

2nd February with Adam Jankowski

14th - 16th February with Adam Jankowski

Held at National Flood School, Farnham,Surrey. Tel: 01252 821185

21st - 22nd February with Paul Pearce

28th - 29th February with Paul Pearce

22nd - 23rd May with Paul Pearce

12th - 13th June with Paul Pearce

Held at Alltec Network, Royston, Hertfordshire.Tel: 01763 208222

Health & Safety for Carpet & Upholstery Cleaners

NCCA courses held at NSPCC TrainingCentre, Leicester unless otherwise stated. Visit: www.ncca.co.uk for booking formsand further details.

Diary Dates 2012

FULL MEMBERS

Prestige Cleaning Services

REJOINED

Rainbow International

(Kempsford, Gloucestershire)

(Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire)

New NCCA Members

NCCA memberreferral results

Since publishing a referral statistics report in last month's Newslink there have been 127 recommendations for full members provided by the NCCA. This number is made up of 68 referrals from the NCCA

office, 50 potential customers contacting members direct through the website and 9 referrals to members without an email address, which we have tracked using the

office database.If you have not yet supplied us with an email address, but would like to receive

notification when your details have been given out, please contact the NCCA office

on: 0116 271 9550.

IMPROVEMENT TO NCCA SURVEY PADS

We have improved the quality of the paper on which the NCCA survey pads

are printed.

As such we have made a very small increase to the cost of purchase.

NCCA survey pads now retail at: £20.50 for a single pad and £52.50 for three.

page 6

Getting it right at the beginninghen you make your initial visit to

survey a natural stone floor, the most W important thing you must consider is

what your customer actually expects you to achieve.

In fact, if you have taken the initial enquiry yourself

you may have already started to ask some pertinent

questions.

Why am I making an issue of this? Quite simply,

many customers do not make it clear what they

actually want and sometimes we may take it upon

ourselves to presume that we know what the

customer wants; this is never a good idea.

They may start with the question “Do you do

stone floors?” This might be followed by something

like “I would like you to clean or polish my

travertine floor.”

What do they actually mean by this? In truth, until

you actually visit and survey the floor you probably

still won't fully know what the customer really

wants, but as soon as you arrive it should become

much clearer. In the first instance you will learn

whether the stone is honed or polished. In most

cases your customer will have chosen either a

smooth matt stone or a shiny surface for a reason

and that is how they want it to be when you have

finished.

Never be fooled by a customer who tells you they

are not sure what they want because they most

certainly do. They have already taken a mental snap

shot which is crystal clear to them even if they are

unable, or for some reason unwilling, to share it with

you.

Marketing guru Michael Gerber teaches that when

dealing with potential customers it's 'the story'

(narrative for marketing purposes) that is important

in setting you apart from your competitors. However,

it is pointless building a story that will convince your

prospective customer to make use of your services if

you don't really know what they actually want in the

first place. It is vital that you squeeze into their brain

Keith Robertson

Stoneman’s Corner

page 7

to get a peek at the photographs that they have

stored there.

In some cases you need to tease the details from

them pixel by pixel. For example, if they have asked

you to polish the floor, do they actually mean “I

want you to remove all the wear scratches and make

the surface new again”? Or do they mean “I need

you to clean the travertine tiles and grout and make

the surface shiny”?

Why does this matter? Well, these two examples

are in fact poles apart, as are the real requests you

will receive. Cleaning the tile and grout to make the

floor shine and removing all the scratches to prepare

a clear fresh surface are two very different jobs.

In some cases removing scratches may be

achievable by using diamond impregnated or coated

pads, but in many cases diamond segments or pads

are needed to accomplish an acceptable finish. If the

job is quite small it is possible to do this with a single

disc rotary machine with diamond pads that fit on to

a comparable pad holder. However, if you are

working on large areas it is much more practical to

utilise a purpose designed weighted grinding

machine with a large motor, direct geared drive and

a planetary head which multiplies the speed of the

machine by five.

Metal bonded tools are available to completely

level the floor removing all lippage, when it’s

required, and resin bonded diamond segments are

produced in ever finer grades to smooth and achieve

a desired level of shine.

It is important that you don't take on jobs you are

not qualified to do, or able to accomplish, just as you

shouldn't agree to accept any work where you don't

fully understand precisely what the customer wants

or expects.

If you discover the prospective customer has

Continued on next page

page 8

expectations which are beyond what you can

achieve, first consider whether that is because what

the customer wants is impossible or if it is just

beyond your capability.

It is not unusual for a potential customer to have

an expectation which simply isn't achievable. They

may have seen a floor they like in a friend's house,

or in a magazine, and even though it is made from a

different stone from their own floor they may expect

it to look the same when you have finished. They

need to be told, or guided, towards what is actually

possible. Only if you succeed in gaining their

attention and agreement should you consider

proceeding with the job.

If you don't have the equipment, or job skill, it is

far better to not take on the work. However, instead

of simply saying “no” you may wish to recommend

another company or - as one of our members has

been doing to gain experience - job share with a

more established member.

I recently priced the refinishing of a travertine

floor in a commercial building. For years it had been

coated with an inappropriate sealant, so I explained

to the building manager that the best result would

be attained by removing the seal and diamond

polishing the floor. I later learned that the work was

given to a carpet cleaning franchise who attempted

to grind the floor without removing the seal.

Needless to say it didn't work and they were forced

to call on the assistance of another company to put

matters right.

Similarly, if you are asked to do something you

don't approve of, do not compromise. For example,

if you disagree with the rough grinding of a

hundred year old sandstone, and prefer a more

sympathetic natural approach, don't allow yourself

to be bullied into going against your principles. It is

not unusual for some people to want completely

inappropriate finishes and for some contractors to

end up using incorrect, damaging methods and a

finish which is completely wrong for the type of

stone being worked upon.

The golden rule is to never price, or take on, a

stone floor job without making a site visit to survey

the work to be done. You may wish to indicate the

approximate cost on the telephone to weed out

time wasters, but it would be foolhardy to ever

think you know enough to quote or book work

which you haven't seen.

Continued from previous page

page 9

he aim of the carpet and upholstery cleaner

is surely not only to get everything clean, T but also to leave the cleaned item as dry as

possible in order to achieve customer satisfaction

with minimum inconvenience. Some would say that

quick drying times are even more important than

the cleaning. Because of this, some operators of

HWE (portable and truck-mount) equipment are

trying to clean carpets with one pass of the wand,

so that the carpet dries very quickly.

The problem with this is, that although some of

the soil will rest on top of carpet, much of it will

work its way further down and sit between the

fibres. If one pass of the wand takes the top soil off,

the carpet looks clean but the soil between the

fibres is left behind. If the carpet dries without any

soil wick-back some would say that, as the carpet

looks clean, it is clean. The customer is happy

because it dried quickly and their inconvenience

was kept to a minimum.

The problem with a 'quick dry' cleaning process is

that in reality all that is achieved is a brief

enhancement in appearance. For sustained

improvement, and to promote healthy indoor air

quality, it is necessary to remove the soil and

pollutants from deep within the fibres.

We have all had customers who say to us “is it

true that carpets get dirtier quicker after they have

been cleaned?” and we all say “no madam, not if

they have been cleaned properly”. But if your only

aim is quick drying times and immediate

improvement in appearance, rather than total soil

removal from the carpet pile, then carpets will re-

soil quicker and this 'old wives tale' will

unfortunately still be around for many years to

come.

It’s dry but is it clean? Tony Abbott (Honorary Member)

page 10

Woolsafe Educational Conference 2011he first UK Woolsafe Conference took place

at the Midland Hotel in Bradford, on Friday thT 28 October. Woolsafe's Operators,

Inspectors and

their Sponsors

gathered for a

9am start.

Unfortunately

half the hotel lost

its electricity

supply, including

the room we

were in, a few

minutes before 'kick off'. After some frantic sorting

of extension leads, proceedings were about to get

underway, on time, when someone realised Paul

Pearce and Adam Jankowski were missing. Funnily

enough as a result of the power cut they were

stuck in the lift!

Woolsafe's Managing Director, Agnes Zsednai

began the conference by introducing their

sponsors, Host von Schrader, Prochem Europe,

Cleantech Innovation / Envirodri and Dry Fusion,

many of whom have been with Woolsafe since the

start of their Chemical Testing program in 1991.

Steve Bakker, Marketing Director, then gave us an

overview of Woolsafe's current marketing

activities. He told us they regularly place articles in

both the trade and consumer press, Sunday

supplements, housekeeping magazines and the

stock list magazine for carpet retailers. They also

have a global website with new branding. Steve is

currently working on nurturing relationships with

manufacturers and major retailers. He also

explained how Woolsafe are helping their operator

network to market their businesses, including the

use of QR codes (Quick Response code: provides a

shortcut from the offline to the online world) and

help with social media marketing.

Following Steve's presentation, Mike Egerton

from Host von Schrader gave a talk on the subject

of Green Cleaning, which has a much higher profile

in the USA than in the UK. Mike explained the

'Seven sins' of claiming to be Green and how Host

avoids committing them, making their system truly

green.

Next was a presentation by Julie Roberts from

Chemspec Europe Ltd on Infestation Control. Julie

explained the current regulations regarding the

sale and safe use of pesticides and how this is going

to change early in 2012. Under Health & Safety

Regulations, pesticides can only be sold to

technicians or firms who have undergone

appropriate training and can provide proof, in the

form of a

certificate. There

is currently no

training

available in the

UK and

Chemspec

Europe will be

providing the

John Brydendemonstrates

the cleaningof Sisal

Julie Roberts, from Chemspec Europe, speaking on infestation control

John and Jan Bryden

Glyn Charnock

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Chemspec Europe, Tong Park, Otley Road, Baildon, West Yorkshire, BD17 7QD. Tel: 01274 597333 Fax: 01274 597444 E-mail: Website:info@chemspec-europe.com www.chemspec-europe.com

Going Going - Gone

required course in the near future.

Julie then presented the training course to us,

which was very detailed and informative, covering

the pests that operators can treat for, their life cycles

and habitats, the safe use and storage of pesticides

and of course the required PPE. Julie then handed

out an examination paper for everyone attending to

complete. Those who pass the exam will be issued

with a certificate, becoming the first technicians

officially authorized to provide Infestation Control

for carpets and soft furnishings in the country.

It was also interesting to learn from John

Barraclough (Wools of Cumbria), that some carpets

are no longer treated to prevent insect infestations

due to the stringent regulations regarding the

disposal of insecticide effluents. The consensus was

that this was probably the reason for the rise in the

number of infestations encountered by carpet

cleaners over the past few years.

Paul Bakker, Chairman of Woolsafe, then gave an

overview of recent and ongoing research conducted

by the Woolsafe laboratory, this included research

into Oxi Spotters, the ongoing research into the

effects of pH and buffering of cleaning agents on

efficiency and colour bleeding in both wool and

synthetic carpets. Paul finished by explaining how

Woolsafe are working to improve cleaning

techniques, solve problems and thoroughly

investigate claims.

The final presentation of the day was from John

and Jan Bryden of Bryden Enterprises on the

cleaning of Sisal carpets. They gave a description of

the types of plant fibres used for different

applications. We were then introduced to the

advantages and disadvantages of plant fibres. John

explained what type of installation was suitable for

these highly moisture sensitive carpets and how

they should be fitted. He ended by demonstrating

his own method of cleaning them.

As I said, it was a pretty packed day with lots of

useful information and a great exchange of ideas. It

was all rounded off in the evening with an excellent

Gala Dinner. Well done to all at Woolsafe for a well

organised and enjoyable event.

Dye Gone offers a unique new package and application device to remove the severest of dye stains including: coffee, tea, wine, hair dyes, paints, candle colours etc.

No need to mix - just spray - wait and the stain is gone.*

*pre-test carefully and rinse out after stain is removed with cold water after use.

page 12

couple of months ago I wrote about my

visit to a local travel agent. It was a lesson A in how NOT to sell a holiday. You may

recall, amongst other things, the advisor assumed I

wouldn't pay the quoted price and so I was

immediately offered a discounted price without

even asking.

If anyone's been to Egypt, one thing you can say

for sure is that although you may be hassled in the

shops, they certainly know how to sell.

I've recently returned from a Nile cruise and

amongst the 'trips' was a visit to a perfume factory.

By the way, there was no choice about this, it was

part of our visit to Karnak temple.

There I witnessed a masterclass in

selling. Again, there are some good

lessons for us as carpet cleaners.

Now, this was not just an education

in perfume…it was a SALES meeting.

Here are four lessons I learned.

1. Use Joint Ventures

Firstly, how did we just happen to

end up at the perfume factory? Well,

no doubt this was a 'Joint Venture'. The tour guide

would have made an arrangement to 'deliver' a

coach load of prospective customers to the factory

door - and no doubt taken a share of the profits.

This is an excellent low cost, no-risk way of getting

customers for the factory. There's no expensive

advertising, in fact no work at all other than

divvying up the profits at the end. Even if the

factory paid as much as 50% of the profit it's 50%

for them that they wouldn't have had. And a

tremendous incentive for the tour guide! It's a win-

win situation.

Now, who could give YOU access to their

customers for a share of the profits (that they

wouldn't have had!). Ask yourself: Who services the

same type of customers as you do? Could you give

these customers a preferential offer that would

induce them to use you for the first time? Even if

you paid a high percentage of the sale to the other

business, you would have gained a new customer

and made a small profit on the first sale. When they

use you again, or refer you, there's a much greater

profit.

2. Use a Structured Approach

Nothing was left to chance: an initial 'trust and

rapport' building cup of herbal tea, passing out

order forms at the beginning to 'assume' the sale

and demonstrations of the products were all clearly

scripted.

Are your in-home quotes fully scripted? (I like to

use the term 'choreographed' like actors on a stage,

nothing happens by chance). For example, are you

demonstrating how protector works (tissue in a

glass?) not just explaining it? Could you

even clean a very small area to show

just how soiled the carpet is?

3. Use Education Based Marketing

This is often a very under-used method

of persuasion. I was thoroughly

educated in the process of perfume

making. By the time they had finished, I

trusted that they knew what they were

doing. I also knew about the

'extravagant' mark-up by the well known brands.

Do you educate your customers? You know the

ones who think that all carpet cleaning is the same?

For example, do you tell them about the importance

of vacuuming first because 79% of soil in a carpet is

'dry' and will vacuum out. Educate them as to why

this and every other part of your process is so

important.

4. Packaging

Yes, they offered three packages (4 bottles in a pack

vs 6 or 8 in a 'fancy' box), even throwing in a 'bonus'

on the most expensive package.

Do you have different packages? If not, at least put

together a high-priced top quality package and offer

both. There are some customers who just want 'the

best' and are prepared to pay for it.

Many of my fellow travellers left the factory with

boxes of perfume - a testament to a highly efficient,

structured, educational, choreographed SALES

meeting.

Sales tactics David Coker

page 14

ver the years Viscose Rayon has featured

within the constructions of upholstery O fabrics in varying degrees. Its shiny

artificial silk-like

appearance will

enhance most

fabrics making

them very

appealing to the

consumer. The

customer usually

buys on price,

looks and

compatibility

with other

furnishings

within the

house.

In the vast majority of cases the consumer will not

even think to consider what fibres are involved in

the fabrics they are about to purchase.

Viscose Rayon is

used because of

its luxurious look

and of course it

is cheap to

produce,

allowing the

manufacturers to

produce to a

price that will

appeal to the

consumer.

Cleaning fabrics

containing

Viscose Rayon

Cleaning fabrics containing Viscose Rayon Derek Bolton

Viscose Rayon fabrics

Fibres close up

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page 15

should only take place after careful consideration.

This is because:

! Viscose Rayon fibres can lose up to 70% of their

strength when wet.

! The fibres are extremely absorbent and can swell

when moisture is applied, often changing the

appearance of the fabric.

! In some instances the colours may not be fast and

there may be a risk of colour bleed.

! Viscose Rayon is a regenerated fibre, containing a

large percentage of cellulose, making it prone to

cellulosic browning.

Viscose Rayon used in Flatweave constructions is

relatively trouble free providing agitation is kept to a

minimum so as not to damage the wet fibres.

Colours should also be treated with caution in case

of colour bleed. Dry the fabric quickly.

Viscose Rayon in its pile form provides more of a

challenge. The fibres when wet will swell reflecting

more light and may lose their ‘soft feel'. Certainly

the longer pile Viscose Rayon fabrics of yesteryear

(see picture below) caused the cleaning technicians

of the day many a headache and the NCCA

recommendations at the time were to dry clean

only.

There was a tendency for the black fibres

contained within the constructions to bleed,

completely ruining the fabric. Some cleaning

technicians did wet clean the fabrics without these

black fibres and although the fibres were visually

damaged the fabric 'looked clean' and many

customers were prepared to accept this rather than

have a dirty suite.

Continued on next page

Damaged fabric with black dye bleed

page 16

Viscose Rayon has returned

more recently in its pile form,

albeit with not such a long pile

as previously. REMEMBER: Wet

cleaning will cause some

damage to the pile by

characteristic swelling of the

fibres, therefore reflecting

more light. In some cases the

actual damage may not be

noticed by the customer, in fact

the fabric will tend to look very

clean.

The more worrying thing is

the appearance of the black

fibres within the construction,

often predominantly in the

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Continued from previous page

Damaged fibres may reflect more light

Blackbacking fibres

page 17

backing, making a brief visit to the surface as part of

a pattern.

The cleaning technician should take special note of

fabrics containing Viscose Rayon fibres and select

their cleaning chemicals and method of cleaning

very carefully. Special care should be taken when

using spotting chemicals as they are usually

stronger and, dare I say, may not have been tested

on the colours.

I have included a few pictures of some of the

blended fabrics that are either currently out there

waiting to be cleaned or very soon will be.

CONCLUSION

! NEVER take fabrics for granted.

! ALWAYS check the fibres and look at the backings

as so much information is there to help you.

! REMEMBER it is down to the cleaning company to

decide whether to clean - and how - or maybe

walk away.

! DON'T rely on manufacturers labels. Use your own

knowledge and judgement.

! ALWAYS clean uniformly.

Possible dye bleed

80

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page 18

keep up to date, and as such we recognise training

from a whole host of industry partners including the

IICRC (Clean Trust) and product and equipment

manufacturers and suppliers.

Members are able, by means of a telephone call, to

benefit from the wealth of experience accumulated

by NCCA Directors - who are carpet cleaning

practitioners of long standing - should particularly

intractable problems arise.

There are regular technical articles in the Newlink

magazine, and back-issues of the magazine are

available on the website, right back to 2002.

We are also working on a Technical Library which

will be available via the members’ area of the

website at some point in the future.

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

am sure that we all have different ideas as to I why we chose to become members of the NCCA

in the first place, and why we renew our

membership every year.

Since becoming a director of the Association

about eighteen months ago, I have come to

appreciate more of what the Association does, not

just for its members, but for the industry as a whole

and for consumers as well. What I would like to do

in a series of articles over the next few months is to

remind you, the members, of what the Association

can do for you, how we can help you make your

business successful and how you can help us make

the Association more successful in return.

I think the one thing every member would mention

if asked about the Association is training. Most of

our new members come via the two day Carpet and

Upholstery courses which run five or six times a

year, and many members also go on the Spot and

Stain course. However, we also run an Introduction

to Hard Floor Cleaning course and a Leather

Identification and Cleaning Course which can

provide you with valuable additional services to

offer your clients. We also offer a Health and Safety

Course, geared specifically toward the carpet and

upholstery cleaner, vital for all businesses these

days.

All the NCCA courses are aimed not just at

newcomers to the industry, but also at more

experienced operators in order to keep up to date

with techniques, equipment and products. All

members enjoy discounted prices on these courses.

As an association, we encourage all our members to

TRAINING

Glyn Charnock

Benefits of membership

page 19

ARBITRATION SERVICE

In the unfortunate event of a dispute with a client,

contact with the Association's Standards and Fair

Trading section will secure advice and assistance for

members and their clients in regard to areas such as

service standards, liability issues and consumer

protection.

We endeavour to provide an impartial view of any

dispute and help members and clients reach a

mutually acceptable resolution. Because we need to

be impartial in this role, we may not always agree

with the members' point of view, but will always

strive to reach an amicable resolution.

The Standards and Fair Trading section also

follows up on any reports of misuse of the NCCA

logo, so if you see a non-member displaying the

logo or advertising approval by the Association,

then please let the office know and we will take

appropriate action.

We also have a free legal advice line for members,

just a phone call away. Details are advertised in

Newslink, or call the office. This is for all business

legal matters including employment law, contract

law, consumer protection, etc, and is a standard rate

number, not a premium rate phoneline.

I have already touched on one element of the

magazine above, but Newslink is a full-colour glossy

monthly magazine providing the latest news and

views, as well as technical matters and topics of

professional interest. It is the only dedicated

publication specifically for our industry. We are

always looking for articles and interesting items to

help make the magazine a more interesting read, so

if you have an unusual job or an interesting

problem, or anything else newsworthy to say, please

get in touch with Nikki at the office and she will

help you turn it in to an article.

You will also find offers from our associates, but

more of that later.

This is probably the most common complaint from

members - that they do not receive enough, if any,

work through the Association.

We are not a referral organisation set up to find

work for our members, but we do receive enquiries

from the public, industrial and commercial

customers, both through the office and the website,

LEGAL HELPLINE

NEWSLETTER

ENQUIRY AND REFERRAL SYSTEM

Continued on next page

(part one)

page 20

and the office staff ensure that direct enquiries are

passed on to the appropriate local members. The

web site incorporates GoogleMaps technology to

provide site visitors with a clear representation of

the members in their area. The system has options

to search by postcode, town and county, along with

a filter to select members

by service, company name

and other criteria.

There is a report in

Newslink each month on

member referrals

generated, and despite the

accusations on some

forums that all enquiries go

to an “elite few”, we can

and do track every referral

and can prove this is not the

case.

There is also the benefit of

member to member

referrals, where members

are unable to fulfil a clients

needs for whatever reason,

they can pass the lead on to

a fellow member. I have

passed a number of leads to

my nearest fellow member

this year, and also referred a

relative in another part of the country to their local

NCCA member, so I know this works!

The NCCA has a well presented and user friendly

website for both members and the public with

consumer information and advice, a member search

facility and much more. The site appears on page 1

of google searches for carpet cleaners or carpet

cleaning and has high rankings for a number of

other relevant search terms.

The members' area contains important legal

documents such as the Articles of Association,

meeting minutes etc, a marketing toolbox section,

details of the associate members, member benefits

and schemes, newslink back issues, details of

WEBSITE

training courses, press releases for use by members

and more.

The NCCA is involved in the running of a number of

events, including The Cleaning Show, Carpex, and

most recently our own event, the Carpet Cleaners

Carnival. These events are great opportunities for

viewing new products and

equipment, meeting the

suppliers, and networking

with other cleaners. We

would also like to see more

regional events and would

welcome any help with

arranging these.

We can provide members

with assistance and

guidance in respect to

their general advertising,

as well as providing the

opportunity to advertise

under the NCCA logo in the

corporate block areas in

Thompson and Yellow

Pages.

We also produce

promotional leaflets for

distribution by members,

and there is a marketing tool box area on the

website with useful hints and tips. There are also

some very knowledgeable members and associates

who are happy to give advice on promoting your

business.

The above is what I would consider to be the

major direct benefits of Association membership. I

have probably missed one or two out, and I know I

haven't used as many of them myself as I could have

done, but would encourage you to make use of the

benefits of membership and keep in touch with

YOUR association.

Next month I will be looking at some of the

indirect benefits the Association provides, and how

to make the most of your membership.

EVENTS

PROMOTION AND

ADVERTISING

Continued from previous page

page 22

.S. Congress has a law going through that will Uallow schools in America to list pizza as a

vegetable. Before you say this is unbelievable you

should consider that it was during the Regan

administration of thirty years ago that they

attempted to classify tomato ketchup as a

vegetable. This time they are considering the

tomato paste.

The true reason for this is most likely based upon

keeping the cost of the food served to the lowest

common denominator and no doubt helped along

by lobbying from Pizza makers who stand to lose

out if the regulators were to push towards healthier

eating.

First of all let me say I have nothing against pizzas.

Last week when I picked up a half price pizza, from

the 'use quickly' section in my local Tesco, I won a

ticket which allowed me to take twenty friends or

family to a Pizza Express for a free three course

meal with two drinks per person. Boy do I love

pizza now!

The point that does concern me is whether or not

I can believe anything I am told. In business I have

learned not to believe what potential customers

tell me, particularly those who say that if I gave

them a cheap price they would use me four times a

year.

I have learned that not everything I have been

told by suppliers over the years is necessarily what

I have found to be true in practice. I have

Who can you believe? Keith Robertson

page 23

purchased equipment which ended up on a shelf

because, at least in my opinion, it wasn't fit for

purpose even though I have failed to get the

manufacturer or distributor to agree; interesting

later when the product or sometimes the company

disappears. I am even more concerned about the

products I use in the business.

After thirty five years in the cleaning industry my

health is poor. My lung capacity has reduced and I

am always tired. How much of this is connected to

the products I have used throughout my career I will

never know. I have, however, noted over the years

that a number of the chemicals that were

commonly used in branded products have been

discontinued and replaced, particularly when

information came to light that they might have

some health risk.

Recently the BBC reported that an international

study has linked an industrial solvent to Parkinson's

disease and that researchers found a six-fold

increase in the risk of developing Parkinson's in

individuals exposed in the workplace to

trichloroethylene (TCE).

Parkinson's can result in uncontrollable limb

tremors, speech impairment and slowed movement

and although there have been some advances in

treatment there is no cure and so far no-one has

found the exact cause of the disease.

Neil Bowdler, the Health reporter with BBC News,

stated in his article of November 14 that the

findings of a number of institutes in the US, Canada,

Germany and Argentina, who researched this,

presented as the first study that there was a

'significant association' between TCE exposure and

Parkinson's.

Continued on next page

page 24

The study also adjudged exposure to two other

solvents, perchloroethylene (PERC) and carbon

tetrachloride (CCl4), 'tended towards significant risk

of developing the disease'.

If you, like me, thought trichloroethylene (TCE)

was a product of the past and no longer used you

would be wrong. It is true that it has been banned

in the food and pharmaceutical industries in most

regions of the world since the 1970s, due to

concerns over its toxicity, and that in 1997 the US

authorities banned its use as an anaesthetic, skin

disinfectant, grain fumigant and coffee

decaffeinating agent, nevertheless, it has been used

in paints, glue, carpet

cleaners, dry-cleaning

solutions and as a

degreaser.

PERC still continues to

be used and many of us

have probably used it

when dry cleaning

curtains or other fabrics,

but it is also used in other

products such as in

degreasing agents and

can be found in many

household products.

The worrying aspect of

all of this is that it can

take up to forty years

before the signs of Parkinson's may appear.

What does all of this mean for us? Well, first of all,

take care in who you choose to purchase products

from. Not all products are the same quality

regardless of what the salesman tells us.

It might be policy not to purchase products from

little known suppliers. Not all companies who sell

product actually make them, even if they tell you

they do. Whether that makes any difference might

depend on who they use and whether they are

willing to discuss their product with you. If you

didn't receive a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)

when you purchased the product, download one

and read what it says.

It is important to remember that Material Safety

Data Sheets contain information that assists you in

making a Risk Assessment which of course is

required by the Control of Substances Hazardous to

Health Regulations (CoSHH).

The information on the Safety Data Sheet should

help you make sure that the product is used

correctly and safely. It also describes the hazards

the chemical may present along with information on

handling, storing and disposal as well as what

requires to be done in the case of an accident.

The MSDS does not provide a recipe to the

product, but rather lists the potentially hazardous

components. We may not understand what these

are, for example the

degreaser I use contains

Trisodium

Nitroltriacetate,

Anionic/Nonionic

Surfactants, Sodium

Hydroxide and Ammonia

Solution. Nevertheless, if

you don't understand

anything about each of

these components then a

search on the internet will

make it clearer.

When I read about this

latest scare I immediately

contacted the Managing

Director of my supplier

who replied very succinctly “I can confirm they are

not in any of our formulae.”

As we only have one life it is important to do all

that we can to look after it and prolong it and so it

would be prudent to do all we can to make sure we

make full use of our PPE. If we are being realistic it

is most likely that some of the products we have

used in the past will have been carcinogenic so it

does makes sense to make sure that products you

are now using are both safe and fit for purpose.

I have no idea whether pizzas will in fact become a

vegetable in the US, nevertheless it has focussed my

mind on not believing everything I am told. My new

adage is “Stay healthier by not trusting anyone.”

Continued from previous page

©N

CC

A

page 25

A time to reflect Peter Collins

s this is the festive season, I thought it

would be a good time to reflect on the past A year. Through the years I have written

numerous articles, a good many on technical

subjects and a few on the humorous side. This

article I would describe as reflective.

For those of you that don't know me, one of my

hobbies is fishing. Fishing (or whatever 'floats your

boat') and working in the cleaning industry have

certain parallels. We are all ambassadors for our

chosen work and playtime environments.

Fishermen/women are perceived as spending all

day on a river bank catching fish that, at the end of

the day, they put back. In reality, like many activities,

it takes time to learn and years to perfect. Likewise

with carpet/upholstery cleaning, you cannot learn it

overnight, it is something that comes with

experience, knowledge and time.

Now most fishermen/women consider fishing a

Zen like activity and loath to talk to passers-by. This

generally earns them a reputation of being

cantankerous and unapproachable. It really wouldn't

take much effort for every fisherman to dispel this

myth, a tip of the hat, a polite hello or even a smile,

is all it would take. It really does pay to take a little

time to be polite and communicate with those

around you.

This also applies in your working life. Many of you

will have busy schedules and may feel you don't

have the time for pleasantries. It is so important

that you make the time, remember you are an

ambassador for your chosen profession. Stop and

talk to your client, give them a spotting guide and a

few business cards to hand around to family, friends

and neighbours. Communicate to them the work

you intend to carry out and, above all, be polite and

friendly at all times. Your aim is to keep your client

coming back to you for a long time.

Taking the time out for pleasantries will benefit

you as well. Modern life can be very fast paced, but

you may enjoy it more if you 'stop and smell the

flowers'. Enjoy the company of those around you

and remember it is not worth being the richest

person in the graveyard.

So, kick back a little and enjoy the festive season.

Put time aside to spend with family and friends

and… if you are a fisherman… remember a nod and

a smile goes a long way.

Here's wishing you all a very happy Christmas and

a prosperous New Year.

page 26

ebsite owners tend to judge their site

from a personal and visual point of W view. The tendency is that if the site

looks nice in their eyes then they will leave things as

they are. The reality is that this is not always the

most beneficial route to take and could have a

detrimental effect on the likelihood of your site

being found by potential customers.

While the choice to make a change ultimately

rests with you, below are some points worth

considering that may help you make a decision.

Your website should reflect what services and

products you offer as a company. Not much tends to

stay the same in business, technology always gets

updated, products improve and trends change.

Consumers like to see that as a company you are

keeping up to date and improving the service or

range of products you offer. If what they see hasn't

changed for some time think how this is perceived.

Out of date or incorrect information can affect your

Does the site actually reflect what you do as a

company?

credibility in the eyes of the client as most

companies are making regular changes to their

company marketing or branding whether it be the

colour of vehicles, new brochures, flyers,

letterheads or adverts and special offers. When

these change it is critical the website reflects this.

Failing to keep the website up to date can result in a

loss of visitors to the site and a resultant negative

impact on the company as a whole.

With the current difficult trading conditions we all

know that it is a competitive marketplace out there.

Your website needs to not only reflect what you do,

as we have touched on above, but also stand out

amongst your competitors. If your site has looked

the same for a number of years and your

competitors have updated their site with a fresh

modern look it will make yours look tired and less

attractive to potential customers. Redesigning or

updating your site on a regular basis holds existing

clients interest and can help build loyalty, while

allowing you to stand out from the crowd and

What are your competitors doing?

When is it time to redesign your site? www.sitewizard.co.uk

page 27

attract new business. If you are in a position to do

so redesign your site every eighteen months. It is

important to note that during the periods between

redesigns your website should be regularly updated

with different content such as news and offers. Your

designer should be able to help you with this

element or even better you will be able to

implement the changes yourself if your site has a

content management system.

Web browsers are constantly being updated to take

account of new security threats and new

technology trends. If your website was last

redesigned more than two years ago then it would

be wise to evaluate whether the site is making the

best use of new browser technology and is

functioning in an effective way. Websites commonly

use things such as frames or tables and some may

still use flash for example to allow movement in

banners. As this technology becomes out of date

potential customers may experience problems

viewing your website. This in turn may affect the

speed at which your website is displayed and its

placement within search engine results. On average

your website has ten to twenty seconds to make an

impression on a potential customer; if the site takes

too long to load or has functionality problems then

Why are Internet Browsers important?

the visitors will not turn into clients.

Search engines such as Google are the most common

way your website will be found by new clients and

those who have been recommended to use your

services. It is therefore imperative that you keep

your site and its content fresh, up to date and

relevant. Does your site have a content management

system that allows you to make updates and changes

to your website without knowing html code? Being

able to have this control over the content of your site

is a necessity in today's competitive environment, as

changes and additions to the content of a website

are looked upon favourably by the Search Engines.

Google and the other search engines place a very

high value on the number of incoming links your

website has to it. If more sites link to your website

then the search engine will see your site as being

relevant and rank it higher than those it considers

less relevant. Link building is normally conducted as

part of an SEO (Search engine optimization) service

but is also something you can undertake yourself.

However if your site looks out of date then other

companies are less likely to want to link to it.

If when reading the above information you

recognise your website, then it's fair to say it is

probably time for a redesign.

How do the Search Engines see older sites?

page 28

ayatrader will be offering NCCA members

15% off the price of its forthcoming new P GPRS pocket chip and pin terminal,

PayMate - a saving of £30! The terminal is new to

the market and demand is expected to be high - so

SIGN UP NOW to take advantage of your FREE

Payatrader membership and to qualify for the 15%

discount at launch.

With PayMate you can take immediate

payment, wherever you are. Specially

designed for use by traders, it's pocket

sized, lightweight, robust and very

easy to use. Once you have

purchased PayMate your only

commitment is a small weekly charge

to cover SIM data usage, warranty and

terminal support. It will be available towards

the end of January/early February with an option

to purchase it at £169 +VAT. A rental option is also

expected to be available.

Payatrader already offers NCCA members the

opportunity to accept a credit and debit card

payment 24/7 using it's online, telephone, mobile,

iPad or virtual terminal services. Offering

competitive rates, from just 2.3%, it's simple

online application means you can be up and

running in a matter of minutes.

A Payatrader account normally

attracts a joining fee of up to

£99. However, as an NCCA

member the service is FREE to

join. Just look at what you get!

Join before the end of February to qualify for the

15% off the RRP of PayMate and to be

automatically registered to receive an invitation to

purchase PayMate with a 15% discount.

By joining Payatrader today you are not making

any commitment to buy or rent our new terminal.

Please note this discount offer expires on the 28th

February 2012.

Sign up at: www.payatrader.com

Use code: NCCA

Limited offer for NCCA members!

(exc VAT)

page 29

I received this from a very good friend of mine, (it

has been modified for inclusion in Newslink).

s Christmas approaches, the giant

Oriental factories are kicking into high A gear to provide us Brits with monstrous

piles of cheaply produced goods - merchandise

that has been produced at the expense of British

labour.

Why not try and make this year different? Don't

use the excuse that, at gift giving time, nothing can

be found that is produced by British hands.

It is time to think outside the box. Who says a gift

needs to fit in a shirt box, wrapped in Chinese

produced wrapping paper?

So, if you've still got some Christmas gifts to

purchase, why not consider the following ideas?

! Gift voucher for your local hair salon or barber.

! Gift voucher for a family portrait Photo Shoot.

! Gym membership.

! A voucher for car valeting.

! Workmen booked for those jobs on the home, i.e.

gardener or decorator.

! Contribution to a hobby, i.e. games on a golf

course.

! Gift voucher for a local independent restaurant.

! Tickets to the local theatre or music venue.

! Arts and crafts created locally.

! Locally produced foods.

Remember folks, this isn't about big national chains

- this is about supporting our industry in Britain. If

you have money to burn, leave the postie, bin-man

or babysitter a nice BIG tip.

Let's hope this can become a wonderful new

Christmas tradition!!

Christmas 2011 - birth of a new tradition Ken Wainwright

Eloise StudiosPortrait Photography

page 30

Fuel tax Phil McCabe (Forum of Private Business)

mall business owners, already struggling to

meet excessive transport costs, are facing S two fuel duty hikes next year despite MPs

voting overwhelmingly to freeze the increases.

The motion calling for January's 3p rise to be

scrapped was passed unanimously. It was prompted

by a petition action signed by 110,000 people.

However, the Government has responded to calls

for a freeze by stating additional tax revenues are

required to plug the gap in public finances, viewing

the planned increase as the ideal way to generate

cash.

As the Forum of Private Business Chief Executive,

Phil Orford, highlighted recently, these fuel duty

increases will hit the smallest businesses hardest at

a time they are being expected to drive growth,

particularly micro businesses with fewer than ten

staff including many small hauliers, couriers and

carpet cleaning firms.

The not-for-profit Forum has repeatedly called for

the planned increases to be scrapped, and for a fuel

duty stabiliser to regulate prices at the pump.

According to its latest member survey, 92 per cent

of Forum members reported an increase in

transport costs - one of a range of overall cost

increases they have experienced recently, such as

increasing energy prices and raw material costs.

Emerging initiatives to boost the provision of

affordable credit to small businesses, such as Lloyds

Banking Group's new £12 billion SME funding

pledge, cannot come quickly enough. For many,

growth finance is still hard to come by.

Further, with more than £30 billion owed to SMEs

in unpaid invoices, according to the payment body

Bacs, and figures from Experian showing average

late payment times among UK firms of all sizes

increasing by almost a day, additional taxes could

not come at a worse time, particularly as small

firms are being expected to drive growth.

If both rises go ahead it could be as much as 8p a

litre at the pumps, taking diesel over a milestone

£1.50 a litre. There is a danger that these additional

cost burdens on small business owners could

become unbearable.

Not only would this kind of rise hammer SMEs, it

would severely dent the finances of every car-

driving household in the UK and will mean even less

consumer spending.

Figures released by the Office for National

Statistics show the average household spends

around £750 a year on petrol or diesel tax, with less

well off homes in real terms paying out a larger

percentage of their disposable incomes than those

on higher wages.

The Forum has written to Vince Cable, asking for

the Government to introduce a fuel price stabiliser

and scrap planned inflation increases in January and

August next year.

The stabiliser would be a mechanism designed to

reduce the tax on petrol and diesel as the price of

oil rises, and vice versa, in order to keep fuel prices

relatively constant, and freezing duty would be

welcomed across the board.

However, the Business Secretary has noted that

the Government is concentrating on reducing the

budget deficit and is not in a position to offer any of

what it called 'freebies' on fuel duty.

The Government would need to find an extra £1.5

billion to fill the gap left by scrapping the increases

and a recent Financial Times report highlighting a

£12 billion hole in public finances further

compounds the problem.

However, HMRC estimates that almost £35 billion

of tax went uncollected in 2009-10 make it difficult

for the average small business owner to be

sympathetic, especially when they are being asked

to foot the bill.

Small businesses can save money via the Forum's

free, fixed-price fuel cards, which offer preferential

fuel prices to intermediate and advanced members.

For more information, call 0845 612 6266 or visit

www.fpb.org

Carpet Inspections International is pleased to announce that the popular manual The Identification of Carpet Faults by Dr E M Brown is now available electronically on disc, price £25.For the user's convenience the individual chapters can be opened separately as Word or Excel documents and are fully illustrated with examples of typical faults.

By choosing this format, inspectors using the manual are able to cut and paste extracts or pictures to illustrate their own reports, on the understanding that a reference to the original source is given.To order your copy contact Carpet Inspections International on +44 (0) 1943 462389 or email inspectors@btconnect.com

page 31

New formatfor popular manual

NCCA Name and Logo

Current Full members of the NCCA only, are permitted to use the NCCA

name or logo in advertising.

Both the name and logo are registered trademarks and misuse of either is considered copyright infringement.

The use of wording such as ‘trained by NCCA’ or ‘trained to NCCA standard’ is

also regarded as misuse.

The association considers all logo or name misuse as theft and has the backing of the Trading Standards

Office.

page 32

cotland is known for doing things differently,

so it is not surprising that their approach to S health and safety enforcement differs from

the approach taken in England and Wales.

Health and safety legislation is governed by

Westminster and applied throughout the UK, but

the enforcement of the legislation is governed by

the jurisdiction of the country where the offence

takes place. Any health and safety offence which

occurs in Scotland will be prosecuted by the Scottish

courts. With cross border business in the UK

increasing, it is essential that businesses are aware

of the variances of health and safety enforcement

north of the border.

Investigations

The role of regulators in Scotland, such as local

authorities and the Health and Safety Executive

(HSE), is significantly different from the role played

by the same authorities in England and Wales.

While regulators north and south of the border

have the same powers to serve prohibition and

improvement notices, in Scotland their remit is

limited to exclude the power to prosecute offences.

Scottish regulators must investigate and report their

Health and Safety law in Stotland

Gillian Harkess (Eversheds LLP)

page 33

findings to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal

Service (COPFS) who make the final decision

whether to prosecute an offence. A corporate

accused may be given an opportunity to make

representations to the COPFS before the decision to

prosecute is made, and it is therefore vital that

communication is made with COPFS from an early

stage.

Once a decision to prosecute has been made,

COPFS local representative, the procurator fiscal,

will then prosecute the offence on behalf of COPFS.

In 2009 COPFS established a dedicated Health and

Safety Division with responsibility for the

instigation, preparation and prosecution of all

health and safety matters north of the border. In

2010-2011 COPFS had a 100% success rate of

obtaining at least one conviction per health and

safety prosecution, which is widely accredited to the

new, more effective COPFS health and safety

Division. COPFS is undoubtedly becoming more

effective at prosecuting breaches of health and

safety law in Scotland and this trend will continue as

the knowledge and confidence of the health and

safety division grows.

Unlike in England and Wales, witness statements in

Scotland are of little evidential value, as the court

will not normally treat them as providing a person’s

evidence for the purpose of court proceedings.

Witness evidence must be lead in court in front of a

judge and possibly a jury. There are a few limited

exceptions to this rule - for example, where the

witness has died or cannot be found, or where the

witness is outside the UK and it is not reasonably

practical for him to attend court proceedings. In

addition, if a witness changes his evidence a witness

statement can be used to demonstrate that the

witness has previously provided a different version

of events.

In serious cases COPFS may summon a witness to

provide a form of statement called a 'precognition'

for the purposes of assisting with their investigation.

The witness is not entitled to be legally represented

at an interview with COPFS as a precognition cannot

subsequently be used as evidence in court.

Interviews

Prosecution

Conviction

Conclusion

When someone who is suspected of an offence is

questioned under caution in Scotland, an adverse

inference cannot be drawn from the suspect's

failure to answer any question put to him. The

person being interviewed is only required to

provide his name and address. A caution must be

administered before questioning as a matter of

fairness. A failure to do so may make the answers

inadmissible in court. Scottish caution differs from

the caution issued in England and Wales as it omits

the wording “it will harm your defence if you do

not mention when questioned something which

you later rely upon in court” as Scots law prohibits

drawing an adverse inference from a suspects

failure to answer a question.

Under current legislation, if an accused is convicted

of an offence in Scotland they will not be required

to pay regulators investigation costs, with the

exception of costs recoverable under industry

specific regulations such as Control of Major

Accident Hazard legislation. However, this may

change under the HSE proposals for cost recovery.

The HSE has set out UK wide proposals to charge

for their investigations, which includes

investigations they undertake in Scotland.

Another stark difference in enforcement

procedure is that Scots law prohibits COPFS

recovering prosecution costs, even on conviction of

an offence. It also prohibits recovery of costs from

Central Funds by an accused who is acquitted on an

offence. In contrast, both are allowed under the

jurisdiction of England and Wales.

If faced with a health and safety prosecution in

Scotland, awareness of enforcement differences

are essential, as is creating an early dialogue with

investigators and COPFS. Steps taken during an

investigation could have a significant impact on the

outcome; it is vital that companies who operate

cross border businesses grasp the variances of

Scottish enforcement procedures and are

competent in complying with them when it

matters.

Items for saleBUSINESS FOR SALE

Small, long-established, reputable NCCA Registered, working carpet, upholstery and soft furnishings cleaning company.

Essex based. Owner Operator retiring. To be sold as a complete package only. Mobile HWE and dry cleaning

system. Domestic and commercial clients. Genuine interested parties only please to call 07903 497298 and leave details.

CLEANING EQUIPMENT AND VAN2 Dryfusion carpet cleaning machines, 2 Drizair 110

dehumidifiers, 2 turbo dryers, 1 Dri-eaz fogging machine, 2 Dryfusion stair tools with pads, 1 Advance Dryfoam rotary

upholstery cleaner, plus 1 large sign-written white Fiat Ducato Turbo Diesel van (less than 5 years old - mileage

41,000). Total cost: £13,500 ONO. Phone Mike on: 01443 492455 or mob: 07881 807436.

EQUIPMENT FOR SALEProchem 250 ft vacuum hoses for truck mount - £150.00.

Chemspec hose reel for truck mount plastic - £200. Prochem sadle tank for truckmount 227 litre/60 gallons - £300.00.

Chemspec pile lifter hoover - £800.00. contact aquadriinfo@btconnect.com for further information or

contact andy on: 07970 544806

CARPET, UPHOLSTERY, PATIO AND PATHCLEANING BUSINESS FOR SALE

The sale includes full training and ongoing support. Twenty five years of customer base and goodwill of the north

London and Hertfordshire area. Interactive website, plus a VW transporter van, fully wrapped with a comprehensive

equipment list. This includes an Ashbys Enforcer 600 psi (only 6months old) and an Ashbys Ninja 500 psi (only 6 months old). For full equipment list and business details, please

contact Nicky on: 07774438007 or 0208 807 3722. Please visit: www.therightclean.co.uk

STEAMWAY 9100 LX TRUCKMOUNTSteamway 9100LX Truck Mount, all accessories included.

Comes with solution tank, waste tank, solution and vacuum hoses, hose reel, 4 jet wands. Has been serviced by Alltec

and comes with a 3 month guarantee through Alltec. Price: £2750 + VAT. For full fitting to van the extra charge is £400 +

VAT. Call 0118 931 0516 for more details. Or Visit: www.truckmount.info

MACHINERY FOR SALEGloria 5 litre stainless steal pump-up sprayer: £67.50. No

VAT.Please call Steve on 07973-264783 or alternatively email: s.matczak@btinternet.com

TRUCKMOUNT AND VAN FOR SALEBaneclean Truck Mount and van for sale. Due to retirement I will consider offers in region of £3500. For further details of this bargain contact Derek at Aquamaster on 01845 537640,

07976 218304 or email at derek@aquamaster-yorkshire.co.uk

MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT 3 Ozone plates 4'' x 6'' to fit Jetazone 600 ozone generator -

£15.00 for the 3, plus £5.00 p & p. Chemspec stainless steel 4 jet floor wand in good condition - £300.00 plus delivery

charge if applicable. Ashbys stainless steel chewing gum floor wand in good condition - £50.00 plus delivery charge if applicable. Please phone Pete Collins on 07885804560.

BUSINESS FOR SALEReputable working carpet, upholstery and hard floor

cleaning company servicing both Domestic and Commercial Clients. Currently based in Northumberland but can easily be re-located. To be sold as a complete package, which includes

VW Caddy van, Steempro 2000 Powerplus HWE machine with all extras, Sebo vacuum, Numatic wet and dry vac, professional spotting kit, Rondo-Matic sprayer, cleaning

chemicals and many other accessories. The sale also includes a branded uniform, website and domain names. Owner

operator retiring on medical grounds. Sale price £25,000. Please call 01434 679 303 or e-mail:

info@fibrescarpetcare.co.uk for more information.

PROCHEM TRUCKMOUNT AND VANExcellent opportunity to upgrade to a quality truckmount without the big price tag. 2003 LWB Transit in very good condition with FSH, long MOT, 125K miles on the clock.

Prochem Performer dual wand truckmount, with fresh water tanks, auto pump-out and all usual accessories.£5000 + vat ONO. Ring David on 01428 722551

TEXATHERM EQUIPMENT1 x EMV201 Twin 3 Texatherm / Extraction machine, 2 x 10

meter x 38mm Superflex solution recovery hose, 1 x S/Steel twin jet wand, 1 x S/Steel Upholstery tool + 2 meters whip &

S/Steep connector, 1 x TC170 Rotary Machine, 1 x Tc170 Drive Board, 15 x Thermal Pads for Texathurm system ( retail for £21.00 each ), 1 x S/Steel 5ltr Sprayer with lance Vinton 8002. Can also offer training and support to purchaser and

can arrange ongoing training with manufacturer.All equipment purchased earlier this year, hardly used and in

excellent condition. Ideal for use in domestic and commercial situations. Reason for sale: alternative full-time

employment. Total cost new: approximately £6882.00 inc VAT. Equipment is practically new, so looking to recover as

much of original value as possible. This is a great opportunity to get a discount on some excellent equipment. Please call

me any time on 07850 881135 or email on mikefolkes@hotmail.co.uk

MACHINERY FOR SALE Scorpion Triple Vac 500psi extraction machine.3 years old.

150ft x 2" vacuum hose + 75ft solution pipe. £800 + vat. Call 01934 750977. Bristol

CITROEN RELAY / BLUELINE THERMAL WAVE HP TRUCKMOUNT

Double your income with the latest in carpet cleaning technology. Excellent condition. 5 years young. Very low hours - just 1835. True dual wand capability. 3,000 psi.

Includes these bonuses: carpet wand, detailer hand tool, SX12, SX7 hard floor tools, turbo dryer, battery power

sprayer, 2 large pump up sprayers, Geko hard floor tool and Geko hard floor wand, jet wash lance with power head, hp

jet wash high pressure hose reel, Alltec spotting kit. Call Right Now on: 07711 454402

page 34

The Association advises that all goods are checked to be in a satisfactory condition, and comply to electrical and health

and safety standards, etc. It is recommended that equipment serial numbers should be checked to ensure the seller is the legitimate owner. The Association accepts no responsibility or liability arising from any transaction or dispute between

the buyer and seller.

NCCA Member Benefits

+ Amicus Legal Ltd (free legal helpline):

+ SiteWizard (website creation)

+ EMJ Management Ltd (workwear clothing and accessories):

+ Brian James (Marketing Consultant):

+ Thompson Local (Ask for Corporate Advertsing Department)

+ Yellow Pages (Ask for Corporate Advertising Department)

Adalante Merchant Services

Payatrader

01206 366500

08450 608860

02392 434650

08450 608860

01252 390385

0808 100 7890

+

+

01628 820500

www.payatrader.com

NCCA ShopThe NCCA has a number of items to order by members. Below are some of the more popular items purchased. For a full list of merchandise please visit the website on: www.ncca.co.uk. Orders may be placed online, or you can contact the NCCA office on: 0116 271 9550.

+ PAS86 Code of Practice

+ Carpet Care Survey Forms (Pad of 100)

+ NCCA Lapel Pin Badge

+ Large NCCA Van Sticker (21x7 inches approx)

+ Small NCCA Van/Machine Sticker (12x3 inches approx)

+ Promotional Leaflet

+ NCCA Tie

All prices include VAT and Postage and packaging. A receipt invoice will be sent by the office. Please allow 21 days for delivery. Goods will not be sent until payment is received.

£40.00 each

£19.50 each or £50 for 3

£3.00 each

Pack of 2 for £17.63

£2.50 each

10p each (under 500), 8.5p each (500 and over)

£12.93 each

NCCA Associate Members

+ Alltec Network:

+ Amtech UK:

+ Ashby's Cleaning Equipment:

+ Asset Finance Solutions UK Ltd:

+ Bio Productions Ltd (inc. Stapro):

+ Camberford Law (insurance brokers):

+ Chemdry UK:

+ Chemspec Europe Ltd:

+ Cleanerswarehouse Ltd:

+ Cleaning Support Ltd:

+ Cleaning Systems UK:

+ Cleansmart Ltd:

+ Cleantec Innovation Ltd:

+ Dri-Eaz:

+ Dry Fusion UK Ltd:

+ Forum of Private Business:

+ Gleaming Insurance (insurance brokers):

+ Hi-Tec Cleaning Group:

+ Host Von Schrader Ltd:

+ Hydro Dynamix:

+ LTT Leathercare:

+ McGregor Lloyd (insurance brokers):

+ Nu Life Stone Care Ltd:

+ Prochem Europe Ltd:

+ Rainbow International:

+ Restoration Express:

+ ServiceMaster Ltd:

+ Sebo UK Ltd:

+ Stainshield Ltd:

+ Textile Cleaning Solutions:

+ The Big Clean:

+ Truvox International Ltd:

+ Vitec Global:

+ Woodbridge Comercial Ltd:

01763 208222 (C/M/F/T)

0845 130 4755 (C/M)

01322 227806 (C/M/E)

01254 584404 (FI)

01444 244000 (C)

0208 315 5000 (I)

01482 872770 (C/M/Fr)

01274 597333 (C/M/T/D/F)

01772 434333 (T/C/R/M)

0844 8482371 (C/M/W)

01334 656787 (C/M/T/F)

0115 8240034 (T/C/R/M/K)

0870 733 7733 (T/C/W/M)

01908 611211 (C/M/T)

01772 433711 (C/M/T/W/Fr)

01565 634467

0845 4740068 (I)

02866 341416 (C/E/F/M/T)

0151 347 1900 (M/C)

01622 664993 (Fr)

01423 881027 (T)

0121 706 0616 (I)

0161 480 7284 (M/C)

0208 974 1515 (C/F/M/T)

01623 422488 (M/C/Fr)

01252 726106 (M/C/T/A)

0116 275 9000 (M/C/Fr)

01494 465533 (M)

01372 841467 (C)

01934 521155 (M/C)

0208 3934778 (M,C,W,K)

02380 702200 (M)

02392 666053 (C)

01279 422220 (C/M)

C - Chemicals / M - Machinery / W - Wholesalers / Fr - Franchises / I - Insurance / K - Marketing / T - Technical Services / F - Fire Retardents / A - Auxiliary Services (Restoration Cleaners) / E - Supply/Repair of Curtains and Blinds / Fi - Finance

page 35

The 37 carpet and upholstery related words and terms have all been hidden in the grid below. They have been printed across

(backwards or forwards), up or down, or diagonally, but always in a straight line. You can use the letters in the diagram more than

once.

Word searchWord searchAcid

Alkaline

Axminster

Bonnet Buffing

Burn Test

Carpet

Coir

Dralon

Dry Foam

Dry / Powder

Extraction

Fabrics

Fire / and Flood

Jute

Latex

Loom

Man Made Fibres

NCCA

Ozone

PH Test

Pre Spray

Rinse

Rugs

Shag Pile

Shrinkage

Silk

Sisal

Solvent

Spotting Kit

Survey

Training

Truck Mount

Tufted

Twist Pile

Vacuuming

Wilton

Wool

just

for fun!