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Take up the offer of a free audit
Cleaning contractors, facilities managers and other buyers of soft tissue products or plastic refuse sacks concerned about the quality of their purchase can call the Cleaning & Hygiene Suppliers Association (CHSA) for a free audit. This service, also available to distributors, is provided by Gordon Butt, the CHSA’s auditor of the Manufacturing Standard Accreditation Scheme.
The Manufacturing Standard Accreditation Scheme covers soft tissue products, plastic refuse sacks and industrial cotton mops. It is supported by all the major manufacturers in the industry, each of whom has passed the CHSA’s stringent auditing process. The scheme sets out labelling and dimensional requirements and a system of production control and inspection that ensures accurate product description and so guarantees:
• consistency of supply - customers receive what they order.
• accurate labelling - customers get what they pay for.
• fully audited manufacturers - CHSA standard, your guarantee.
Graham Fletcher, general secretary of the CHSA, explained: “If you can't see the CHSA Scheme logo on the pack, or are not buying tissue or plastic refuse sacks from a registered member, there is a greater chance you may be getting less than you bargained for. Should you suspect any of your products of being short measure please contact us and we can arrange for free product testing. It’s easy and costs you nothing. Simply visit www.freetissueaudit.co.uk to have a soft tissue product audited or www.freesackaudit.co.uk for plastic refuse sacks.
Complete the online form and we will come back to you straight away to begin the audit process. With the results, buyers and distributors have the information they need to make sure they are not ripped off by the unscrupulous manufacturers who have chosen to remain outside the scheme.”
Gordon Butt, who previously worked for the Trading Standards Service, uses a number of techniques to audit the products and make sure the labelling accurately reflects the content. These include a calibrated rewinder, a gravimetric test and unrolling the product onto a flat surface of known measurement - he selects the one most suited for the product in question. All these methods are specified in the standard.
