Within a couple of days of the above date we were contacted on three separate occasions for one of our service engineers to undertake a “Health Check” on finishers subsequent to visits from Environmental Health Officers. Whether this is the start of a crackdown on the repair trade or simply a coincidence we have no way of knowing.

In each of the cases the Environmental Health Officer was concerned about the rate of extraction the finishers were producing. This is a problem best resolved by the following actions: -

• Hourly pulls on the bag shaker cable
• Nightly emptying of the dust draw
• Annual maintenance checks
• Replacement of the filter bag every couple of years

At present these visits (in Oxford, North London and South Yorkshire) have generated friendly advice from the Officers who are interested in the repairer’s long-term health and well being. A “Softly Softly” approach presently seems to be the order of the day.

If you would like for one of our trained service engineers to perform a “Health Check” on your machinery please contact Nick on 01536 486 101 or at [email protected] or communicate with us through the “Contact Us” section of the website.

The purpose of the “Health Check” is to make sure that your machinery is operating at its peak efficiency.

• To ensure the extraction system is working well
• To check that the machine isn’t too noisy
• Make sure the bearings, and drive belts are in good order
• General Safety of the machine and the operation
• Suggest if cutters or bands need replacing etc.

We will send you a report detailing the work done and include the extraction reading in metres per second and the noise (dBA) rating. The report will also advise what additional work the machine may require. Of course, you are under no obligation to have this work done, but bear in mind the increasing notice your local Environmental Health Officer may be taking of your business.