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Environmental Award
Intatec has been awarded another ISO accreditation, this time ISO14001, the international quality standard for environmental management. In practical terms, this means that the company has tailored its activities products and services to create minimal environmental impact.
Commercial Director Cynthia Fisher said; “Environmental issues and safety are the two key concerns of our business, with our range of anti-scald bath and shower equipment and a range of valves that govern flow rates for water conservation. We have always taken our own environmental responsibility seriously and several years ago underwent some significant changes to the way we work to achieve Carbon Neutral status. This latest accreditation was a lot less difficult to achieve, as we’d been actively conscious of how our business impacts the environment and had taken steps to minimise any negative effects.”
“What an ISO accreditation does, in effect, is tests your working methods against pre-determined criteria, giving you the chance to alter any practices, products or procedures to comply with environmental best practice. Thinking back, the work towards achieving Carbon Neutral was a challenge for all of us, as well as being an eye opener as a company and as a group of individuals, highlighting just how wasteful we were. I like to think that now, our environmental efforts not only benefit us as a company, but also members of the community who are able to implement some of the energy and environmentally positive practices in our own homes.”
“We would encourage other companies to look at the impact they have on the environment, not only for altruistic reasons, but also because of the long term financial benefits environmental responsibility can bring.”
Intatec also has a sister company, IntaEco which supplies equipment for the installation of solar heating and ground source heating systems.
Images from Healthcare Estates 2009
Intatec looks forward to meeting you at our next exhibition and to make sure you can find us, here are a couple of shots of what our stand looks like.
Call for anti-scald in HIPS
Anti-scald tap, valve and shower manufacturer Intatec has called upon the government to bring in extra measures, ensuring that the spirit of upcoming changes to building regulations will be taken seriously by the trade. Additions to building regulations come into force on October 1st and will mean that newly built bathrooms will have to have anti-scald valves fitted to baths, with the intention of preventing some of the 20 deaths and almost 600 serious injuries caused by bathtime scalding each year.
Posted on 04 October 2009Showered with wine
A bathroom centre in Derby received a surprise visit from an Intatec mystery shopper last month, to check that the company’s sales materials and displays were all being used to good effect.
The sales team at Willbond demonstrated a good knowledge of Inta showers and also had product and promotional materials on display.
Inta’s mystery shopper programme has been created to encourage merchants and retailers to make the most of the sales collateral provided for them. Those coming up to scratch are rewarded with wine and beer.
Commenting on current trends in showering, Kirsty Cooper one of Willbond’s showroom advisors said; “We’re finding that people are going for fixed head showers, combined with exposed piping for ease of installation. The Inta Infiniti is a favourite, but it needs a good sized shower enclosure to do it justice.”
“We’re delighted to be rewarded for using our sales materials properly – after all, that’s what it’s there for, to help us to sell bathrooms.”
“As well as good product, good service and availability are important for us to be able to confidently sell a shower and that’s what we get from Inta.”
Intatec’s Steve Boyd looks after customers in the Midlands area. He said; “It’s good to see marketing materials used properly. Willbond’s showroom attractively sets out a good selection of showers. The displays allow customers to choose not only on product appearance, but also on performance.”
“Most manufacturers, including Intatec, spend a considerable amount on displays and point of sale, and all too often showrooms and trade counters don’t display materials properly. As a result they just sell the same old thing or whatever has worked its way to the top of the pile.”
“A well thought out showroom like Willbond’s and a well informed sales team gives the customer genuine choice of products and must make everyone’s job a little easier.”
Posted on 04 October 2009Manufacturer calls for anti-scald HIPs
Anti-scald tap, valve and shower manufacturer Intatec has called upon the government to bring in extra measures, ensuring that the spirit of upcoming changes to building regulations will be taken seriously by the trade. Additions to building regulations come into force on October 1st and will mean that newly built bathrooms will have to have anti-scald valves fitted to baths, with the intention of preventing some of the 20 deaths and almost 600 serious injuries caused by bathtime scalding each year.
According to Cynthia Fisher, Commercial Director of Intatec, similar regulations which came into force in Scotland more than 2 years ago haven’t resulted in any significant increase in anti-scald installations. She said; “Research we carried out in Glasgow and Edinburgh showed that where they could, installers avoided fitting anti-scald valves, we suspect because of additional expense. This is possible by exploiting loopholes in the regulation.”
“We are asking the government to include information on hot water safety in Home Information Packs (HIPs), as a way of introducing anti-scald to the public, which we hope will encourage installers to fit the valves.”
The call was backed by Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change and MP for Stafford, David Kidney in a visit to the firm’s Stafford premises . He said; “The new anti-scald legislation will be important in beginning to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries, but it can only work where anti-scald valves are fitted. I have heard claims of loopholes in the Scottish legislation and I believe that we must make sure that the legislation for England and Wales is followed in spirit as well as the letter of the law.”
Intatec have identified that anti-scald valves are sometimes not fitted as they should be, in situations where the work is not subject to scrutiny by a building inspector. Making anti-scald information available on individual properties when a home changes hands is thought to be a good solution to bringing the need for anti-scald devices into the public consciousness.
David Kidney added; “Including information on the anti-scald devices fitted to a home within a Home Information Pack should encourage the valves to be fitted where necessary.”
The regulations also include recommendations on the overall use of water in the home, restricting it to 125 litres per day per person. Requiring information on whether a home complies with this in a HIP should have a similar effect of highlighting the requirement to the public.
Cynthia Fisher concluded; “We have made great efforts to introduce anti-scald to the trade, but to get the whole concept into British homes, making them safer, it needs some pull from the public. In the absence of funding for a big publicity campaign, this should be a good way of making an impact.”
Posted on 14 September 2009