Hi there all I have only just picked up the weeks histonet news
(currently indulging in a relocation and lots of travelling) and have
followed the comments on copper plumbing and prefilled pots.

There is one point about pre-filled pots that in all the bits I have
read that people have forgotten about - WATER - these days most places
are metered and hence WATER COSTS MONEY (in Devon UK #163#57 per 1000 litres
in and wait for it #163#157 per 1000 litres out, this can amount to several
thousand pounds over a year if you take into account the cost of washing
the pots, making up the formalin etc.) use that one in your arguements
for costings it really outweighs the costs in staff time for washing and
filling pots.  (However you will find it very hard to get the money
saved on the water costs transferred in to any relevant budget)

With regard to copper plumbing and plastic waste pipes I would like to
mention By Law 30 for the UK people concerning the connection of
laboratory equipment to mains taps without fitting a Class A or Class B
water trap to the INLET system to prevent back siphoning - this is a
small cistern like unit that costs #163#900 and prevents the incredibly
"unlikely" possibility of someone else in the building turning on a tap
and obtaining a nice cup of the contents of your special stain water
bath. This is apparently not being widely disseminated by Water Boards
but they will prosecute and fine. Currently I am lead to believe this
only applies to new equipment being installed but I am unsure as to the
retrospective aspects of NEW equipment.

All the best 
Nigel Kenneison
RD&E Devon UK

In message <199905071208.NAA23914@gateway.nayrshire.scot.nhs.uk>, Alex
Brown <AlexB@nayrshire.scot.nhs.uk> writes
>Hi Kerry,
>       Never experienced copper waste pipes before, only our inlet
>pipework is copper. I would have thought that small quantities of
>chemicals flushed away with plenty of water wouldn't have too much
>effect on the copper. I would imagine the danger would be if large
>volumes are flushed down the sinks or if they accumulate in any waste
>traps. The idea of a mixing vat under the sink is a fearful thought
>however. Presumably it would be constantly  monitored for its
>effectiveness ??????.
>       All the waste pipes from the lab sinks here are made of glass,
>leading into plastic once they leave the lab area. Previous places I've
>worked used plastic waste pipes.
>       Hope this helps,
>               Alex Brown
>               Crosshouse Hospital
>               Kilmarnock, Scotland.
>P.S.  Might be a good time to increase your accident/life insurance  :#172#)
>
> ----------
>From: bbracing
>To: Histonet
>Subject: Mike (DU)  re Copper Plumbing
>Date: 31 March 1999 04:50
>
>Thanks Mike
>Your comments are greatly appreciated, as I have been trying to get
>things changed over to plastic, with little success, and this will add
>more ammunition to my case against copper plumbing.  Again, if any one
>else in Histoland,  has any experience or concerns with the use of
>copper plumbing in the drain systems, of a Histology/Cytology Lab I
>would like to hear from you, as your comments would help build  my case
>against this system, as I don't think any one here is taking me very
>seriously, and I think, that they wish I would just go back to my
>Microtome and leave the thinking to them..
>Many thanks
>Kerry Beebe ART
>Kelowna Gen Hosp
>Canada
>bbracing@silk.net
>
>
>

-- 
N Kenneison