Sterilizers & Autoclaves News

Bridget Faulkenberry, city environmental health manager, said that updating the tattoo ordinance in Lubbock is important because the old ordinance did not address body piercing. The ordinance is over 22 years old. It’s long way out of date. We needed to be in line with the times and with the state ordinance.

Spend a little time at a tattoo and piercing parlor, and it is quite obvious that times have changed. Earlobe piercing or a rose tattoo is no longer considered rebellious, and rebels are now moving onto more extreme measures.

In response to emerging trends in body piercing, its demerits, the opposition towards it in the society all into consideration, the Lubbock City Council approved a new ordinance, which prohibits extreme body art. It will go into effect from Aug. 1.

According to the ordinance, extreme body art is defined as any surgical procedure where many layers of skin or muscle are passed through with an object, such as a piece of jewelry. Extreme body modification trends including pocketing, or skin stapling, tongue splitting, uvula piercing and eyelid piercing have made their way to society’s forefront.

Though most extreme forms of body modification do not run rampant in Lubbock. But the goal of Faulkenberry was to prevent future piercing issues. And was trying to stay ahead of the curve. The updated tattoo and piercing ordinance also lowers the minimum age requirement to receive a tattoo or piercing from 21 to 18 years old.

Because extreme body modification is prohibited by the new ordinance, Bridget Faulkenberry believes that an influx of young people who will experiment with body art will be reduced by a significant amount in near future as that the age requirement has been lowered.

The new ordinance focuses on the danger in sanitation issues. According to the new ordinance, tattoo and piercing artists are exempted from the requirement to be tested for communicable diseases before they receive a permit. It is very unlikely that a tattoo artist will pass a communicable disease to a client during tattooing.

But this ordinance emphasizes that, the tattoo parlors will be required to perform spore tests on autoclaves once a month to prevent the transmission of blood-borne pathogens, such as hepatitis, HIV etc. An autoclave is a machine that sanitizes needles and other equipment. Spore tests determine whether the autoclave is working properly.

Wade Estepp, manager and piercer at Inkfluence, said requiring spore testing every month is a good idea because requiring frequent inspections will ensure autoclaves not only heat up to the correct temperatures but also that they work on the proper chemical level.

Lubbock City Councilman Gary Boren said that, some extreme piercings could have long-term consequences, affecting one’s employment opportunities or health later in life. Although the new ordinance will help cut down on health concerns, he hopes tattoo and piercing parlor patrons insure procedures are done in a safe manner.

As far as self-expression, Boren, expressed that people have the right to make their own choices whether it means piercing or tattooing their bodies or wearing unique clothing, but he said he hopes people will think before modifying their bodies. People make their own choice are solely responsible for them.

Surgical technologists at Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD) are hospital corpsmen who have completed a challenging seven-month program in surgical technique. They undergo both technical and practical training at NMCSD, which prepares them to work in operating rooms anywhere.

Surgical technologists are integral members of the surgical team that includes surgeons, anesthesiologists and registered nurses. The surgical technologist, or “scrub” role is extremely important for surgical procedures that are to be safely and efficiently performed. These highly skilled personnel are quick thinkers, anticipating the technical needs of many surgeons. They must always be ready to pass any one of thousands of specialized instruments used in multiple surgical specialties, such as orthopedic, thoracic or vascular surgery.

Surgical technologists set up highly technical equipment necessary for specific cases, such as endoscopes, video cameras, drills, tourniquets and patient positioning devices. They are very knowledgeable about human anatomy and various sutures, drains and dressing materials. They help nurses track blood loss and perform sponge and needle counts throughout surgeries to ensure patient safety.

In addition to passing surgical instruments during surgery, surgical technologists are responsible for the decontamination and maintenance of hundreds of surgical sets. They are experts in aseptic technique, infection prevention and environmental disinfection. They can operate various sterilizers, or autoclaves, according to particular manufacturer’s requirements.

In addition to their daily responsibilities, military surgical technologists have collateral duties, such as ordering supplies, providing peer training and orienting new staff. Surgical technologists cope with risks not found in other jobs, such as exposure to disease, chemicals, stress inherent in emergent cases, and more recently, the risk of gunfire as they provide surgical support to Marines overseas.

They say that, they enjoy their jobs because they work right there in the operating room along side the surgeons and nurses, something other corpsman don’t get to do. They are proud of themselves as they provide a vital service to the Navy and Marine Corps team, says HM3 Maribel Rey.

The scrub role is vital in military medicine, especially in operational settings, aboard ships, near battlefields and within fleet hospitals. The medical and nursing staff at NMCSD appreciate and salute these versatile, valuable personnel without whom this command could not enable the thousands of surgical cases safely performed each year. The week of Sept. 19-25 is the time when our nation salutes surgical technologists.

STS duoTEK stands for Sterilization Technical Services Inc. was established in 1978. It started as a contract sterilizer of medical devices and provider of related testing services. duoTEK, a firm that specialized in packing and assembly of medical devices STS in 1991 purchased duoTEK. STS duoTEK was successful and operates three manufacturing and laboratory facilities in Rochester.

Ethox Corp is a medical products manufacturing company. It makes and sells more than 80 hospital products for emergency rooms and nursing homes. Buffalo-based Ethox Corp. has acquired STS duoTEK Inc. But the transaction amount was not undisclosed.

STS duoTEK, company has 95 employees rendering services over years. A majority of them will be offered positions by the company’s new owner. Members of the Henrietta-based firm’s management team already have accepted positions at Ethox.

Lynn Martin, executive vice president of STS duoTEK stated that, the corporate cultures of Ethox and STS duoTEK are very much alike. Both have similar philosophies about meeting customer needs with the right combination of people, products and services. Martin is expected to take on the role of vice president and business unit manager at Ethox.

Ethox officials have agreed that STS duoTEK’s goodwill in the market, vast database of costumers, expertise in microbiology, toxicology and analytical chemistry is an important addition and complement to Ethox’s current service offering.

Thomas Bienias, Ethox president, adds that, “We are combining the best practices, the best science and best people of two great companies to create a stronger offering in the industry”. He expects that, within near future, this merging would result in making the Ethox Company one among the highly reputed firms in the market.

Ethox has its headquarters situated on Seneca Street in Buffalo. It has employees over 200 people. The firm’s main objective was to design and manufacture sterile, disposable medical products. It also provides contract sterilization to a number of hospitals statewide, lab services for medical institutions, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies worldwide.

STERIS Corporation announced on 15 sep, 2004, that it has acquired Albert Browne Limited (Browne), a privately-held manufacturer of chemical indicators based in the United Kingdom (U.K.). This acquisition fits STERIS’s strategic goal of expanding the Company’s offering of consumable products used with its broad line of capital equipment for infection control and decontamination.

STERIS Corporation.

The mission of STERIS Corporation is to provide a healthier today and safer tomorrow through knowledgeable people and innovative infection prevention, decontamination and health science technologies, products and services. The Company’s more than 5,000 dedicated employees around the world work together to supply a broad array of solutions by offering a combination of equipment, consumables and services to healthcare, pharmaceutical, industrial and government customers. The Company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol STE. For more information, visit http://www.steris.com.

Albert Browne Limited (Browne)

Albert Browne Limited was the first company to create a chemical indicator for the sterilization of medical instruments in the 1930s, and has maintained a leading position in the U.K. market through continuous enhancement of their products. Today, Browne sells a complete line of chemical indicators to healthcare facilities in over 70 countries, supported by strong technical and development capabilities, 73 dedicated employees, and a manufacturing facility located in Leicester, England

Chemical indicators are single-use consumables that support a healthcare facility’s quality assurance program by confirming the conditions required for sterilization have been achieved within a sterilizer.

STERIS acquired all of the outstanding shares of Browne for 28.9 million pounds sterling (approximately U.S. $51.6 million), net of 3.2 million pounds in cash acquired at the close of the transaction. The transaction was financed entirely with the Company’s existing cash. For the year ending December 31, 2003, Browne’s revenues were 8.6 million pounds. The transaction is expected to be neutral to STERIS’s earnings in fiscal 2005, and contribute approximately $0.01 to $0.02 to earnings in fiscal 2006.

Les C. Vinney, STERIS’s President and Chief Executive Officer said that, STERIS is unique in its ability to offer integrated customer solutions by combining capital equipment, consumables and service to clean, disinfect, sterilize, transport and store medical devices. This acquisition supports our desire to strengthen our higher margin consumable offering, broadens our technical knowledge, and adds a new channel into the European market. These are key elements of our growth strategy. We welcome the talented employees of Albert Browne and look forward to working with them to enhance the growth in this product line through STERIS’s strong channel in North America where we have more than 1,000 people serving our hospital customers’ needs everyday.

These statements, “forward-looking statements” are described as under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other laws and regulations.

PARKERSBURG - Camden-Clark Memorial Hospital will use around 10 million gallons of water less a year through conservation and contracting services, hospital officials said.

Steve Cockerham, director of engineering at the hospital explained that during the last year, most of the conservation of water is done in the laundry department. All the laundry labor was transferred to laundry services to a private contractor. This simple transfer of work would save about 9 million gallons a year.

Other steps include retrofitting equipment, such as water flow controllers to reduce the overflow of water in the sterilizers. Limiting how often the boilers are blown off to remove impurities also saves considerable amount of water.

The sterilizers, which generally run around the clock, had required a constant flow of water. To avoid overflows, timers were installed to control the flow. This would save 1.4 million gallons a year. That’s little more than $8,000. The installation has already paid for itself. The cost of the equipment and the installation charged $3,600.

Cockerham accepted that the good thing besides the savings is we are not using the water. To remove impurities from the boilers, releasing steam blows off the material. This process is called “blow down”. The boilers are needed to be on constant blow down for them to function properly. Using chemicals to the water to consolidate the impurities cuts blow down process to once in a day. It saves about 150,000 gallons a day.

Camden-Clark averages 40 million gallons of water a year at a cost of about $232,000, spokesman Greg Smith said. Conservation and outsourcing will save about 25 percent in both usage and cost. This would help us to look at ecological and cost savings that would keep the cost of health care lower.

Jill Parsons, director of marketing and community relations at St. Joseph hospital says that they buy equipment with cost savings features, such as sterilizers with flow control valves, which use the least natural resources for the most benefit.

Camden-Clark from April 2002 to March 2003 used 41.6 million gallons of water, according to documents filed with the Parkersburg Utility Board. The hospital used 36.7 million from April 2003 to March 2004 after the water conservation project is taken up. While on the other hand, St. Joseph’s usage was 47.3 million gallons from April 2002 to March 2003 and 48.8 million from April 2003 to March 2004. The comparisons were for the main hospital facilities and physicians office complexes.

According to Clarence Cox, utility board manager, Conservation is good, but there’s another aspect to consider. Like so many things in life, it’s a two-edge sword. The institution is spending and using less water, increasing available capacity of the treatment system in the community, but the utility board loses revenue by the same scale. This would be more beneficial to the utility board if these steps were adopted when there was a water shortage.

Cockerham’s job as engineering director has come up with methods to save such operational costs. He has been more successful in implementing revolutionary ideas, which are beneficiary to the hospital in terms of economy, but also promote the society in some way or the other. He says, “Some are common sense”.

Sterilization of the medical equipment is a worldwide problem to ensure patient safety from the spread of diseases or infections. Various situations demand answers regarding your integrity in using sterilized equipment. To make sure your answers are pleasing and supportive, first you must make yourselves sure before you satisfy others.

Although there is no way to absolutely guarantee the sterility of every instrument you process, there are methods Recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Dental Association (ADA), which are mandated in some states, to monitor the effectiveness of the sterilization process and to identify instrument packages that have been processed through the sterilizer. These sterilization monitoring procedures help ensure patient safety.

Types of Sterilization Monitoring

Sterilization is a process designed to kill all microbes. Because we can’t actually test whether all microbes are killed during the sterilization process, the next best thing is to determine whether the process kills the most resistant microbe, which makes us to assume that all others have been killed as well.

Bacterial spores provide the foundation for the process of sterilization. They have been selected as the most resistant type of microbe, over Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) prion protein, and earmarked as the hallmark of resistance for three reasons:

· Bacterial spores are more resistant than all other disease-producing microbes;

· They are considered non-pathogenic;

· They are more easily handled than CJD prion protein.

The main guarantee for sterilization comes from, demonstrating the death of bacterial spores because it evaluates the process directly using live resistant microorganisms. Using bacterial spores to monitor the sterilization process is referred to as biologic monitoring (or spore-testing). The bacterial spores are referred to as biologic indicators (BIs).

Chemical indicators (CIs) that change color or form when exposed to specific high temperatures or to the sterilizing conditions within a sterilizer. This is referred to as chemical monitoring or process monitoring. Mechanical monitoring involves observing and recording the physical aspects (temperature, pressure, or time) of the cycle when the sterilizer is being operated.

Regulations and Recommendations:

Several state dental boards or state departments of health necessitate periodic spore testing of dental office sterilizers. These agencies include those in California, Florida, Indiana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oregon, and Washington. The CDC recommends spore-testing each dental office sterilizer at least weekly using a matching lot control BI along with performing a mechanical monitoring of every sterilizer load and placing a chemical indicator of every package in the load. The ADA also recommends weekly spore testing of all dental office sterilizers.

Failure to Sterilize:

Heat sterilization failure results when no direct contact occurs between the sterilizing agent (e.g., steam, dry heat, or hot chemical vapors) and all surfaces of the items being processed for the appropriate length of time. For example, improper instrument cleaning may leave debris on the instruments that can insulate underlying microbes from the heat. This inadequate cleaning cannot be detected by sterilization monitoring; therefore, cleaning must be performed very thoroughly. Sterilization monitoring usually can detect improper packaging, loading, timing, and temperature.

Biologic Monitoring:

Types of BIs: BIs contain the bacterial spores used for monitoring. The spores used are Geobacillus stearothermophilus or Bacillus subtilis. Currently, no BIs are available for routine testing of liquid chemical sterilants or disinfectants during use in the office.

Spore strips: BIs are packaged in different varieties, which are one-inch paper strips that contain one or both types of monitoring spores, and enclosed in a protective glassine envelope. After processing through the sterilizer, the strip is aseptically removed from the envelope and placed in a tube of appropriate Tryptic-soy broth medium that in turn is incubated for two to seven days at 55°C/131°F (for G. stearothermophilus) or at 37°C/98.6°F (for B. subtilis). If live bacterial spores still are present, they will grow and produce cloudiness and/or change the color of the growth medium, indicating sterilization failure. Spore strip BIs can be used to monitor all forms of heat sterilization.

Self-contained vial: Another type of BI is a self-contained vial, which comprises both a spore strip or disk and an ampoule filled with growth medium, contained in a plastic vial with a vented cap to permit entrance of the sterilizing agent into the vial. After processing through the sterilizer, either the vial is squeezed or the cap is pushed down to break the internal ampoule, which mixes the growth medium with the spores. The vial is then incubated at 55°C/131°F, and if live bacterial spores still are present, they will grow and change the color of the growth medium, indicating sterilization failure.

Using a BI: Biologic monitoring following manufacturer’s directions for spore testing. If these are not available, place a packed BI in the center of the load to be sterilized. Operate a normal cycle. Retrieve the BI and analyze it for live spores. Be sure to include a control BI, one that is not processed through the sterilizer but otherwise is handled the same way as the test BI. The control should be analyzed along with the test BI that is processed through the sterilizer. The control BI also should yield growth of the spores, thereby confirming that any live bacterial spores present could grow and would be detected.

Analyzing a BI: BIs can be analyzed with an incubator and the appropriate self-contained BIs, or by using a spore strips and broth culture system. The office can subscribe to a sterilization monitoring service that is available commercially. These services will send you the proper BIs, instructions for use, a return envelope for mailing results back to the lab, and a report of the results and will intimate if a sterilization failure is detected along with a reason causing the failure. Many services can confirm a sterilization failure by performing certain microbiological procedures regarded as too difficult to perform in the typical dental office.

Chemical Monitoring:

CI types and uses: The use of CIs that change color or physical form when exposed to certain temperatures ensure chemical monitoring. An external indicator used on the outside of every pack, to indicate that the item has at least been processed through a heat sterilizer. This distinguishes the items that have been heat-processed from those that have not and helps to prevent the accidental clinical use of unprocessed items.

These indicators do not prove whether sterilization has been achieved or even that a complete sterilization cycle has occurred. A sterilizer could heat up to the proper temperature, thereby changing the chemical indicator, and then immediately malfunction. Thus, CIs are commonly called process indicators. CI, an integrated indicator, changes color or form more slowly, and responds to a combination of time and temperature or to a process involving time, temperature, and the presence of steam. Integrated indicators commonly are used on the inside of every pack to ensure that the instruments inside the packaging material all have been exposed to sterilizing conditions.

Analysis of CIs: One helpful aspect of chemical monitoring is that the results are available immediately, either as soon as the package is removed from the sterilizer or right after the package is opened. This is unlike biologic monitoring, which requires two to seven days of incubation before results are known.

Mechanical Monitoring:

Observe the machine’s dials and gauges and listen as it functions to make sure it sounds normal. Be watchful and wary during sterilizer operation. Although some sterilizers have recording devices that document these physical parameters of time and temperature for each cycle, handwritten records of the date, run number, time, temperature, and pressure will suffice.

Sterilization failure: Now what?

Be prepared for sterilization failure. In the case of a positive spore test or if the CIs did not properly change color, take the sterilizer out of service and review your office procedures in packaging, loading, and sterilizer operation. Investigating such a failure takes time, so have a back-up sterilizer ready to run while the office analyzes the failed process.

If the sterilizer itself is deemed faulty, be aware that any items processed through the sterilizer may not be sterile. Review chemical and mechanical monitoring results to help determine when the problem may have occurred. Retrieve any items from suspect loads, and re-package and re-sterilize these items in a properly working sterilizer. Repeat the spore test in the suspect sterilizer, using proper sterilization and monitoring procedures; be sure to include chemical indicators in the repeat run. If this spore test’s results read negative and the CIs change appropriately, you may return the sterilizer to service.

If the repeat spore test is positive or the CIs do not properly change, and you have confirmed that the packaging, loading, and operating procedures were performed correctly, contact your sterilizer repair service for unit repair or replacement. The unit should be spore-tested under normal operating procedures and achieve a negative result before either a repaired or a new sterilizer is placed into service.

Ensure safety:

When it comes to instrument processing and sterilization, use all three methods of monitoring—mechanical, chemical, and biologic—to help ensure patient safety. Mechanically monitor each sterilizer load and chemically monitor each package in each load. Biologically monitor every sterilizer at least once a week. Be sure to keep accurate records on all monitoring.

Of the three methods, biologic monitoring is regarded as the most valid for monitoring the sterilization process, for it uses live, highly resistant bacterial spores. Chemical monitoring uses heat-sensitive or heat-time-steam-sensitive chemicals that change color and may help to immediately detect certain sterilizer malfunctions and help to earmark procedural problems.

The use of mechanical monitoring by observing the time, temperature and pressure of sterilizer cycles may provide early detection of a mechanical problem. Keep in mind that effective sterilization helps you reach the ultimate goal of proper instrument processing—delivering sterile instruments to chair side.

Wade Estepp, piercing artist, on a quest for a summer job seven years ago, received a rude answer saying that is not his typical type of job. But became manager of piercing at Inkfluence, a tattoo and piercing parlor in Lubbock. He said that it turned out to be a better job than expected. People are here to have fun to have a positive experience.

Brittany Chriswell, a freshman pre-nursing major from Aspermont, came on a whim with some friends to get her tongue pierced. She said it sounded like fun. It was a spontaneous thing. I felt like inflicting some more pain upon myself. After her procedure, Chriswell said she felt calm and was surprised by how well she handled the situation. There was a little pain, but not as bad as I thought,” she said. “It’s a good experience.

Chriswell is not alone in her impulsive decision to express herself through piercing. Because of the rise in interest in body piercing, the City of Lubbock Health Department will make a move toward modifying existing tattoo and other body modification standards.

Bridget Faulkenberry, the environmental health manager for the Lubbock Health Department, added that Lubbock Health Department has a very outdated ordinance and it doesn’t even address piercing because in 1982, body piercing was not as popular as it is today. It’s high time we update this ordinance, and it will benefit all tattoo and body piercing patrons to ensure safety.

Necessary steps are being taken to bring together for a meeting with the state inspections board, people from Texas Tech and owners of tattoo and piercing parlors. Various suggestions and modifications from these people will be taken into consideration to enhance the ordinance. Amendments are given back to the health department for further scrutiny before it is presented to the Lubbock City Council. Any change in an ordinance requires two readings by the Council.

There are some changes that relate to sanitation and the prevention of transmission of blood-borne pathogens, such as hepatitis, HIV etc. We’re going to require that spore tests to be performed on autoclaves once a month.

An autoclave is a machine that sanitizes needles and other equipment. Spore tests determine whether the autoclave is working properly. Requiring spore testing every month is a good idea, Estepp said, because requiring inspections often will ensure that autoclaves not only heat up to the correct temperatures but also that they work on the proper chemical level.

The city, for what it’s worth, can help bring local concerns to the state’s attention. The city ordinance pertaining to tattoos says the consenting age limit is 21, while the state ordinance differs and limits the consenting age to 18 years. Faulkenberry said the health department is aiming to smooth out the discrepancy.

She wants it to be 18 years, keeping in mind that minors are more prone to have gang related tattoos. A judge can order a minor to remove or cover up an existing tattoo. Some of the changes like parental guidance as well as written consent is must when minors are tattooed.

Estepp said that is parlor Inkfluence already abides by the state age limit. When in case of minors, he tries to make doubly sure parent consent is given. For a minor to get a tattoo or piercing, he or she must have written parental permission and proper identification, and requires and insists parents be present as well.

His parlor is well aware of the safety precautions for the well being of his customers and proudly say that we currently exceed many of the standards set by the state. “I’d be surprised if the city surpassed the state standards”, he added.

ReCycled Refuse International (RCR) is an U.K. based company has put a proposal before the Barbados government that with their help, Barbados could reduce contributions to the landfill by about 95 per cent and generate electricity in the process.

RCR, operates a number of sanitization plants in Wales, Northern Ireland, Brazil and Malaysia and in many others countries. It is contracted to build five plants in South Africa, and is negotiating projects in other countries including Iran, Lebanon and Israel.

Barbadian businessman, James Elliot of Ellco Rentals Ltd. and RCR together has submitted a proposal to government that, if accepted, would involve in setting up of a partnership between government and the company to build and operate a waste sanitization and separation plant.

Elliot explained to the Barbados Association of Professional Engineers, at a meeting, that the plant would use Steam Treatment and Generation (STAG) technology to reduce the volume of garbage reaching the landfill in two ways. First by reducing the actual volume of garbage and then using the remnants to create the fuel to produce the electricity. The plant would also be a net exporter of water. As a result, once it has passed the initial stages the plant would be self-sufficient, in terms of energy and water.

This sanitization plant would accept garbage of all types and by steaming it in steam autoclaves at a temperature if 160°c for about 90 minutes would reduce it to one sixth of its original volume. The process would also serve to sanitize the waste. An estimated 65 per cent of waste will be organic, which, once steamed, can then be converted into a fuel capable of generating electricity.

The STAG system is said to exceed Kyoto protocol requirements for waste disposal. The other main benefit of the system includes non-necessity of sorting waste at source. After the steaming process recyclables can be separated.

Elliot explained to the government that it would not have to invest anything initially. RCR would establish itself independently, but with the objectives of government in mind. This does not mean that government will be passive in the waste management process. The overall authority and command would be in the hands of the government.

On the contrary government involvement in the operation of the plant would be ideal. The problem of unemployment would be solved to some extent, as the intake would be around 35 depending on the level of mechanization. The proposal was submitted in 2002, adding that government has employed consultants to review the proposal and are actively considering it. If the proposal is approved, it takes about two years to for the plant to be constructed and be functional.

It was only after surfer Ed Larenas and his friends emerged from the water at Linda Mar Beach in Pacifica, one recent winter, they realized the Warning, that these Waters are contaminated. Pollution levels in coastal waters fluctuate so wildly that any significant delay in monitoring and reporting can misrepresent the status of the beach.

Frustrated by contamination warnings of the County water testing board mandated by the law, which offer too little information too late, Larenas and fellow members of the San Mateo County chapter of the Surfrider Foundation this week opened a water quality testing lab in El Granada, near Half Moon Bay.

In fact, San Mateo County so welcomed the effort that it donated the space for a lab. Surfers raised $10,000 to transform the vermin-infested garage into a clean, well-lighted lab with incubators, autoclaves and other equipment. Samples are analyzed for bacteria like E.coli and enterococcus, both of which can cause illness.

This lab is the latest of about two-dozen such facilities created and run by members of the Surfrider Foundation. It is a national, non-profit organization working to preserve oceans and beaches. The Santa Cruz chapter, opened in 1991, monitors as many as 20 sites weekly in its lab.

Volunteers plan to sample and analyze seawater in the lab every Monday, then promptly post the results on the group’s Web site, in local surf shops, newspapers and other public locations. Test results also will be entered in a database, to detect any trends in future.

Because the lab is so close to the beach, the turnaround time is faster than county water testing, information can get to those who need it, surfers and swimmers. By testing and publicizing water quality - good or bad - Surfrider members seek to keep people healthy. But their larger goal, which they aim at, is that; they want to draw attention to the predicament of ocean pollution. They ultimately want to inspire more aggressive protection and safety measures regarding the Ocean Pollution.

David Beckman, who directs the Coastal Water Quality Project for the National Resources Defense Council, says that, they can get accurate water quality information to beachgoers, which helps raise the level of awareness about contaminated water.

The Coastal officials are accused for not doing their job. The problem is that water quality officials in San Mateo County, like those in Santa Cruz and other coastal counties statewide, have too much to do, with too little money.

Scott Boyd of the Sewer Authority Mid-Coast, the local agency responsible for treating and discharging wastewater said that, getting beaches posted earlier would be a real benefit In recent years, local beaches have been plagued by repeated closings, usually caused by runoff of animal waste and leaking septic tanks.

Half Moon Bay Mayor Mike Ferreira said that, he has never seen a more effective use of government funding and property. It’s a wonderful leverage of a small amount of money, thanks to lots of volunteers. It’s real-time testing of the beaches, for nothing. The Surfrider volunteers include a biochemist, a professor of biology at San Francisco State University, a land use planner and several engineers.

Tim Duff, Surfrider lab volunteer and Coastal Conservancy employer said that; though Surfrider an independent group and difficult to organize, they came forward to do something like this, and this something which makes all the difference.

Australian scientists have developed a breakthrough in Concrete Technology that is low-cost, lightweight. This Technology is set to lower costs and speed up construction projects from residential homes to high-rise buildings. HySSIL Pty Ltd is in active discussions with manufacturers in Australia, South East Asia, the USA and China.

HySSIL, which stands for High-Strength, Structural, Insulative, Lightweight Technology was developed by CSIRO in conjunction with CMR Energy Technologies (CMRET). CMR Energy Technologies is a wholly owned subsidiary of CMR Consultants (Australia) Pty Ltd. This Organization is established to undertake research, development and commercialization of new energy-related technologies.

HySSIL panels are manufactured using a new low energy process developed by CSIRO Novel Materials & Processes. Dr Swee Liang Mak, who leads the HySSIL development team at CSIRO, adds that HySSIL is a revolutionary aerated cementitious (cement-based) product that is as strong as normal concrete but is only half as heavy. It provides up to five times the thermal insulation of concrete. It is also impact and fire resistant.

HySSIL as a platform technology for the development of a wide range of new products, including both structural and non-structural elements such as walls, roof tiles, floor systems, decks and noise barrier panels.

HySSIL wall panels are also expected to offer significant cost advantages over existing products. Significant savings are achieved because CSIRO HySSIL technology uses readily available raw materials in smaller quantities and the-low cost and low-energy technology.

Unlike conventional processes in the Construction Industry, which are used to manufacture aerated products, HySSIL production does not require expensive autoclaves (curing equipment). This means there are significant savings on the cost of start-up manufacturing plant for HySSIL.

HySSIL also offers the extra bonus of being easily recyclable. The use of lightweight building materials such as HySSIL will contribute to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. This is achieved by, increasing the energy efficiency of buildings and reducing the energy used during transportation and construction. HySSIL wall panels are light enough to assemble on site without the need for heavy lifting equipment.

HySSIL panels are expected to be a competitive alternative to bricks, blocks, prefabricated wall panels, precast wall panels, aerated lightweight blocks and similar product currently used in the world wide building and construction industry.

An AusIndustry R&D START grant supported the applied research phase of HySSIL. CMRET has established a company called HySSIL Pty Ltd. with Applied Construction Technologies (ACT), a researcher, developer and marketer of advanced building, construction and engineering technologies in Australia and the Asia Pacific region.

HySSIL Pty Ltd is licensed by CSIRO to exploit the HySSIL technology worldwide for building applications. Colin Knowles, a director of HySSIL Pty Ltd, expresses that the company is focusing initially on the massive US$125 billion per annum global construction market. Our strategy is to commercialize the technology through regionally sub-licensing the manufacturers globally.