What is accreditation?  In essence, accreditation is a tool for ensuring the competence of a business to carry out one or more specified task.  Accreditation provides assurance that a business operates to a recognized standard, and are competent to deliver a consistently reliable and professional service.  Accredited certification also offers market differentiation and shows credible evidence of best practice.

Accreditation is something that businesses are choosing to seek to improve operations and provide customer confidence.  The NFPPC are now able to provide a Compliance Certificate, this certificate is based on the old EA permit and therefore any Pet Crematorium who has held an EA permit will have very little difficulty in meeting the requirements of the Compliance Certificate.

After a meeting, discussions and correspondence with the EA, DEFRA and the AHVLA the NFPPC voluntary Compliance Certificate was born to set out an industry operating standard for pet crematoria throughout the UK the criteria of which exceeds the legal requirements currently laid down, meaning that all pet crematoria holding this Certificate operate to the very highest standards in the UK and their public statement is as follows:
DEFRA and AHVLA acknowledge the value of this National Certification Scheme as provided by The National Federation of Private Pet Crematoria to support operators in meeting “Best Practice” in addition to the requirements of the Animal by-products regulations.

The Compliance Certificate is being made available to all qualifying pet crematoria throughout the UK who wish to provide a professional service, membership to the NFPPC is NOT a condition of application, but they must agree to abide by our Code of Conduct, although this is a voluntary accreditation scheme  we believe it will be of benefit to our industry and provide participating crematoria with a professional accreditation to set them apart from those crematoria who do not wish to meet the high professional standards required.  We are publicizing this scheme both to the BVA, veterinary surgeries and the pet owning public throughout the country so do not delay, please request an application form and we will forward full details of the scheme.

WHAT DEFRA AND THE AHVLA SAY ABOUT THE NFPPC COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE

DEFRA and AHVLA acknowledge the value of this National Certification Scheme as provided by The National Federation of Private Pet Crematoria to support operators in meeting “Best Practice” in addition to the requirements of the Animal by-products regulations.

QUESTION: Why would a pet crematorium not want to hold a nationally recognized qualification i.e., the NFPPC Compliance Certificate????

ANSWER: Although this is voluntary accreditation, the NFPPC Compliance Certificate is a nationally recognized “Best Practice Standard” which acknowledges that a particular pet crematorium work to an excellent quality of service and complies to a standard of “Best Practice”.  Perhaps it should be assumed that a crematorium cannot meet, or does not wish to meet, the high standards required to hold this Certificate.

QUESTION: What does it cover?

ANSWER: The criteria covers all practices which may affect the environment, health and safety issues, working practices (including how pets are cremated and how “other” veterinary waste, if any, is disposed of) services to pet owners, quality of facilities and services offered, a code of conduct and agreed “best practice” the criteria of which exceeds the current legal requirements laid down by the EA, DEFRA and the AHVLA and therefore these crematoria can offer services of the highest standards in the UK.

QUESTION: Does a holder of this certificate guarantee me a better quality of service?

ANSWER: All holders of this certificate have been inspected by the NFPPC and/or the AHVLA and have met and agreed to continue to meet the criteria laid down by the NFPPC including the code of conduct, so we would expect all crematoria holding this certificate to meet the agreed requirements, failure to do so would result in the removal of their certificate so the certificate does provide you with added security as to have a Certificate withdrawn would mean that the crematorium in question has failed to meet the agreed criteria.

QUESTION: What is the Code of Conduct?

ANSWER: ………..Our Members have all AGREED and ENTERED into a  CODE OF CONDUCT and have agreed to hold an Annual Compliance Certificate and voluntarily meet the standards required.
Please note the reference to “Pet” throughout this Code of Conduct may also include any “Animal” and/or “Equine” Pets.  This will allow  you to select a Crematoria of the highest standards providing you with complete peace of mind.

1. ALL NFPPC Members have agreed to offer a dignified personal service to the pet owning public. These services MUST be carried out at the Members own premises however in the event of emergency or breakdown at a fellow Members premises in accordance with the Annual Compliance Certificate.
2. ALL NFPPC Members will ensure they hold the required Annual Compliance Certificate, permissions, licences and or permits and be listed on the AHVLA register to carry out the services being offered at their premises.
3. Each Member will do their very best to ensure that each pet owner understands fully the services being offered and will ensure that the services requested are provided and carried out in accordance with the Clients instructions and in a professional and caring manner.
4. Enquiries by the public and/or veterinary surgeries will be dealt with in an honest and ethical manner and visitors will be treated with compassion at all times.
5. Members will agree to ensure that all pet owners and pets using their facility and services will be treated with care and dignity at all times and owners will be treated with sympathy and care at this sad time.
6. Members may offer a selection of services to the pet owning public and veterinary surgeries which may include (A) Individual Cremation where pets are cremated in such a manner as to ensure that the ashes are contained securely and remain separate from all other animals, allowing the return of ashes to the owner. (B) Group Cremation (usually in conjunction with environmentally friendly disposal), may also be offered to both the public, upon request, and veterinary surgeries, this allows two or more pets to be cremated together with no separation of ashes, in this instance the return of any ashes to an owner is not acceptable as any given sample may include other pet remains. (C) Services available to veterinary practices may include the group cremation of pets together with the collection and disposal of other forms of waste produced at veterinary surgeries.
7. Each Member will ensure that the services they offer are clearly defined and set out to any veterinary surgery with whom they deal and it is then the responsibility of each veterinary surgery to inform their clients of the services they may expect to receive from the crematoria which they use. It is made clear that it is ultimately the sole responsibility of any third party to ensure their clients are properly informed.
8. Members may also make other arrangements with veterinary surgeries in connection with any “waste” products for disposal, this may include SRM and Hazardous Waste, each Member will ensure that they hold an Annual Compliance Certificate and also conform to the correct disposal procedures and hold the required permissions to carry out this additional service.
9. This Code of Conduct is entered into voluntarily.
10. Reported breaches of this Code of Conduct will be investigated and may result in the cancellation of a Compliance Certificate and/or membership to the NFPPC.

Please note that from the 12th December 2010 the Environment Agency are no longer issuing Waste Permits to Pet Crematoria under 50kg per hour and in addition a COTC is not required to be held by April 2012 for sites only cremating cadavers, if you are cremating “other” waste from veterinary surgeries it is necessary to hold a COTC.

All incinerators must now be DEFRA approved and all pet crematoria sites must be approved by the AHVLA. The AHVLA will also now be responsible for all Pet Cemetery Sites, however for sites where ashes are either interred or scattered this is covered by the EA and of course all pet crematoria operate under Trading Standards regulations and requirements.

The Annual Compliance Certificate and Code of Conduct is a National Scheme running throughout the UK and is available to NFPPC members and also NON MEMBERS who would like to participate in this voluntary nationally recognized scheme which ensures  that all pets are handled in the correct manner as owners would expect,  and in addition pet owners should be made fully aware of the services they will receive and how their pet will be treated to ensure peace of mind when handing over their beloved pet into the care of their selected crematorium.  We are pleased to be able to report that we have the full support of DEFRA and the AHVLA in this respect of this voluntary scheme and can confirm their public statement as follows:

DEFRA and AHVLA acknowledge the value of this National Certification Scheme as provided by The National Federation of Private Pet Crematoria to support operators in meeting “Best Practice” in addition to the requirements of the Animal by-products regulations.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE GO TO OUR “COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE” Article

Leaving bodies in a field to rot!!

Most pet owners are by now aware of the terrible story surrounding the Peak Pet Crematorium in Derbyshire where instead of cremating the pets and returning the ashes to their owners, Emma Bent dumped the bodies in a field and left them to rot.

This is a terrible story, but this is not how professional Pet Crematoria operate, most crematoria are operated by committed staff and pet owners who do their very best  for bereaved owners and their pets, but this story only emphasizes the responsibilities that Vet Surgeries and the authorities have to ensure premises are operating in the correct manner, this has not been helped by the fact that the Environment Agency have now ceased to issue Premits or Licences to pet crematoria premises, which in turn means that these unlicensed and unpermited premises are not inspected or encouraged to operate under any Code of Conduct or Permit regulations.

The public must however be assured that ALL members of The Federation of Private Pet Crematoria hold a voluntary National Compliance Certificate and have agreed to operate by our Code of Conduct at all times  LOOK FOR THE LOGO

The Annual Compliance Certificate and Code of Conduct is a voluntary National Scheme running throughout the UK and is available to NFPPC members and also NON MEMBERS who would like to participate in this Nationally recognized scheme, which ensures  that all pets are handled in the correct manner as owners would expect, and in addition that pet owners should be made fully aware of the services they will receive and how their pet will be treated to ensure peace of mind when handing over their beloved pet into the care of their selected crematorium.  We are pleased to be able to report that we have the full support of DEFRA and the AHVLA in this respect and can confirm their public statement as follows:

DEFRA and AHVLA acknowledge the value of this National Certification Scheme as provided by The National Federation of Private Pet Crematoria to support operators in meeting “Best Practice” in addition to the requirements of the Animal by-products regulations.

We must point out however that it is the responsibility of all Veterinary Practices to ensure that pets bodies are “disposed” of in a correct and legal manner and we would also recommend that pet owners ask their vet surgery where they send their pets and either telephone the premises or wherever possible go and check them out for yourself.  No reputable crematorium will object to a pet owner visiting the premises and or asking questions regarding cremation services.  It is of course always safer to use a crematorium who is a member of  The National Federation of Pet Crematoria as this ensure they hold a Compliance Certificate giving a pet owner peace of mind that they are selecting a pet crematorium who abides by a strict code of conduct.

We fully support the advice given by the press to pet owners that if they are quoted a price of less than £120 for an individual cremation that this should be treated with extreme caution.  This advice applied whether the quote is from your veterinary surgery or direct from a pet crematorium especially nolw at a time when fuel charges have more than tripled in price.

It is “good practice” and the most accepted procedure  for high sided trays to be used, this ensures that a pets ashes are completely contained and cleanly removed from the chamber after each cremation has taken place removing the need for wet brushes which in itself could cause contamination between pets.  If as a pet owner you are in any doubt, speak to your vet, speak to the crematorium they recommend and if you are able, make sure you go along and visit the premises.

Pet owners must however ensure they are not confused by scare mongering tactics which some crematoria and associations try to spread around by stipulating that only they cremate in the correct manner, there are many different systems of individual or private cremation which can be carried out, all of which are correct and will provide a pet owner with the return of their pets ashes without contamination.  It is not correct to state that all cremation chambers must be swept and cleaned between each cremation due to the extremely high temperatures at which a cremation chamber is required to operate, (unless the crematorium in question only carries out two or possibly three cremations per day), and the fact that all modern cremators are refractory lined and very well insulated to ensure the heat is held within the chamber and not allowed to escape through the walls, therefore several hours are required to make is possible to enter the chamber with any “cleaning articles” i.e., brooms etc.  Of course it could be argued that a wet or damp broom would survive the heat but this would only allow for ashes to stick to the brush requiring a new brush for each cleaning process.

Please note each Member has an in depth listing below but for a quick reference here the areas are listed by County in alphabetical order, please scroll down to find a Member in the area of interest to you.

ALL NFPPC Members (UNLESS STATED) will ALL hold a National Annual Compliance Certificate and abide by our strict Code of Conduct.

We recommend you use the links provided to view websites where available also view the Members Directory full page information listed in alphabetical order by crematorium name/title.

We support the guidance which was made public by the press whereby all pet owners should be extremely cautious if they are quoted a price of less than £120 for an individual cremation whether this quote is via a veterinary surgery or direct from a pet crematorium, especially now at a time when fuel charges have more than tripled.

BEDFORDSHIRE

Bedford Pet Cremations: Tel: 01234-363443 Website: http://www.bedford-pet-cremations.co.uk

CORNWALL

Petorium: Tel: 01579-342212

DEVON

ESSEX

Sunnyfields Pet Cremation: Tel: 01376-52913 Website: http://www.sunnyfields.org.uk

HERTFORDSHIRE

Willow Haven Crematorium & Cemetery: Tel: 01923-263536 Website: http://www.willowhaven.co.uk

KENT

Cherry Tree Pet & Equine Crematorium: Tel: 01233-850929 Website: http://www.petcrem.com

LEICESTERSHIRE

LINCOLNSHIRE

Lincolnshire Pet Crematorium: Tel: 01205-723508 Website: http://www.lincspetcrem.co.uk

NORFOLK

Peaceful Pets Limited: Tel: 01485-528141 Website: http://www.peacefulpets.co.uk

SURREY

Silvermere Haven Pet Cemetery: Tel: 0208-546-7591 Website: http://www.silvermerehaven.co.uk

The Surrey Pet Cemetery Crematorium: Tel: 01342-893069 Website: http://www.surrey-pet-cemetery.co.uk

WALES

Pet Funeral Services: Tel: 01352-710500 Website: http://www.petfuneralservices.co.uk

YORKSHIRE

Chapel Moor Pet Cremation Services: Tel: 01262-488981 Website: http://www.chapelmoor.co.uk

Pets at Rest Cremation Services: Tel: 01274-835296 Website: http://www.petsatrest.org.uk

NOTE:  See our Article “Permit Suspension” and “Compliance Certificate”

The NFPPC can now offer a “Compliance Certificate” this has been supported by both DEFRA and the AHVLA. See their public statement about this voluntary industry scheme.

To obtain YOUR Compliance Certificate you can either join the NFPPC or have your Certificate issued as a non-member, inspections/approval is required to ensure your site is compliant.

Questions:

How do I start?

What Licenses to I need?

What will the costs be?

How do I get work?

Will you only be carrying out work for the public?

Will you be servicing Veterinary Surgeries?

Will you include SRM, Clinical Waste etc?

What size of Incinerator will you be purchasing?

Will you be storing any waste?

We are able to answer ALL the above questions, take the time to read through our pages and articles.

NOTE: As from the 12th December 2010 the issuing of Permits/Licences has been suspended on all incinerators burning less than 50kg per hour and ONLY cremating cadavers, pending a review of the legislation.    There has been much confusion as to who or what the regulations will be in the future but we are currently in discussions.

Prior to the abolishion of the permit a pet crematorium could not operate without a current permit so do not be tempted to start and then try and meet the requirements.  Planning Applications can in most instances between 3-6 months so it is not advised that an Incinerator is purchased before approval.  Now the permits are no longer being issued it is possible for pet crematoria to start trading with only a few restraints, however, it is important for the industry, that we as a trade federation, ensure that all pet crematoria, both existing and new, keep to the high standards originally laid down by the EA.  With this in mind we make it our policy to survey all new members premises to ensure their practice and operation is in accordance with the standards laid down by the old permits and the NFPPC will then grant them an Annual Compliance Certificate, see full details of the Compliance Certificate voluntary industry scheme under “Articles”. Any application not meeting this basic criteria will not be accepted as members by this trade federation nor will they be granted a Compliance Certificate.

Due to the difficulties we are experiencing in connection with checking new applications in the light of the above permit changes it has been decided that to ensure only the crematoria who meet the new Annual Compliance Certificate will be accepted, this may mean that some memberships are not renewed but this is the price of keeping such high standards.  Surveys will be carried out during operations.  Due to the additional costs this will involve, all new applications will be required to pay an additional one off fee to cover these costs.  ALL NEW APPLICANTS will be charged an approval fee which will include a Survey, Annual Compliance Certificate and 12 months Membership £500.  Membership renewals will be £200 (including Annual Compliance Certificate)

We are happy to explain the current position to all new applicants – in the meantime see our Article on Permit Suspension

A Certificate of Technical Competence is a legal requirement for all “waste” sites.

Pet Crematoria and Cemeteries can come into this category.

DO NOT IGNORE THIS LEGISLATION OR YOU WILL BE CLOSED DOWN OR PROSECUTED.

The COTC is required in addition to, Carriers Licence, DEFRA Manufacture Approval, AHVLA Site Approval and of course Planning Permissions and or Change of Use.

Please remember that all new sites and or any existing site handling waste, MUST have at least one fully qualified person on site holding a COTC, if you are dealing with any other sort of waste other than pet cadavers, those existing sites with persons currently holding “Grandfather Rights” will be required to qualify by taking a Continuing Competence Test.

Visit:info@admin@wamitab.org.uk and.www.wamitab.org.uk/continuingcompetence or telephone 01604 231950.

If you have already taken your test to meet the original date of 28^th February 2011 the validity of your Continuing Competence Certificate will be extended by one year which means you will have to take another test between 1^st March 2012 and 28^th February 2014.

Note: The two year cycles for taking the rest will recommence from 1^st March 2012. For further information visit

If you wish to discuss the above further please telephone.  Correspondence has been sent to ALL members as a  matter of course.

NOTE: As from the 12th December 2010 the issuing of Permits/Licences has been suspended on all incinerators burning less than 50kg per hour for more information see articles on Permit Suspension and Compliance Certificates

Apply now for YOUR Annual Compliance Certificate

Email val.beach@virgin.net

Website: http://www.willowhaven.co.uk  

EA Permitted & DEFRA Approved

Facilities: Pet cremation, Pet Burial, Supply of Coffins, Caskets & Memorials, Brochure

Veterinary Services

Email cpsurreypetcemetery@gmail.com

Website: http://www.surrey-pet-cemetery.co.uk      

EA Permitted & DEFRA Approved

Facilities: Pet cremation, Scattering & Interment of Ashes, Pet Burial, Memorials.

Veterinary Services

Email info@sunnyfields.org.uk

Website:   http://www.sunnyfields.org.uk

EA Permitted & DEFRA Approved

Facilities: Pet cremation services, Memorials,  Bereavement Call Line