We are bringing all of our education and inspection guidance together in one place – this Information Hub. New resources will be added regularly.

If you would like a more structured course for your theatre or decontamination staff, please contact us and we will arrange suitable dates for your training.

It depends on the type of training you need, but a lot of what we do is free at the point of use:

1. Online Information Hub Content – Free: Articles, checklists, inspection guides and FAQs on the hub are free to access. We see this as part of our responsibility, not a chargeable extra.
   
2. Product-Linked Training For Scala Customers – Usually Included: When you introduce Scala instruments, baskets or sets, we normally include: Remote onboarding sessions (Teams). Basic theatre / CSSD handling & inspection guidance. This is typically included with the project rather than billed separately.
   
3. Bespoke Training & On-Site Visits – Quoted Case By Case. If you need something more structured, for example: Hospital-wide CSSD inspection training. Theatre education sessions across multiple specialties. Support with standardisation projects or audits,
   then we’ll give a simple quote based on: Number of sites and staff, Length and depth of the programme, Travel and time on site
   
4. No Obligation To Buy: If you’re just exploring options or need help framing a problem, we’re happy to start with a no-cost call and point you to the right resources.

If you tell us how many people, which departments and what you’re trying to improve, we can outline what’s free, what’s included with products, and what (if anything) would be a paid training package.

The Scala Surgical Information Hub is for anyone involved in buying, using, reprocessing or governing reusable surgical instruments:

• Theatre Teams – Surgeons, ODPs, scrub staff and theatre nurses who want clear, practical guidance on instruments and sets.
  
• Decontamination / CSSD – Staff responsible for inspection, cleaning, assembly and sterilisation of instruments and baskets.
  
• Procurement & Supplies – Buyers, materials managers and NHS Supply Chain partners comparing products and specifications.
  
• Quality, Risk & Governance – QMs, QMRs, auditors and clinical engineering teams who need evidence, standards and traceability.
  
• Suppliers & Manufacturers – Partners in the supply chain who want to align with our quality, labour and sustainability standards.
  

In short: it is for anyone who touches a reusable instrument on its journey from manufacturer to patient and needs reliable, transparent information in one place.

When we say industry standard, we mean the agreed rules for safety and quality – things like medical device regulations, quality-management standards and technical standards for materials, corrosion resistance and sampling.

They give us a strong benchmark for how instruments and sterilisation baskets should be designed, manufactured and inspected.

At Scala we treat those standards as the starting point, not the finish line. We follow them, then build our own Scala Standard on top – with deeper inspection, tighter QC and a constant focus on how all of this affects real patients and recovery times.

If you’d like more detail, have a look at our blog post “Industry Standards And The Scala Standard”

There are a few practical checks you can build into your purchasing and QC process:

1. Check Regulatory Status: Confirm the instruments are UKCA (and/or CE) marked for their intended use. Ask for the Declaration Of Conformity stating the relevant regulations (e.g. UK MDR 2002 as amended).
   
2. Check The Quality Management System: Make sure the manufacturer / legal manufacturer is certified to ISO 13485. Ask for a current certificate issued by an accredited body.
   
3. Check The Technical Standards Used: Ask which standards the instruments conform to, for example:
   ISO 7153-1 (materials for surgical instruments), BS 5194 / equivalent dimensional & performance standards, ASTM A967 or similar for passivation / corrosion resistance. Ensure this is written on the specification or DoC, not just “verbally”.
   
4. Check Material And Traceability: Request material certificates (e.g. 3.1 certificates where appropriate).
   Make sure each instrument or batch has lot / batch traceability back to production.
   
5. Put Instruments Through Your Own Incoming QC: Visually and functionally inspect samples from each batch: alignment, ratchets, cutting performance, finish, markings, joints, etc.
   Log any non-conformances and feed them back to the supplier.
   
6. Ask For Ongoing Support: Agree how repairs, failures, complaints and field issues will be handled. Ensure the supplier can support you with post-market surveillance data if needed.

Where Scala Fits:
We design our instruments, QC process and documentation around these points and can help you map a specific product (or full set) to the relevant standards and evidence, so you can show clearly that what you’re using meets industry expectations.

You probably have seen our instruments in theatre – just not our name.

For most of our history we’ve worked as a trade and OEM supplier:

• We’ve manufactured and supplied instruments behind the scenes for other brands and distributors.
  
• Those brands were front-of-house; we were focused on design, manufacturing quality and regulatory work, not on marketing ourselves to end users.
  

With UKCA, MDR and the push for better traceability and labour standards, we’ve decided it’s time to put the Scala name on the front of the box, not just on the paperwork. That’s why you’re seeing us more now – website, information hub, education – even though the company itself has been around since 1923.

So if you’ve never heard of us before, it’s mainly because we chose to be the quiet part of the supply chain. Now we’re stepping forward so you can see exactly who makes your instruments, how they’re made, and what we stand for.

This can be found in the downloads section.

Blackening is a term people often use for any dark or black finish on an instrument. In practice, there are a few ways to achieve this (chemical blackening, paint, anodising, etc.), but they’re not all equally durable or suitable for reusable surgical devices.

PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition) coating is the method we use when a black or dark finish is required.

How We Use PVD Coating

When we offer a black finish, we don’t paint the instrument and we don’t rely on soft cosmetic coatings. Instead:

• The instrument is first manufactured from standard surgical stainless steel, with the same material and QC as our non-coated version.
  
• Once all machining, polishing and passivation steps are complete, the instrument is sent for a PVD coating process in a vacuum chamber.
  
• A very thin, hard ceramic layer (often titanium-based) is deposited onto the surface, creating a dark, low-glare finish.
  

We use PVD coating in particular where customers want:

• Reduced glare under theatre lights (e.g. blackened scissors or needle holders).
  
• A clear visual distinction between instruments (for training sets, specialist sets, or “do not mix” items).
  
• A finish that is durable through repeated washing and autoclaving, unlike paints or soft coatings that can chip or peel.
  

Key Points For Users

• The base instrument is the same surgical grade as our standard finish – PVD is an additional surface treatment, not a substitute for good steel.
  
• The coating is very thin but very hard, so it generally does not affect tolerances, joints or cutting edges.
  
• PVD-coated instruments should be reprocessed in the same way as standard stainless steel: no special detergents are needed, but harsh abrasives should be avoided to preserve the finish.
  

If you’re unsure whether a black instrument in your set is PVD-coated or treated by another method, we can check the code and confirm exactly what process was used.