The purpose of this course is to train and familiarise people, who are going to build, have just built or are about to modernise a purification plant, in the latest technology available to the industry and also to train people so that they can effectively run a depuration centre. ln general the course aims to : - Give participants practical experience of different systems prior to committing themselves to a particular system. - Enable participants to compare systems. - Provide a minimum training qualification to run an establishment which is essentially a facility to guarantee health and safety of products to the consumer. - Provide an overview from bacteria testing to plant lay out etc. The structure of the course is in modules, morning and afternoon sessions, containing lectures on relevant topics and then practical sessions. Throughout the course the teaching principal of hear, see, do is followed. Where the participants will first be given a lecture on a subject then observe a practical demonstration and then finally carry out the procedure themselves. The people presenting the course have had various experience with purification and shellfish handling and the practical sessions present the time for more informal exchange of ideas. The practicals were organised on a rotating basis with the course participants being divided up into groups with one group carrying out a practical or a portion of a practical at one stage and with another group doing the same practical at another time. This is to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to have hands on experience with ail the equipment. The course is structured so that the sampling and monitoring techniques are covered firs!. This is because during the rest of the course the participants will be expected to take various samples and readings which will then be complied and analysed on the last day. This is also designed to get the people into the very important practice of record keeping.