News
ACORN SAFETY SERVICES CREATES
NEW LEGIONELLA TEAM It was the health and safety issue which dominated the headlines last summer with cases reported in schools, hospitals and even swimming pools. But it was news that legionella bacteria had been found on the Bibby Stockholm, the barge being used to house asylum seekers off the South Coast of England which really brought the threat of legionella into sharp focus and into the public consciousness.
The first case of Legionnaires’ Disease – the disease caused by exposure to legionella bacteria - was reported in 1976 among a group of people at an American Legion convention being held in Philadelphia. Since then, outbreaks of the disease have been reported around the world with symptoms including fever, shortness of breath and a cough. It can be fatal in the elderly or those whose immune systems are compromised.
As one of the leading health and safety consultancies in the UK, Acorn Safety Services has responded to the threat posed by legionella quickly, creating a new arm of the business dedicated to supporting clients with legionella risk assessments, water testing and legionella treatment remediation to help meet demand.
Adam Midson, Legionella and Fire Manager at Acorn Safety Services, said: “It’s absolutely critical that we continue to raise awareness about the dangers of legionella
20 | TOMORROW’S FM
bacteria particularly with so many high-profile cases having been reported recently.
“It might be one of the lesser- known aspects of health and safety, but it is crucial to get it right and it is a legal requirement for employers and duty holders alike.
“Since last summer’s headlines, we have seen a marked increase in the number of people looking to learn more about legionella and the steps they need to take ensure they are fully compliant. In turn, we have created a new team to support those clients who need our help and increased the range of resources and information we have online, including a dedicated website and portal.”
In the coming months, innovative new solutions including logbooks to ensure clients can stay on top of the regular water temperature readings required to identify any potential problems early, together with a five-step ‘legionella antidote’ designed to take clients from non-compliance through to compliance quickly and efficiently are due to be rolled out.
Adam said: “We want people to take the threat posed by legionella seriously – as they would with every other area of health and safety.
“In our experience, awareness of legionella and the damage it can do is still relatively low, and we see it as our moral duty to educate people, spread the word and ensure that changes.”
Factfile
As legionella is covered by the Health and Safety at Work Act, there are several steps businesses need to take to stay compliant with the law.
• Ensure a legionella risk assessment is carried out. A thorough assessment will identify, quantify and assess the potential risk of exposure to legionella bacteria; assess the existing control measures already in place, the level of training, awareness and competence among teams and provide guidance on remedial work required.
• If required, ensure the temperature of water within the premises is monitored at regular intervals to ensure any potential problems are identified early. Legionella bacteria can thrive in water which is between 20–45°C.
• Carry out remedial work quickly and efficiently. This can take the form of thermal disinfection, which raises the temperature of the water contained with your system to kill bacteria, or chlorine disinfection which is drawn through all outlets to ensure all pipework and systems are cleansed.
Call: 01604 930380
www.acornhealthandsafety.co.uk www.legionellarisks.co.uk
twitter.com/TomorrowsFM
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56
