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In recent years Legionnaires’ Disease has become a very emotive subject affecting people in their living and working environments with outbreaks receiving widespread publicity. At the same time it has been found that those responsible for the operation of water services in at risk buildings, be they offices, factories, hotels, care homes, hospitals, etc., do not always fully appreciate their responsibilities.

Legionnaires’ Disease is a type of pneumonia which, besides affecting the lungs, may also have serious effects on other organs of the body often with fatal results. Infection is caused by breathing in airborne droplets of water which contain the Legionella bacteria, bacteria which are widespread in natural water sources.

An Approved Code of Practice (ACoP) L8 for “The control of legionella bacteria in water systems” came into effect in January 2001. To comply with their legal duties (enforceable under the COSHH Regulations and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974), there is a requirement for building operators to undertake a formal Legionella Risk Assessment of the water services in their building. What does not seem to be fully appreciated is that the ACoP applies to all water systems in all non-domestic buildings – until you have assessed the risk of legionella proliferation how do you know that such a risk is negligible.

The Assessment, which is best carried out by independent specialists, should highlight areas of the water system where conditions exist which could stimulate the growth of Legionella. This could be a water temperature within the range of 20°C to 45°C or where suitable nutrient material exists in a dirty storage tank. The possibility of water droplet formation must also be assessed. This is commonly associated with spray fittings but is still possible from a badly scaled tap or even where water splashes in a basin. It is also important that current maintenance procedures are reviewed as part of the Assessment.

In many cases the Assessment will indicate that there is little if any risk from Legionella and that no further action is required. However, where potential risks are identified, it is essential that precautions are implemented to minimise these risks and that suitable documentation exists to demonstrate that all necessary work is being carried out.It is a commonly held myth that Legionnaires’ Disease will only be a problem in buildings that have air conditioning or cooling systems. In fact it is more likely to be found in the hot and cold water systems which are found in the vast majority of buildings. If in any doubt, ensure that a risk assessment is carried out.

We offer a full survey/treatment service with one to four annual visits – depending on your requirements. Monitoring water temperatures, noting pipework and tank condition and full chemical flushing to ensure that your responsibilities as an owner/operator of an industrial or commercial building are fulfilled.

Please contact us for further information.

Emergency lighting is a legal requirement for many locations open to the public and most places of employment. The sole purpose being to cope with the problem of being plunged into darkness when the electricity supply fails.

Normal lighting may suddenly fail without warning for a number of reasons; a regional power cut, a fuse blowing or perhaps something more dramatic such as a fire or explosion damaging the supply cables. Whatever the cause, a well designed Emergency Lighting system can minimise the risk of personal harm by placing light on the hazards and the on the path to safety.

Such hazards might involve the safe shutdown or recovery of a critical process such as machinery, chemicals; cookers etc. which would result in an escalating danger to the operator and others as the rotating cutting machine or boiling fat fryer is suddenly plunged into darkness. Another significant hazard would be to find a swift and safe escape route without colliding or tripping over the many innocent everyday obstacles such as walls, furniture, stairs and pot plants etc. They all take on a whole new relevance when negotiating them unexpectedly in the dark!

Control panels and Control systems are often considered one of the most complex areas of commercial building maintenance. There is good reason for this, with such a variety of systems installed over the years – and with systems gaining complexity year upon year – it is often difficult to know where to begin. Many breakdowns are caused by clients not having been shown the correct way to operate their equipment, either by previous maintenance contractors or even by the initial installers.

Our approach is different. We like to try and help our clients run their systems effectively for themselves, giving detailed information and often supplying the manufacturers original manuals where they have been mislaid. We frequently identify where there are cost savings to be made through running a system more efficiently.

We start with a detailed service to highlight problems and check what has been installed is running safely and correctly, suggesting improvements or further investigations as and where they are necessary. By keeping our clients in the loop we can educate but also provide a tailored service to meet your needs.

The possibilities for controlling your building services are now so vast as to be virtually limitless. We can upgrade existing installations to provide much more control, allowing zone control of office temperatures (a big issue with open plan offices) and control of all plant from your desktop PC or even remotely via the internet. Monitor your office temperature shown as a graph and check to see if your boiler and pumps are operating, adjust space temperatures instantly at the click of a button.

In recent years Legionnaires’ Disease has become a very emotive subject affecting people in their living and working environments with outbreaks receiving widespread publicity. At the same time it has been found that those responsible for the operation of water services in at risk buildings, be they offices, factories, hotels, care homes, hospitals, etc., do not always fully appreciate their responsibilities.

Legionnaires’ Disease is a type of pneumonia which, besides affecting the lungs, may also have serious effects on other organs of the body often with fatal results. Infection is caused by breathing in airborne droplets of water which contain the Legionella bacteria, bacteria which are widespread in natural water sources.

An Approved Code of Practice (ACoP) L8 for “The control of legionella bacteria in water systems” came into effect in January 2001. To comply with their legal duties (enforceable under the COSHH Regulations and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974), there is a requirement for building operators to undertake a formal Legionella Risk Assessment of the water services in their building. What does not seem to be fully appreciated is that the ACoP applies to all water systems in all non-domestic buildings – until you have assessed the risk of legionella proliferation how do you know that such a risk is negligible.

The Assessment, which is best carried out by independent specialists, should highlight areas of the water system where conditions exist which could stimulate the growth of Legionella. This could be a water temperature within the range of 20°C to 45°C or where suitable nutrient material exists in a dirty storage tank. The possibility of water droplet formation must also be assessed. This is commonly associated with spray fittings but is still possible from a badly scaled tap or even where water splashes in a basin. It is also important that current maintenance procedures are reviewed as part of the Assessment.

In many cases the Assessment will indicate that there is little if any risk from Legionella and that no further action is required. However, where potential risks are identified, it is essential that precautions are implemented to minimise these risks and that suitable documentation exists to demonstrate that all necessary work is being carried out.It is a commonly held myth that Legionnaires’ Disease will only be a problem in buildings that have air conditioning or cooling systems. In fact it is more likely to be found in the hot and cold water systems which are found in the vast majority of buildings. If in any doubt, ensure that a risk assessment is carried out.

We offer a full survey/treatment service with one to four annual visits – depending on your requirements. Monitoring water temperatures, noting pipework and tank condition and full chemical flushing to ensure that your responsibilities as an owner/operator of an industrial or commercial building are fulfilled.

Please contact us for further information.

Emergency lighting is a legal requirement for many locations open to the public and most places of employment. The sole purpose being to cope with the problem of being plunged into darkness when the electricity supply fails.

Normal lighting may suddenly fail without warning for a number of reasons; a regional power cut, a fuse blowing or perhaps something more dramatic such as a fire or explosion damaging the supply cables. Whatever the cause, a well designed Emergency Lighting system can minimise the risk of personal harm by placing light on the hazards and the on the path to safety.

Such hazards might involve the safe shutdown or recovery of a critical process such as machinery, chemicals; cookers etc. which would result in an escalating danger to the operator and others as the rotating cutting machine or boiling fat fryer is suddenly plunged into darkness. Another significant hazard would be to find a swift and safe escape route without colliding or tripping over the many innocent everyday obstacles such as walls, furniture, stairs and pot plants etc. They all take on a whole new relevance when negotiating them unexpectedly in the dark!

Control panels and Control systems are often considered one of the most complex areas of commercial building maintenance. There is good reason for this, with such a variety of systems installed over the years – and with systems gaining complexity year upon year – it is often difficult to know where to begin. Many breakdowns are caused by clients not having been shown the correct way to operate their equipment, either by previous maintenance contractors or even by the initial installers.

Our approach is different. We like to try and help our clients run their systems effectively for themselves, giving detailed information and often supplying the manufacturers original manuals where they have been mislaid. We frequently identify where there are cost savings to be made through running a system more efficiently.

We start with a detailed service to highlight problems and check what has been installed is running safely and correctly, suggesting improvements or further investigations as and where they are necessary. By keeping our clients in the loop we can educate but also provide a tailored service to meet your needs.

The possibilities for controlling your building services are now so vast as to be virtually limitless. We can upgrade existing installations to provide much more control, allowing zone control of office temperatures (a big issue with open plan offices) and control of all plant from your desktop PC or even remotely via the internet. Monitor your office temperature shown as a graph and check to see if your boiler and pumps are operating, adjust space temperatures instantly at the click of a button.