Archive for 2020
Today (2nd December) ends the second national lockdown in England, with shops and in some areas, pubs and restaurants, now able to open again. For commercial buildings, low occupancy rates still prevail, leading to a ticking time bomb of water quality issues. To help Facilities Managers and building owners to take the right steps to […]
Commercial buildings in the UK have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. As businesses were forced off their premises and into their homes back in March, some offices in London saw occupancy rates drop as low as 10% – a considerable change of use for buildings designed to host thousands of people and something […]
Legionnaires’ Disease is a potentially fatal form of pneumonia caused by the bacterium Legionella pneumophila, commonly found in potable and HVAC water systems. Employers, building and facilities managers and anyone with a health and safety responsibility must comply with relevant legislation to avoid fines, reputation damage and – most importantly – harm to occupants. Positive legionella […]
As England enters a second national lockdown, Tom O’Sullivan, Head of Operations at Guardian Water Treatment urges facilities managers to prioritise legionella prevention and water system maintenance to stop the ongoing trend of sample failure rates caused by underused buildings. With people again told to work from home, many commercial and office buildings will be […]
BG29 2020 is BSRIA’s guide to the Precommissioning Cleaning of Pipework Systems. The latest edition was released in April this year. The updated version of this important document included some significant additions in relation to corrosion monitoring in closed circuit pipework, a solution we have been championing for some time. The previous edition of BG29 […]
A competent Legionella risk assessment is essential for making sure water systems are not putting occupants at risk of Legionnaires’ Disease. A legionella risk assessment is a legal requirement in buildings with a high footfall of people such as hospitals, schools and commercial properties. This is part of the compliance criteria for ACoP L8 (Approved […]
Checking water condition is essential for preventing corrosion in closed circuit systems – the pipes and components responsible for plumbing together water-based HVAC plant. Real-time corrosion monitoring tracks the parameters that can signify corrosive conditions, potentially stopping this issue in its tracks. Parameters including dissolved oxygen, pressure, pH and inhibitor levels are continuously monitored, giving […]
Legionella water treatment and risk assessment services for in-use and empty buildings. During lockdown, many of the UK’s commercial and public buildings lay empty – many will remain this way for some time. Dormant buildings can create the perfect breeding ground for legionella bacteria, the precursor to the potentially deadly Legionnaire’s disease. As businesses welcome […]
Many people are coming back to the workplace since lockdown restrictions were eased on the 4th July. Businesses must make sure that employees can return to work safely. To make this transition as smooth as possible, feeling safe in the work environment is key to the success of the ‘new normal’. There are many things […]
Sky News have reported that ‘Businesses told to flush out water supply before reopening to avoid potentially deadly Legionella bacteria’. Toby Hunt from Guardian Water Treatment is urging responsible parties to proceed with caution when it comes to this task. The article from 20th May detailed guidance by Public Health England (PHE) for the ‘regular […]
