The ‘hidden’ danger of legionella

2 deaths

In 2012, two customers and a delivery driver died from legionnaires disease arising from a display hot tub in the garden centre section of JTF warehouse in Stoke on Trent.

18 needed hospital treatment

The hot tub water had not been filtered or cleaned. A further 18 people caught legionnaires disease and needed hospital treatment.

£1M fine

In 2017 the firm was fined £1 million in Stafford Crown Court.

Legionella solutions for lasting compliance

Some businesses don’t recognise Legionella risks until it’s too late – but delaying your legal duties can lead to serious staff health issues and significant HSE penalties.

Take steps to eliminate bacteria-borne health hazards with a comprehensive Southalls risk assessment, compliant to the L8 approved code of practice:

A health and safety specialist will visit your site to identify harmful bacterial sources

We’ll create a practical Legionella management programme to solve immediate contamination problems and prevent future flare ups

You’ll remain confidently compliant thanks to proactive monitoring and record keeping support that tracks temperature testing, cleaning and sampling/water hygiene testing

Cover the entire Legionella control cycle with clear, cost-conscious assessment services from Southalls’ experienced H&S consultants.

>> Schedule your expert risk assessment <<

Leeds Galvanising and Powder Coating Ltd.

"Having worked extremely closely with Southalls for many years now we remain delighted with their personal approach and desire to understand our business. They continue to provide a very much ‘hands-on’ service in all areas and give us great confidence that we’re on the right track in building a safer environment for all our staff. We certainly would not look elsewhere for an outsourced H&S advisor and look forward to working together in the future."

Peterborough Keys Academies Trust

"We have received excellent service from Southalls from the outset of our professional relationship. (...) Choosing Southalls to provide this has proved a masterstroke, as they have combined the convenience of the Safety Cloud platform with the personal, diligent and professional support of a dedicated consultant on hand to support and guide through all of the complexities of health & safety obligations."

Express Ways Ltd

"All I can say is a big THANK YOU! Been a great help and would recommend you to anybody that ever needs any H&S help."

Birmingham Airport

"An excellent company with an in-depth knowledge of health and safety. The team understand the demands placed on a 24/7 operation, and are always available to support us."

Le Bistrot Pierre Restaurants

"I can state categorically that we have been delighted with the service – without Southalls our restaurants would not be as safe, clean and well run."

Need a hand solving specific H&S issues?

Our services cover essential employer H&S requirements – such as fire risk assessments and RIDDOR support – as well as industry-specific compliance concerns including workplace noise, food hygiene and COSHH.

HEALTH AND SAFETY TRAINING

Knowledge is your number one tool in preventing workplace injuries and building a team of safety champions. Our health and safety training services provide the specialist know-how you need to make compliance a core part of your culture.

UNDERSTANDING RISKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Whatever your compliance goals or requirements, we provide health and safety training courses to suit. Choose from IOSH-approved programmes that offer a solid grounding in occupational safety, or niche sector accreditations that expand your employees’ skill set. Here’s just a snapshot:

- IOSH Managing Safely

- IOSH Working Safely

- IOSH Builders Merchants Yard & Warehouse Safety

- Safety in Metal Processing and Stockholding

- Builders Merchant Managers and Core Person training

- First Aid at Work

- HABC Level 2 and Level 3 Food Hygiene accreditations

We also design and deliver tailor-made courses to tackle your company’s key compliance issues:

- Manual handling

- Working at height

- Asbestos awareness

- Workplace transport

- Fire warden training and more

IN PERSON OR ONLINE? FLEXIBLE LEARNING OPTIONS

Our trusted trainers can hold health and safety courses on your site or at a local facility. Alternatively, select from a full range of sector-specific modules and bespoke, branded e-learning options via our exclusive Safety Cloud software tool.

With personalised logins and 24/7 online access, Safety Cloud allows your team to choose their own training schedule. You set the training task and deadline and Safety Cloud’s auto-reminders ensure learning stays on track, with full visibility of milestones and results.

We’d love to talk through your health and safety training needs. Contact the team today to create the learning solution that’s right for you.

ASBESTOS SURVEYS

Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, every employer is required to assess and manage asbestos risks across their site. It’s a critical compliance issue, with more than 2,000 lives lost to mesothelioma and asbestos-related lung cancer every year. Put a plan in place to keep your people safe.

UNDERSTANDING RISKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

As an employer or building owner, it’s your legal responsibility to locate and manage any onsite asbestos. Failure to do so could lead to punitive HSE prosecution fines, so it’s essential to understand your obligations.

Buildings built in or after 2000 are unlikely to contain asbestos fibres, but older sites must comply with the Control of Asbestos Regulations (CAR) 2012. These instruct you to:

- Take reasonable steps to determine the location and condition of materials likely to contain asbestos

- Presume materials contain asbestos unless there is strong evidence that they do not.

- Keep a current record of the location and condition of the asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) or presumed ACMs on the premises

- Assess the likelihood of exposure to fibres from these materials and prepare a management plan setting out how the risks from the materials are to be managed

- Take the necessary steps to put the plan into action

- Review and monitor the plan

- Provide information on the location and condition of the materials to anyone who is liable to work on or disturb them

START-TO-FINISH ASBESTOS SERVICES

Our asbestos risk assessment services help you pinpoint the presence of toxic fibres, contain exposure risks and create a management plan to prevent future issues.

As a first step, we undertake a management survey to establish the facts. This involves sampling suspected asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) and delivering results within 48 hours if required.

Common sampling areas include:

- Fire breaks in ceiling voids and fire protection panels/partitions

- Pipe/boiler lagging

- Ceiling tiles

- Insulation of electrical equipment

- Corrugated roof/wall sheets, gutters, rainwater pipes and water tanks

- Certain textured coatings

- Bitumen roofing material

- Floor tiles

Using sample results and other data pulled from the management survey, we then produce a comprehensive site plan with asbestos register, detailing the location of asbestos across your site.

Going a step further than other providers, Southalls produces a point-by-point asbestos management plan setting out tailored best practice recommendations and a follow-up asbestos survey schedule, to ensure you fully comply with regulations going forward.

WHAT ABOUT REFURBISHMENT OR DEMOLITION?

While intact, asbestos doesn’t pose a risk to human health. But if you’re planning structural changes to any building built before 2000, a refurbishment and demolition survey is required to ensure asbestos fibres aren’t released during construction work.

The survey maps out all ACMs in the area of the refurbishment work or – in the case of demolition – throughout the entire building. This information is used by surveyors, builders and contractors to effectively plan and prevent exposure.

A refurbishment and demolition survey involves extensive investigation – generally requiring a vacant building and free access to wall or ceiling cavities – but can still be scheduled at short notice, with a speedy turnaround of sample results.

Asbestos management doesn’t need to be complicated. To learn more about asbestos risk assessments or to book an asbestos survey, contact the Southalls team today.

LEGIONELLA RISK ASSESSMENTS

Don’t write off the risk of exposure to Legionella. With deaths from Legionnaires’ disease spiking in recent years, harmful bacteria within your water systems is a very real threat. Safeguard your stakeholders with an ongoing programme of monitoring and maintenance.

LEGIONELLA – YOUR LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Legionnaires’ disease is a potentially fatal form of pneumonia, caused by inhaling small droplets of water contaminated by Legionella bacteria. The bacteria develops in water temperatures between 25-40°C and is commonly found in purpose-built systems and fixtures such as taps and showerheads, storage tanks, wet or hybrid system air conditioning units, spa pools and ornamental water features.

Anyone on your site is susceptible to Legionella infection – particularly those with diabetes, impaired immune systems or lung, heart and kidney disease – so it’s essential you put the right prevention and management measures in place.

Duty holders (including employers) must appoint a competent person to assess, manage and prevent Legionella risks within their water systems. Our experts can help.

LOCATING LEGIONELLA RISKS

A health and safety specialist will visit your site to identify and assess sources of risk and produce a practical action plan to minimise and control bacterial growth. Compliant to the L8 approved code of practice, a Southalls Legionella risk assessment will analyse:

- Water temperature – Does it fall between 20-45°C in any part of your water system?

- Storage – Is water stored and/or re-circulated in the system?

- Conditions – Are nutrients present to feed the bacteria?

- Risk groups – Are any employees, visitors or residents at greater risk due to their age, habits or health condition?

RESULTS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND RECORD KEEPING

We will prioritise the Legionella risks within your systems and provide expert guidance on reducing or eliminating them.

If it’s not possible to eradicate Legionella hotspots by upgrading your processes or equipment, we’ll recommend a range of controls – from insulation to cleaning programmes and UV filters – to limit the growth of Legionella bacteria.

We’ll also ensure you stay compliant with current Legionella regulations with authoritative advice on record keeping. This involves tracking:

- The significant findings of your Legionella risk assessment

- Written details of your controls and a monitoring scheme such as temperature testing, cleaning and sampling/water hygiene testing (if required)

- Results of your monitoring scheme and an action plan if any issues are found

We’re here to help you make sense of legionella. Get in touch for sound advice from a Southalls safety expert or to book your Legionella risk assessment.

FIRE RISK ASSESSMENTS

No business is free of workplace fire risks – and every employee has a part to play in prevention. We’ll help you shape a site-specific fire safety plan and provide the team training to head off hazards before they cause harm.

YOUR FIRE SAFETY RESPONSIBILITIES

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 makes business owners, and those responsible for business premises, ultimately accountable for conducting a fire risk assessment (FRA) and making safe their places of work.

You need to appoint a ‘competent person’ to help if you don’t have the expertise or time to do the assessment yourself. Southalls’ consultants are qualified and experienced in carrying out fire risk assessments across a variety of industries.

FIRE SAFETY SERVICES FOR EVERY KIND OF BUSINESS

As part of our fire risk assessment service, we’ll visit your site to take an expert view of your current fire safety measures, determining how well you’re protecting your people and property before, during and after a fire emergency. The detailed analysis will cover:

- Emergency routes and exits
- Fire detection and warning systems
- Firefighting equipment
- Safe storage of dangerous substances
- An emergency fire evacuation plan
- The needs of vulnerable people, including the elderly, young children or those with disabilities
- Safety information for employees and other people on the premises
- Staff fire safety training

We’ll then produce an itemised fire risk assessment document, conforming to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. This will include:

- A summary of your immediate workplace fire hazards
- A rundown of your fire safety responsibilities, including tips on effective fire drills
- Best practice recommendations on reducing risk across your premises
- Maintenance programme advice, covering alarms, wiring systems, lighting and fire extinguishers
- A detailed emergency plan, tailored to your sector and site

A professional fire risk assessment provides peace of mind and practical pointers to keep your business safe and compliant. Get in touch with a Southalls consultant to learn more or schedule an appointment.

COSHH RISK ASSESSMENTS

Some hazardous substances are instantly recognisable – others require expert guidance to identify, contain and control. We’ll help you zero in on risk areas, refine processes and implement common sense solutions for all your COSHH health and safety requirements.

YOUR GUIDE TO COSHH ASSESSMENTS

A Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) assessment identifies harmful substances in your workplace and determines their risks to the people exposed to them. These materials range from commonly used chemicals like paint and bleach to fine dusts and fumes generated from industrial activities such as welding, sanding or cutting.

As an employer, it’s your legal responsibility under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations (2002) to pinpoint hazardous substances on your site, reduce their danger to ‘as low as is reasonably practicable’ and regularly monitor your control measures.

A COSHH assessment will help you:

- Identify hazardous substances within your business

- Analyse how they could present a danger to health – and who’s most at risk

- Eliminate the hazards completely

- Substitute harmful materials with safer alternatives

- Identify suitable controls to achieve acceptable workplace exposure limits where applicable

- Train and educate your employees on the correct handling of hazardous substances

- Verify the need for health surveillance

- Assist you in planning and preparing for emergencies

AN EXPERT VIEW OF YOUR COSHH COMPLIANCE

As part of a Southalls intervention visit, we’ll assist you onsite to identify and evaluate the chemicals you use throughout your business. A specialist in your sector will review your current COSHH health and safety practices and procedures and uncover compliance gaps that could endanger your workforce.

Our best practice recommendations will cover:

- Firefighting and first aid

- Storage and spillages

- Documentation, including record keeping and material safety data sheets (MSDS)

- Chemical combinations that could lead to compliance considerations under the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (DSEAR) 2002

- Legislative changes and prosecution trends, such as recent HSE crackdowns on exposure to metal working fluids and welding fumes

A post-audit write up will set out your personalised action plan, detailing immediate in-house fixes and long-term COSHH compliance solutions – from ongoing employee health surveillance to safer, more streamlined processes.

EXPERT TRAINING FOR YOUR TEAM

Utilising Safety Cloud, our web-based H&S management software, we can set annual review dates following your COSHH assessment and equip your staff to maintain standards on a daily basis with custom COSHH health and safety e-learning courses, accessible 24/7.

Flexible tools and training options let you tailor modules for workers at all levels and centrally store all COSHH-related documents for instant online reference. So it’s simple to stay in control of COSHH compliance.

Understand your COSHH responsibilities with plain-spoken, practical support from Southalls. For answers, advice or appointment times for your next COSHH risk assessment, get in touch today.

DSEAR RISK ASSESSMENTS

Dangerous substances are standard for all sorts of businesses, from kitchens to chemical plants. Protect your people and the public from inherent risks with responsible working practices and support from Southalls’ DSEAR specialists.

DO YOU KNOW YOUR DSEAR LEGAL REQUIREMENTS?

‘Dangerous substances’ can be found in nearly every working environment and include materials like solvents, paints, varnishes, flammable gases such as liquid petroleum gas (LPG), dusts from machining and sanding operations, dusts from foodstuffs, pressurised gases and substances corrosive to metal.

Under the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR), employers are required to control the risks to safety from fire, explosions and corrosives. This means proactively carrying out a health and safety risk assessment to ensure your business is compliant and educating your team on the use and management of potentially harmful materials.

BESPOKE ASSESSMENT SERVICES FOR YOUR SECTOR

As part of every Southalls DSEAR risk assessment, an expert in your industry will conduct a full health and safety audit to catalogue dangerous substances across your site, as well as the hazards they present.

The assessment will enable you to:

- Locate dangerous substances in your workplace

- Understand their risks

- Contain and control their effects

- Pinpoint potentially explosive atmospheres and eliminate ignition sources within those areas

- Implement policies and procedures to deal with accidents and emergencies

- Train your employees to recognise hazards and work safely with dangerous substances

PUTTING FINDINGS INTO ACTION

Based on the results of our initial assessment, we’ll work with you to create a management and training plan covering all DSEAR compliance requirements.

Depending on your current safety provisions, this could include guidance on:

- Eliminating risks by changing working practices or using different materials

- Introducing control measures such as ventilation systems

- Mitigating hazards through the right personal protective equipment

- Designing appropriate emergency plans and procedures

- Training staff to control and deal with the risks of dangerous substances

- RIDDOR reporting in the event of an incident

Let’s work together to keep your people safe from dangerous substances. Speak to a Southalls consultant today for expert advice on health and safety audits or to arrange a DSEAR risk assessment.

WORKPLACE NOISE ASSESSMENTS

Physical dangers like fire and electrical risks are often top of mind for employers, but unseen safety hazards are no less important. Uncontrolled noise in the workplace can leave staff with life-long hearing damage – and it’s down to business owners to keep levels in check. Are you taking the right precautions?

LIMITING WORKPLACE NOISE LEVELS

Sustained noise exposure can lead to tinnitus (a constant ringing in the ears) and even permanent hearing loss. Under the Control of Noise at Work Regulations (2005), employers are required to perform suitable and sufficient noise risk assessments, keeping workplace noise levels as low as is reasonably practicable.

COMPLETE NOISE RISK ASSESSMENT SERVICES

Our experienced consultants accurately measure noise in the workplace using the latest technology in personal dose monitoring and static area measurements. In line with current HSE recommendations, your noise assessment will:

- Identify where there may be a risk from noise and who is likely to be affected

- Contain a reliable estimate of your employees' exposures, and compare the exposure with the exposure action values and limit values

- Identify what you need to do to comply with the law, e.g. whether noise-control measures or hearing protection are needed, and, if so, where and what type

- Identify any employees requiring health surveillance and whether any are at particular risk

SOUND SOLUTIONS

We follow up every noise assessment with a detailed overview of the areas and processes posing the greatest risk to your employees. You’ll also receive practical plans and cost-effective measures to minimise noise in the workplace and protect the wellbeing of your workers, including:

- Machinery noise reduction measures

- Adequate hearing protection for employees

- Ongoing health surveillance for staff members at particular risk of noise exposure, including regular hearing checks, medical record keeping and doctor’s visits

Don’t risk the long-term hearing health of your employees. For expert advice on reducing workplace noise levels or to book a noise risk assessment, get in touch with the team.

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