Legionella control and water hygiene experts SAS Water Ltd are urging more organisations and companies to train their staff to recognise potential issues in their workplace.
The Leek-based company offers awareness and education workshops – in recent months working with a diverse range of groups from housing associations to a North Staffordshire church group.
As temperatures rise towards summer, cases of Legionnaires’ Disease tend to increase.
Public Health England confirmed there were 509 confirmed cases in 2019 but experts believe there is an issue of under-reporting. The British Safety Council says research has estimated that 4,000 to 6,000 cases actually occur every year in the UK.
Lizzie Ward, Managing Director at SAS Water, said: “Workplace managers must remain vigilant against the growth of legionella bacteria in the water supply.
“Regulations state that there’s a legal duty to mitigate risk of Legionella under the Health and Safety at Work Act Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH).
“This means you must carry-out a risk assessment and demonstrate you have access to a competent person in terms of the relevant health and safety advice.
“You are also required to provide information, instruction and training to your team and this is an area of the regulations that can be overlooked and one which I am passionate about raising awareness about.”
Training can be undertaken in the workplace, in a classroom setting or online.
SAS Water has offices in East Street and works across the UK. They have clients across many industry sectors, including care homes and housing associations, hotels’ leisure centres and spas, factories and offices.
Lizzie added: “It’s vital that all organisations take action to protect staff and visitors to their workplace. We saw a major rise in healthy workplace awareness around Covid-19 but this needs to be maintained and extended so that staff are educated on other risks to health.”
