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FOR anyone facing hardship, hunger or homelessness in Northamptonshire, Northampton Hope Centre is an important lifeline offering emotional and practical support to those in need.
Last year, Acorn Safety Services was very proud to be able to support the charity by carrying out legionella testing at its John Smith Centre. Since then, our Legionella and Fire Manager, Adam Midson, been asked to support on a new project, carrying out legionella risk assessments at Northampton Hope Centre’s new night shelter, set-up to help the vulnerable through the cold winter months.
Offering health and safety support where it is needed most
Adam said: “We are delighted to be able to help Northampton Hope Centre in any way we can. The charity does so much to help people across Northamptonshire, particularly at a time when many are facing hardship.
“Left undetected, legionella bacteria in water supplies can cause serious illness, particularly in the immunocompromised or the elderly. Carrying out regular risk assessments is the only way to protect people from the risks.”
Kyra Williams, Marketing Manager for the Hope Centre said: “We have seen a rise in numbers of homelessness, many of which are new to homelessness.
“These are people that are simply not used to rough-sleeping, the temporary shelter means we have been able to make assessments quicker, provide the support needed and move people into permanent and secure accommodation quicker.
“In carrying out our Legionella risk assessment in such a timely manner, Acorn Safety Services enabled us to safely get the doors to the shelter open.”
Your first choice for support with legionella risk assessments
So what is legionella and why is it so important to ensure water systems, air conditioning units pipes are kept free of bacteria?
Put simply, legionella is a microscopic bacterium which thrives in warm damp spaces. It’s common in water courses, streams and rivers where it can do little harm, but if it finds its way inside offices, premises and homes, it can prove deadly, particularly if tiny droplets containing the bacteria are inhaled by vulnerable people or the elderly, who are at greater risk of becoming seriously ill.
If you are an employer, or a dutyholder, it is a legal requirement to carry out regular checks to protect your teams from the dangers of legionella. Not doing so could put you at risk of prosecution and costly fines.
You’re in safe hands with Acorn Safety Services
Risk assessments are a quick and easy way of checking for the presence of legionella bacteria in your water systems.
Carried out by our team of professional legionella assessors, risk assessments involve a thorough inspection of your premises to identify any potential sources of risk and assess the effectiveness of existing control measures. This may also include reviewing service records, cleaning and monitoring regimes, and the level of training and awareness among staff. The assessor will also provide recommendations for any remedial actions needed to reduce the risk of exposure.
The results from the risk assessments are shared with you and logged in our bespoke reports and logs – we can also provide legionella awareness training to ensure your teams are fully informed and you’ll have 24 access to our team of consultants who will be able to support you with more information or advice as and when you need it.
Further information about all our legionella services is available on our dedicated website www.legionellarisks.co.uk or in our best-selling book, Legionella: The Dark Arts which is available to buy now on Amazon.
For all your health and safety needs visit https://acornhealthandsafety.co.uk/ today or contact us at info@acornhealthandsafety.co.uk or on 01604 930380.
