When was the last time you checked your plumbing?

Did you know legionella bacteria is likely to have spread in water systems because of the prolonged pandemic shutdown?

Bacteria, which can cause deadly pneumonia, grows in stagnant or warm water. The plumbing in buildings that have been closed for months on end due to Covid-19 fears could provide a perfect breeding ground for Legionella.  

Legionnaires’ disease is a type of pneumonia, contracted by inhaling airborne water droplets which contain Legionella bacteria.

These droplets can be found amid hot and cold water outlets, atomisers, whirlpools or hydrotherapy baths. It’s crucial that they are monitored and checked with remedial action taken throughout the year.

In May this year, at the height of Covid-19 restrictions, Public Health England urged businesses to flush out the hot and cold water supply in their buildings before reopening to prevent the bacteria from spreading.

It warned the odds of bacteria forming would increase if no action was taken during the warmer months.

Bacteria is more likely to multiply when the water is between 25C and 50C or if there is a poor or no flow into the system.

Absolutely the worst thing you can do is leave this possible danger unchecked. Making sure you are up to date, clean and safe comes under the umbrella of our compliance services.

At the same time as investigating this, we can also make sure your fire systems are in excellent working order. It’s a compliance double-whammy.

Lots of people think of compliance as a box ticking exercise, it can be overlooked when there are seemingly more pressing issues to sort out in the day to day running of a business.

We can’t blame them -- is there a more boring word in the English language than compliance?

It just sounds like something quite official that you have to do for the sake of it, doesn’t it?

Maybe you have heard various consultants talk about compliance in email newsletters, at networking meetings or on their websites.

And perhaps you have switched off or rolled your eyes as they fail to explain what it is and why it really matters.

For us, it’s simple, compliance means safety. It’s getting stuff done at the sharp end of your business and that includes taking heed of this latest warning on legionella.

Our highly experienced team of plumbers will keep you safe. There is huge public interest in legionella and whether anyone becomes ill or not and however comprehensive the action you take when hit by an outbreak, the damage to your reputation may be immeasurable.

Similarly, the effects of a fire at your premises don’t bear thinking about.

Compliance means safety, it’s as simple as that.