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The first requirement within the Legionnaires’ Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) L8 is to appoint a responsible person and a deputy, put in place a written scheme of control and ensure that everyone involved in managing the risk from legionella is suitably trained. Having an effective monitoring regime and keeping records is vitally important to demonstrate the system is under control and well managed.…

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Health and safety training and legionella compliance are legal requirements which ensure the general wellbeing of your staff, and, if not regularly monitored and maintained, can greatly impact upon rail operations. Both of these areas served as hot topics at the recent Railway Environmental Forum 2019, with the key learnings summarised below to provide those who were unable to attend the event an insight into the discussions that took place.…

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Our annual event, the Railway Environmental Forum (REF), is around the corner once again, with only three weeks to go, we’re looking forward to welcoming delegates to discuss a range of health and safety-related topics, including legionella, asbestos, occupational air monitoring and the importance of health and safety-related training.…

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The presence of Legionella in water systems – whether that’s in buildings or on board trains - is a serious issue, as it has the potential to cause Legionnaires’ disease.…

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The effects of climate change are hitting the headlines as we continue into our fourth month of high temperatures. Warm weather and hot summer holidays, quite naturally, see an increased use of many water applications. Air conditioning units and associated cooling towers, for example, are in greater demand in the summer, swimming pools are visited more frequently, and hose pipes are pulled out of hibernation for a summer of use.…

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A common surprise for many clients is that even a mains water supply contains bacteria. Many people assume that, because water is safe to drink, it is sterile – but this is not the case.  Water companies have a duty to ensure that the water they provide is fit to consume by removing all harmful bacteria - but non-harmful bacteria will remain. With non-harmful bacteria in our domestic systems, water quality can become an issue if it can breed. To confirm the health of your water system, one method includes the microbiological testing of your water systems.…

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With 496 UK cases reported in 2016, Legionnaires’ disease continues to be a major health concern in the UK. Caused by the inhalation of Legionella bacteria which can be present in a diverse range of water systems, Legionnaires’ disease is a potentially fatal form of pneumonia that was first discovered after an outbreak in 1976.…

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David Gilmour, business manager, Built Environment Services, SOCOTEC, visited the maintenance depot of a long-term rail client for their monthly depot monitoring assessment, as part of SOCOTEC’s services to keep them compliant. Here, David tells us about his day on site to share what goes on behind the scenes.…

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Winter is well and truly upon us and with this comes a whole host of potential problems for the winterisation of rail operations, keeping trains running safely and to schedule. Here, David Gilmour, business manager – East Kilbride, Built Environment Services, SOCOTEC, has put together his top tips for keeping our railways operational during the worst of the winter weather.…

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David Heuston, environmental field team leader, Environment & Safety services, SOCOTEC, explores the risk of legionella in water systems on board trains, and explains what rail operators need to consider to ensure they offer the safest possible environment for passengers and workers.…

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