Preparing your business for return to work during the coronavirus is a big project to undertake. There are key checks that must be completed if a building has been out of use, social distancing is having to be safely implemented, and statutory testing still needs to be carried out.
To make the back-to-work transition as fuss-free as possible, phs Compliance are providing straight forward services that will ensure your business is safe, and legally compliant. With bespoke service options, phs Compliance can undertake one-off jobs or provide ongoing maintenance packages.
In order to help you prepare for your business reopening, we have highlighted three areas that should be considered in your planning.
Water Testing is vital!
If your building has been out of use during the coronavirus, you are legally required to undertake a water system check before reopening.
In both cold and hot water systems, the bacteria in stagnant water can grow to harmful levels in as little as two weeks. Anyone who uses this water via tap, shower, or toilet, is at risk of developing Legionnaires Disease.
Legionnaire’s disease is a serious lung infection that is caught from inhaling droplets of infected water, meaning it can also be caught from air conditioning units.
It is a legal requirement for related risk assessments to be reviewed when water systems are reinstated. Risk assessments of air conditioning units must also be reviewed, to avoid infected water droplets spreading through the air.
Due to the airborne nature of Coronavirus, phs Compliance recommend that air conditioning units have their filters changed while return-to-work checks are being carried out. These filters should then be changed on a regular basis.
phs Compliance offers a range of services to ensure your water system is safe and legally compliant.
Identify infected areas with Surface Swab Testing
Research into Covid-19 has shown that it is known to spread through contaminated surfaces. This means the ability to know when surfaces have been contaminated will play an ongoing role in reducing its spread.
When a person infected with Coronavirus coughs, infected droplets land on nearby surfaces and instantly contaminate them. These droplets can remain on surfaces for several few days, which makes it easy for the virus to spread without anyone realising.
phs Compliance are offering Coronavirus Surface Swab Testing services to help businesses identify infected areas. Our expertly trained testers can safely undertake swab testing at all workplaces, on everything from sales counters to larger pieces of machinery.
The test is suitable for all work environments and is carried out in line with World Health Organisation guidelines, with results available in 3-4 days.
Statutory Testing is still a priority
HSE guidelines state that businesses should work to find safe ways to continue carrying out statutory testing during the coronavirus pandemic.
Fixed wire testing is a legal requirement that covers all workplace buildings, to ensures electrical systems are safe and maintained. Regular testing is important, as electrical systems are at risk of deteriorating over time through accidental damage and general wear and tear.
By law, most workplaces must undertake Fixed Wire Testing every 5 years, while industrial buildings must be tested every 3 years. However, it is recommended that all industrial, commercial, and domestic buildings, are inspected on an annual basis, by a competent and qualified engineer.
phs Compliance engineers are qualified to carry out an extensive range of statutory inspection testing, including electrical installation tests, commercial gas and flume safety checks, PAT testing, and air conditioning and heat pump checks.
To find out more about our products and services, please contact phs Compliance on 0333 005 0456 or email compliance@phs.co.uk
N.B. The information contained in this entry is provided by the above supplier, and does not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the publisher
