Northwood Stadium is the premier venue for athletics in North Staffordshire and beyond.
It has numerous water outlets, including showers and taps, for customer use, and staff facilities.
Centre Manager Cameron Pepper called in SAS Water to provide a legionella risk assessment and undertook a legionella awareness training workshop with senior legionella consultant, Mark Chadwick.
Legionella and the law
The Health and Safety Executive state that “duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 extend to risks from legionella bacteria, which may arise from work activities. The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) provide a framework of actions designed to assess, prevent, or control the risk from bacteria like legionella and take suitable precautions.”
Testimonial
Cameron said: “The advice I received is invaluable. As the manager at Northwood Stadium, I am the responsible person on site when it comes to Health and Safety risk, and this clearly includes the safety of water in our buildings.
“The workshop was professional and comprehensive. I learned a lot from Mark primarily around managing risk, how the bacteria can develop, the problem of stagnant water. temperature control, and cleaning.
“He also gave me health knowledge on Legionnaires’ Disease and how it can be contracted.
“Following a session with me, I have designated a member of my team to take on regular routine cleaning for the centre’s changing rooms, in particular the shower heads and taps, and Mark came back to provide training.”
“I’d recommend SAS Water’s awareness training to anyone working in the health and leisure sector, or to anyone with responsibility for a workplace.”
Legionella control at Northwood Stadium
Northwood Stadium has numerous water outlets. There’s a large gym, a running track, and football pitches, so changing rooms are provided with sinks and showers. Other facilities include kitchens.
SAS Water carried-out a risk assessment. This is a legal requirement under CoSHH and must be undertaken at all workplaces which have five or more staff or have visitors to the premises. The law also states you must have access to competent advice, and you must provide information, instruction, and training to your employees.
As the manager, Cameron has been nominated to lead on legionella and SAS Water is there to guide him, and his team, and to give competent advice, as referred to under Health and Safety law.
Cameron has asked SAS Water to complete regular (monthly) temperature monitoring and to clean water tanks (annually).
As instructed by Mark, a team member will be responsible for regularly flushing of water outlets, cleaning of taps and showerheads.
Who do SAS Water work with?
Based in Staffordshire, our team of legionella consultants and commercial plumbers provide a comprehensive service for companies across all business sectors.
This includes sport and leisure where we have worked with professional football clubs, such as Port Vale and Burton Albion, leisure centres. hotels, spas, and luxury lodge parks.
We also work with blue light services, who have staff rest rooms and facilities, and a university campus.
If you have facilities such as showers, it is vital that you have a risk assessment. This doesn’t simply apply to the more obvious leisure sectors, such as gyms and spas. For example, your workplace may offer a public shower facility as part of a cycle to work scheme. You have a duty to ensure workplace water safety.
