Accepta Newsletter: Issue 27

Welcome to issue 27; this month we continue with part 2 of our serialisation of the UK's primary Legionella control document, the Health and Safety Executive’s Approved Code of Practice (ACoP) "Legionnaires' disease: The control of legionella bacteria in water systems" (L8)". We also feature an excellent good practice guide about managing water use and benchmarking in the ceramics industry, news of an innovative, safe and eco-friendly algaecide for swimming pools, and finally a brief article on effective sales technique.

If you find our newsletter useful please pass it on to friends and colleagues. And if there are any subjects you'd like to see included in future issues please e-mail me at sdooner@accepta.com.

******************************

In this issue:

• Part 2 - The UK's Approved Code of Practice (ACoP) and Guidance "Legionnaires' disease: The control of legionella bacteria in water systems" (L8).
• Managing Water Use and Benchmarking in Ceramic Manufacture.
• Innovation - Safe, Eco-Friendly Algaecide for Swimming Pools.
• Sales & Marketing Workshop - Absolute Power Corrupts!

******************************

Part 2 of the UK's

Approved Code of Practice (ACoP) and Guidance

"Legionnaires' disease: The control of legionella bacteria in water systems" (L8)

In the UK the Health and Safety Executive’s Approved Code of Practice (ACoP) and Guidance document titled "Legionnaires' disease: The control of legionella bacteria in water systems" (L8) gives practical advice on how to comply with UK health and safety law with respect to the control of Legionella bacteria. This Code is important in that it has a special legal status. If you are prosecuted for a breach of health and safety law, and it is proved that you did not follow the relevant provisions of the Code, you would need to demonstrate that you have complied with the law in some other way or a Court would find you at fault.

Accepta have negotiated special permission from the copyright owners of the L8 document, the Controller of HMSO and the Queen’s Printer for Scotland, to reproduce the Code in full. Consequently, we are proud to be serialising the Code in our Accepta newsletter.

Legislation – health and safety law

12 - Duties under the HSWA extend to risks from legionella bacteria which may arise from work activities. The MHSWR provide a broad framework for controlling health and safety at work. As well as requiring risk assessments, they also require employers to have access to competent help in applying the provisions of health and safety law; to establish procedures to be followed by any worker if situations presenting serious and imminent danger were to arise; and for co-operation and co-ordination where two or more employers or self-employed persons share a workplace.

13 - Only the courts can give an authoritative interpretation of law in considering the application of these Regulations and guidance to people working under another’s direction, the following should be considered: if people working under the control and direction of others are treated as self-employed for tax and national insurance purposes they may nevertheless be treated as their employees for health and safety purposes. It may therefore be necessary to take appropriate action to protect them. If any doubt exists about who is responsible for the health and safety of a worker this could be clarified and included in the terms of a contract. However, it should be remembered that a legal duty under section 3 of HSWA cannot be passed on by means of a contract and there will still be duties towards others under section 3 of HSWA. If such workers are employed on the basis that they are responsible for their own health and safety, legal advice should be sought before doing so.

14 - More specifically the COSHH Regulations provide a framework of actions designed to control the risk from a range of hazardous substances including biological agents. The essential elements of COSHH are:

(a) risk assessment;

(b) prevention of exposure or substitution with a less hazardous substance if this is possible, or substitution of a process or method with a less hazardous one;

(c) control of exposure where prevention or substitution is not reasonably practicable;

(d) maintenance, examination and testing of control measures, eg automatic dosing equipment for delivery of biocides and other treatment chemicals;

(f) health surveillance of employees (where appropriate, and if there are valid techniques for detecting indications of disease) where exposure may result in an identifiable disease or adverse health effect.

15 - The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR) require employers and others, eg the person who has control of work premises, to report to HSE, accidents and some diseases that arise out of or in connection with work. Cases of legionellosis are reportable under RIDDOR if a doctor notifies the employer and if the employee’s current job involves work on or near cooling systems that use water or hot water service systems in the workplace. Further details can be obtained in HSE guidance.1

16 - Those who have, to any extent, control of premises, have a duty under the Notification of Cooling Towers and Evaporative Condensers Regulations 1992 to notify the local authority in writing with details of ‘notifiable devices’.. These consist of cooling towers and evaporative condensers, except when they contain water that is not exposed to the air and the water and electricity supply are not connected. Although the requirement is to notify the local authority, the Regulations are enforced by the relevant authority for the premises concerned. Forms are available from local authorities or the local HSE office. If a tower becomes redundant and is decommissioned or dismantled, this should also be notified. The main purpose of these Regulations is to help in the investigation of outbreaks (see Appendix 2).

17 - The Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977 and the Health and Safety (Consultation with Employees) Regulations 1996 require employers to consult trade union safety representatives, other employee representatives, or employees where there are no representatives, about health and safety matters. This includes changes to the work that may affect their health and safety at work, arrangements for getting competent help, information on the risks and controls, and the planning of health and safety training. Further information and details of additional guidance can be found in a free HSE leaflet.2

Extracted from "Approved Code of Practice (ACoP) and Guidance "Legionnaires' disease: The control of legionella bacteria in water systems" (L8)" © Crown copyright

more next time.....

******************************

Managing Water Use and Benchmarking

in Ceramic Manufacture

This Good Practice Guide will help companies in ceramic manufacturing to save money through reducing water use and effluent levels.

The Guide provides benchmark data against which companies can compare their performance, and practical hints and tips on how to reduce their water use and effluent generation, saving money directly in terms of water and raw materials and indirectly in terms of energy and labour.

Industry Examples highlight companies and the measures they have taken and the cost savings and other benefits that have resulted.

Although UK water costs are relatively low, there is much scope to make savings - more than companies might think. Simply by taking measures that cost little or nothing to implement, such as those suggested in this Guide, a company could save many tens of thousands of pounds every year through reducing water use and recovering materials.

This Guide covers measures at all process stages, from delivery to cleaning, and gives advice on reducing effluent through the recovery of materials for direct re-use.

The best way to tackle waste is in a systematic manner. Section 7 of the guide details an approach that will ensure continuous improvement. It will help companies to look at their own process for cost saving potential and includes tried and tested techniques to help this process. Measuring and benchmarking against good practice and a company’s own on-going data, will help those taking action to improve control of their process and save money in all areas.

This Guide will help companies to save money by providing:

benchmark data (based on a 1999/2000 industry survey) against which companies can compare their performance;

clear, concise water/effluent reduction and re-use advice in terms of:

- practical hints and tips;
- a systematic approach to monitoring and control.

The Guide also provides Industry Examples that highlight cost savings and other benefits, and a worksheet and checklist to be used around any site(s) to help identify cost saving opportunities.
This Guide is intended to be used by managers who are looking for practical ways of reducing waste and hence costs. This includes those attempting to make improvements within the framework of an environmental management system such as that defined in ISO 14001 or EMAS. The Guide complements Good Practice Guide (GG271) Reducing Solid Waste Costs in the Whiteware Industry1, which also addresses the issue of glaze and clay process use and ‘high density’ (non-effluent) recovery.

Extracted from "Managing water use and benchmarking in ceramic manufacture" © Crown copyright

For your complimentary copy of this excellent guide please e-mail ne at sdooner@accepta.com quoting the full title of the document.

******************************

Innovation from Accepta

Safe, Eco-Friendly Algaecide for Swimming Pools

Phosphate Removal - Accepta 9079 is an innovative product developed specifically for phosphate removal from swimming pools, spas, fountains and water parks. It works to naturally eliminate the algae and prevents any future growth by simply removing the phosphate nutrients algae feed on. This excellent product stops the growth of pool algae without the need for environmentally harmful algaecides or corrosive chemicals which can cause eye and skin irritation, chemical odours and destroy equipment.

Accepta 9079 is produced from a proprietary formulation that has the ability to reduce phosphate levels in swimming pools, spas, fountains and water parks to levels below 100 parts per billion. Its ability to remove phosphate nutrients so successfully makes it the perfect solution for the proactive control of algae in pools, spas and fountains. It tackles algae problems proactively, at the route-source rather than reactively, minimising the need for algaecides.

Benefits of Accepta 9079

Accepta 9079 has several significant benefits including:

• Eliminates algae and prevents future growth.
• Reduces pool maintenance costs.
• Eliminates/minimises the need for algaecides.
• Environmentally friendly pool management solution.
• Minimises unwanted “chlorine” smells!
• Reduced eye and skin irritation.
• Improved safety in use.

For more information about Accepta 9079 please review this LINK to our web site or contact info@accepta.com.

******************************

Sales & Marketing Workshop

Absolute Power Corrupts!

Having detailed knowledge of your subject would seem like common sense. Indeed, a thorough understanding of the topic is probably one of the most important advantages you can give your self. Remember the saying “knowledge is power”.

However overdependence on knowledge can lead to some surprising disadvantages:

• Over complicating a subject to the extent that you fail to communicate the most important sales benefits.
• Appearing arrogant about your knowledge and expertise.
• Not listening to others’ points of view.
• Regarding yourself as an expert.

Experience of working with that knowledge is what makes you successful. The two used together will help raise self-confidence and credibility.

Keeping up-to-date and developing your knowledge are also useful for influencing others. Read relevant literature, especially books and journals; read a good quality daily newspaper and network with others.