News Archives - Page 2 of 3

September 17, 2020 By Karen Womack

Legionella prevention

Buildings are now being occupied again following the easing of lockdown restrictions. Business owners, the self-employed and landlords have a duty of care to protect individuals by identifying and controlling risks associated with legionella.

As a result of a building closure or during the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak the property had reduced occupancy, and the lack of water system use could create the occurrence of water stagnation increasing the risks of Legionnaires’ disease.

Managing the risks

To manage the risks a review of your risk assessment should be taken when a water system is being reinstated or started including some types of air conditioning units. (Note: A regularly used water system still requires the appropriate measure of maintenance to prevent legionella growth.)

The managing of specific products includes:

Cooling tower and evaporative condensers – operational reviews and plans to ensure systems work should already have been reviewed and put in place
Hot and cool water systems – used infrequently can cause a build-up of stagnated water and should be flushed weekly
Air conditioning units – units which generate an aerosol from the source of water and are not used for an extended period will need to be assessed, larger units where water can stagnate in trays are a reservoir for bacteria to grow. Some units with closed cooling systems such as small wall or ceiling mounted should not present a risk
Pools and hot tubs – existing control regimes should be maintained when in use. If not in use they should be drained, cleaned and disinfected

At BSE|FM we have competent specialists who can work with you to identify any possible issues and rectify or implement suitable controls that will need to be put in place to reduce legionella outbreaks.

If you would like advice and would like to talk to one of our team, contact us at 01444 390 593.

May 15, 2020 By Harriet Morphew

Covid-19 Airborne Transmission Control

With airborne transmission of Covid-19 in buildings possibly amplified by building services, BSE FM are here to help you reduce the spread of Covid-19 particles in your building.

Whether you are looking to reopen your premises, or are currently open, we are here to reduce the risk of airborne transmission of Covid-19 and therefore the risk of infection to your staff, customers and visitors.

Covid-19 is a small particle of less than 1 micron that can exist in the air for up to three hours and travel long distances. Ventilation services in buildings can enable the virus to travel further, and therefore increase the risk of infection to the building occupants. The following measures outline how BSE FM can help your business.

Supply and Extract Ventilation

The current advice is to increase the supply of outside air as far is practicable. We can review your mechanical ventilation and increase its operation time to maintain fresh air to the building. Additionally, we recommend that where you have fewer staff, avoid moving the staff to a smaller space, instead keep them in a larger space to increase the proportion of fresh air per person.

Exhaust ventilation in WCs should be put into continuous operation, with negative pressure ensured to reduce the faecal-oral transmission route as recognised the the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Heat Recovery

Heat recovery devices that do not prevent cross contamination, such as rotary heat exchangers (e.g. thermal wheels), should be turned off. This will prevent coronavirus particles removed by the exhaust system reentering the building through the supply ducts.

Heat recovery equipment that does guarantee the separation of air, and therefore does not risk airborne transmission from exhaust to supply, can remain in operation.

BSE FM can assess whether or not your current heat recovery devices can remain in operation during the current climate. If taken out of operation, once the advice changes we can put your heat recovery plant back into operation.

Recirculation Systems

Like the recommendation to stop operation of heat recovery devices that do not guarantee air separation, recirculation within ventilation systems should also be avoided. Recirculation applies to both centralised plant (such as air handling units), and local plant (such as fan coil units).

BSE FM can inspect your current system and reconfigure it where necessary to reduce the risk posed to the building occupants. We can either turn off equipment, of where that is not practical, we can implement a strict cleaning schedule of the required equipment. Both routes will help reduce the risk of airborne transmission through ventilation systems in your building.

March 6, 2020 By Karen Womack

Our team is growing!

BSE FM would like to welcome to the team…Philip Hutson will be responsible for overseeing and managing the day-to-day operations of the business ensuring a first-class service is delivered with a smile!

His career began as a plumbing apprentice. He then found himself working in the hotel industry for five years where his passion for customer services began. During his time in the industry, he found himself being very ‘handy’ and moved into maintenance.

We look forward to Philip bringing his expert knowledge to BSE|FM and developing great relationships with clients current and future.

Contact a member of the team for all your building services requirements.

June 21, 2019 By Karen Womack

World Refrigeration Day 2019

The Institute of Refrigeration is campaigning to raise the profile of air conditioning and heats pumps and the contribution they make globally during the first annual World Refrigeration Day on 26^th June 2019.

BSE FM is proud to be taking the lead in the use of innovative products to meet the latest legislation and regulations. Our aim:

‘To use state-of-the-art cutting-edge engineered technology, with an emphasis on energy efficiency to reduce carbon footprints.’

The innovative air conditioning systems available today offer both cooling and heating options simultaneously, delivering optimum comfort for individuals’ and businesses’ requirements in the most efficient way possible whilst reducing overall energy consumption.

‘Refrigeration technologies are essential and yet go widely unrecognised’ – Institute of Refrigeration about World Refrigeration day.

Refrigeration spans many aspects of life, controlling thermal applications for:

Comfort – heating/cooling
Critical processes – cooling data centres
Leisure – ice rinks, gyms, swimming pools
Specific activities – operating theatres

The global population is increasing, and the demand for more facilities is increasing. According to a report by the International Energy Agency, worldwide demand is expected to triple over the next 30 years.

The BSE FM team are fully qualified to install and maintain, future and existing refrigeration systems.

We are already advising clients using our comprehensive knowledge and expertise. If you would like assistance or have any questions relating to refrigeration requirements please contact the office or mail@bsefm.com

April 25, 2019 By Karen Womack

Central Sussex College

Chichester College and Central Sussex College formally merged in 2017.

More than 20 organisations applied to take over the Haywards Heath sixth form college site and West Sussex County Council has announced that the Chichester College Group has been selected as its preferred choice to run the site.

This is excellent news for Haywards Heath, giving children the opportunity to attend a fantastic facility locally that has been left dormant for many years.

Chichester College is the largest group in Sussex and will provide high quality learning opportunities for around 25,000 students each year.

BSE FM are delighted to announce that we have been appointed to carry out essential maintenance and refurbishment work of their heating systems ready for the anticipated opening in 2020.