Health and safety initiatives

In 2011/12 Spelthorne Borough Council is participating in two health and safety initiatives – gas safety in catering businesses and the control of legionella within businesses.

Gas Safety in Catering Businesses

The aim of the project is to increase the awareness of local business operators with respect to the dangers of gas appliances used by catering establishments. Visits will be combined with programmed food hygiene inspections, health and safety inspections and revisits.

During visits officers are examining the controls that businesses have in place to ensure that gas appliances are maintained in a safe condition.

More information can be found from Gas Safe (external website) and the Health and Safety Executive (external website)

Control Of Legionella

Legionnaires' Disease is a potentially fatal form of pneumonia which can affect anybody, but which principally affects those who are susceptible because of age, illness, etc. People catch Legionnaires' disease by inhaling small droplets of water suspended in the air, which contain the bacteria. Most people exposed to legionella do not become ill, and Legionnaires' disease does not spread from person to person

Surrey Local Authorities are currently conducting a health and safety project to ensure that the risks posed by legionella at garden centres and leisure centres are being managed correctly.

Aims of the project are:

to identify any unknown operating cooling towers
to raise awareness of the legionella risk amongst spa sellers and the leisure industry
to improve standards and levels of compliance amongst duty holders

Objectives:

to reduce and prevent cases of legionella
to improve standards and levels of compliance and awareness of legionella risk through provision of information and a series of audits

More information about Legionella can be found on the HSE website (external website) and the Health Protection Agency website (external website)