ENSURING WATER SAFETY FOR VULNERABLE INDIVIDUALS: SMS ENVIRONMENTAL'S COMMITMENT TO THE ENDEAVOUR ACADEMY

On the 23rd July 2021, SMS Environmental Risk Assessor Daniel Bird conducted a UKAS Accredited Legionella Risk Assessment and work for an ongoing water safety control scheme which will continue at the Endeavour Academy in Headington, Oxfordshire.

When Endeavour Academy first approached SMS Environmental with their ongoing requirements, they asked if we could discount the cost of ongoing PPM works given their charitable status. However, we felt we could do more to support and have since committed to delivering for free their full PPM programme across the year, including the initial Legionella Risk Assessment.

The specialist school and children's home in Oxford is for children and young people aged between 8 and 19 with autism and severe learning difficulties who benefit from an autism specific environment. 

Developed in partnership with MacIntyre Academies Trust and Oxfordshire County Council, Endeavour was established to meet the needs of local students and their families. The Academy provides a person centred curriculum for students; meeting their individual needs with a strong focus on gaining life skills that support independence. They work closely with the parents and carer's of each student to ensure the whole family is fully supported and reassured that their child is safe and happy, respected and celebrated. This includes the offer of flexible residential opportunities in their onsite Children’s Home.

Jane Grant, Business Manager for Endeavour Academy said:

I’ve worked with SMS Environmental in the past and it was great to have them back and supporting us again. Their charitable work hasn’t gone unnoticed and we look forward to a continued client relationship with them for the foreseeable future.

The control of legionella in water systems is one of the health and safety issues that all educational institutions are required to manage. As far as risk levels are concerned, schools, universities and colleges tend to be lower on that scale than sites with cooling towers, or those with ill and elderly people present. However, managing legionella risks in schools and other educational buildings is still very important to ensure the safety of both staff and students from the effects of Legionnaires’ disease. The risk assessment remains the starting point for legionella control and is the only procedure you have an absolute legal duty to perform.  

It should also be noted that those with the responsibility for managing buildings are required by the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 to have a risk assessment carried out and depending on the outcome of the assessment, must manage the hot and cold water systems in order to control the growth of the bacteria.  

SMS Environmental has over 20 years of experience supporting the education sector with water hygiene services. We support institutions, schools, colleges and universities to keep compliant with legislation and most importantly reduce risk to their people. Our primary objective has been and always will be to create long-term working relationships so that our clients can benefit from our expertise, knowledge and experience. We were also the UK’s first water treatment service provider to be accredited by UKAS for the competency of our legionella risk assessments. 

Founded in 2001, SMS Environmental is one of the UK's largest providers of full water and air hygiene and treatment services, offering a broad range of water treatment, analytical and environmental services with an emphasis on Legionella Control. 

SMS supplies services to over 700 customers throughout the UK in every public and private sector, including housing, education, leisure, healthcare, commercial, defence, prisons, blue light and infrastructure organisations. 

For more information on water hygiene services, please call 0800 138 21 21 or use the form below.