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The ongoing Barrow-in-Furness
Council court case continues to
bring corporate manslaughter
into the spotlight and with the
drafting of a new bill in
Parliament this is an issue
which we can ill afford to
ignore.
But help is at hand in the
form of SFG20 CD-ROM, the
Standard Maintenance
Specification for Mechanical
Services in Buildings which
provides practical guidelines on
routine maintenance
procedures relating to all
principal heating, cooling and
ventilation systems commonly
used in Europe. It is ideal for
use by plant attendants,
operators and supervisors,
maintenance contractors,
facilities managers, specifiers,
architects, local authorities and
health trusts.
Searchable across 66 service
equipment headings, SFG20
covers all aspects of air
handling and heat generation,
and features a comprehensive
section on the safe running of
plant, providing information on
every aspect of health and
safety. When met, the criteria
detailed in the program ensures
safe, energy efficient plant
operation and compliance with
all current legislation.
Bob Towse, Head of Technical
and Safety for the HVCA, said:
“I would strongly advise
building managers to use
SFG20 in maintenance
contracts. Following these
standards should ensure that
the building operates in an
energy efficient and safe
manner, minimising accidents
on-site.”
A Corporate Manslaughter
Bill has been drafted by
Parliament, which the
government hopes will make it
easier to prosecute companies
responsible for fatal accidents.
This would be applicable when
a person has been killed
because senior management
or the ‘controlling mind’ of
the company has grossly failed
to take reasonable care of
the safety of employees or
others.
Mr Towse continued:
“Currently there is not enough
care and attention given to
maintenance standards on site.
“The recent case brought
against Barrow-in-Furness
Council following seven deaths
from Legionnaire’s Disease,
highlights the importance of
this issue. I cannot stress
enough how important it is to
safeguard against this
happening,” he said.
“It is imperative that
businesses have a
comprehensive set of standards
and procedures in place so
everyone from engineers to
senior management knows
what the correct procedures
are and can follow them,” he
stated.
