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.

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