Broadcasts.com - "203 The One With Our Across The Pond Legionella Expert, John Sandford" (Scaling UP! H2O)

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203 The One With Our Across The Pond Legionella Expert, John Sandford

Published: July 16, 2021, 5 a.m.

One of my favorite things about this podcast is that it has allowed me to meet fantastic people. Today\u2019s guest I met at\xa0The Hang\xa0a few months\xa0ago,\xa0and we instantly hit it off. His name is\xa0John Sandford\xa0and even though he lives\xa015 miles east of Oxford, and I live outside of Atlanta, our passion for water treatment has made us lifelong friends.\xa0

He has a wealth of experience and a genuine passion for improving the standards of the industry he works in. John is going to give you some insight into how our colleagues across the pond test and treat Legionella bacteria and what their government requires of them. \xa0

To give you some background, John Sandford CMIOSH\xa0is the\xa0Director of Water Hygiene Specialists at SMS Environmental. He has four offices across the U.K., and over 140 employees, over 30 years of practical and research experience in the field of water treatment and Legionella\xa0and\xa0has expertise in the application of Health and Safety in this area.\xa0\xa0

John is on the council of the\xa0Water Management Society\xa0(WMSoc), one of the founders and Health and Safety Director at SMS Environmental, and he is a UKAS accredited\xa0Legionella Risk Assessment provider\xa0which is and a national supplier of water hygiene services to over 1000 organizations across the U.K.\xa0\xa0

As many of you know, the U.S. is one of the slowest countries to create legislation around Legionella testing and mitigation. It\u2019s only a matter of time for those changes to be written; just ask any water treater living in New York. I would encourage all my listeners to be proactive by learning what other countries are doing in the field that they work in.\xa0\xa0

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Bottom line: Nation, when you are aware of what other countries are doing, you can prepare for the unknowns before your local government takes steps towards any new Legionella legislation.\xa0

Your roadside friend, as you travel from client to client.

-Trace\xa0\xa0

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Timestamps:\xa0\xa0

Introducing business owner and water hygiene professional, John Sandford [5:50]\xa0

Water certifications in the U.K. [14:10]\xa0

Understanding Legionella mitigations and regulations in the U.S.A. vs. U.K. [21:40]\xa0

What happens in the U.K. when the government finds a breach of health and safety? [28:50]\xa0

John\u2019s advice on new construction, taking on a new build [39:15]\xa0

Global commonality Legionella guidance [44:45]\xa0

Lightning round questions [54:40]\xa0

James\u2019 Challenge: \u201cResearch neutralizing amine distribution ratio.\u201d\xa0 [1:07:00]\xa0

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Quotes:\xa0

\u201cWhat a great industry we\u2019ve got!\u201d - John Sandford\xa0

\u201cThen I knew absolutely everything. I was an expert in everything. And then 30 years down the line, I realized I don\u2019t know anything at all.\u201d\xa0 - John Sandford\xa0

\u201c80% of our work is Legionella related.\u201d\xa0 - John Sandford\xa0

\u201cIt\u2019s funny, we use British thermal units in the U.S.A., but in the\xa0U.K.,\xa0you use metric units.\u201d - Trace Blackmore\xa0

\u201cYour biggest risk in the U.K. now isn\u2019t from Legionnaires Disease, it\u2019s from risk of being prosecuted for not complying with the guidance and approved code of practice that surround Legionella.\u201d - John Sandford\xa0

\xa0\u201cNew builds are a problem. I strongly believe you should be doing a water safety plan or water management plan before you\u2019ve even broken ground.\u201d - John Sandford\xa0

\u201cNo matter how good that company is, a good disinfection is not going to cure 18 months of mismanagement.\u201d\xa0 - John Sandford\xa0

\u201cMy advice is if you are taking on any new builds, make sure you know what the state of play is.\u201d - John Sandford\xa0

\u201cPlumbing is a skill.\u201d - John Sandford\xa0

You need to manage your systems during the construction phase.\u201d - John Sandford\xa0

\u201cDon\u2019t worry about it, learn about it.\u201d\xa0- Trace\xa0Blackmore\xa0

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Connecting with John Sandford of SMS Environmental Ltd.:

Email:j.sandford@sms-environmental.co.uk

Phone: 07764534984

Website:www.sms-environmental.co.uk

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Links Mentioned:\xa0