SPIE UK has become the first facilities management services provider that has been awarded the UKAS ISO/ IEC 17020 accreditation
The United Kingdom Accreditation Service(UKAS) has awarded SPIE UK the first ISO/IEC 17020 for the management of Legionella risks.
This marks SPIE UK as the only facilities management services provider to have achieved the accreditation in assessing Legionella risks effectively across projects.
Public and private sector organisations are increasingly requiring ISO/IEC 17020 accreditation for suppliers carrying out Legionella risk assessments on their behalf.
This new accreditation will enable SPIE UK to compete more effectively for tenders throughout the UK.
Legionella is the bacteria found in water that can lead to Legionnaires disease
Legionnaires’ disease is a potentially fatal form of pneumonia caused by the inhalation of small droplets of contaminated water containing Legionella.
All man-made hot and cold water systems are likely to provide an environment where Legionella can grow, thus it is crucial to minimise the chances of this happening.
SPIE’s successfull accreditation of ISO/IEC 17020 is the result of a two year process
UKAS is the national accreditation body for the United Kingdom, appointed by government, to assess organisations that provide certification, testing, inspection and calibration services.
To meet the international standard for organisations carrying out inspection activities, SPIE UK was required to overhaul its internal processes and policies to meet UKAS’s threshold for successful accreditation.
This included digitising all written procedures and policies as well as revamping audit processes to meet accreditation standards, whilst maintaining the ability to manage thousands of affected sites on a monthly basis.
The achievement joins SPIE’s past accreditations
Having previously achieved accreditation from the Legionella Control Association (LCA), SPIE UK’s new Legionella accreditation will now enable it to effectively meet the higher ISO/IEC 17020 standard when carrying out Legionella risk assessments.
Steve Austin, operation manager – environmental facilities, SPIE UK said: “SPIE UK’s successful achievement of ISO/IEC 17020 accreditation from UKAS provides a reputable benchmark for the work the organisation has carried out to improve internal processes and procedures when it comes to assessing Legionella risks.
“As the only UK Facilities Management Services provider to secure this accreditation to date, clients can be confident that any Legionella assessments SPIE UK undertakes will be carried out to the highest possible standard.”
