Legionella control case study at a large boarding school
Dantek have provided legionella control services to Marlborough College for a number of years, below is a case study about how we work together to ensure ACoP L8 compliance and the safety of the students and staff.
Since its establishment in 1843 by a group of Church of England clergymen at the Castle Inn at Marlborough, Marlborough College has never been frightened of change.
In its recent history, numerous academic initiatives have been fostered at the College including, Business Studies, SMP Maths, Combined Science, Pre-U examination syllabuses and the teaching of Arabic and Chinese. In 1968 Marlborough was one of the first of the traditional boys’ boarding schools to admit girls into the Sixth Form.
In 1989, the College became fully co-educational with the admission of girls into the Lower School and with the establishment of the first of the all-girl boarding houses.
Today the College caters for 936 pupils (of which just over 40% are girls) and the great majority of whom (98%) are boarders. The remaining four “Out-College” houses accommodate 13-16-year-old boys, plus a mixed Sixth Form of both girls and boys.
School size: 201-500 employees
Based at: Marlborough, Wiltshire
The support Dantek provides
As a school, Marlborough College provides care for a large group of students most of which board on site, this means that they must adhere to strict health and safety guidelines. One of these areas is the need to protect students and staff from potential Legionella infection. Dantek has worked with the school for many years ensuring they comply with all regulations thus providing a safe environment for their students to thrive in.
As part of their on-going activity, Dantek engineers monitor the water quality, carry out remedial work and run regular testing and Legionella risk assessments. The College compliance team benefit from using Dantek’s electronic logbook which saves time and helps them keep on top of the various requirements. Dantek has provided a long-standing service to the college and act as part of their team which supports the quality of environment and interaction required by the College.
What does the client say?
We caught up with Kelvin Neale, M&E and Energy Manager at Marlborough College to find out how he views working with Dantek;
How did you hear of Dantek?
I have worked at Marlborough College for 8 months so Dantek were already in place when I joined. However, I did work with Dantek through another employer. I can certainly say that Dantek are known for their sound reputation in the industry.
What are the most important elements you look for in a contractor?
The most important elements for me are timely communication and a conscientious, effective manner. Due to the nature of the work Dantek provide, I also look for clear paperwork and accurate paper trial. We do consider the price, but it is not the only factor. When it comes to compliance, we must make sure we are choosing the right supplier who has the knowledge and systems which we require.
What do you like about working with Dantek?
I am very happy with their work in general. Three things stand up for me in particular:
- All engineers are professionals and knowledgeable, DBS checked and employed directly. They will always provide a service that goes beyond their contractual requirements and nothing we ask is ever an issue.
- The level of knowledge and expertise the company holds is impressive, they clearly know their stuff. I am also very impressed with the fact that on the rare occasion when they come across something they don’t know; they will go away to research for the right solution. It really demonstrates how competent they are and allows me to trust their advice implicitly.
- The electronic logbook is helpful and saves me a lot of time. It means I always have the data I need available to me and we never miss any tests and activities we need to complete.
How do they stand out against the competition?
As mentioned before, Dantek has a strong reputation in the industry. I think the main elements that make them stand out for me are as follows:
- The concise and timely completion of every job
- The electronic logbook which allows me to stay on top of compliance requirements, documentation and paperwork
- The level of knowledge and expertise they demonstrate about water treatment and legionella control