Safe return to our Estate
Health and safety information relating to ventilation, water and furnishings.
In addition to the information published on the Academic Planning SharePoint site, below are some specific FAQs related on estates matters.
Current knowledge on how Covid-19 is spread has been published by Health Protection Scotland and Public Health England in various online guidance documents which are publicity available, such as the ‘COVID-19 - Guidance for Non-Healthcare Settings’.
We are committed to taking all reasonable steps to minimise the potential for airborne spread of COVID 19.
We will follow the guidance prepared by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the Chartered Institution of Building Service Engineers (CIBSE) and the Federation of European Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Associations (REHVA) in relation to the potential risks associated with the operation and maintenance of building ventilation systems.
We have produced a guide which details the steps being taken to minimise risk, and any questions should be sent in the first instance to your Building Manager and then to the Estates Helpdesk.
The University is in constant contact with Health Protection Scotland and we will update any guidance given based on information discussed with the local NHS Health Protection Team as well as the professional associations referenced above.
Following the re-opening of University buildings, Estates Department will ceased carrying out water flushing to outlets within the building. The responsibility of identifying and flushing infrequently used outlets will revert to the School as per the UoE Legionella Policy.
An infrequently used outlet is defined as an outlet which is not used for a period equal to or greater than seven days. Building managers should identify any outlets within their building which meet this criteria and run water through them for a period of 3 minutes each. This should then be recorded on a Register and records saved for 5 years as per the Legionella Management procedure.
Estates Department will inform building management of this requirement as part of the hand over procedure when handing buildings back.
Estates Operations Cleaning Services have confirmed that soft furnishings pose a very low risk of both contamination and transmission. Therefore, you can continue to use soft furnishings as before, although you may wish to replace with hard furniture or cover with a removable film if desired.