A Lid Alone Isn’t Enough – The Hidden Risks of Tank Neglect
This image serves as a striking example of why simply having a tank lid in place is not enough—and why routine inspection, maintenance, and hygiene controls are essential, as laid out in HSG274 Part 2. While the cold water storage tank shown here did have a lid fitted, it had clearly been neglected for a… Read more »
Staff Interviews April 2025
See what our staff think about GMS in the below video captured at our team away day 2025.
Meet the Team: Tom Sullivan
At GMS, we’re proud to shine a spotlight on the people who help keep things running smoothly behind the scenes—and on the front lines. Today, we’re catching up with Tom Sullivan, one of our dedicated Water Hygiene Engineers, who’s been with us for the past eight months. Tom joined GMS eight months ago and hit… Read more »
The Critical Importance of Water Hygiene Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) in Healthcare Settings
In healthcare environments—where vulnerable patients rely on safe, clean surroundings—water hygiene is not just a compliance issue; it’s a critical aspect of patient safety and infection control. Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) for water systems is an essential strategy to prevent microbial contamination, protect at-risk individuals, and meet stringent regulatory standards. What is Water Hygiene PPM?… Read more »
Why Dirty Water Systems May Show No Detectable Legionella: A Closer Look at Bacterial Dynamics and Mutations
In water hygiene management, it’s not uncommon to encounter heavily contaminated water systems that, despite appearing ideal for Legionella pneumophila proliferation, return negative results for Legionella during microbiological analysis. These situations often raise questions about sampling accuracy, environmental suitability, bacterial competition, and the complex behaviour of microbial communities under stress. High TVC, No Legionella: What’s… Read more »
Contract Win!
We are delighted to announce a recent contract award with Blackburn With Darwen Council. We have been awarded the Water Hygiene Monitoring Contract for the local authority which will commence rom July 2024. The contract will be mobilised and managed by our contract team including Contract Manager – Ben O’Berg, Contract Coordinnator – Cath Dahl… Read more »
Rapid Legionella Testing
If you are concerned with the quality of your water and would like rapid peace of mind, GMS have the solution. We can provide rapid legionella tests for you or your own staff to apply yourself, or we can attend site and apply the tests for you. Results can be provided within 25 minutes for… Read more »
Tendring District Council fined £27k over Legionnaires' outbreak
See link to BBC article below. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-england-essex-46472282
Monthly Surveillance Report – April 2018
The latest figures are available. See the link below to the HSE report. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/705178/Monthly_Legionella_Report_-_April_2018.pdf
Legionella Sampling – Legionella PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction)
Legionella Sampling – PCR versus Culture Technique PCR is a molecular biology technique in which the DNA of micro-organisms is extracted and then amplified (multiple copies are made). This enables the laboratory to determine the presence and quantity of that organism’s DNA in a water sample. As it is the DNA that is being assessed,… Read more »
