Why healthy, clean workplaces are a breath of fresh air and elemental to success

They are also essential to health: without proper water treatment, for example, Legionella can multiply, leading to serious illness in those who catch it. And if air circulation is not managed correctly then – as we have learned with the current pandemic – viruses can spread.

To avoid these issues and ensure a safe and healthy workplace, specialist services are needed. Cleartech Group has been a leader in this area for almost 20 years, building trusted relationships with its clients and offering the experience of involvement in some of the UK’s biggest construction projects.

Based on the Blantyre Industrial Estate in Lanarkshire, Cleartech offers a comprehensive range of solutions including heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) commissioning, water treatment, health and safety water testing and bespoke projects.

The company is well established in Scotland and has just expanded into the North East of England with new offices in Doxford, Sunderland. It sees further growth opportunities across the UK in the future.

“We currently employ 40 people to carry out our work in the construction sector and with our supply of facilities management services”, explains Jim McGuigan, Cleartech’s Managing Director. “In building construction, we will be involved in areas such as the water treatment of the heating systems and the disinfection of the water tanks. 

“We will take samples before the building opens up to the public. We also commission and balance all the air and water systems. This helps ensure that they are safe and protects against Legionnaires Disease.

“We also ensure that the right treatment chemicals are in the heating and chilled water systems and we check that the HVAC functions are working to the correct design when it comes to air flows and changes. We don’t physically install the pipework or ductwork – we come in at the end once the systems are installed and we then commission them and set them to work.” This process is hugely important and can never been seen as an afterthought, he says. “We have seen huge prestige construction projects that are delayed because the systems aren’t ready to be commissioned. 

“It’s an absolutely critical to get it right.

“Once a building becomes live – it can be a school, a care home or city centre offices – then there is a legal requirement to maintain the water systems and make sure they are compliant.

“This is where our facilities management role comes in. We check these things on a regular basis. We won our first maintenance contract back in 2003 and we still visit that same site today.”

Cleartech Group's main office is based at Blantyre Industrial Estate in Lanarkshire

Prestige contracts with which Cleartech has been involved include construction work on Terminal Two at London’s Heathrow Airport, The Royal Bank of Scotland’s headquarters complex at Gogarburn in Edinburgh, Alder Hey children’s hospital in Liverpool and the Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Stirlingshire.

Companies now recognise more than ever that clean air and water are hugely important when it comes to the functioning of their people and buildings, Mr McGuigan adds. 

“There is a lot more awareness now about the importance of these. For many years, we would advise them that they needed to have their water systems checked and they would ask us why.

“That has changed now. They have much greater knowledge about what needs to be done and that there is a legal requirement to make sure that their buildings are safe. 

“There have been a lot of negative stories in the press about poor water quality in places like hospitals and that has raised levels of understanding.”

Awareness about the need for good air quality is not yet as embedded, he says. “I’d say that it is still several years behind that of water. 

“However, it’s really been brought to the fore in recent months because the Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of air movement within buildings. 

“Another issue is that there has always been more of a focus on legislation and compliance when it comes to water quality, but I do think that attitudes are changing now when it comes to quality of air.

“This is really important because it helps to keep the building and those who use it safe. It also affects temperature control and humidity. Buildings should have the correct number of air changes and flow to optimise the environment.”

The Covid-19 pandemic has led to radical changes in the layout of buildings, with many companies having dramatically reduced the number of people working in them or asking everyone to work from home, leaving properties virtually empty.

This culture of homeworking may well continue once life returns to normal, leading to a fundamental rethink of how much office space will be required in the future.“If companies are carrying out this sort of assessment”, Mr McGuigan says, “then they should also take the opportunity of making sure that their HVAC systems are working properly and to the standards of their design.”

There is a recognition of the importance of doing this, he adds. “We did get an influx of work towards the end of last summer when places started opening again. I think we’ll see that again now into the autumn as places like city centre properties start to return to use.”

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Highest standards delivered for  a vast portfolio of major clients

EVERY type of organisation needs to be assured that its air and water quality is of the highest standards, so it is no surprise that Cleartech operates across the private, public and third sectors.

Its portfolio of past projects is extensive and wide ranging, both geographically and in terms of the number of economic areas covered.

One household name client is Mackies, the iconic Aberdeenshire-based ice cream manufacturer.

Cleartech was engaged to carry out HVAC commissioning and water treatment services at the retail outlet occupied by the company in Aberdeen’s prestigious Marischal Square retail development.

Work carried out at the outlet included domestic water services chlorination, with Cleartech’s engineers taking potable water samples from the systems.

Cleartech Group is thriving due to firms increasingly  recognising that clean air and water are vital to employee wellbeing and performance

These were then tested at an accredited laboratory before the results were relayed back. Pre-start survey work was also conducted. This included recording flow rates at all grilles in order to verify fan coil design air volumes. 

The HVAC commissioning required water and ventilation balancing of systems.

Another HVAC and water treatment services contract was for the newly renovated town hall in Kirkintilloch. This £5 million project involved upgrading the building to create a flexible and contemporary space suitable for events such as weddings, receptions, meetings and heritage displays.

The development work attracted considerable public attention, with the town hall nominated for two Scottish Property Awards, in the Architectural Excellence (Public Use) and Town Centre Regeneration Project of the Year categories.

Cleartech’s team of engineers once again took potable water samples from the systems and forwarded them to a laboratory for analysis. Its other services included carrying out a full pre-commission chemical clean as well as status flushing, dynamic flushing and dosing of a corrosion inhibitor.

Legionella is a constant concern for all organisations and robust steps have to be taken to ensure that water treatments are rigorous enough to avoid any problems in this area. Once again, this is an area where Cleartech has a long established reputation for providing the required expertise.

The company was engaged by the energy giant SSE to carry out a Legionalla risk assessment as well as HVAC commissioning and water treatment at a power station depot in Orkney.

The project also involved water sampling and lab analysis, disinfection of new installation hot and cold water services and ventilation balancing of systems.

One challenge is that there had to be continuous communication and careful planning involving SSE’s head office in East Kilbride, its mechanical engineer, Cleartech’s own experts and the Orkney site team. This co-operation was achieved successfully and the client provided positive feedback on the work.

Adoption and maintenance of high building standards is critical in the field of healthcare and Cleartech has been involved in a number of prestige projects in this sector.

One of these was providing services for the new state-of-the-art £237 million Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in West Derby, Liverpool. The team were involved in HVAC commissioning and water treatment including pre-commissioning cleaning of heating and chilled systems and disinfection of the domestic water system. 

Cleartech worked as an integral part of the overall project team, ensuring successful delivery of this landmark project both on time and within budget.