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Legionella, a Fresh Challenge for Higher Ed in the COVID-19 Era

September 8th, 2020

One of the many COVID-19 services HRP provides to colleges and universities are scalable prevention, preparedness and response plans, referred to as a “Campus Playbook” which details logistical concerns for colleges and universities preparing  for the return of students and faculty in times of the COVID-19 pandemic.  These plans help campuses prevent virus transmission by detailing various administrative, engineering and physical controls along with personal protective equipment to mitigate the COVID-19 risks. Educational institutions provide a unique set of challenges that HRP is well suited to address. Not all problems that these institutions face are specifically related to COVID-19, but arise as a result of the pandemic, such as in the example below:

HRP’s FL office fielded an emergency call from a client facing an issue, potentially resulting from shuttered facilities on the client’s site due to the pandemic. Since the pandemic meant that the facilities remained dormant for long periods of time, there’s an increased likelihood of impacts to water and air quality due to lack of use.  The emergency call was to discuss a reported case of Legionella of a third party contractor who worked on campus.  HRP’s FL office responded within minutes and rallied support from HRP’s South Carolina and New York Offices, who jumped on a call with the client later that morning.

The client, being very proactive, requested sampling of all the dorms on campus along with any other potential sources of exposure.  There was a very short window to address the Legionella concern with students and faculty returning within days. HRP’s team of professionals were able to quickly develop an action plan which ensured the safety of returning students and faculty, while saving the client thousands of dollars in sampling costs.  

This responsiveness and professionalism is what HRP is known for amongst our clients. HRP continues to be an essential resource in the times of COVID-19 by providing going back to work plans, responding to positive cases and assisting facilities in obtaining cutting edge technologies.  Such technologies include thermal cameras, whole-room sterilizers and UV wands to name a few.  These are just a few examples of how HRP continues to be a valuable asset to our client and our communities.  HRP would love the opportunity to demonstrate our capabilities in facilitating your organization’s readiness in their COVID battle.  Click here for more information.

Jason Lichtenstein, Senior Project Engineer at HRP Associates, Inc.