Business owners, or those in control of premises (including landlords), must protect against Legionella risks. This includes assessing hazards, controlling exposure, and maintaining records.
Regular monitoring, proper maintenance, and compliance with legal duties are essential to ensure safety and prevent outbreaks.
Why is Legionella dangerous?
Legionella is a genus of pathogenic gram-negative bacteria that includes the species L. pneumophila, causing legionellosis.
This includes a pneumonia-type illness called Legionnaires’ disease and a mild flu-like illness called Pontiac fever.
Gram-Negative Bacteria (GNB) are among the world’s most significant public health problems due to their high resistance to antibiotics.
Legionella bacteria naturally occur in ponds but only becomes a health problem when the bacteria have had the opportunity to multiply in an industrial or domestic water system.
You can then get legionnaires disease from air conditioning systems, humidifiers, spa pools, hot tubs, taps and showers that are not often used.
It can take two to fourteen days after being exposed for the bacteria to develop into legionnaires disease.
The symptoms are flu-like and can include a high temperature, cough, shortness of breath and chest pain or discomfort.
Particularly when breathing or coughing.
In certain cases, legionnaires disease can lead to death from pneumonia.
What are the risk factors for Legionella?
Not everyone will become unwell from legionella bacteria, those are particular risk from the severe effects of legionnaires disease are vulnerable persons. Which includes:
- Immunocompromised or taking immunosuppressive drugs/therapy
- Smokers
- Asthmatics
- Elderly
- Organ transplant recipients
For someone to contact legionnaires disease and become unwell, a chain of events must occur:
- The water becomes contaminated
Where sludge, scale, rust, algae and other organic matter accumulates, providing nutrients in the water system for bacteria to multiply
- Bacteria Multiply in the system
Conditions that encourage bacteria to multiply include storing water at the optimum growth temperature, this is between 20°C and 45°C.
- An aerosol is created from the contaminated water
Aerosols need to be dispersed into the atmosphere, through things such as showers and water evaporation.
- Someone inhales the droplets
What precautions are taken to prevent Legionnaires disease?
Employers have responsibility to manage the risk from legionella in their organisation, they must first assess the risk by instructing a competent person to conduct a legionella risk assessment they must then monitor and review the assessment.
Once a risk assessment has been conducted it is important that organisations follow the 4 C’s of Water Management, this begins with control by providing clear lines of responsibility through the appointment of a duty holder and responsible person(s) for whom take on the day-to-day control of legionella.
They must then co-operate with all relevant stakeholders such as departments, clients and contractors to maintain communication of the risks whilst ensuring those responsible for managing legionella in the organisation are competent through training, knowledge and experience.
After the risk assessment is completed, a written scheme must be documented by a competent person.
This will establish the procedures an organisation must implement at periodic intervals to manage the risks identified by the assessment.
This could include quarterly descaling and disinfecting of shower heads.
To prevent an outbreak of legionella, the chain of events must be broken. Regular cleaning, boiler inspections, annual blowdowns and alterations to the system design can prevent water contamination.
Multiplication of bacteria can be prevented by storing water below 20°C and above 60°C.
Whilst regular purging of showers and regular maintenance can reduce aerosol creation.
How can WA Management help?
WA Management offer an online Legionella training course, suitable for those who carry out water management tasks. We can also assist with building a risk assessment pack relevant to your business.
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