WATER HYGIENE
The Right Side of the Law
Recent changes to legionella regulations by the health and safety executive (HSE) have put greater responsibility on businesses, to manage the legionella risk in their water systems. Dr. Simona Vasilescu, from the Water Treatment Innovation Platform at NCH Europe, looks at what businesses need to do to stay in control.
When ingested, the bacterium Legionella pneumophilia is relatively harmless. After all, it exists in low numbers in natural water sources such as rivers, lakes and reservoirs. However, when trapped in a microscopic droplet of water vapour and breathed into your lungs, it can lead to the potentially fatal Legionnaires’ disease. With symptoms resembling the common cold, this disease can be even more difficult to diagnose at first glance.
Although everyone is susceptible to the risk of infection, the likelihood is exacerbated with age and in people with weaker immune systems such as diabetics, smokers and heavy drinkers.
While the concentration of legionella bacteria is relatively low in nature, it can quickly multiply upon entering a business’s water supply. The warm, humid conditions created by stagnant water in storage tanks, heat exchangers and miles of piping, provide a thriving breeding-ground that can quickly harbour a breakout.
Between 2011 and 2013, there were 84 deaths from Legionnaires disease in the UK. Of these, 33% encountered the bacteria while travelling outside the country.
In a more recent case, Reading Borough Council was criticised for its ‘systematic and continued failings’, which led to it being fined £100,000,
- 48 -
following the death of a pensioner in 2012. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) who brought the case to court was severely critical of the care home in failing to manage the specific legionella risks at the care home.
Regulatory Reform To drive improvements in the health and safety of people at work, the UK government is keen to crack down on premises at risk. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued new guidelines called the L8 Approved Code of Practice (ACoP), fourth edition. These guidelines are accompanied by technical guidance documents in three parts to make it easier for businesses to comply with the law.
The new rules now increase the responsibility on companies and on specific people of responsibility within them. ‘Dutyholders’ such as employers and care home managers now have a legal responsibility to identify and manage the risk of exposure to legionella, develop preventative and control measures, ensure the process is recorded using a regularly updated, ‘living document’ and appoint a competent authority to implement the control measures.
Step by Step So what do you need to do to make sure your system is not at risk? The first stage is to establish whether your site is low risk or not. If you’re in
www.tomorrowscare.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58