WASHROOM (INCLUDING LEGIONELLA CONTROL)
Don’t Let Your Washroom Get
You Into Hot Water Mark Hadaway, Managing Director of water treatment
company Lubron UK, looks at the issues faced by the care industry when it comes to managing the risks associated with Legionella and other water-borne pathogens.
Washrooms are high-risk areas when it comes to water-borne pathogens, especially in a setting where facility users may have weakened immune systems and therefore more susceptible to infection.
It is understandable that care premises have unique requirements when it comes to water and the prevention of Legionella. The need for clean water from a health perspective is obvious, but the budget constraints faced within all areas of the industry call for innovative, sustainable solutions to also increase equipment life and reduce costs.
Water-borne pathogens, particularly Legionella, and vulnerable residents with low-immunity do not produce a happy outcome, nor does widespread sickness amongst staff caused by poor water management. Danger to health aside, the reputation of a care home could find itself in tatters after an outbreak of illness, e.g. Legionnaires’ disease.
Legionnaires’ disease got its name following an outbreak of an illness causing severe pneumonia symptoms that occurred in a Philadelphia hotel hosting a convention of the American Legion in 1976. Contaminated water in the hotel’s cooling towers was inhaled via the air-conditioning system and led to widespread infection.
Although Legionella bacteria are found in natural water systems, the chances of catching Legionnaires’ disease from rivers and ponds
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are low. When you store water in purpose-built systems e.g. cooling towers and hot and cold water systems, the potential for contracting the disease is dramatically increased. Inhaling small droplets of water (aerosols) that contain the Legionella bacterium can lead to infection.
THE SYMPTOMS Similar to flu symptoms, Legionnaires’ disease can cause a high temperature, fever, chills, cough, muscle pains, and headaches. It can also cause diarrhoea, sickness, confusion and, in some cases, lead to pneumonia. Legionnaires’ disease is not contagious and is treated with antibiotics.
CONDITIONS THAT
INCREASE RISK Water temperature (between 20-45°C) within a water system encourages bacteria growth, as do water storage and re-circulation. Certain deposits support growth as well; these include rust, scale, organic matter and biofilms.
COMPLIANCE Maintaining compliance with legislation is challenging for any care management team, from economic and expertise perspectives; so whether in-house or outsourced, finding someone who comprehends the requirements but also provides quality solutions that represent long-term reliability and value for money is crucial. A full risk assessment of hot and cold water systems will identify measures required to control risks and a competent person should check, inspect and clean the system routinely.
www.tomorrowscare.co.uk
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