WATER HYGIENE AND SAFETY
Smart solutions aiding more efficient water use
Effective water management in healthcare estates is critical for ensuring patient safety and sustainability. Richard Braid, managing director at Keraflo, explains how advances in technology can help healthcare engineering teams monitor and maintain water safety, reduce waste, and ‘ensure that this valuable resource is on hand the moment it is needed’.
Ensuring the safety and efficiency of water systems in healthcare estates is critical to protecting patient health and maintaining a secure environment. Hospitals, GP practices, and care homes, rely on large, complex water systems that must be carefully managed to prevent contamination and reduce risks such as Legionella outbreaks. Alongside its critical role in hospital hygiene, water is also used in fire safety systems in healthcare premises, and particularly in automatic sprinklers, which play a vital role in keeping patients safe. As both water hygiene and fire safety are directly linked to the well- being of vulnerable individuals, effective management of these systems is not simply a matter of compliance, but a vital component of healthcare safety. One of the most significant threats in healthcare settings
is Legionella bacteria, with the bacterium able to thrive in stagnant water, and – in some instances and under certain conditions – to cause Legionnaires’ disease, a severe form of pneumonia that poses an increased risk to immunocompromised individuals. Across the healthcare estate, in environments that are used frequently by vulnerable individuals – including the elderly and immunocompromised, clean, uncontaminated water is non-negotiable, with any lapses in water hygiene potentially having serious consequences. Legionella, a waterborne bacterium that thrives in stagnant water, particularly at temperatures between 20 and 50°C, is primarily found in man-made water systems such as storage tanks. In hospitals, where water demand fluctuates, these tanks can become a breeding ground for Legionella if they are not properly maintained. Showers, taps, and cooling systems can then disperse the bacteria into the air, posing a risk to staff, patients, and visitors. Those most vulnerable to Legionnaires’ disease include individuals over 45 years’ old, smokers, heavy drinkers, people with chronic respiratory or kidney disease, and those with weakened immune systems.
Older and larger buildings especially susceptible Unfortunately, older buildings with large, complex water systems are particularly susceptible to the growth of harmful bacteria, as they often have outdated or inefficient water management systems that can result in stagnant water, poor temperature control, and biofilm build-up – ideal conditions for Legionella bacteria to colonise within and spread. In addition, older buildings may have long, convoluted pipe networks or underused water fixtures, both of which increase the risk of water stagnation, making them particularly vulnerable to contamination. Cold water
November 2024 Health Estate Journal 49
storage tanks that are configured with either a division, or as two separate tanks, are often installed to enable maintenance, chlorination, and cleaning to be carried out while leaving an uninterrupted water supply to the buildings. However, installing cold water tanks in this way can lead to a tank imbalance, stagnation issues, and the formation of biofilm in one side of the tank if, for example, that tank’s valve activates to meet demand and causes backfilling into the other side.
What can go wrong without adequate precautions One high-profile example of the potential dangers that can arise occurred at Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust, which was fined £300,000 in 2018 after the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) launched an investigation which found that the Trust had failed to put in place all the necessary precautions to minimise the risk to patients in the annex to the William Budd ward at Bath’s
Keraflo says the FP 1276 Flow Type Fire Sprinkler Tank Float Valve Kit ‘is ideal for use in both deep and shallow tanks, offering adjustable water level settings to meet the unique demands of sprinkler systems’.
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