In the UK if you are a business owner, or you manage premises for someone else, you are required by law to assess that business or premises to see whether there is a risk of legionella contamination in your water systems… and your starting point for this would be a Legionnaires risk assessment. However, you might be surprised to learn that some businesses and industries have a greater risk than
Legionella bacteria exists naturally in many water sources. However, numbers are small in nature, and the biggest danger to humans tends to come from hot and cold water systems, cooling towers and other water systems that are inadequately maintained or managed. Controlling legionella in hot and cold water, cooling towers and other water systems is essential if you are to ensure the safety of peopl
This is part one of a two-part article written to guide legionella duty holders (usually employers or people in control of premises) of their responsibilities in assessing and managing the risks connected with the presence of Legionella bacteria in man-made water systems. The bacteria can cause several illnesses in humans, and these are all referred to collectively as legionellosis. Legionnaires�
Managing legionella in water systems and the risks posed by Legionnaires’ disease is a vital consideration when conducting water safety risk assessments in any environment. Fortunately, the UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) provides ample information and supportive advice concerning this type of risk management. But we can also learn something from the USA’s ASHRAE 188-2015 – a volunt
In the first part of this article we examined the need to manage the risks associated with hot water and hot surfaces. We highlighted the fact that some people are at greater risk than others to the dangers such high temperatures can pose. We also explored the need to manage the legionella risk that can come from water systems and how water temperature is often used as a control mechanism.
The overwhelming majority of hotels will never experience an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease. However, the only true way for hotel managers and their staff to prevent such an outbreak is by understanding how it may happen, what the disease is, and how Legionella bacteria can be prevented from spreading in a hospitality environment.
This short guide has been written for people managing hot and cold water systems in buildings and other facilities and gives a brief overview of where, when and how to check water temperatures and perform other routine tasks associated with the control of Legionella bacteria and Legionnaires’ disease.
This short guide has been written for residential landlords and gives a brief overview of their responsibilities under health and safety law in connection with the control of legionella and Legionnaires’ disease in their properties?
Are you wondering if you are required by law to test your hot and cold water systems for legionella bacteria? Maybe you already know that your business doesn’t legally require it unless there is a specific need for water testing. In that case, how can you tell if a need exists and what should you do?
Maintaining safe water systems within hospitals and other healthcare settings is vitally important. The Department of Health has released the Health Technical Memorandum (HTM 04-01) that provides essential updates to the earlier version of the document. Originally published in 2006, the updated HTM “safe water in healthcare premises” has been altered to provide a more streamlined source of inf