In 2010, traces of Legionella were discovered in the
water system at Dumfries Infirmary. This prompted a project to completely eradicate
the bacteria from the hospital’s water systems which has, so far, taken 18
months and cost £250,000 with measures including new protective filters to taps
and showers. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-15150609The problem is, Legionella is a naturally occurring bacteria which is likely to enter all water systems at low levels at some point.
In the case of Dumfries Infirmary they are having to implement measures which can almost always be avoided, because the issue isn’t really about expensive filters with short life cycles but is about the implementation of a robust water hygiene management programme to prevent a problem before it occurs.
Through a sensible, systemic routine of Risk Assessments, water temperature checks, sampling and – where necessary – cleansing, there is
no reason why an organisation cannot minimise the risk from their water systems
without having to resort to buying reactive
technology to combat a controllable problem.
Any system, regardless of how much it costs to implement,
is only ever as effective as its weakest component allows it to be. In most
cases of outbreak, a lack of understanding of WHY things need to be done can
lead to systems being neglected (either through ignorance or a failure to
prioritise tasks against other responsibilities) or incorrect completion of
tasks.
Of course, it is fairly easy to see how this can happen. For
organisations that don’t have water hygiene management in place but want to
implement it, the path ahead of them may seem daunting at first. For people
with no training in the area, the ACoP L8 requirements are full of
technicalities and jargon that may baffle or confuse. In these cases, it is all
too easy to misinterpret guidelines and implement an ineffective solution, or
panic and spend lots of money on the problem in the hope that it goes
away.
This can be where a consultancy may be useful. Most will
be able to provide awareness training to enable staff to understand the
importance of the tasks that need to be performed from both a legal and a
health point-of-view. If an organisation chooses to perform the tasks in-house,
a consultant may also be able to train staff on how to perform those tasks and
use any necessary equipment correctly. For
organisations not wanting to carry out routine tasks themselves, most consultancies
will also be able to carry out the routine monitoring and sampling on their
behalf, freeing up valuable staff time for other tasks while insuring that ACoP
L8 requirements are completed correctly.
For all organisations faced with a problem like
Legionella infection, or any potential health hazard for that matter, the first
question to ask shouldn’t be “What do we need to buy?” but “What do we need to
learn?”
Riverside Environmental Services Ltd
provide high quality exposure assessment and monitoring services nationwide. Including; Asbestos, Legionella, COSHH, Air
Testing,
Occupational
Health,
Noise and Vibration. See our full list of services
for details.
For more information please contact
us.
0870 950 0161
