Legionella Contamination - The Cost and Solution

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-15150609

The 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.

info@riversideenvironmental.co.uk

www.riversideenvironmental.co.uk

0870 950 0161