16 Sep 2024
The HSE states, ’If you are an employer, or someone in control of premises, including landlords, you must understand the health risks associated with Legionella.’
If not prevented and managed, legionella can become a public health problem. Offices, schools, hospitality venues, care homes, factories etc, can be at risk from legionella. However, many people do not even know what legionella is, let alone know whether they are at risk. This blog aims to answer many queries about legionella, how you can keep everyone safe and how to ensure you are meeting your health and safety compliance obligations.
Legionella is a naturally occurring bacteria that survives in soil and water. Outdoors common sources are rivers and ponds, but these usually have low bacteria counts so are not considered as primary sources for health problems. However, legionella bacteria can grow and spread quickly through man-made water systems due to the conditions.
A man-made water system that raises the temperature of water above 20°, and creates water droplets can be a source of legionella. Examples include water sprays to suppress dust and car washers, sprinkler systems, air conditioning systems, cooling towers, humidifiers, spa pools etc.
It is possible to contract legionella infection from domestic hot and cold water systems, although most cases are attributed to large buildings.
Illnesses occur from the legionella bacteria growing where a water temperature is high enough to encourage growth, and then is stored such as a hot or cold-water system. Stagnant water in storage tanks and pipework is a breeding ground for legionella.
Bacteria growth is accelerated by poor maintenance, poor management of water systems, corroded, lime-scaled or dirty water tanks or ‘dead legs’ in pipework where stagnant water is trapped. This is then transported through an outlet such as a shower, tap, spa pool or flushed toilet for example.
Most people in the UK become infected by inhaling the microscopic water droplets (aerosol) that are in the air that contain the legionella bacteria, e.g. when a tap is turned on.
Legionella pneumophila is the bacteria that is responsible for most cases of Legionnaires’ disease. The symptoms of this disease can be mild, ranging from a slight fever, headache, and muscle ache to a form of pneumonia with severe chest pain, shortness of breath, coughing, vomiting etc and if not treated quickly can lead to respiratory failure, shock, and/or multi-organ failure, causing long term health problems or even fatalities.
The likelihood of contracting illness from this type of bacteria depends on the concentrations in the water source, the production of dissemination (aerosols) and individual factors such as age, previous health conditions particularly weakened immune systems or those that smoke.
Legal requirement in relation to legionella arise from the Health and Safety at Work Act (HASAW 1974) and Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations, so you need to be aware of your legal obligations, as duty holders can be prosecuted for breaches of the law.
The COSHH regulation states.
‘A suitable and sufficient assessment must be carried out to identify and assess the risk of exposure to legionella bacteria from work activities and water systems on the premises.’
A legionella risk assessment should be carried out by a competent and experienced expert. The risk assessment should be extremely thorough and of a high standard. If you do not have the required knowledge and competency within your organisation, please seek out specialist advice.
The Legionella Risk Assessment should identify:
You must demonstrate that you are adequately managing the risk of legionella and if you have five or more employees, significant findings must be recorded. Regular monitoring for potential risk is compulsory.
Prevention is reliant on good maintenance of devices and regular cleaning and disinfecting.
Outbreaks of legionella are preventable if the correct preventative measures above are taken. If you need to outsource your legionella risk assessment or would like legionella awareness training, please click here and provide your details and we will contact you to discuss your requirements. Alternatively please feel free to contact us on 01527 833834 or email info@sentinelsafety.co.uk
