Improved maintenance could prevent killer disease
1 min read
Better maintenance regimes for heating and cooling plant could prevent many of the outbreaks of Legionnaires' disease which still blight workplaces in this country. That's the call from the Heating and Ventilating Contractors' Association (HVCA), whose chief exec Blane Judd says the 300 occurrences of the disease each year in the UK could be reduced dramatically.
Water temperature between 20°C and 50°C is the range in which Legionella bacteria will proliferate most rapidly, with the optimum temperature believed to be 37°C. However, the bacteria is killed in minutes at water temperatures above 60°C.
Legionnaires' disease is a potentially fatal form of pneumonia, which can affect anybody. Infection is caused by breathing in small droplets of water contaminated by the bacteria.
Judd says that clusters of cases are often traced to poorly maintained cooling tower systems, air conditioning plant or hot and cold water systems in factories, hotels, hospitals and other larger establishments. Risk can be reduced by regular inspection and maintenance of susceptible plant and equipment, including regular cleaning and disinfection, he added.
"Building owners and occupiers should be aware of, and comply with, their legal obligations, and these are set out in a single document, published by the Health and Safety Commission (HSC), called 'Legionnaires' disease – the control of legionella bacteria in water systems'." Judd adds. "This is an HSC Approved Code of Practice (ACoP), commonly referred to as L8."