Making Sure There Isn’t Something in the Water…

Air and Water Hygiene Services for Hospitals: Part Three

By Aaron Whiting, Technical Sales Consultant – Water Services

Clean water is essential to every hospital, and Legionella control is not only an important hygiene and health measure, but a legal duty too. Hospitals house, albeit temporarily, some of the most vulnerable individuals, including newborns and children, those with weakened immune systems, those with chronic respiratory conditions, and the elderly. All of whom are at significantly higher risk of contracting Legionnaires’ disease from legionella bacteria. It is vital that the water is clean and safe for everyone.

Legionella bacteria thrive in warm, stagnant water and can proliferate in complex hospital plumbing networks. Bacteria can be contained in minute water aerosol particles, and inhaled, causing Legionnaires’ disease, a severe form of pneumonia, which can be fatal for those who are medically vulnerable.

Hospitals are uniquely high-risk environments because they contain large-scale, complex water systems with numerous outlets; including showers, taps, cooling towers, and certain medical equipment which may generate water aerosols. Hospitals occasionally also have areas with intermittent usage, where water stagnation can occur.

Even a single lapse in water safety management can result in significant clinical risk and major operational disruption.

Compliance with HSE Approved Code of Practice (ACoP) L8

The cornerstone of UK Legionella control is