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How safe is the water in your building?

Do you know? If you are the person responsible for health and safety in a building then you need to know. It is a legal requirement.

How clean is your water?

 

If you have health and safety responsibility for a property, then legionella control must come very high on your list of concerns. It's a common misconception that air conditioning cooling towers are the promary source of legionnaires' disease. However, hot and cold water systems account for as many if not more cases - and swimming pools, spa baths and jacuzzis come a close second.

But not all properties are the same; it is the day-to-day functions of a property that determine what controls need be put in place.

We've gathered together information on different types of property and provided some guidelines on legionella control - but remember, nothing can replace the knowledge and experience of a trained water hygiene consultant.

Schools, colleges and universities
	Students are normally not considered high-risk legionella candidates but the sporadic occupation and increasing use of school buildings for other activities increases this risk.
Nursing and residential rest and care homes
	Probably the highest risk category but an area that does not fully understand its responsibilities towards client care.
Hospitals and healthcare premises
	As health care officials focus on erradictaing MRSA and c difficile, Legionnaires' disease can become a latent menace.
Hotels and leisure facilities
	Swimming pools and whirlpool spas are obvious areas but it is occupancy rates and patterns that dictate what legionella controls need to be implemented.
Offices
	Improvements in employee services in modern offices - and the increasing refurbishment of older buildings - create their own control requirements.
Industry
	Failure to provide correct water quality to industrial processes can lead to inflated production costs, escalating fuel costs and increasing downtime.