Legionella Awareness: Why It Shouldn’t Be Overlooked
Jul 26 2022 11:05AM
When it comes to health and safety, it is essential to not overlook lesser-known areas that might be dangerous to your workplace. Common types of bacteria can often be forgotten amongst other concerns, but one issue you should never overlook is legionella. This is a bacterium that can be extremely dangerous. Here we look at why you should actively work to raise legionella awareness in your working environment.
What is legionella?
Legionella is a specific type of bacteria that is found within water systems. Like any kind of bacteria, it has risks associated with it - though legionella can carry the potential for more serious harm, such as Legionnaires’ disease. If legionella is not dealt with properly, the results can be extremely severe.
Water safety requirements
In the UK, there are health and safety requirements to closely monitor water systems. The onus of this requirement falls on organisations, who must ensure that all water systems are safe and free from legionella so that employees and customers are safe.
The spread of legionella
Improperly managed legionella can multiply quickly. This happens at temperatures between 20-45 degrees centigrade. Legionella cannot survive at over 60-degrees centigrade and will not “activate” until the temperature rises above 20-degrees centigrade.
What happens after infection occurs
If a person does become infected with legionella when at work, this can cause health complications and lead to their employer facing possible sanctions. The reputation of the company can be destroyed, and there are legal repercussions such as fines and even a prison sentence.
How to prevent legionella
There are ways to prevent legionella from growing and spreading. Having short pipe work with good insulation is important, and regularly checking that the materials are suitable and not degraded is vital for safety. You should also ensure that outlets are regularly flushed out, especially if they are not used often - this can include taps and showers.
How Arion can help with legionella awareness
Arion has specific support available for dealing with legionella and other bacteria. We can carry out compliance surveys to ensure that your workplace is compliant with regulations and keeping your employees and spaces safe.
This includes legionella awareness - and for more in depth knowledge, you can access our legionella awareness course. This course can help to highlight legionella risks and explains the correct risk assessment and protective measures appropriate for minimising legionella.
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