Legionella Prevention-
Nijhuis can help with a risk assessment and recommendations
Legionella Prevention
What is Legionnaires’ Disease?
Legionnaires’ disease is a potentially fatal pneumonia caused by legionella bacteria. It takes its name from the first known outbreak at an American Legion convention in Philadelphia in 1976. Infection is caused by inhaling small droplets of water contaminated by bacteria from sources such as showers, whirlpool baths, taps, and cooling towers. People over the age of 45 are more susceptible to infection, as well as smokers and people whose immune system is impaired.
Initial symptoms are similar to those of flu and coronaviruses, including headache, high fever, and vomiting, followed by more severe symptoms, including breathing difficulties and hallucination. Legionnaires’ disease is most often treated with antibiotic drugs, and recovery often takes several weeks.
How To Prevent Legionella Growth?
Legionella bacteria may grow in any system containing water, such as cooling towers and hot and cold water services. They survive low temperatures and thrive at temperatures between 20°C-45°C, especially where there is scale, corrosion, and other bacteria.
Water is used in various ways in today’s factories and offices, and each use should be risk assessed as advocated by the local authorities. In order to comply with their legal duties to prove legionella disease, the owners of the premises should:
- Identify and assess sources of risk
- Prepare a scheme for preventing and controlling the risk
- Implement, manage, and monitor precautions and control measures, such as frequently opening the tap in case offices and sites are not in use.
- Keep records of the precautions/control measures.
- Appoint a person to have managerial responsibility
Several authorities provide legionnaires’ disease technical guidance for legionella control, for example, the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance.
Can I Do More To Prevent Legionella Growth?
Yes. Nijhuis Industries can help you with a risk assessment to identify any sources of risk. We visit your premises to carry out an assessment of your water services, identify any problem areas, put in place control measures, including temperature monitoring and hygiene checks, modify any systems which are at high risk from legionella contamination, take water samples for testing, and treat any existing bacteria.
The specialist business unit of Nijhuis Industries has more than 30 years of experience preventing legionella in utilities. The Nijhuis Industries legionella and Legionnaires’ testing, prevention, and treatment services ensure a safe water environment, legal compliance, and peace of mind and help and support you to avoid a legionella outbreak.
Applications and Industries
A Nijhuis Industries Legionella Risk Assessment can be carried out at any location, such as:
- Hospitals, nursing homes, and residential care
- Swimming pools, holiday parks, and museums
- Offices
- Sports centers and arenas
- Data centers
- Industrial plants (Food, Beverage, Dairy, Oil and Gas, Meat)
- Energy production plants
About the Nijhuis Industries Legionella Risk Assessments
The Legionella Risk Assessment forms the basis of a control scheme that is implemented and regularly reviewed to ensure compliance. The control scheme will vary in complexity from site to site, and our extensive services include:
- Risk assessment logbooks
- Microbiological analysis of samples to accredited standards
- Temperature profiling
- System cleaning and disinfection
- Remedial works to approved standards
Your Benefits To Achieve Legionella Compliance and Control
- Compliant with the legislation.
- Highly trained and experienced Nijhuis Industries personnel to inspect, evaluate, advise, and report on the condition.
- Depending on the outcomes of the Risk Assessment report, a permanent Nijhuis Industries legionella compliance and control solution can be installed. This includes 24/7 monitoring for cooling towers and cold / water services. A solution can consist of silver-stabilized hydrogen peroxide, chlorine dioxide, ozone, metal ionization or a UV filtration system.
- Health and Safety Compliance.
- Legionella Awareness by joining a Nijhuis Industries i-ACADEMY training.
