A Hospital and Care Home in Scotland has recently confirmed that its facilities had shown increased levels of Legionella contamination following routine testing.
Legionella is a life-threatening bacteria which can be present in environments where there are both natural and man-made water systems. The most common sources of infection include showers, taps and spray heads. Members of the public who are susceptible to the disease which is caused by the bacteria include those with underlying health conditions and the elderly.
In this scenario, the team managing the facilities took immediate action to mitigate the issue by calling in specialist contractors to treat the facilities water system. Further to this, they also implemented robust precautions to ensure the health and safety of their patients and residents.
All necessary actions were taken including the provision of bottled water, alternative measures for washing and a full system disinfection.
The organisation made additional precautions by adding in point of use filters to outlets and planning in further testing.
The Hospital and Care Home confirmed that there were currently no patients in the hospital during this period and that they are well versed for such events.
Implementing effective risk management programmes is essential when controlling and preventing a disease like Legionnaires and we provide training to help support those who are responsible for the facilities and their water systems.
Our water hygiene courses are all accredited by City & Guilds and cover a range of topics including risk assessment, disinfection as well as the control and prevention within specific systems such as Cooling Towers.
View our selection of Legionella courses here
Alternatively, get in touch with our Account Management team on
0333 121 1215 or email
info@ppltraining.co.uk and see how we can support you with any specific requirements.
