A Practical Explanation of Legionella & its Risk Management”

Some Facts About Water??

One of the most valuable resources is water, a sign of life on a planet. Astronauts check for the presence of water when searching for life on extraterrestrial planets since life and water go hand in hand. Adults contain 55–65% water. Blood contains a significant amount of water, which also helps to control body temperature and serves as a shock absorber for our brain and spinal cord. Over 97% of the water on Earth is either too salty or unsafe to drink.

A further 2% is trapped in glaciers and ice caps. Only 1% is left over to meet all of humanity's needs. Each person uses roughly 50 gallons of water per day in their homes on average. Facilities use water extensively for irrigation, washing, drinking, and other purposes.

Some Important Statistics Related To Water?

• 80% of all illnesses in the developing world is water related.
• Unsafe water kills 200 children every hour
• Collectively, South African women and children walk a daily distance equivalent to 16 trips to the moon and back to fetch water.
• A leaky tap that drips at the rate of one drip per second can waste more than 3,000 gallons per year

Legionella, What and Name Convention

Following an outbreak in 1976 among attendees of an American Legion convention in Philadelphia, Legionella was identified. The affected individuals had a form of pneumonia that later came to be known as Legionnaires' disease.

• During the American Legion convention, the outbreak claimed the lives of 34 people and sickened over 200 others. It is to be noted that the disease Legionnaires [caused?by, Legionella (LEE-juh-nell-a] bacteria got its name from the American Legion, also referred to as the Legion, is a non-profit group of American military veterans with its main office in Indianapolis, Indiana. The American state of Indiana is located in the Midwest. It is the 17th most populous and the 38th largest in terms of area among the 50 States. And it is to be noted that the word “legion” means a sizable gathering of individuals or objects, usually troops.
• ??Legionnaire's disease primarily affects the elderly or those with heart or lung difficulties. Not everyone who comes into contact with legionella germs becomes ill. Legionnaire’s disease is not contagious.

Factors & Where It Can Grow?

Legionella can thrive in many regions of continuously moist building water systems, and specific devices can then distribute contaminated water droplets. Hot and cold-water storage tanks.

• Water heaters
• Water hammer arrestors
• Expansion tanks
• Water filters
• Electronic and manual faucets
• Aerators
• Faucet flow restrictors
• Showerheads and hoses
• Pipes, valves, and fittings
• Centrally installed misters, atomizers, air washers, and humidifiers,
• ?Inadequate levels of disinfectant?Water stagnation, etc.

Risk Assessment

A risk is the possibility of something going wrong that will have a negative impact.

Risk assessment refers to the general process or approach of:

1. Identifying hazards and risk variables that have the potential to cause harm (Hazard Identification).

2. Analyze and assess the risk associated with that danger (Risk analysis and Risk assessment).

3. Determine effective methods for eliminating the hazard or controlling the risk if the hazard cannot be eliminated (risk management).

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LEGIONELLA RISK ASSESSMENT CHECKLIST

??Identifying the risk of legionella.

Prior to using this checklist, the building manager should delegate the duty of identifying the legionella risk in their building to an experienced individual or consultant. There should also be risk mitigation mechanisms and legionella bacteria management methods in place.

What is legionella, a responsible person?

The legionella responsible person should have a thorough awareness of the building's water management systems. They should also have enough authority to act on the findings of their audit. The legionella accountable person should be the one who is ultimately and completely responsible for this task.

Establishing a system to control legionella bacteria

?A legionella risk assessment. - a physical inspection and consultation with everyone involved in the bacteria's control, including verification of management processes and documents.

How often should you carry out a legionella risk assessment?

It is generally recommended that a risk assessment be kept up to current at all times. A re-inspection will be required in some circumstances, such as when the building's water system is considerably upgraded.?Or every year.

Note- Keeping Water temperature under control does not provide legionella bacteria a conducive environment for growth, hence monitoring & keeping the temperature of Cold water cold enough & Hot water hot enough is very important.

Part 1 – Physical check

1. Water outlet temperature

• Is the cold water below 20°C at the outlets?
• Is the hot water above 50°C at the outlets?
• ?Temperatures between 20–45°C are optimum for legionella bacteria growth.
• ?Check water temperatures at outlets and note if any modifications are required.

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ACTION TO BE TAKEN-------------------------------------------------------------

Part 1 – Physical check

2. Hot water in storage tanks or boilers

• Is the hot water in the storage tank or boiler stored above 60°C?
• Hot water in storage tanks or boilers should be stored above 60°C..
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PROCEDURE FOR RECORDING HOT & COLD-WATER TEMPERATURES

Cold Water Temp. Recording

• Hold the thermometer for two minutes in the cold-water flow.
• After two minutes, take a temperature reading.
• It should be no higher than 20 degrees Celsius.
• If it exceeds this limit, report it, and take the appropriate action.

HOT WATER TEMP. RECORDING

• For one minute, immerse the thermometer in the hot water flow.
• After one minute, the temperature on the thermometer should be at least 50 degrees Celsius.
• If it is less than this, notify whoever is in charge of the site so that the required steps can be made to correct the problem.
• If thermostatic mixing valves (TMVs) are used, they ensure that the temperature never rises over 44 degrees Celsius, preventing hot water scalding.
• In this scenario, instead of checking the hot taps, check the hot water entry to the TMV.

Part 1 – Physical check

Cold water storage tanks

• Is there a cold-water storage tank?
• Where is it located?
• Does the tank have a tight-fitting lid?
• Is the water in the tank free from sludge, organic matter, algae, scale, rust, etc.?
• Is the temperature in the water tank below 20°?
• Is the tank insulated?

Legionella bacteria are likely to thrive in areas where nutrients are readily available (sludge, organic debris, algae, scale, rust, and so on). Cold water storage tanks should be drained and cleaned on a regular basis, and tight-fitting lids should be used to prevent debris from entering. Insulating tanks to keep the temperature below 20°C is also beneficial.

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4. Infrequently used outlets.

• Is the hot water in the storage tank or boiler stored above 60°C?
• Infrequently used outlets should be flushed weekly.
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5. Unoccupied buildings

• There are risks associated with leaving buildings unoccupied for long periods of time. Both hot and cold water systems should be flushed through on a weekly basis if a building is left unoccupied for a long period of time
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6. ?Dead legs

• Any sections of pipework through which no water follows are known as dead legs. This can lead to stagnating water. If there are dead legs, it is a good idea to remove them.
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Part 1 – Physical check

7 .?Showerheads

• Shower heads should be cleaned regularly. If any risks were associated with shower heads:
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The performance indicator for Legionella Impact