What are my responsibilities for managing water hygiene in the workplace?
If generating drama were an Olympic event, Paris 2024 would take the gold. This year’s games have been steeped in controversy at every turn. With events underway, though, another question has taken centre stage: Is it safe to swim in the Seine?
Despite the mayor of Paris taking a dip in the river to demonstrate its cleanliness, concerns about sewage leaks have persisted. Triathlon training was postponed in the run-up, leading to fears that the swimming portion of the event would be cancelled altogether. It eventually went ahead, but many still feel that more should have been done to ensure the safety of athletes.
The saga of the Seine has been a PR disaster for Paris, but it gives us a good reason to talk about water safety in the workplace. While your employees are unlikely to be swimming in polluted rivers, indoor water supplies can also carry risks. Chief among these is Legionnaires’ disease.
As an employer, you have a duty to protect your employees from Legionnaire’s and other water-borne illnesses. Depending on the size of your premises, this will require a specific set of checks and actions.
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What is Legionnaires’ disease?
Legionnaires’ disease is a form of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria. These bacteria are most commonly found in rivers and lakes, but can also find their way into indoor water systems.
Contrary to popular belief, a person can’t contract Legionnaires’ by drinking contaminated water. Instead, the disease is spread by the inhaling of water droplets from contaminated sources. The disease is also not contagious, meaning a person can only catch it through direct exposure to the bacteria.
Most cases of Legionnaires’ are mild and can be cured with antibiotics. However, older people and those with weakened immune systems are more likely to become seriously ill. Overall, as many as one in ten Legionnaires’ cases may result in death.
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Is my workplace at risk?
Most workplaces contain a system for distributing hot and cold water. Depending on the design of your building, this may include components such as pumps, heat exchangers and storage tanks. These are usually where the risk of Legionnaires’ is greatest.
Many SME businesses will have a low risk, and if you have more than five employees it is likely you’ll just need a written policy stating you have considered this and will review it periodically.
If your workplace is larger, a care home for instance, your water system is likely to be more complex. In these cases, the assessment and control of Legionnaires’ risk will require a lot more work. Some guidance can be found here, but this is a situation where calling in an expert is probably the best approach.
Some indicators of a heightened risk include:
If any of these apply, your water system may carry an elevated risk of Legionnaires’ disease.
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Further help
Although in most cases water hygiene will be relatively simple, the fact it must be considered highlights why it is important to have a health and safety expert available to your business. If you would like to find out how our outsourced service will save you money and keep everyone safe, please get in touch.