Absolute Property Services Group is here to help protect you, your employees and residents against the ever growing and wide spread Legionella disease. The disease is easily contracted by inhaling Legionella bacteria, either in tiny droplets of water (aerosols), or in a droplet nuclei (the particles left after the water has evaporated) contaminated with Legionella.
What is the risk
Legionellosis is the collective name given to the pneumonia-like illness caused by legionella bacteria. This includes the most serious Legionnaires’ disease, as well as the similar but less serious conditions of Pontiac fever and Lochgoilhead fever. Legionnaires’ disease is a potentially fatal form of pneumonia and everyone is susceptible to infection, symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease include high fever, chills, headache and muscle pain. Patients may develop a dry cough and most suffer difficulty with breathing, anyone with an impaired immune system are of course at greater risk in infection.
The elderly continue to account for most infections and deaths, with the age profile becoming more weighted to the over-sixties. The highest number and proportion of cases over the 2009-2011 period was seen in those aged 60-69 years (302 confirmed cases, 32.2% of the total), while cases among the over-70s accounted for most deaths (51 of a total of 102) and by far the highest fatality rate of any age group (more than 20%). The fatality rate for nosocomial cases was 24%
Where is the risk
Legionella bacteria are widespread in natural water systems, e.g. rivers and ponds. However, the conditions are rarely conducive for people to catch the disease from these sources. Outbreaks of the illness occur from exposure to legionella growing in purpose-built systems where water is maintained at a temperature high enough to encourage growth, e.g. cooling towers, evaporative condensers, spa pools, and hot water systems used in all sorts of premises (work and domestic).
Your duty of care
Health and Safety in the work place is an Absolute must, the HSW Act places a duty on employers to ensure the health and safety and welfare of all employees and non-employees who may be affected by the work activities, ensuring they are not exposed to risks that will affect the health and safety.
What to do next
To reduce the possibility of creating conditions in the work place of which the risk from exposure to legionella bacteria is increased, Absolute property services will arrange a risk assessment within that work place; we will then talk you through our findings and guide you through the plan of action.
This will include a management system suggestion for your in-house staff, also any quotations that you may require for remedial woks that will dramatically reduce your exposure to the risks of legionella.
Act now and contact us for a free quotation.