Legionella bacteria found in plumbing at Nursing Home
Extracted from an article published on www.bbc.co.uk on 17 January 2018. To read the full article click here.
The below news article highlights the importance of regularly testing water systems, in order to prevent cases of the potentially deadly legionnaire’s disease.
‘A strain of legionella bacteria has been found in the plumbing system of a County Antrim nursing home. It was discovered at a Nursing Home in Larne in November.
The Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) said, that while the bacteria is present, there has not been an outbreak of legionnaire’s disease. The entire water system at the home is being replaced to address the issue. The home said the issue would be resolved in the coming weeks. The issue was discovered as part of routine assessments.
“The pipe work is to be upgraded and while that work is being done, we have cut off some of the mains water supply within the home,” she said.
“The safety and comfort of our residents is of paramount importance and will continue to be so.”
The RQIA said use of some taps in the home have been withdrawn and others restricted as a precaution. Tap filters and bottled water have also been provided to residents. The regulatory body has also notified the Health and Safety Executive.
What is legionella?
- A strain of bacteria commonly found in water
- It multiplies where temperatures are between 20-45°C and nutrients are available
- If bacteria are inhaled, it can lead to Legionnaires’ disease – a potentially fatal type of pneumonia
- Those more at risk include the elderly, smokers, alcoholics and those with cancer, diabetes or chronic respiratory or kidney disease
Source: Health and Safety Executive
The RQIA said: “In late November, RQIA was notified by a Nursing Home of an issue identified through the service’s water testing programme.
“RQIA advised the Health and Safety Executive of this issue, and we were assured by the measures proposed by the provider to address this, including major replumbing work.
“The safety and wellbeing of every patient at the Nursing Home is of paramount importance to RQIA, and we continue to monitor this service through our ongoing regulatory activities.” ‘
Legionella is a BIG risk for Nursing Homes
- Occupants will normally be elderly or have a lower immune system.
- Old age & lowered immune systems substantially increase the risk of contracting legionnaires disease.
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We understand the unique challenges faced by Nursing Homes and know how important it is for you to monitor and mitigate against the real risk of legionella.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has prosecuted numerous Care Homes for failing to control the risk of legionella.
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Did you know?
All workplaces have legal duties under the Health and Safety Executive’s publication of ‘The Control of Legionella bacteria in Water Systems – Approved Code of Practice and Guidance (ACoP L8)’ and Technical guidance HSG274. Statutory duties are placed on the duty holder (the person in control of the premises) who must appoint a ‘Responsible Person’ to manage the control of Legionella.
Industry best practice is to carry out a site specific Legionella Risk Assessment on all water systems and there is a duty to keep Monitoring data for five years.
ZetaSafe legionella software is perfectly placed to meet this requirement as complex or extensive estates can drown in the paperwork that is generated. It is even more challenging to spot trends and patterns with paper records which can diminish your ability to make the timely interventions to help minimise risks.
ZetaSafe makes all of your critical data easily accessible, so any issues can be corrected immediately helping to protect your residents, staff and reputation.
Click the image below to explore ZetaSafe.
ZetaSafe can release your time and resources, allowing you to focus your attention on caring for your residents.
- Ensure Water Safety / Legionella compliance to ACoP L8 and HSG274 / HTM 04-01.
- Personalised dashboards can be configured so that each stakeholder has easy access to the most important and relevant data to them.
- Managers and supply partners can view the same information simultaneously wherever there is internet access, saving them time and resources.
- Integrates to other systems such as CAFM*, Property, Facilities / Maintenance Management, PPM systems, Workforce Scheduling and Accounting Ledgers. *ZetaSafe integrates directly with Qube Planet FM.
How does it work?
- Smartphones, tablets or even PDAs with bluetooth temperature probes can be used to collect data and the system is already programmed with the prescribed L8 and HSG274 temperature limits and frequencies and for the other manual inspections required too.
- ZetaSafe Legionella logbook software puts you in control; you can schedule your tasks, manage failures or defects and analyse any trends. ZetaSafe makes it easier and more visible to help ensure compliance.
Get in touch today to protect your residents, staff and reputation.
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