As the mercury in our thermometers finally starts to rise, another numerical disadvantage to the impending summer season which is far less welcome is the increase in outbreaks of Legionnaire’s disease. We know, why does there always have to be some kind of trade-off in life. Yet sadly there’s the potential for just that if your Legionella compliance scheme isn’t fine-tuned and firing on all cylinders as we embrace the great British summer. Or at least, the bits between the traditional wash outs which are typically synchronised with Bank Holiday weekends, music festivals and of course the Wimbledon tennis.

The summer months are notorious in terms of acknowledged spikes in reports/confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks, with August being the key date on the calendar. That said, anytime between July and September can bring with it the most unwanted of guests, if conditions prove favourable to the onset of legionella bacterium. Which is why it’s absolutely imperative that crucial heat and humidity factors are both recognised and taken into account, by those tasked with the responsibility of legionella compliance within individual businesses. Although collective ownership should never be overlooked.

So, what measures can be adopted to safeguard against the risk of legionella once the weather hots up here in the UK? Well, first and foremost – and largely irrespective of the passing of the seasons – it’s paramount that people appointed to monitor legionella activity (as part of their general health and safety/building maintenance remit) constantly observe the core temperatures within water storage facilities housed on the business premises. And which, essentially, disperse water which comes into contact with employees and/or the wider public. Vigilance is of course one thing, but the aspect which underpins the entire process when it comes to protecting against legionella bacteria is the rolling out of an up-to-date control scheme; whereby any foreseeable risks are managed accordingly by an individual suitable equipped and experienced to adhere to fundamental practices from the outset.

 We cannot stress enough the importance of routinely monitoring the temperatures of all cold water storage tanks located on a business premises, especially during the acknowledged summer months when the conditions which encourage legionella increase with the arrival of warmer days. Always remember, the bacteria responsible for creating Legionnaires’ disease, takes root and thrives in stagnant water sources and systems where impurities become present; resulting in potential outbreaks of the severely health-compromising being ramped up in terms of possible frequency. And naturally, the larger and more labyrinth-like a building’s water storage systems are, the more vulnerable to Legionella contamination they readily become, should procedures to counter this not be fully actioned from the get-go. Along with office blocks, think hospitals, sports centres, hotels and museums for example.

Where Does Legionella Compliance Start Then?

For companies of all shapes and sizes, structured legionella compliance schemes must always start by the appointment of a competent individual who is schooled in this critical element of health and safety, as well as various other far-reaching procedures. As clearly defined in the all-seeing Health and Safety Executive’s Approved Code of Practice on legionella prevention (L8), the necessary measures should be undertaken in line with both the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health regulations and Health and Safety at Work acts, so as to guard against the largely unseen risks associated with legionella bacterium.

Said individuals tend to be in the employ of the business, however the person responsible may well be recruited from a water treatment company instead, on a consultative basis/arrangement. There’s no hard and fast law as to which approach or methodology works best, just so long as the buck stops with someone so to speak. The over-riding concern is that water tanks, pipes and adjoining/interconnected outlets for recognised water sources remain clean at all times and keenly observed for any signs of build-up of bacteria within the various structures of an existing system. Regular inspections and maintenance are the pivotal means of exercising this agreement between all parties, and ultimately ensuring that water housed within systems remains safe and hygienic for human interaction. Monitoring and subsequent servicing will include a raft of tasks, such as water chlorination, tackling dead legs, showerhead sterilisation, TMV servicing and hot and cold water tank cleaning.

Are There Any Specific Ways to Maintain Water Tanks Stay Cool During the Summer Months?

An interesting question, and one which throws up a couple of interesting answers. Although, perhaps of more use to domestic scenarios, there’s nothing to say that principles of which can’t be facilitated by more corporate/industrial concerns. That being painting an exposed outdoor water storage solution, white in exterior colour. With outdoor water storage assemblages all but guaranteed to being susceptible to the direct heat of the sunlight during the summer season, a clever idea is to paint the storage tank in a colour which reflects the light. As we all know, black (and other darker hues) tend to retain heat, thus warming up any interior contents. Which in terms of water storage can lead to the encouragement of bacterial and algae growth. So a colour which doesn’t absorb the heat, could well be an alternative plan of action. Of course, this shouldn’t in itself dissuade people from still closely monitoring the water temperate regardless, however it will aid the safeguarding elements when legionella comes into the equation.

Meanwhile materials used to store water can make a significant difference to combating legionella, with experts in this specific field suggesting that wood and stone are very good insulators. Elsewhere, underground water storage solutions are another good idea, not least because as the name implies; such systems aren’t exposed to the full heat indicative of summer. Even a classic British summer. The earth serves as a brilliant, natural insulator, ergo anything lying beneath ground will remain very cool. That said, these suggestions might only be applicable to those with domestic systems, rather than larger more commercial set-ups, yet worth a mention all the same.