by Brianna Crandall — August 3, 2012—The U.K.’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued a safety notice to advise businesses of steps they need to take to protect those in their facilities and the surrounding community from Legionnaires’ disease. The notice stems from HSE’s identification of common failings in legionella control from a review of outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease in Great Britain over the past ten years.
HSE’s findings confirmed that cooling towers and evaporative condensers are the most common source of significant outbreaks. Ninety percent of outbreaks reportedly stem from failure to recognize potential legionella problems or to adopt effective control measures.
The notice, “Management of the Risks from Legionella in Cooling Towers and Evaporative Condensers”, also stresses the need for effective and consistent monitoring of water quality and the importance of naming specific individuals as being responsible for proper management oversight.
HSE and local authorities are developing a range of initiatives to encourage better control of the legionella risks. HSE’s 2011 report Legionella Outbreaks and HSE Investigations; an Analysis of Contributory Factors, as well as its “What You Must Do” guidance on managing legionella risk is available on the HSE Web site.
