Legionnaires’ is a disease which is severe in form, often lethal and a type of pneumonia. It is caused by the bacteria Legionella Pneumophilia, found in both soil and water. The disease is caused by either drinking water containing the bacteria or when the contaminated water particles are inhaled into the lungs, while choking during drinking, swallowing or ingestion.
Symptoms of Legionella disease: The initial symptoms of the disease are very flu-like such as headaches, muscle pain and illness, before more serious symptoms such as high fever, chills, nausea and vomiting, diarrhoea, dry coughing, chest pains and difficulty in breathing begin to show. Legionella and Cooling Towers: Understanding the Inter-Connectivity: Legionella outbursts often happen in hot tubs, cooling towers, decorative fountains and potable water used for drinking and showering. Colonies of legionella develop in any place where the water is untreated and warm and where there is a possibility of it being aerosolized or misted. Cooling towers are particularly affected because they contain pools of warm water that are open to the atmosphere. If not cleaned, disinfected and maintained properly, they can become a brooding ground for the bacteria. Hydrochem Water Specialists are legionella regulation experts since 1977, which have been Australia’s leaders in industrial and commercial water treatment and fully support the cause of Sydney Health Legionella. They provide water treatment services like cooling water treatment, legionella risk management, corrosion and scale prevention, boiler water treatment, industrial chemical cleaning, raw water treatment, wastewater treatment, recycling and reuse, risk management consulting and water minimization consulting. Cooling Tower Cleaning and Proper Water Treatment: A Significant Way of Preventing Outbursts: The possibility of Legionella infection can be reduced significantly through proper cleaning and maintenance practices. This can be achieved through good engineering and regulated water treatment practices during installation, operation and maintenance of air and water handling systems. Thus, whenever possible, all the cooling towers should be treated with a program that uses an oxidizing and non-oxidizing biocide. According to regulations, cooling towers and evaporative condensers should be regularly inspected and cleaned thoroughly. Algae and accumulated scale should be treated with an effective biocide. Corroded parts such as drift eliminators should be immediately and effectively replaced. Because of the associated potential dangers, the thorough cleaning of all the cooling towers should only be carried out under the strict supervision of a trained technician who is also an expert in legionella remediation. Keeping in mind Sydney Health legionella, Legionella Regulations take legionella prevention and remediation extremely seriously. Technicians and experts provide effective methods of sterilizing the affected systems in different water facilities. The outbreaks of legionella are always expected, specifically in the warmer months, which facilitate the brooding and colonization of the Legionella bacteria. But the maintenance and health of the water systems is the surest way to reduce the brooding of these lethal bacteria. The new measures adopted regarding cooling tower registration, testing, and maintenance in accordance with the NSW will definitely make a significant impact on the prevention of Legionella outbreaks.
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If you want to make sure that your plant’s cooling towers never cause bacteria-induced diseases such as legionnaires, you will have to follow nsw legionnaires disease regulations. For the guidelines, you can check out the Hydrochem’s website on Legionella Regulations. But have you ever wondered why this disease is caused when your cooling towers are not maintained properly? Well, read on below to find the answer-
Importance of Legionella Management- Now, that you know what the most important factors contributing to the growth of legionella are, you will be able to observe more carefulness in the future. Begin by following nsw legionnaires disease regulations. For in-depth details, you can visit Legionella Regulations website. You can also check out other resources for information. Once you have acquired sufficient knowledge in this regard, you will be able to prevent this issue from cropping up in the first place. But sometimes it happens that legionella begins to grow in the water of a cooling tower despite all possible precautions. So, what should you do in such a situation? You should hire a legionella management company. Don't worry there is no dearth of companies ready to address this problem for a fee. They will not just fix this problem, but will also offer suggestions based on your cooling tower maintenance patterns. They will tell you what you are doing wrong and what you can do to avoid the future growth of this bacterium. Such valuable advice comes handy when you don't have any idea on how to handle this issue. One thing you must always remember is that the right efforts put into this direction will always pay off. So, never neglect this problem and take every preventive and remedial measure that you think will benefit your plant and business. Legionella is among the dreadful diseases which can prove to be fatal. You need to get your water system treated for control of Legionnaires Disease. If you wish to get the water system of your commercial building managed, choose Legionella Regulations as they are Australia’s reputed company for industrial and commercial water treatment for more than four decades. It is owned and operated with offices in every state, and they also understand the unique requirements of each client. Here’s a look at some essential tips when choosing a water treatment company: When you select a water treatment service, you must make sure if they use specialised technology. You must find out if they are familiar with the industry and capable enough to handle the infection and prevent equipment failure. You first need to decide what you want from the service provider. Do your boiler or cooling tower needs servicing? Do you need a consultant for assessing your situation or chemicals for treating your water system yourself? The next thing to do is to look for their experience. The water treatment service provider should be experienced enough so that you can rest assured of their ability to handle any infection and they will be well acquainted in treating various types of water systems. Also, try to look if the company has knowledge in managing your specific problem. When you ask for the quotation from the company, request them to categorise the costs for your better understanding, for example, cost of labour, chemicals, travel time, equipment, etc. This breakup cost will help you in comparing the quotation with other vendors as compared to the overall cost. When you have shortlisted few options, you must ask them for references of the past work that they have done. When you get the references, connect with them and ask the following questions:
Once you are done with the shortlisting process and have 2-3 service providers that seem genuine and reliable, schedule an interview with them. You need to figure out if you will be able to create a healthy work relationship with them. Once you decide to hire them, be cordial and friendly to them for getting your work done. Hire Legionella Regulations for the control of Legionnaires disease if you wish to prevent getting infected. They have extensive water treatment services such as cooling water treatment, Legionella risk management, wastewater treatment, industrial chemical cleaning, and boiler water treatment to name a few. They help not only in preventing Legionella but also in improving the efficiency of water systems. Legionnaire’s disease has become a matter of concern for many especially due to the recent outbreaks which could have been prevented from happening. There are several ways of reducing the risks associated with Legionella and the experts in the control and management and prevention of Legionella have come up with helpful tips that can prevent the risk of the disease. Here’s a Look: Temperature control This is believed to be one of the most important and effective tips for controlling Legionella growth along with meeting your daily legal duty under the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974. Below mentioned is an overview of the temperatures water should be stored and distributed at:
Keep away from stagnant water Stagnant water makes for a perfect breeding location for Legionella growth. Keeping this in mind, it is important to remove the dead ends in your pipework i.e. the lengths of pipe work which previously fed an outlet but are now of no use, along with flushing outlets which are no longer in use on a regular basis. This includes showerheads and taps as well. Cleaning and maintenance For taking preventive measures against Legionella, it is important to develop a clear plan of action to make sure that you do everything possible to prevent Legionella growth. One of the essential parts of this is cleaning and maintenance. It is a must to flush out the infrequently used outlets at least once a week. You must also clean the cold water tanks from time to time and drain the hot water cylinders. The signs of corrosion and debris must also be checked. Test for Legionella It is said that even a single species of Legionella bacteria can cause the disease. The Legionella Pneumophila is the main cause of legionnaire’s disease. It is responsible for almost all the outbreaks of the disease. The veteran administration healthcare facilities are required to test for Legionella every quarter. WHO advisors also advise testing for Legionella Pneumophila. Make sure the results are accurate Routine testing for Legionella Pneumophila is the best way to make sure that the water management plan is effective. Apart from identifying the presence of Pneumophila in your system, you will need consistent information about exact quantity and locations of the bacteria so that you can respond accordingly. Choose a laboratory accredited for Legionella testing It is recommended to use a laboratory that has proficiency in the subject method which is reflected by the certification by a national, regional, or local Government agency. This will make sure that the tests performed at the highest level of quality. Thus, following these preventive measures by Sydney health legionella will help in fighting the disease even before its breakout. Legionnaires’ disease is a severe form of lung infection or pneumonia. Bacteria named Legionella causes this infection. During the Philadelphia convection in 1976, this strain of bacteria was first recognized. As people reported of developing symptoms of pneumonia, it started being called as the Legionnaires’ disease. The bacteria strains grow in warm water. When people get in touch with the contaminated water droplets in the air, they develop this condition. Most of the outbreaks earlier were linked to whirlpool spas in cruise ships and hotels as well as water systems in hospitals. Many individuals who get exposed to these bacteria may not become sick. But in case one is affected, seeking a doctor is necessary. Legionnaires’ is a serious and life-threatening disease that requires immediate attention. Symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease In about 2 to 14 days, symptoms will start showing up after being exposed to Legionella. We term it as incubation period. People may observe symptoms similar to pneumonia. They include:
People at Risk Everybody who breathes in the contaminated water droplets will not end up with this disease. But, some people have a higher chance of developing this condition. They include people who:
Causes of Legionnaires’ disease As discussed earlier, Legionella is responsible for causing this life-threatening disease. The bacteria are known for invading the lungs and causing an infection. As they are found in warm freshwater, some of the common locations where they might grow include:
Legionella can survive outdoors and can rapidly multiply when in contact with indoor water systems. The disease doesn’t spread from one person to the other. Prevention of Legionnaires’ disease Control of Legionnaires’ disease is necessary because of its life-threatening nature. There isn’t any vaccine available for this disease. But, there are specific ways to prevent it. Properly cleaning and disinfecting the potential sources of Legionella growth can help in prevention. Some of the other measures would include:
To lower the risk, people should also let go of smoking cigarettes. Smokers are highly susceptible to developing this condition when coming in contact with the Legionella bacteria. |
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