Legionella – a proactive approach to prevention

Legionnaires’ disease is a serious respiratory infection, associated with water systems within buildings. Outbreaks have occurred worldwide, linked to cooling towers used for air-conditioning, and also the drinking water and other water systems inside buildings.

Although in public perception the disease is usually associated with air-conditioning, over half of the outbreaks have occurred in association with the internal water systems of a building. All buildings can potentially have the conditions present to allow colonisation of the water systems with legionella bacteria, and outbreaks have been documented from hotels, shopping centres, factories, commercial office towers, manufacturing plants, hospitals and schools.

Facilities managers should be aware of the risks associated with this disease, and take steps to have a risk management system in place