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Flushing of Infrequently Used Outlets

Flushing of Infrequently Used Outlets: Understanding the importance of regularly flushing infrequently used outlets to maintain water quality and minimize Legionella growth.

Welcome to our blog dedicated to responsible persons in the sports industry who are entrusted with ensuring the safety and well-being of visitors and staff within sports facilities. In this blog, we will shed light on a crucial aspect of facility management regarding Legionella control. Specifically, we will emphasize the importance of regularly flushing infrequently used outlets to maintain water quality and minimize the risk of Legionella growth.

Let’s explore this essential practice and its significance in safeguarding the health of all individuals who utilize sports facilities.

 

Understanding Legionella and Its Risks: Protecting Water Safety in Sports Facilities

  • Legionella bacteria can pose a significant health risk when present in water sources, including the plumbing systems of sports facilities. These bacteria thrive in warm water environments and can lead to Legionnaires’ disease, a severe form of pneumonia. As responsible persons and staff members in the sports industry, it is crucial to prioritize Legionella control to prevent outbreaks and protect the health and safety of everyone using sports facilities.

The Role of Flushing Infrequently Used Outlets:

  • One key aspect of Legionella control is understanding the importance of regularly flushing infrequently used outlet. These outlets, such as showers, irrigation systems during low usage, drench shower, and eye wash stations, often experience stagnant water conditions that create a favorable environment for bacterial growth. Flushing these outlets involves running water through them for several minutes to remove stagnant water, sediment, and any potential Legionella bacteria that may have accumulated. An infrequently used outlet is a outlet that is not used for a period equal to or greater than seven days. If legionella is suspected an increase of flushing will be required.

Why Regular Flushing Matters:

  • Maintaining water quality and minimizing Legionella growth are two critical reasons why regular flushing of infrequently used outlets is essential in sports facilities.
  • Water Quality Maintenance: Flushing infrequently used outlets helps maintain the overall water quality within the facility. By removing accumulated sediment, biofilm, and other contaminants, you ensure a fresh supply of water with optimal quality for visitors and staff.
  • Minimizing Legionella Risk: Stagnant water provides an ideal breeding ground for Legionella bacteria. Regularly flushing infrequently used outlets disrupts these conditions and significantly reduces the risk of Legionella colonization in the facility’s plumbing system.

Effective Flushing Protocol:

  • To ensure an effective Legionella control strategy, it is crucial to conduct a legionella risk assessment to identify infrequently used outlets within your sports facility. However, it’s important to recognize that footfall patterns can change over time. Therefore, regular internal surveys should be conducted to identify outlets that are used less frequently, such as restrooms, locker rooms, and areas with lower foot traffic. By prioritizing these outlets during the flushing process and updating your flushing records accordingly, you can effectively target areas that are more susceptible to Legionella growth.

Establishing a Flushing Schedule:

  • Creating a regular flushing schedule for all identified outlets is a crucial step. Refer to HSG24 Part 2 guidelines (link to downloadable pdf at the end of this blog) and consider factors such as facility usage, occupancy rates, and water temperature when determining the frequency of flushing. Document the schedule and communicate it to the staff members responsible for flushing. Regularly review and update the schedule to accommodate any changes in facility usage.

Ensuring Adequate Flushing Duration:

  • During the flushing process, it is essential to run water through the infrequently used outlets for an adequate duration. Weekly flushing for several minutes per outlet should generally suffice. This duration allows for the removal of stagnant water and any potential Legionella bacteria. Ensure that staff members responsible for flushing are aware of the proper duration and follow it consistently.
  • Ensure that the running of water from outlets does not create an unnecessary amount of aerosol. If legionella is suspected or present submerse showers into a bucket of water or conceal them in a bag (Snipping the corner the allow water flow). If you require any advice regarding flushing infrequently used outlets with suspected or present legionella, please do not hesitate to contact our team at Dantek 01454 417 920

Monitoring and Documentation:

  • Maintain detailed records of all flushing activities, including the dates, outlets flushed, and the duration of flushing. Regularly review and monitor these records to ensure compliance with the established protocol and track the effectiveness of your Legionella control measures. By documenting any changes or additions to infrequently used outlets and updating the flushing records accordingly, you can keep your Legionella control measures up to date and in line with the current usage patterns of your sports facility.
  • At Dantek, we believe in providing value and support to our customers in the sports industry. That’s why we are pleased to offer our cutting-edge electronic logging system, completely free of charge to all our contracted customers. Our logbook allows you to record detailed reports of all flushing activities. You can easily track the dates of flushing, identify outlets that are currently listed as infrequently used, and set specific durations and frequencies for flushing. This ensures that your flushing protocol is properly documented, and you can keep a close eye on the maintenance of water quality within your facility. If you would like to book a free demo and see how our log book can help you, please call 01454 417 920 or e mail sales@dantek.co.uk

Remember, if you need assistance or further guidance regarding Legionella control in your sports facility, don’t hesitate to reach out to Dantek. Our team is available to help, email sales@dantek.co.uk or call 01454 417 920

For further guidance please refer to https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/hsg274part2.pdf

 

Taking action positive legionella results

Taking action positive legionella results Legionella bacteria pose a potential risk in all water systems, including those commonly found in sports facilities. To ensure the safety and well-being of athletes, staff, and visitors, it is crucial for the sports industry to implement effective control measures. Regular Legionella testing plays a significant role in assessing the efficacy of these measures. In this blog post, we will discuss the actions to be taken upon receiving a positive Legionella sample result, emphasizing the importance of a proactive approach to mitigate the risk of Legionella colonization and ensure water system safety.

Understanding Legionella Sample Results:

When receiving a Legionella sample result, it’s essential to interpret the findings correctly. A comprehensive certificate of analysis accompanies each result, providing vital information for subsequent actions.

Sample Details:

The certificate includes the location, date, and time of the sample collection. Additionally, it records the primary control measure at the time of sampling, usually indicating the temperature but potentially mentioning a chemical reserve such as Chlorine Dioxide or Silver reserve.

Detection of Legionella:

The Legionella sample result will indicate whether Legionella bacteria were detected or not. A “Detected” result signifies a positive finding, while a “Not detected” result indicates a negative outcome. The testing is typically conducted on a one-liter water sample.

Legionella Speciation:

Legionella species are further categorized based on their serogroups. The results will specify the detected species as one of the following options:

  1. L.pneumophila serogroup 1
  2. L.pneumophila serogroup 2-14
  3. L.species (other than L.pneumophila serogroup 1-14)

Legionella Enumeration:

The concentration of Legionella in the water sample is reported as colony-forming units per liter (cfu/l). If a smaller sample volume was analyzed, the tested volume will be stated.

Taking action positive legionella results Assessing and Responding to Results

Upon receiving positive Legionella results, it is crucial to promptly assess the situation and take appropriate actions. The following steps will guide you through this process:

Assess the Results:

To gain clarity and inform subsequent actions, consider the following questions while reviewing the results:

  1. Why were the samples taken in the first place?
  2. Do the results pertain to a single water system or multiple systems? Identify the specific systems involved.
  3. Are the majority or minority of samples reported as “Detected” for each system?
  4. Are the enumeration results greater or less than 1,000 cfu/l?
  5. Is this the first positive result for each system, or are they failed re-samples?

Taking action positive legionella results Housekeeping and Risk Assessment

Regardless of the enumeration level, taking immediate action is crucial to address the situation effectively. Consider the following steps based on the enumeration level:

  1. a) Positive samples with enumeration less than 1,000 cfu/l

If the minority of samples are positive and these are the first failures, resample the system.

If the majority of samples are positive, it may indicate low-level colonization. Resample the system, conduct an audit of control measures, and review the water risk assessment. Water system disinfection may be necessary.

  1. b) Samples with enumeration greater than 1,000 cfu/l

If most samples are positive and exceed 1,000 cfu/l, consider system-wide disinfection.

Resample the system two to seven days after disinfection.

Review the number and locations of samples to ensure meaningful results. A well-designed sampling plan can aid in identifying root causes.

Review the water risk assessment to ensure it reflects the current state of the water system, including physical and operational factors.

Verify if all remedial actions and recommendations from the water risk assessment have been implemented.

Conduct an immediate review of control measures, including the logbook, to ensure scheduled tasks are completed and recorded satisfactorily for Legionella control.

  1. c) Samples with enumeration greater than 10,000 cfu/l:

In addition to the actions recommended for enumeration levels exceeding 1,000 cfu/l, consider removing affected outlets or systems from service.

Implement a comprehensive flushing regimen for removed outlets/systems to prevent further issues.

Follow-up and Escalation:

Legionella pneumophila is persistent and can be challenging to eradicate once it establishes a foothold. Maintain detailed records of all actions taken in response to positive results. These records serve as evidence for closing out positive results and provide insights for addressing persistent colonization issues.

Repeated failures should follow an iterative cycle of plan, do, check, act. It is crucial to involve duty holders and senior management at an early stage to ensure adequate resources and authority for resolving the issue. Addressing Legionella colonization should never fall solely on the responsibility of a single individual.

Taking action positive legionella results Taking immediate action upon receiving positive Legionella sample results is vital for the sports industry to maintain a safe and healthy environment. By following the outlined assessment and response steps, sports facilities can effectively mitigate the risk of Legionella colonization. Remember, Dantek are experts in Legionella prevention and control and can provide valuable assistance throughout the assessment and eradication process.

Prioritize the safety of your athletes, staff, and visitors by proactively managing Legionella in your water systems.

Contact the Dantek team today. You can give us a call at 01454 417 920 https://www.dantekenvironmental.co.uk/contact-us/ or send an email to sales@dantek.co.uk. We’re here to assist you and answer any inquiries you may have.

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