As promised, this blog will cover US legislative attempts to control the bacteria legionella that causes Legionnaires’ disease. While many states have requirements as to the amount of residual chlorine that must be present in spas, no state has legislation to curtail legionella in cooling towers than New York. Unfortunately, the New York legislation does not cover the potable water system (showers, faucets, holding tanks, etc.) in a building, or any water feature such as a lobby fountain. This is completely different from the approach taken in the UK as explained in an earlier blog, which is national in nature…
There is no national legislation controlling the propagation of the legionella bacteria in buildings, cooling towers, or jacuzzis in the United States. In fact, there is only one state, New York, that has any statewide legislation to control legionella growth in the state’s cooling towers. Various states have levels of residual chlorine that must be in spas. This haphazard and inadequate approach is very different from that taken by the United Kingdom as indicated in a previous blog. It is time therefore, for Congress to address a national problem and enact national legislation to control the increasing incidence of Legionnaires’…
The source of Legionella bacteria and where individuals contract Legionnaires’ disease can often be unexpected. In a study from researchers out of the University of Padua, it was found that two men contracted Legionnaires’ disease after using two separate car washes in Italy. And while the location may seem somewhat surprising, according to microbiologist Dr Tom Makin, a senior consultant at Legionella control in the UK, perhaps it shouldn’t be. Indeed Dr. Makin remarks that, “(C)ar washes are capable of generating the right sized aerosols that can be inhaled into the lungs where the Legionella bacteria cause infection, such as pneumonia.’…
Faltec Europe Ltd, a car parts firm in the UK, has admitted charges relating to an outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease and an explosion on it’s premises. In 2015 the factory was ordered to shut down four cooling towers by the Health and Safety Executive following the discovery of significant levels of legionella were found on site. Between October 2014 and May 2015 four workers and a nearby resident were hospitalized. In September 2015 the company was given the all clear after following safety measures. Another investigation by the Health and Safety Executive relates to the explosion risks at the plant in…
Garston Lane hospital in Wantage, a town in Oxfordshire, is closing due to plumbing issues. According to the hospital trust, the “old and corroded” pipes present a threat of Legionella bacteria to the public. Wantage residents, however, are fighting to keep it open. The campaign was launched this past Saturday and the petition already has over 1,600 signatures. The hospital is currently set to close in the early summer and has plans to “set aside” funds for repairs. No work will begin until it can be determined how the hospital will be renovated. However, the trust also said in a recent statement…