As well as the latest on new Hughes Safety Showers products & events, we will be offering articles on various Safety standards that impact our company and services.

Understanding the dangers of contracting Legionella

Understanding certain facts about Legionella is essential when selecting and furthermore maintaining emergency safety showers and eyebath/facewash units. Hughes equipment is designed to minimise the risk of Legionella.

Marketing Manager Mike Hall tests one our Eyebaths

“Employers are legally responsible for the health and safety of their employees and have a duty of care to the wider community,” says Tony Hughes, Managing Director of Hughes Safety Showers.

“The penalties for failure can be severe; the consequences can be disastrous and yet the solution is surprisingly simple.”

By understanding certain facts and the features you will be better informed to choose the right equipment.

FACTS – on Legionella
• Legionnaires’ disease is a type of pneumonia.
• It occurs more frequently in men than women and usually affects middle-aged or elderly people.
• The bacterium which causes legionnaires’ disease is Legionella pneumophila.
• It mainly lives in water and thrives between 20ºC and 45ºC
• People catch the disease by inhaling small droplets of water suspended in the air that contain the Legionella bacterium.
• Water storage facilities and equipment that uses water are at particular risk.
• Emergency showers and eyebath/facewash equipment should be designed to minimise this risk.
• Good maintenance is essential to avoid Legionella.

FEATURES – of Hughes products to combat Legionella
• pipes can be flushed effectively
• there are no ‘dead legs’ to trap water
• rust sludge cannot build up
• pipe work is galvanised both internally and externally
• nozzles can be easily removed and cleaned

ADVICE – to help reduce the risk of Legionella
• Keep the temperature of static water outside the 20ºC to 45ºC range
• Fit thermostats to heated water tanks to keep water below 20ºC
• Insulate tanks and pipe work to control the temperature and avoid variations
• Fit temperature gauges for an early indication of potential problems
• Only use a portable water supply
• Flush the system every week to reduce the risk of Legionella contamination and confirm that the system is operating correctly
• Dose standing water with chlorine to kill the Legionella bacteria
• Clean shower nozzles regularly
• Replace eyebath diffusers and clean the eyebath filter every six months