Section II: What water systems in workplaces are potential sources of
Legionnaires' disease bacteria (LDB)?
 The primary sources of exposure to contaminated water in commercial and industrial facilities are water-cooled, heat transfer systems such as cooling towers or fluid coolers, and warm water sources such as domestic hot-water
systems.
Operating Systems: Use the following modules to review
maintenance, sampling protocol, treatment, and
design considerations of each operating system.
Health Care Facilities and LDB:
|
Legionnaires' disease Bacteria (LDB) Colonization Frequencies: |
In studies
conducted by Hodgson and Casey
in 1998, several thousand
samples collected from a variety
of sources showed:
| Cooling Towers |
6.3% |
| Potable
Water Distribution Systems |
7.0% |
| Hot Water
Heaters |
12.0% |
More Information... |
- The Joint Commission for the Accreditation of
Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO)
issued a new standard that became effective
January 1, 2001. This standard, numbered EC 1.7,
requires all JCAHO accredited facilities to have a
management program to "reduce the potential for
organizational-acquired illness." It holds the
health care facility responsible for "managing
pathogenic biological agents in cooling towers,
domestic hot water, and other aerosolizing water
systems."
- The American Society for Healthcare
Engineering (ASHE)
recommends that health
care facilities conduct a risk assessment of
potential sources of LDB and develop a
management plan for maintenance and
operation of water systems.
|
|
Back to Top
