3rd
Oct 2014
A property consultancy is warning all landlords, that they are responsible to follow guidelines for the prevention or control the danger of Legionnaires' disease in their properties.
The government has recently passed legislation that makes "duty holders" ensure they have all precautions in place to nullify the risk of an outbreak. Duty holders includes those in control of their premises, employers, health and safety representatives and private landlords.
The property consultancy strongly urges all landlords who use managing agents to check with them, that they are truly compliant with the actions that must be undertaken under the new legislation.
Legionnaire's can be created in atomisers hot and cold water systems, hydrotherapy and whirlpool baths. The ideal environment to propagate are in areas of stagnant water where temperatures are between 20° to 40°C.
The firm has listed the some important measure for safeguarding against an outbreak which include:
Cold water storage and distribution must be lower than 20 degrees.
Hot water storage must kept at a temperature higher than 60 degrees and distributed at no lower than 50 degrees.
Any dead end pipe work should be disposed of.
Showerheads and taps should have algae and lime scale removed regularly
Shirley Kenyon lettings manager at the property consultancy, said: “Private Landlords or agencies who are responsible for building maintenance must take suitable precautions to prevent or control the risk of exposure of their tenants to legionella. If you are a homeowner, you are responsible for the water systems in your house.
“During recent risk assessments we found that in the majority of households the hot water temperature at the outlets was below the recommended 50°C, simply increasing the water temperature to achieve at least the recommended 50°C will significantly reduce the risk of Legionella. In practise the risk is fairly low if you keep hot water at a high enough temperature, the bacteria are dormant below 20°C and do not survive above 60°C, and regularly use your water systems to prevent stagnation. Landlords should choose their agents wisely to ensure that they are keeping abreast of new legislation and acting accordingly on your behalf.”
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