Health & Safety: Legionella

As your landlord, it is our responsibility to make sure you know the causes and symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease.  

What is legionella?

Legionella is the name of harmful bacteria that can build up in your water system, including on taps and shower heads. Breathing in this bacteria can cause Legionnaires’ disease. 

Who is at risk?

The elderly or people with chest or lung problems are most at risk.  

Although anybody can contract Legionnaires’ disease, not everyone that comes into contact with Legionella bacteria becomes ill. Legionnaires’ disease is not contagious.

If you're going on holiday for over a week, when you return you need to flush out the whole water system for 2 or more minutes. 

1. First, flush your toilet (with the lid down)
2. Then, let the kitchen and hand basin taps run for two minutes to let both hot and cold water pass through. 
3. Next, flush the shower through. If you haven't used your shower for 2 or more weeks, disinfect the showerhead. The showerhead should be removed and the shower run for two minutes. The showerhead should be disinfected before being re-fitted by immersing for at least an hour in any solution designed for cleaning baby feeding bottles (e.g. Milton). Showerheads should be regularly disinfected about four times a year. 
4. Finally, if there are any other taps – i.e. bath taps, run them through last for 2 minutes.

Don’t forget water safety outside, legionnaires lurks in the unlikeliest places. Garden hoses are a breeding ground for legionella. Be careful when making a slash or water spray with your hose pipe. Spray attachments whether a sprinkler, thumb over the end or brush attachments, etc give legionella the conditions it needs to make it harmful to humans. If bacteria are lurking in the hosepipe, run it into the corner of your garden turning the tap on full for a couple of minutes – you will expel the nasties without breathing them in.

Also, think about your car and the windscreen washer bottle. Legionella thrives in a warm, stagnant environment if washer fluid is not added. Once the water is sprayed, it gives it the ideal conditions to pass to infect humans.