Prevention and control of Legionellosis

As you know, at the beginning of 2018 the Government approved the new Regulation establishing the technical and sanitary conditions for the prevention and control of legionellosis. A big one hits us! This regulation can even affect private individuals if their sprinkler systems impact public areas.

The regulation, in addition to cooling towers and whirlpools that already had to comply, also applies to all types of public showers, including sports centers, hotels, and residences, as well as fire-fighting systems, vehicle washing systems, and irrigation systems.

“We have one year to notify the Government of our installation and up to two more years to adapt to the regulation depending on the sensitivity of the installation.”

The first obligation is to notify the installation, i.e., inform the Government of its existence before February 22, 2019.

Afterwards, depending on the sensitivity of the installation (hospitals, nursing homes vs. hotels or sports centers), it will be necessary to prepare:

• A report with technical and operational data, including a plan or hydraulic diagram identifying critical points.
• A maintenance program detailing inspections, parameters, and frequency.
• A cleaning and disinfection program with procedures and products.
• A water treatment program including all procedures.
• A water analysis program.
• Records of all activities, incidents, and corrective measures, including shutdowns longer than 15 days and subsequent restarts.

These records must be kept for 10 years!

Also, anyone carrying out maintenance, treatments, or sample collection related to legionellosis must have specific training, renewed every 5 years.

As you can see, it’s a big one hitting us… but worse would be if it really hit and we had to assume responsibilities and consequences from a legionellosis outbreak, right?