Compliance urged over legionnaires deaths

B&ES Publications urges compliance after legionnaires deaths

In a statement the company said: “The legionella outbreak in Edinburgh last month has again forced buildings’ maintenance and health and safety standards into the spotlight. Two people have died and many remain in intensive care from legionnaires disease, which investigators apparently believe originated in one or more cooling towers in the area.
The incident demonstrates the seriousness of poor maintenance in failing to control legionella in a building’s water system.
B&ES Publications is urging businesses and building owners to follow a strict programme of maintenance to ensure compliance with statutory obligations and prevent penalty and prosecution.
Alan Gregory, Chairman of the B&ES Service and Facilities Group, said: “Our industry is acutely aware that legionella bacteria is always present, just waiting for the right set of conditions to allow it to manifest. This cannot be ignored. As building owners, managers and contractors, it is our responsibility and we must act now.”
Would your business survive the implications of failing to meet its legal requirements, which could include an unlimited fine and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment?
Past cases of legionella outbreaks include cider-maker HP Bulmer and its water treatment contractor Nalco Ltd, which were prosecuted under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and fined over £300,000 each.
There is also the danger of prosecution under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 for death through a gross breach of a duty of care. It’s only a matter of time before we witness the first conviction.
Alan Gregory said: “The maintenance of building services can be realistically prioritised, accurately budgeted for and reliably delivered with a customised programme of maintenance and refurbishment.”
Many contractors rely on the maintenance schedules defined by B&ES Publications’ SFG20, widely regarded as the industry standard for businesses or individuals responsible for maintaining, managing or specifying the maintenance of building services. A web-based service, such as SFG20, will ensure maintenance schedules are always up to date and will keep equipment operating at its best.”

Heightened Concern Over Legionnaires' Disease in Ocean City

OCEAN CITY, Md.- Residents and visitors in Ocean City remain wary of a serious form of pneumonia called Legionnaires' disease.

Officials from the Worcester Health Department said they cannot say for sure if two separate visitors in the past year contracted Legionnaires' disease at a condominium at the Sea Watch Condominiums at 11500 Coastal Highway. Both visitors stayed at the condo, but not for their entire stay.

A memo was handed out to Sea Watch residents, which states that none of the fountains or pools are affected. However, the sauna and one of the 400 units tested positive for legionella, the bacterium that causes Legionnaires' disease.

People can become exposed to legionella if they inhale affected water. Health officials advise people to avoid water vapor, take tub or sponge baths and drink bottled water.

In 2011, one person died from contracting Legionnaires' disease at the Plim Plaza on Atlantic Avenue in Ocean City. Health officials said that last year, there were 143 cases of Legionnaires' disease statewide. So far in 2012, there have been 41.

 Updated: Jun 27, 2012 5:11 PM - WBOC - News

Legionella - Energy Institute

The Energy Institute (EI) has released an updated guide to help offshore industries control the risks of Legionella bacteria in water systems.
This follows an outbreak of the Legionnaires’ disease in Edinburgh last month which resulted in two deaths and 44 people affected.
Legionnaires’ disease is a potentially fatal form of lung infection, which results from purpose-built water systems and is caught by breathing in small droplets of contaminated water.
Commenting on the guide, Lynne Morgan, Chair of the EI Occupational Health and Hygiene Committee said: “It addresses specific operating practices unique to some specific energy industry installations. The problem for industry is that water systems can become heavily contaminated with potentially lethal bacteria.”
Matthew Garwood, Health and Safety Manager at Property Services firm DTZ is encouraging company managers to monitor and maintain water systems regularly.
He said: “Evaporative cooling systems are often associated with larger outbreaks but it is also important to note that domestic water services, consisting of taps, basins and showers, are regularly implicated as the source of smaller and more isolated incidents of Legionnaires Disease. Facilities managers of buildings of all sizes need to be vigilant and have robust procedures in place.”

SETRI - Legionella

http://www.revistainfra.com.br/digital/141_abril2012/#/56/

A entrevista sobre o tema legionella, demonstra que temos que estar atentos.

Legionella - Análise Laboratorial

Análises laboratoriais para Legionella

A Conforto Engenharia Ambiental (Conforlab) inaugurou agora em março um laboratório de pesquisa e identificação de presença da bactéria Legionella, comumente presente em edificações através da água, em locais como chuveiros, torneiras, fontes decorativas, torres de resfriamentos, piscinas e ventiladores com aspersão de água. A empresa investiu cerca de R$ 350 mil no novo laboratório, e as primeiras análises realizadas apontaram a presença da bactéria em diversos locais como fábricas, hotéis e hospitais. “Através do relatório de ensaio em mãos, o Facility Manager do empreendimento tem a capacidade de atuar corrigindo falhas e prevenindo problemas de saúde dos usuários do prédio”, lembra o engenheiro Leonardo Cozac. (11) 5542-6280

Viste nosso site: www.confortoengenharia.com.br  

Notícia na Revista Infra

Legionella - Edinburgh Legionnaires' outbreak: Distillery shuts down cooling towers

O caso em questão é grave e ainda não se sabe quantas pessoas foram contaminadas.
Como no Brasil os casos não são relatados, fica aqui a pergunta: Porque ?
Cada vez mais os casos envolvem mais e mais pessoas que ficam doente. Isso sem contar com as que se contaminam com a Febre Pontiac que não existe números oficiais. Somente casos de pneumonia são relatados.
Temos muitos casos no Brasil e nos próximos eventos, como a RIO +20, Copa do Mundo e Olímpíadas teremos de ter cuidado, pois turistas que por ventura se contaminem aqui no Brasil, podem acionar a justiça.
Hotéis, Shoppings, Hospitais, Edifícios Comerciais etc..., estão preparados ?
Uma Avaliação de Risco é fundamental para minimizar os riscos da Legionella.
Se você deseja saber mais sobre LEGIONELLA acesse www.setri.com.br e nos envie suas perguntas.

Caso do surto de Legionellose em EDINBURGH se agrava

Legionnaires' disease: an airborne killer

As the number of cases in Edinburgh grows, public health officials face difficulties in pinpointing the cause of any outbreak,

If public health officials in Edinburgh contain the outbreak of legionnaires' disease with their "shock treatment" on 16 cooling towers, there will be relief that the episode, which has claimed at least one life, has not been worse.
Proving the exact source of an outbreak can be difficult, although authorities did pinpoint the cause at the UK's most serious outbreak, in Barrow-in-Furness in August 2002, by genetically fingerprinting the legionella bacteria to the town's arts and civic centre, Forum 28. In that case, seven people died, there were 180 confirmed cases, another 314 possible cases and 2,500 people might have been affected.
Barrow council was fined £125,000 and ordered to pay £90,000 costs for failures under the Health and Safety at Work Act.
In the Barrow outbreak, however, the mortality rate was relatively low. In another case, at Stafford hospital in 1985, there were 22 deaths out of 68 confirmed cases.
The disease takes its name from an outbreak at a convention of the American Legion veterans' organisation at the Bellevue-Stratford hotel in Philadelphia in 1976. In all, 221 people were affected and 34 died. Doctors now look for it and diagnosis can be made in a variety of ways, including taking cultures from patients' sputum, collecting cells from airways or lung tissue and blood or urine tests.
Legionnaires' is caught by breathing in small droplets of contaminated water. It is not contagious and is not known to spread directly from person to person, nor can it be contracted through drinking water. Symptoms usually begin with a mild headache and muscle pain but these might only emerge between two and 14 days after exposure to the bacteria. The symptoms then worsen and might include high fever, with a temperature of 40C (104F) or more, and increasing muscle pain and chills.
Once the bacteria infect the lungs, carriers may also experience a persistent cough, later including mucus or blood, shortness of breath and chest pains. A third of people with the disease will experience nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea or loss of appetite. About half may also experience changes to their mental state. The disease is particularly dangerous for older people or those with underlying health conditions. The earlier those who develop it are treated with antibiotics the better. An estimated 10-15% of otherwise healthy people who develop the full-blown disease are expected to die. It is three times more common in men than women (although most of those who died in Barrow were women) and mostly affects the over-50s. Smokers and heavy drinkers are more prone to developing it.
It is difficult to tell how common it is. In its milder form, symptoms are similar to those of flu. Many cases would therefore not be reported. In 2009 there were 43 deaths from legionnaires' in England and Wales. There were 345 reported cases in the two countries that year and just under half of those were thought to have developed while patients were travelling either in the UK or abroad.
The bacteria are commonly found in low numbers in rivers and lakes but the problem arises when they quickly spread in complex water supply systems under warm temperatures, including cooling towers, air conditioning, spa pools, humidifiers and indoor ornamental fountains. Large buildings such as hotels, hospitals, factories, museums and office blocks are particularly vulnerable and managers of such buildings are required to follow codes of practice. Water should be kept either cooled below 20C (68F) or above 60C (140F) and there are duties of regular inspection.

Legionnaires' cases at 74 amid Edinburgh outbreak

There are now 74 confirmed and suspected cases of Legionnaires' disease amid an outbreak in the Scottish capital.

It also emerged that the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has served an improvement notice on an Edinburgh company for alleged failures to adequately control the risk of Legionella in a cooling tower.
The notice was served on the North British Distillery Company and refers to a tower in Wheatfield Road in Edinburgh.
An HSE statement said the firm has already taken all three of its cooling towers at the site out of operation. Issuing the improvement notice does not mean the tower concerned is where the outbreak originated.
The search for the source of the disease outbreak has centred on cooling towers at four sites in the south-west of the city, which have been "shock-treated" with chemicals.
Scottish Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon has said it is "not always possible to conclusively determine the precise source of an outbreak".
She said the increase of 13 in the total number of confirmed and suspected cases had been expected.
Twenty-eight people have now been confirmed as having Legionnaires' disease and another 46 are suspected of having it.

Edinburgh Legionnaires' outbreak: Distillery shuts down cooling towers (BBC News)

Cooling towers have been shut down at a whisky distillery in Edinburgh which is at the centre of an investigation into an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease.

The Health and Safety Executive has served an improvement notice on the North British Distillery for alleged failures to adequately control the risk of legionella in one of its towers.
The company said it had taken its towers offline and halted production at its Gorgie plant as a precaution.

The Scottish government said there had been a further increase in the number of cases.
There were 28 confirmed and 46 suspected cases on Friday, an increase of 13 on the total number.
The North British Distillery, which was founded in 1885 and employs 100 people, is one of six sites being investigated by the Health and Safety Executive. It produces non-branded grain whisky for use in blends.
A number of cases of Legionnaires' disease have been confirmed in people who live and work near the site, which is in the west of Edinburgh beside Heart of Midlothian's Tynecastle stadium.


Health inspectors have served an improvement notice on a distillery close to the site of an outbreak of Legionnaire's Disease in Edinburgh.
The Health and Safety Executive stressed that the order, served against the North British Distillery on Wheatfield Road, did not mean that its cooling tower was the definite source of the outbreak.
The improvment notice alleges that the distillery failed to adequately control the risk of legionella bacteria in one of its three cooling towers. The company has shut down all three towers as a precaution.
The total number of cases has now risen to 74, 14 of which are being treated in intensive care. So far one man has died and doctors say they cannot rule out the possibility of further deaths.

http://local.stv.tv/edinburgh/105388-notice-served-on-distillery-close-to-legionnaires-outbreak-zone/

GBC Brasil no Jornal Nacional - 12/06/12

E agora para onde vamos? 

Levaremos a mensagem ao Rio + 20 da importância e oportunidade trazida pelo


setor da construção sustentável ao desenvolvimento da economia verde.

Não percam nesta terça-feira, 12 de Junho, a matéria do Green Building Council 


Brasil no Jornal Nacional.


Equipe do GBCB em sua luta para o desenvolvimento sustentável.

Cooling towers blamed for outbreak of deadly Legionnaires' disease

Cooling towers blamed for outbreak of deadly Legionnaires' disease that has killed one man and claimed 61 victims - and the toll will getter higher

• Bacteria thought to have been transmitted via droplets of infected water from cloud of gas rising into the air
• Laborer Robert Air, 56, dies from deadly bug in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary
• Tens of thousands at risk as epidemic could spread 44 square miles from source
• Scotland's health secretary expects the number of cases to peak over the weekend
• Symptoms include coughing, chest pains, fever and chills

By Phil Vinter and Emma Reynolds


A man has died and another 12 patients are critically ill in intensive care following an outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease.
The dead man has been named locally as Robert Air, 56, from the Seafield area of Edinburgh, who had reportedly been working as a labourer on a building site in Gorgie before becoming unwell.
In total at least 61 people in Scotland are thought to have been struck down by the infection.
Confirmed cases increased to 24 by last night while a further 37 people are suspected to have the illness, the Scottish Health Secretary said. Five people have since been discharged from hospital.
Health officials admit the number of victims will continue to rise as it can take up to two weeks for people to present symptoms after being infected with the disease.
But the country's health secretary Nicola Sturgeon said she expects the number of cases to peak over the weekend.
Legionnaires’ is a potentially fatal lung infection caused by the Legionella bacteria. It is caught by breathing in contaminated water droplets and cannot be spread from person to person.
In this instance, the Scottish health authorities believe that the bacteria found their way into one of several cooling towers in the south-west of Edinburgh.
The tower then emitted a cloud of vapour with the bacteria in the tiny water droplets
They were mainly living in the Dalry, Gorgie and Saughton areas in the south-west of the city. The patient who died was in his 50s and had another health condition.
Ms Sturgeon said that 16 cooling towers that have been identified as possible sources of the outbreak were chemically treated on Sunday night and Monday morning.
She said: ‘Given the incubation period for Legionnaires’ disease, we would expect to see further cases emerge over the next few days.
‘As you would appreciate, that’s a complex process because it involves, in many cases, dealing with critically ill patients.

KILLER BUG SPREADS LIKE WILDFIRE THROUGH WATER SUPPLY

Legionnaires' disease is a potentially fatal lung infection caused by the bacteria legionella.
The bacteria is commonly found in any freshwater areas but can sometimes find its way into artificial water supply systems.
It is contracted when small droplets of contaminated water in the air are breathed in, but is not spread from person to person.
The elderly, smokers, diabetes sufferers, those with kidney disease and cancer patients are most at risk, and men are three times more likely to contract the disease than women.
Symptoms of the disease include headaches, muscle pain, high fever, chills, a persistent cough, shortness of breath, chest pains and sometimes vomiting and diarrhoea.
About half of those who contract the disease experience changes to their mental state, such as confusion.
Symptoms can start between two and 14 days after exposure.
The disease is treated by intravenous antibiotics.
Around 10% of people victims will die from arising complications.
Large buildings such as hotels, hospitals and museums are more vulnerable to contamination because they have larger, more complex water supply systems, which can let the contamination spread quickly.

Legionnaires' outbreak: Number of confirmed cases continues to rise with source of infection still unclear

THERE are now 21 confirmed cases of Legionnaires' disease following a deadly outbreak, Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon has said.
Another 19 people are suspected of having the illness in the Lothian health board area but no more fatalities have occurred since yesterday when one man died, she added.
Twelve of the 21 patients are in intensive care, two have been discharged and the others are either being treated in hospital or in the community.
The number of confirmed cases rose by four from the 17 announced at a previous update this morning. There are also four more suspected cases.
Ms Sturgeon said officials expected to see more cases as the week goes on.
"Given the incubation period for Legionnaires' disease, we would expect to see further cases emerge over the next few days," she told a press conference in Edinburgh, pictured above.
The process of gathering information from the confirmed and suspected cases was continuing, she said.
She added: "As you would appreciate, that's a complex process because it involves, in many cases, dealing with critically ill patients.
"NHS Lothian have brought additional public health staff to bear to make sure that as much information about the behaviours, patterns and the recent histories of these patients is being gathered.
"What we can say is that no link has been identified between these patients other than a general association with the affected area in the south-west of Edinburgh.
"What that does is underline the view that the source of this infection is an outdoor community source and not an indoor-specific source, such as would be the case if it was a spa in a hotel.
"That points, as we have been saying, to cooling towers in the south-west of Edinburgh."
Work around the towers is being led by the city council and the Health and Safety Executive.
Ms Sturgeon said: "Samples have been taken from all of those towers and all of them have been subject to what is called shock treatment which is effectively chemical treatment to deal with the risk of ongoing infection, and there will be sampling over the course of today around these towers."
The process of identifying the infection source was complicated, she said.
"I'm advised by experts that very often with Legionnaires' disease, it's not possible to identify a particular source beyond reasonable doubt so often what is dealt with is a balance of probabilities of where the source is likely to be.
"The process of identifying the source is a complicated one and there are three main strands to that.
"Firstly, epidemiological which is looking at the pattern of cases to try to narrow down to as small an area of possible infection as possible.
"Secondly, microbiological. That's about taking samples, looking at whether Legionella is in existence in a tower and whether it matches a particular strain of Legionnaires' that the patients have.
"Thirdly, it involves the Health and Safety Executive inspection process, looking at the management process around these towers and, if necessary and appropriate, carrying out physical inspections of the towers. And aspects of those processes are ongoing."
NHS Lothian said yesterday the patient who died was in his 50s and had other health conditions. He was being treated at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.
The majority of confirmed cases are linked geographically to the Dalry, Gorgie and Saughton areas of south-west Edinburgh
Legionella bacteria is commonly found in sources of water, such as rivers and lakes, NHS Lothian said. The bacteria can end up in artificial water supply systems such as air conditioning, water services and cooling towers.
Legionnaires' disease is contracted by breathing in small droplets of contaminated water. Symptoms are mild headaches, muscle pain, fever, persistent cough and sometimes vomiting and diarrhoea. They can begin at any time between two and 14 days after being infected.
The first case in the current outbreak was identified on Thursday May 31.
About half of those who catch the disease will also experience changes to their mental state, such as confusion.
Legionnaires' disease is not contagious and cannot be spread directly from person to person.

GBC da Polonia reconhece tecnologia ActivTek

O GBC da Polonia, reconheceu a tecnologia da ActivTek para purificação do ar de interiores. Este reconhecimento auxilia em muito a certificação LEED com o uso desta tecnologia. A ActivTek é representada no Brasil pela Ecoquest.

http://www.ecoquest.com.br/

Notícias sobre o LEED 2012

Dear USGBC Members and LEED users,

In response to overwhelming feedback from our members, core LEED users and engaged stakeholders, USGBC announced today that it will delay ballot on LEED 2012 until June 1, 2013. Because of this date change LEED 2012 is being renamed LEED v4.

To be clear... this change is 100% in response to helping our stakeholders fully understand and embrace this next big step. The passion for market transformation that resides in our membership and our LEED users is undeniable, but we also acknowledge the reality of the day-to-day assessment of market conditions that has informed this decision. Our commitment to you is that the balloting and launch of LEED v4 will be seamless for our users and successful in terms of advancing the market transformation we all seek.

Please read my letter on the USGBC blog »

Visit usgbc.org/LEEDv4 »

Seventh Legionella case confirmed as 13 suspected instances probed

Published on Tuesday 5 June 2012 18:23

The number of confirmed cases in the Capital’s Legionnaire’s disease outbreak has risen to seven, with 13 suspected cases now being investigated.

Six men aged between 39 and 65 are in critical condition with the disease, and are being treated in intensive care.
A seventh man has recovered and been discharged from hospital.
The confirmed cases are all being linked to the Dalry, Gorgie and Saughton areas of Edinburgh, where efforts are continuing to try and trace the source of the outbreak.


A MAN infected in the latest legionnella outbreak has died and 16 other confirmed cases remain critically ill in hospital.

A further 15 people are suspected of having the disease in what is now the biggest single suspected outbreak of the illness in Scotland.
The man, who was aged in his 50, died while being treated in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. The health board said he had underlying health conditions.
Health experts have warned more cases could appear despite a massive cleansing operation on the suspected outbreak sights in the south west of Edinburgh.
Investigations are still underway to trace the source of the outbreak. Public health officials are awaiting the results from tests carried out on 16 commercial cooling towers at four sites in Edinburgh.
All of the towers are located in the south west of the city - in Gorgie, Dalry and Saughton - and all people believed to have been infected either live or work in those areas.

Seven Legionnaires' disease cases confirmed in Edinburgh

Six men in critical condition, with another 13 suspected cases being investigated amid hunt for source of outbreak

Seven men in Edinburgh have been confirmed as having legionnaires' disease, with another 13 suspected cases being investigated, as officials from the city council and Health and Safety Executive try to identify the source of the outbreak.
Six men between 30 and 65 are in critical condition in local hospitals. A seventh has recovered and been sent home, NHS Lothian said.
The first case was identified last Thursday, but symptoms can begin anytime between two days and two weeks after exposure to the legionella bacteria which causes the illness. Samples have been taken from four cooling towers in the south-west of Edinburgh, the seven confirmed cases have been geographically linked to the Dalry, Gorgie and Saughton areas of the city.
It might take up to 10 days before results are available, since legionella is difficult to culture. Meanwhile, those responsible for maintaining the towers have been advised to carry out additional chemical treatment to water in the systems as a precaution. Other possible sources are not being ruled out.
Duncan McCormick, consultant in public health medicine and chair of the incident management board, said: "I would like to reassure the public that household water supplies are safe and that Legionnaires' disease cannot be contracted by drinking water.

Symptoms usually begin with a mild headache and muscle pain but become more severe after a day or two. These might include high fever, with a temperature of 40C (104F) or more, and increasing muscle pain and chills. Once the bacteria infects the lungs, carriers may also experience a persistent cough, later including mucus or blood, shortness of breath and chest pains. A third of people with the disease will experience nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea or loss of appetite and about half may also experience changes to their mental state.
Bacteriologist Hugh Pennington told BBC Radio Scotland said the disease was preventable. "Industrial water cooling towers are quite a common source of the bug. The bug lives in warm, fresh water. Basically disinfectant should be put in the water to stop the bug growing."
Legionnaires' was a "very, very severe pneumonia" but it was often hard to track down the source," he said. "If there are several water cooling towers in an area you have to look at them all and find out which is the source of the bug."
Lothian NHS said legionella bacteria could also find their way into air conditioning systems and hot water services. Legionnaires' disease was contracted by inhaling droplets of contaminated water but was not contagious and could not be spread directly from person to person.

Legionella - Caso em Portugal

Desporto: Piscinas do Jamor encerradas ao público devido a bactéria, mas abertas a olímpicos

Lisboa, 01 jun (Lusa) - As piscinas do Complexo Nacional Desportivo do Jamor foram hoje encerradas ao público devido à deteção de bactérias da Doença do Legionário (Legionella), disse à Agência Lusa junto fonte do Instituto Português do Desporto e Juventude (IPDJ).
Contudo, a preparação dos atletas olímpicos está assegurada porque o problema foi localizado nas canalizações dos balneários, podendo os representantes lusos que se prepraram para os Jogos de Londres continuar a utilizar as instalações para os treinos, embora recorrendo a outra zona sanitária.
"Considerados os níveis de concentração e fruto do parecer pedido ao Instituto Ricardo Jorge e às empresas de assistência aos equipamentos, foi aconselhado o encerramento das instalações, razão pela qual esta decisão é tomada com carácter imediato. Está prevista a reabertura das piscinas ao público no prazo de 30 dias", disse a mesma fonte.