Industries
Pharmaceuticals and Cosmetics
Reliable, cost-effective operations and process, while ensuring the highest levels of product quality
Professional grade water hygiene standards and cost effective solutions
Companies in the pharmaceuticals and cosmetics space often require higher grades of water than many other sectors.
We have extensive experience in providing the water grades required for the production of different pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, whether health and wellbeing products, medications, cosmetics or perfumes. Our wide range of water treatment solutions are designed to help customers’ with their own unique needs, including increasing production and turnaround times, removing silica, and producing sodium laureth sulfate (SLES).
Legionella Risk in Pharmaceuticals and Cosmetics
All healthcare facilities have a responsibility to manage health and safety risks in order to protect patients and staff. This includes taking precautions to substantially reduce the risks of the legionella bacteria, especially when it comes to vulnerable people.
Legionnella is of particular concern to healthcare organisations because of the vulnerability of their patients who, if infected by the bacteria, are at danger of contracting the potentially fatal Legionnaires’ disease. The elderly are particularly vulnerable to Legionnaires’, as are people with suppressed immune systems – the people most likely to visit healthcare organisations.
Regular legionella risk assessments are an essential element of the healthcare sector’s health and safety compliance. Our team of trained and experienced staff will carry out a detailed and thorough risk assessment of your hot and cold water systems. You will receive a comprehensive report outlining any remedial works that will improve safety and minimise the risk of the bacteria being able to take hold.
Testing water on a regular basis is also advisable to give you an accurate assessment of the number of bacteria present in your water system. Our DBS-checked engineers will carry out water sampling in accordance with British Standards BS7592 and HSE guidelines in order to ensure the most accurate results are obtained.
We are experienced in carrying out risk assessments and routine maintenance in healthcare premises around the country to help healthcare providers meet Care Quality Commission requirements. We work with healthcare professionals in situations where access is often limited and time is of the essence.
Using the latest in tech, we can help create healthy and sustainable processes which help towards the control of corrosion, scale and germs. Whatever sector you operate in, we deliver the best and most practical levels in performance with the intentions of saving you money.
When to test for Legionella
According to the HSE guidelines “water samples should be analysed for Legionella periodically to demonstrate that bacteria counts are acceptable.” It is important for you to know as well that Legionella testing is not a replacement for a full risk assessment and should be used in conjunction with a risk assessment and other legionella control measures to mitigate the risks of infection in your water system. The HSE also states within the HSG274 pt2 legionella testing “should be carried out where there is doubt about the efficacy of the control regime or it is known that recommended temperatures, disinfectant concentrations or other precautions are not being consistently achieved throughout the system.” A full risk assessment would also register if there is a need for water samples to be taken.
In both hot and cold water systems, samples should be taken:
If considered necessary by the risk assessment;
from areas where the target control parameters are not met (i.e. where disinfectant levels are low or where temperatures are below 50°C (55°C in healthcare premises) for HWS or exceed 20°C for cold water systems);
from areas subject to low usage, stagnation, excess storage capacity, dead legs, excessive heat loss, cross-flow from water system or other anomalies.
In cold water systems, samples should also be taken as required:
from the point of entry (or nearest outlet) if the water is supplied from a private water supply or where the temperature of the incoming mains supply is above 20°C from the cold water storage tank or tanks;
from the furthest and nearest outlet on each branch of the system (far and near sentinel outlets).
In hot water systems, samples should be taken as required:
from the calorifier hot water outlet and from the base of the calorifier, if it is safe to do so, as some systems are under considerable pressure;
from the furthest and nearest outlet on each branch of a single pipe system (far and near sentinel outlets);
from the furthest and nearest outlet on each loop of a circulating system (far and near sentinel outlets).
Legionnaires’ Disease
Legionella bacteria can be found in natural environments including ponds, rivers and lakes. The bacteria can also be supplied in small amounts within the mains water supply. Where there is water and the conditions of creating water droplets (aerosols), people using or within the area of these services may be at risk. It is this bacteria found in the water supply which is the cause of Legionnaires’ disease.
Legionnaires’ disease is a form of pneumonia, which can be fatal. The most at risk are the very old and the very young, the ill and smokers to name a few. Legionella bacteria can also cause other, less harmful illness such as Pontiac fever and Lochgoilhead fever, which can affect all people. The main route of infection is through inhalation, by inhaling airborne water droplets that contain Legionella. It cannot be spread from person to person. The majority of cases or outbreaks of the disease have been via domestic water services, evaporative cooling towers, and spa pools.
Conditions and contributing factors to its growth include:
- Temperatures between 20-45°C
- Available nutrients (including sediment, biofilm, algae, scale, rust, material, etc.)
- Presence of biofilm on surfaces of water
- Poor or inadequate management including training and awareness
Do I need Legionella control?
Legionella is a clever bacteria that can be found in any water system including systems with or without cold water storage tanks. There are many reasons why Legionella grows in a water system, these include: areas of little use allowing water to stagnate, temperatures between 20-50°C, nutrients such as debris, limescale, foreign bodies. Materials that encourage growth such as rusted steel, rubber, and lead. Non water regulations advisory scheme (WRAS) fittings that do not comply water regulation standards to name a few. This means that whether you have one or two hundred sinks, or you have mains water supply, a combi boiler and no tank, that you still need a legionella risk assessment as all water systems have the potential to breed harmful bacteria such as legionella, E.coli, coliforms and the like.
Our best advise is that control and prevention is better than the cure. Beat Legionella by controlling and preventing growth, avoiding expensive and unnecessary remedial works and disinfections. By undertaking a risk assessment, remediating the risks found, and undertaking your monitoring requirements set out by the HSE, in the HSG 274 part 2, you’ll help minimise the risk of exposure to Legionella and avoid expensive reactive works to remove Legionella by taking action before grows.