Filtration Facts

Legionella Outbreaks and Reducing Healthcare Risks

 

Another recent round of outbreaks of Legionnaires Disease have made the news recently, underscoring the fact that even though we know the cause, prevention is still not always taken very seriously. Like those Legionella cases mentioned back in mid-December, many of these may have been prevented as well. According to the Center for Disease Control, the disease has already caused 538 deaths in the U.S. so far this year, and even more non-lethal cases have been found.

• In Sacramento, a cooling tower that cools and heats California's state capital building has twice tested positive for very low levels of Legionella
  
• Australia has seen a jump in cases of Legionnaires Disease recently as well. In the Victoria province alone there have already been 34 cases to date -- double the average
• In the United Kingdom, a recent death attributed to Legionella at a hospital and
• Also in the UK, fines charged to a building owner for NOT having a Legionella prevention system for the cooling towers

ASHRAE Guideline 12 outlines ways in which Legionella can be prevented, and a centrifugal separator is a suggested part of the solution. Properly sized and applied, it can prevent the situations in which Legionella can grow.

Legionella In Healthcare Environments
Hospitals and other healthcare environments are particularly vulnerable to Legionella and other bacteria because of the demographics of the patients, including elderly people and those already suffering immune deficiencies. Following proper cooling tower basin cleaning techniques in these facilities is a great step to prevent the growth of Legionella, but also to save water, energy, and reduce other liability risks inside the hospital.

Want to learn more about the special Legionella challenges in hospitals? Or just about preventing Legionella in general?

Visit our special hospital filtration page or download our "Preventing Legionella" brochure !

Healthcare Filtration Prevents Legionella, Saves Energy and Water

One sector of building construction that continues to thrive in a shaky economy is healthcare. Both in terms of new construction and facility improvements, investment in healthcare infrastructure continues to grow, and energy savings and sustainability are being adopted to an increasing degree. Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas recently became the first healthcare facility in the world to achieve a LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Platinum Certification by the U.S. Green Business Council (USGBC). This is despite the fact that most believe it is more difficult to cost effectively implement LEED design techniques in a healthcare environment than most other facilities. As changes in patient treatment and industry standards drive equipment needs, room size, and overall hospital layout, facilities are remodeled or torn down and rebuilt. Energy and water/air handling demands are high.

Energy Used In Hospital HVAC Systems
Healthcare organizations spend more than $5 billion each year on energy to care for patients, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration. The Consortium for Energy Efficiency reports that heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems comprise approximately 45% of a typical healthcare facility's energy use. Keeping those HVAC systems operating as efficiently as possible is one of the most important ways to reduce energy use. Effective cooling tower filtration can help to accomplish this.

Water Use In Hospitals
Healthcare accounts for 7% of the commercial and institutional water used in the U.S., according to a recent study co-sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the American Water Works Association (AWWA). Of that water, the largest percentage (31%) is used by the cooling/heating system. Making sure that water is not wasted is a key to overall facility water savings and sustainability. Once again, effective filtration can help to reach this goal.

Filtration Is Part of The Solution
Proper filtration of an HVAC system can help a hospital achieve its energy savings and sustainability goals while also reducing water waste. It can also help reduce the risk of Legionnaire's Disease and other health hazards. Not to mention reducing the risk of employee injury which could occur during manual basin cleaning.

Read a recent Case Study illustrating how a large healthcare facility in Indiana used cooilng tower basin filtration to meet these challenges.