Skip to main content
IOSH Magazine: Safety, Health and Wellbeing in the world of work - return to the homepage IOSH Magaazine logo
  • Visit IOSH Magazine on Facebook
  • Visit @ioshmagazine on Twitter
  • Visit IOSH Magazine on LinkedIn
The dangers of forestry
Grenfell five years on
Rehab and return to work

Main navigation

  • Home
    • Browse previous issues
    • Member accolades
    • Member tributes
  • Health
    • Mental health and wellbeing
      • Bullying
      • Drugs and alcohol
      • Mental health
      • Stress
      • Wellbeing
    • Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)
      • Ergonomics
      • Manual handling
      • Vibration
    • Occupational cancer
      • Asbestos
      • Hazardous substances
      • Radiation
  • Safety
    • Incident management
      • Chemicals
      • Electricity
      • Fire
      • First aid
      • Slips and trips
    • Non-health related fatalities
      • Road safety
      • Work at height
    • Risk management
      • Confined spaces
      • Disability
      • Legionella
      • Lifting operations
      • Lone workers
      • Noise
      • Personal protective equipment
      • Violence at work
      • Work equipment
      • Workplace transport
  • Management
    • Human factors
      • Accident reduction
      • Control of contractors
      • Migrant workers
      • Older workers
      • Reporting
      • Safe systems of work
      • Sickness absence
      • Young workers
    • Leadership and management
      • Employee involvement
      • Management systems
    • Management standards
      • ISO 45001
      • ISO 45003
    • Planning
      • Assurance
      • Compliance
      • Emergency planning
      • Insurance
    • Rehabilitation
      • Personal injury
      • Return to work
    • Strategy
      • Corporate governance
      • Performance/results
      • Regulation/enforcement
      • Reputation
    • Sustainability
      • Human capital and Vision Zero
  • Skills
    • Communication
    • Personal performance
      • Achieving Fellowship
      • Career development
      • Competencies
      • Personal development
      • Professional skills
      • Qualifications
    • Stakeholder management
    • Working with others
      • Leadership
      • Future Leaders
  • Jobs
  • Covid-19
  • Knowledge Bank
    • Back to basics
    • Book club
    • Infographics
    • Podcast
    • Reports
    • Webinars
    • Videos
  • Products & Services
  • Management
    • Human factors
      • Sickness absence
      • Accident reduction
      • Control of contractors
      • Migrant workers
      • Older workers
      • Reporting
      • Safe systems of work
      • Young workers
    • Leadership and management
      • Employee involvement
      • Leadership
      • Management systems
    • Management standards
      • ISO 45001
      • ISO 45003
    • Planning
      • Assurance
      • Compliance
      • Emergency planning
      • Insurance
    • Strategy
      • Corporate governance
      • Performance/results
      • Regulation/enforcement
      • Reputation
    • Sustainability
      • Human capital and Vision Zero
  • Health
    • COVID-19
    • Mental health and wellbeing
      • Bullying
      • Drugs and alcohol
      • Mental health
      • Stress
      • Wellbeing
    • Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)
      • Ergonomics
      • Manual handling
      • Vibration
    • Occupational cancer
      • Asbestos
      • Hazardous substances
      • Radiation
  • Safety
    • Incident management
      • Chemicals
      • Electricity
      • Fire
      • First aid
      • Slips and trips
    • Non-health related fatalities
      • Road safety
      • Work at height
    • Risk management
      • Confined spaces
      • Disability
      • Legionella
      • Lifting operations
      • Lone workers
      • Noise
      • Personal protective equipment
      • Violence at work
      • Work equipment
      • Workplace transport
  • Skills
    • Communication
    • Personal performance
      • Career development
      • Competencies
      • Personal development
      • Qualifications
      • Professional skills
      • Achieving Fellowship
    • Stakeholder management
    • Working with others
      • Leadership
      • Future Leaders
  • Transport and logistics
  • Third sector
  • Retail
  • Mining and quarrying
  • Rail
  • Rehabilitation
    • Personal injury
    • Return to work
  • Utilities
  • Manufacturing and engineering
  • Construction
  • Sector: IOSH Branch
    • Sector: Northern Ireland
    • Sector: Midland
    • Sector: Merseyside
    • Sector: Manchester and North West Districts
    • Sector: Ireland East
    • Sector: Ireland
    • Sector: Edinburgh
    • Sector: Desmond-South Munster
    • Sector: Qatar
    • Sector: Oman
    • Singapore
    • Sector: South Coast
    • Sector: South Wales
    • Sector: Thames Valley
    • Sector: Tyne and Wear
    • Sector: UAE
    • Sector: West of Scotland
    • Sector: Yorkshire
  • Healthcare
  • Sector: Fire
  • Sector: Financial/general services
  • Sector: Energy
  • Education
  • Sector: Communications and media
  • Chemicals
  • Sector: Central government
  • Catering and leisure
  • Agriculture and forestry
  • Sector: Local government
  • Sector: IOSH Group
    • Sector: Financial Services
    • Sector: Sports Grounds and Events
    • Rural industries
    • Sector: railway
    • Public Services
    • Sector: Offshore
    • Sector: Hazardous Industries
    • Sector: Food and Drink
    • Sector: Fire Risk Management
    • Education
    • Construction
    • Sector: Aviation and Aerospace
Quick links:
  • Home
  • Categories
  • Features
COVID-19
Legionella

What effect will hybrid working have on water quality?

Open-access content Thursday 16th December 2021
web_inspecting-valves_credit_iStock-1204813771

iStock

As Covid-19 guidance changes once again, water hygiene expert Craig Morning explains how to ensure high water quality in under-occupied workplaces.

Craig MorningFollowing the UK government’s announcement last week that those who can work from home should, now would be a good time to consider how our offices and workplaces will be used in the future. Many businesses have found that allowing staff able to work from home has been effective, and recent studies have shown that many employees do not want to return to working full-time in their old workplaces. It appears that businesses are willing to discuss this hybrid/blended working where employees will spend a portion of their time working from home and the rest working from their existing sites. 

But have these businesses considered the effect this will have on water hygiene? In this article we will highlight some areas of concern and offer some insight into ways to mitigate any additional risks identified.

Hygiene risk assessments

First, we must remember that in the majority of buildings in the UK we take some basic precautions to help control the growth of waterborne pathogens, including legionella. 

Namely, we ensure:

  • water systems are designed to meet the needs of the building users
  • systems are constructed using only approved materials
  • hot water is kept hot
  • cold water is kept cold
  • assets are used regularly
  • everything is kept clean
  • plant and equipment are well maintained.

If we think about how hybrid/blended working will affect these precautions, we can see that the very first area we need to reconsider is the fundamental design of on-site water systems. Where a water system has been designed to supply toilets and washing facilities to 500 people in an office block and we now only have 150 using the system each day, a problem is likely to develop.

Where cold water storage tanks have been installed, these should hold a maximum of 24* hours use of water based on normal use, but now many of the outlets will not be used by as many people and less water will be used.

What evidence do you have to show that you have given consideration to the amount of cold water you store on-site? If you have made changes to the water systems, have you commissioned a new water hygiene risk assessment as would be required under Approved Code of Practice L8 paragraphs 32 and 47?

Flushed away

Following on from that, and very closely linked to it, we would review the usage of the outlets in the building. Where we suspect that outlets are not being used regularly we should consider permanently removing these, along with all associated pipework, to eliminate any risks. Where it is identified that these outlets will be intermittently used (possibly seasonal or kept for emergency situations) a suitable flushing regime should be instigated.

The frequency and method for carrying out this task needs to be considered alongside the water hygiene risk assessment and the type of people likely to use the water system in the future. What evidence can you produce to show that you have considered or reviewed the usage of the outlets fitted to each water system?

Maybe you have a plan in place to review this once all colleagues have settled into their new working patterns. In this case you will still need to consider the risks posed while carrying out this investigatory work.

If we next think about water temperature, under-occupied and under-utilised buildings (especially those without enhanced flushing regimes) will see more occasions where water temperatures will be outside the recommended ranges for controlling the growth of waterborne bacteria, including Legionella.

In cold water systems you may see additional heat gain and cold water temperatures consistently above 20°C. If this is the case, then the mitigation you have put in place in the first two areas above has not been effective and a further review will be required. 

In hot water

For hot water systems, especially those that do NOT have circulating systems, a reduction in usage will lead to greater time periods where the water is allowed to cool down between usages. Over time this will lead to water sample results returning adverse effects and possibly people becoming unwell. What is your process for reviewing specification results identified during routine monitoring and maintenance?

The steps above are some brief suggestions on the way you can provide safe water quality to those returning to the workplace. If you are confident that your organisation can satisfy the requests of any auditors and prove that changes have at least been considered then you are in a good place. If, however, you have identified that there is work to do, now is the time to start this process.

*There are differences between healthcare and non-healthcare regulations.

Craig Morning is a senior consultant at Water Hygiene Centre Ltd

Topics:
Features
COVID-19
Legionella

You might also like...

Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linked in
  • Mail
  • Print

Latest Jobs

DSE Assessor

Coventry
£36000.00 - £40000.00 per annum
Reference
5449758

HSEQ Manager - Relocation Package Available

Fort William
Competitive Salary + Package
Reference
5449757

Health & Safety Officer

England, London
£35000.00 - £45000.00 per annum
Reference
5449756
See all jobs »

Today's top reads

Sign up for regular e-alerts

Receive the latest news and features, free to your inbox

Sign up

Subscribe to IOSH magazine

Receive the print edition straight to your door

Subscribe
IOSH Covers
​
FOLLOW US
Twitter
LinkedIn
YouTube
CONTACT US
Contact us
Tel +44 (0)20 7880 6200
​

IOSH

About IOSH
Become a member
IOSH Events
MyIOSH

Information

Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions
Cookie Policy

Get in touch

Contact us
Advertise with us
Subscribe to IOSH magazine
Write for IOSH magazine

IOSH Magazine

Health
Safety
Management
Skills
IOSH Jobs

© 2022 IOSH • IOSH is not responsible for the content of external sites

ioshmagazine.com and IOSH Magazine are published by Redactive Media Group. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any part is not allowed without written permission.

Redactive Media Group Ltd, 71-75 Shelton Street, London WC2H 9JQ