The Health Technical Memoranda 04-01 guidance document. The control of Legionella, hygiene, “safe” hot water, cold water and drinking water systems.

About the Health Technical Memoranda – The Engineering Health Technical Memorandum (HTMs) give comprehensive advice and guidance on the design, installation and operation of specialised building and engineering technology used in the delivery of health care premises.

The focus of HTM guidance remains on health care specific elements of standards, policies and up-to-date established best practice. They are applicable to new and existing sites, and are for use at various stages during the whole building life cycle.

Health care providers have a duty of care to ensure that appropriate engineering governance arrangements are in place and are managed effectively. The Engineering Health Technical Memorandum series provides best practice engineering standards and policy to enable management of this duty of care.

Health Technical Memorandum guidance is the main source of specific health care-related guidance for Estates and Facilities professionals.

Health Technical Memorandum 04 -Water systems give specific guidance on the management of water services in health care premises.

Health Technical Memorandum 2027 – ‘Hot and cold water supply, storage and mains services’ and Health. Technical Memorandum 2040 – ‘The control of Legionella in health care premises: a code of practice’ have both been revised, and have, at the same time, been combined into a single document: Health Technical Memorandum 04-01 – ‘The control of Legionella, hygiene, “safe” hot water, cold water and drinking water systems’.

The guidance has been revised in line with changes to relevant regulations, standards and other guidance, and also technical developments. Health Technical Memorandum 04 now supersedes ‘Health Technical Memorandum 2027 and Health Technical Memorandum 2040.’

Specific guidance is given to:

• Provide information on thermostatic mixing valve configurations, usage and maintenance requirements.
• Outline how quality and hygiene of water supplies can preserve system components and safe use by occupants.
• Provide a point of reference to legislation, standards and other guidance pertaining to water systems and to provide a basic overview of possible bacterial contaminants.
• Outline key criteria and system arrangements to help stop bacteria proliferation.
• Give an overview of some of the different water systems components and their safe installation and operation.
• Provide typical system layouts and individual component locations.
• Illustrate the importance of “safe” delivery of hot water.
• Illustrate temperature regimes for sanitary outlets used in health care premises to reduce risk of occupant injury.
• Identify key commissioning, testing and maintenance requirements for referral by designers, installers, operators and management.

If you would like Aqua Legion UK to provide an objective review of the water services in your health care premises or Care home etc please contact us today.

Care Homes

The management of legionella in care homes was formally regulated and policed by the Health care Commissions, Commission for Social Care Inspections (CSCI). CSCI ceased to exist March 2009.

The new regulator is The Care Quality Commission. The new health and social care regulator for England. The new web address is www.cqc.org.uk

As well as the Care Quality Commission’s guidance on the management of water systems and particularly legionella the HSE have released information for managing legionella in Nursing and Residential Care Homes. Further information from the HSE can be found at http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg253.pdf .

If you would like Aqua Legion UK to provide an objective review of the water services in your Health Care premises or Care home etc please contact us today.