Legionella and COSHH Awareness
Legionnaires' disease is a potentially fatal form of pneumonia which is caused by the bacterium Legionella Pneumophila. It is a bacterium that can be found naturally in ponds, rivers and lakes, but usually the numbers are too low to cause any problems. Large outbreaks of Legionnaires' disease are more commonly linked to purpose-built water systems such as cooling towers and evaporative condensers, but if conditions are favourable, Legionella Pneumophilia will grow in any hot and cold water system and will proliferate in large enough numbers to cause Legionnaires' disease.
Although Legionnaires' disease can be fatal, it is a disease that is preventable. Unfortunately, lack of awareness and training , inadequate control measures and management failings have all contributed to deaths from Legionnaires' disease and the need for better education and awareness has been emphasised as a requirement by regulatory bodies such as the Care Quality Commission and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
The DBG COSHH and Legionella Awareness Course has been developed to provide information about the history of Legionnaires' disease and the bacteria that causes it, a look at other diseases caused by the bacteria, what is required under current UK legislation, the control of Legionella bacteria in relation to COSHH requirements, potential risk areas within the dental environment and the importance of putting control measures (the written scheme) into place. The course also covers other areas relating to COSHH within a dental practice setting offering guidance and training on the requirements under Health and Safety legislation.
The DBG COSHH and Legionella Awareness Course is now available for bookings at an introductory price of £200 + VAT-DBG Members only. The course offers two hours verifiable CPD for the practice team and all employees should attend due to requirements laid down in the Health and Safety Act Work 1974.
For more information about the course and availability, call the Membership Support Team on 0845 00 66 112. For further details on Legionella Risk Assessment please refer to DBG Legionella Management http://www.thedbg.co.uk/legionella.php
