Legionnaires,Disease,Found,Hon computer Legionnaires Disease Found in Hong Kong Govt. Buildings
----------------------------------------------------------Permission is granted for the below article to forward,reprint, distribute, use for ezine, newsletter, website,offer as free bonus or part of a product for sale as longas no changes a Gone are those times when the companies and the organisations didn't need a hi-tech system to handle them. Owing to the considerable increase in the business sector and thus, an enormous increase in the complexity of the organisational struc
Hong Kong's prestigious new government buildings which standproudly overlooking the historic Victoria Harbour were opened 18 months ago asa symbol of the region's transparency and openness. The building is known asThe Door and is an architectural triumph, however, there's something lurking inthe water system which is leaving government officials and employees somewhatdisgruntled with their new office complex. In December 2011, one of Hong Kong's government ministerswas taken into hospital suffering from chest pains and breathing problems.Medical staff quickly discovered that the education minister was suffering fromLegionnaires disease, a potentially fatal bug which can thrive in hot tubs,central heating & hot water systems and air conditioning units. After aninvestigation into where the minister contracted the legionella bug, it wasdiscovered to be rife in the offices in which he worked. Ten water samples were taken from various locations withinthe new government complex, including the tap in the education minister'soffice and legionella was found in all ten locations. The level of thelegionella bacteria was reported to be fourteen times the acceptable level inthe ministers office tap, which confirmed the source of the infection.Disinfection work was quickly undertaken and at the time of writing, no othercases of legionnaires disease amongst those who work in, or frequent The Doorhave been reported. Legionnaires disease is more common in older buildings andcritics have been pointing the finger in a variety of directions in order toexplain this particular outbreak. Regardless of who or what is to blame, onecannot be complacent when it comes to legionella, and ensuring that both alegionella risk assessment and regular legionella testing is carried out isparamount to ensuring a safe environment for both employees and the generalpublic. It beggars belief that what should be considered common practice wasoverlooked, especially in such a prestigious building as the new CentralGovernment Complex in Hong Kong. A legionella risk assessment, when properly conducted,should have brought to light any potential risk of a legionella outbreak, andalthough officials took immediate action when the source was discovered, morecould have been done at an earlier stage. Fortunately the education ministerhas recovered, but it could have been a very different story bearing in mindjust how widespread legionella was within the complex, and considering theamount of people who pass through the complex on a daily basis. Legionellatesting is highly recommended for any public building, regardless of it's ageand as has been shown in this case, no building can be considered too new to betested.
Legionnaires,Disease,Found,Hon