The Legionella Management Advisory Group enlisted Enware as their major partner during World Plumbing Day, IHEA Healthcare Facilities Management Conference and Plumbing Professional Development Day conferences. Enware’s commitment is to improve patient wellbeing and safety through research and innovative design.
Healthcare and aged care industry studies often refer to water health and safety requirements as a pressing issue within the industry. The big issue being Legionella pneumonia, this lung infection is caused by the bacteria found in stagnant water sources which can then be inhaled, causing illness or death.
Preventing and lowering the risk of Legionella and Legionnaire’s disease are Enware’s most vital concerns when designing solutions for aged care and health care environments. Enware enlisted the assistance of Dr Harriet Whiley and Dr Richard Bentham from Flinders University to research and identify potential solutions for managing and reducing Legionella bacteria in water systems.
Their findings required three years of monitoring bacteria levels within a health care facility using a sample of 220 TMVs (Thermostatic Mixing Valve). What Dr Whiley and Dr Bentham discovered was that increased flushing, regular maintenance of the TMV and the operational monitoring of water flow were important in reducing Legionella levels in a water system.
The new Aquablend Health® is a TMV that looks and functions unlike any other. It is installed at both the point of use and point of service – in the shower where a typical shower mixer would be found. The servicing point of the TMV is easily accessible from behind the shower mixer.
Smarter, healthier, safer ensuite bathrooms will have the TMV installed with its neat, compact chrome design that will reduce pipe work length, minimising the surface area and risk of legionella and bio-films developing inside of the pipes.
The Aquablend® Health TMV complements well with Smart Flow® which is a water temperature monitoring and reporting software solution that uses temperature sensors to monitor water usage and assist facility managers to identify water systems that require flushing. Temperature recordings over time will report any risk and then manual thermal flushes will be performed to ensure safe, Legionella bacteria free water systems.
Enware continues to invest in research and design to make a positive impact on patients’ lives and lower the risk of Legionella growth in aged care and health care environments.
To find out more about Smart Flow® go to: https://bit.ly/30rYDhN
See the facts about how Smart Flow® helps manage water borne bacteria: https://bit.ly/2L6GcZi
Australia
Hong Kong SAR
Indonesia
Malaysia
New Zealand
Philippines
Singapore
