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Legionnaires’ disease, a major risk for construction site water

Legionnaire's disease as well as associated pathologies are a risk which continues to increase on construction sites, whether in base camps, sanitary cabins or even companion showers. A risk that can be greatly reduced if we adopt good practices to combat the proliferation of this disease.

What is Legionnaires’ disease?

Legionnaires’ disease is an infectious disease caused by a bacteria called Legionella pneumophila, which can cause serious pulmonary complications. Its main modes of transmission are water or any object containing water, a resource which is widely used on construction sites by workers. It is transmitted via water networks which are poorly purged and when these are subjected to high temperatures oscillating between 25 and 43°C. Most infections occur by inhalation of fine droplets in all living spaces containing water: sinks in camp sites, sanitary cabins and showers. This disease can also be infected by ingestion of water, a minimal risk but which increases in periods of high heat given the quantities of water that are ingested by workers. The first symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease can appear as early as 6 days after exposure, in the case of contamination by inhalation, and between 2 and 10 days later, if the contamination is caused by ingestion of water.

Some tips to fight against this scourge

The Sanitary and Mobile Units (SUM) commission of the DLR, which brings together the main rental companies of mobile sanitary facilities throughout France, published a technical note (link) in September 2021 to give advice on dealing with this disease.

Paying attention to water temperature is one of the main lessons to take away from this note. Equipment containing water must be placed in shaded areas and especially away from any heat source when placed indoors. Daily maintenance of your installations is the other major point raised by the SUM.

Advice that can limit risks but does not exclude zero risk for workers on your construction sites.

The Waterlab Services solution to ensure your construction sites

To avoid any risk of legionella contamination of the water, Waterlab Services sets up a complete service to disinfect all the connections that are positioned on your site. Indeed, we have the expertise to install water supply networks whatever the type of your site and the constraints of your land. We supply your campsites, your sanitary cabins as well as your showers with drinking water thanks to complete dedicated installations. Thanks to our integrated design office, we have developed innovations allowing reliable disinfection of your drinking water networks. One such innovation is Hydroflow, a cutting-edge technology that uses electric current for water pretreatment. Added to this Hydroflow is Victor le Nettoyeur, a continuous biocide injection box which is part of a complete and secure process for maintaining water potability. Finally, Waterlab has developed an ATP measurement system which allows you to check in around 15 minutes whether the water is drinkable or not, a 99.99% reliable solution.

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