If you have had legionella training in the past, you might wonder why it is important, or even whether it’s necessary, to refresh that training from time to time. After all, legionella is always going to stay legionella, legionnaires’ disease ditto, and your water systems are unlikely to change much either.
In some ways, this is true. Not much will change. And it’s possible to keep doing what you’ve always done. Yet there are reasons to refresh your legionella training; there are reasons to always keep learning. Read on to find out more.
Guidance and Regulation
Perhaps the biggest reason to refresh your legionella training or that of your staff is due to guidance and regulation. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (MHSWR) (1999) explicitly states that health and safety knowledge much be kept up to date and refreshed regularly with additional training. Since legionella awareness falls under the health and safety remit, here’s the answer. You should refresh your legionella training because the law says you must.
Although the regulations are fairly broad as to what constitutes training and how often it should be refreshed, having periodic updates – annual training is ideal – will ensure that your team is always up to date on how to combat and minimise the risks of legionella bacteria.
Human Nature
As well as the fact that training is required by law, the truth is that it is human nature to forget things. If you haven’t had to deal with a legionella problem or it’s been a long time since you did any training, refresher training is a good idea – it will ensure you are aware of what you need to do and remind you of the things you learned before.
What Is The Purpose Of The Training?
The purpose of legionella training, and of refreshing that training, is to ensure that the workplace or public place is as safe as possible. Understanding how legionella proliferates, where it can be found, and what it can do, as well as how to tackle it, is crucial. The more people who understand these fundamentals, the better – there will be far fewer outbreaks of this potentially deadly issue if more people were fully trained in legionella awareness.
Should You Refresh Your Legionella Training Right Now?
The answer to the question of whether you should refresh your legionella training right now is probably a simple one; if it’s been over a year, if you’ve had positive legionella test results, or if you have new employees, the answer is yes. Everyone needs to be fully aware of the dangers of legionella bacteria.
Right now is ideal. People are returning to their offices, and the risk of legionella is higher than it has been for a long time because those water systems have been left unattended for so long. Training would ensure that the right tasks are carried out by the right people, and everyone will be much safer because of it.
Contact Assured Water Hygiene to find out more about your training needs and how we can offer the ultimate legionella training experience.