Alpha Labs personnel are experienced in legionella prevention & response plans and we want to help your facility be proactive in preventing the risk of legionella transmission.
In 2001 JCAHO, Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospital Organizations, first required facilities to have a plan to “reduce the potential for organizational-acquired illness,” which includes Legionnaire’s Disease. While all hospitals were required to have a response policy should legionella develop, few facilities instituted the recommended preventions plans.
In order to clear up confusion caused by varying recommendations for legionella prevention, the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) set to develop a single standard to which all parties could agree upon as a method to reduce the risk of Legionella. The result of a fifteen year process to develop such a plan is ASHRAE Standard 188P. This type of standard by itself is legally unenforceable, but it is recognized as commonly accepted standards in the industry.
ASHRAE 188P outlines procedures for curbing legionella outbreaks in facilities by utilizing procedures of HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points). This requires identifying potential hazard locations and determining how to control each hazard at its location.
On June 2, 2017 the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a memorandum requiring healthcare facilities to have a functioning ASHRAE 188P plan or risk losing CMS funding.
Alpha Labs personnel stand ready to help you satisfy the requirements of ASHRAE 188P by guiding you through the development of a plan, training, plan execution, and ongoing monitoring & maintenance. If you would like to speak to a water specialist about your legionella needs, click here and let us know how we can help you.
The basic steps outlined in ASHRAE 188P are:
- Form a team to work on this issue.
- Survey the facility water distribution system and develop a basic water flow diagram.
- Identify points where Legionella bacteria could be transmitted to people.
- Identify the at-risk populations in your facility.
- Develop plans to mitigate risks of Legionella transmission.
- Implement the developed plans.
- Monitor the program for effectiveness.
- Determine response when program results are out of established parameters.
- Develop necessary documentation of program.
- Review and assess the program periodically.
Additional Information:
CMS, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Website
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