���Water Safety Management Syste�ms for infection Prevention and Control and Environmental Surveillance in Healthcare Facilities��by B.F. NGCEKE ��

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Contents

• Introduction
• What is Water Safety Management?
• What is a Water Safety Plan?
• Why Water Safety Matters
• Uses of Water in Healthcare
• Waterborne Disease
• Common Water Hazards

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Introduction

• Water enters a healthcare facility through a complex distribution system before reaching patients and healthcare workers.

During this journey water may become contaminated through:

• Poor source water quality.
• Damaged pipes.
• Cross-connections.
• Storage tanks.

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Introduction

During this journey water may become contaminated through:

• Stagnation.
• Biofilm formation.
• Poor maintenance.
• Backflow events.

Because patients in healthcare facilities are often highly susceptible to infection, maintaining safe water is an essential patient safety activity.

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What is Water Safety Management?

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• Water Safety Management is a preventive approach that identifies hazards throughout the water supply system and implements control measures before contamination occurs.
• The focus is on preventing problems rather than reacting after patients become ill.

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SO3 EH AMHF Staff Visit

What is Water Safety Management?

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A Water Safety Management Programme should include:

• Risk assessment.
• Hazard identification.
• Preventive controls.
• Routine monitoring.
• Corrective actions.
• Documentation.
• Continuous improvement.

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What is a Water Safety Plan?

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• A Water Safety Plan (WSP) is a documented management system that applies risk management principles to the entire water supply system.
• It follows the concept of managing water from source to point of use - flow diagram.
• Rather than depending solely on end-point water testing, the Water Safety Plan identifies hazards at every stage of the water system and establishes controls to prevent contamination.
• A Water Safety Plan is considered international best practice for healthcare facilities.

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SO3 EH AMHF Staff Visit

Why Water Safety Matters

Unsafe water may contribute to:

• Healthcare-associated infections.
• Waterborne disease outbreaks.
• Food contamination.
• Poor environmental cleaning.
• Failure of hand hygiene.
• Equipment contamination.
• Reduced healthcare service delivery.
• Occupational exposure.

Reliable access to safe water is therefore fundamental to quality healthcare.

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Uses of Water in Healthcare

Patient Care

• Drinking.
• Bathing.
• Oral hygiene.
• Wound care (where appropriate).
• Dialysis (with specialised treatment).
• Hydrotherapy (where provided).

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Uses of Water in Healthcare

Infection Prevention and Control

• Handwashing/ hand hygiene
• Cleaning/ General hygiene
• Environmental disinfection.
• Instrument reprocessing.
• Laundry.

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Uses of Water in Healthcare

Food Services

• Food preparation.
• Deep cleaning.
• Dishwashing.
• Ice production.

Engineering Systems

• Boilers.
• Cooling systems.
• Heating systems.
• Humidification systems.
• Medical equipment.

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Waterborne Disease

• Water may act as a vehicle for disease transmission when contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms.
• Examples of diseases that may be associated with contaminated water include:

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• Cholera.
• Bilhazia.
• Hepatitis A.
• Typhoid Fever.
• Other diarrheal diseases

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Common Water Hazards

Microbiological Hazards

• Pathogenic bacteria.
• Viruses.
• Parasites.
• Biofilm formation.

Chemical Hazards

• Excess disinfectant residues.
• Heavy metals.
• Industrial contamination.
• Treatment chemical errors.

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Common Water Hazards

Physical Hazards

• Turbidity.
• Sediment.
• Pipe corrosion.

Operational Hazards

• Water interruptions.
• Cross-connections.
• Backflow.
• Stagnant water.
• Poor maintenance.

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Thank you!���Any Questions �???

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