Hot tubs

May 18th 2022

Not surprisingly, given we had nothing else to do for much of the time over the last two years, sales of hot tubs in the UK have rocketed by over 1,000%.

And even those who didn’t splash the cash (again we had nothing to spend our money on!) sought them out when they were looking for a holiday here in the UK, either in hotels, holiday homes or other tourist accommodation.

While tubs can be a wonderful way to unwind on holiday, it’s important to maintain proper cleaning procedures.

Estimates suggest that around 20% of cases of Legionnaires’ disease are related to travel. The disease is caused by a bacteria called legionella which can get into man made water systems like hot tubs, for example.

With the ever-increasing popularity of hot tubs due to their availability and affordability, it’s vital that small holiday accommodation owners realise the potential dangers in order to protect visitors.

Hot tubs can be a risk area as bacteria can multiply if they are not thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.

The risks are small but significant, so our advice is to ensure you have evidence that the hot tub, or any hot and cold-water systems, including showers and swimming pools, are maintained, and inspected regularly.

Several key factors are taken into consideration if a company is prosecuted for failing to comply with the standards for Legionella prevention. It’s dependent on the level of negligence involved but possible legal sentences could be:

• Prison sentences of up to 2 years, imposed on those responsible (including landlords, duty holders, responsible persons).
• Huge fines – In 2013, national security company G4S was fined £1.8 million after an employee was diagnosed with Legionellosis.

So, make sure your customers’ holidays go swimmingly and you don’t find yourself in the deep end by contacting Eton Environmental Group.

We can conduct legionella risk assessments, which will help you understand your water system, establish legionella risks, and define any action that should be taken to prevent the spread of legionella bacteria.

We also have our own online legionella awareness course accreted by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).