I visited a friend this week who was having work done on her bathroom. I knew the people who'd replaced her electric shower a couple of years ago and had expected that they'd done a good job, so was disturbed to join my friend at the consumer unit, as the electrician showed us how the wiring hadn't been properly fed through the casings, causing a burn. "You're lucky you didn't fry!" said the electrician. 

It was only a couple of weeks ago that I said how much responsibility we all have for one another's safety and the story above is just one that underlines this fact. Timely advice to our industry from the Bathroom Manufacturer's Association's Yvonne Orgill highlights a case where those involved weren't so lucky...

that of the hot tub company fined £1m for a health & safety breach, which lead to an outbreak of Legionnaire's disease. Two men died and 20 others were affected due to contamination in one of its hot tubs on display.

Legionnaire's disease is usually associated with large buildings, but Yvonne reminds us that because legionella bacteria are natural inhabitants of water, any part of a water system can be prone to contamination. "This can happen if the water system in your home is poorly treated or left to stagnate," she warns. "People usually get it by breathing in mist from water that contains the bacteria, from taps and showers, or spray from spas or whirlpools. "

Legionella thrives in water temperatures of 20-43C. Consequently, general good practice is to keep your hot water at a high enough temperature and to regularly use your water systems to prevent stagnation. Hot water should be stored at a minimum of 60C and distributed so it does not drop below 50C. If you're away for a few weeks and your water system has been out of use, on your return it's a good idea to run a hot tap for a few minutes to flush any stagnant water from the pipes."

That's something of which I'd not been aware so I thought I ought to share it - just in case...