Intelligent washroom controls and water efficiency specialist Cistermiser has launched LinkThru, a temperature monitoring platform that is set to change the way hospitals and healthcare facilities manage infection control.
Approved Code of Practice and Guidance L8 (fourth edition), published by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) in 2013 with technical guidance published separately in HSG274, states that all duty holders, including employers, those in charge of premises and those with health and safety responsibilities for others, have a responsibility to manage and prevent the onset of Legionnnaires’ disease from potential Legionella contamination of a building’s water systems.
The report seeks to combat Legionella in a practical manner, laying out a set of guidelines for those in a position of responsibility to follow. Now Cistermiser has introduced a device to take this a step further.
Using a specialist PropTech solution from Spica Technologies, LinkThru automatically checks the water temperature and flow activity in pipework systems every 10 seconds, transmitting the results into a secure cloud application. Users can quickly access the information from anywhere via a device such as a computer, tablet or smartphone and take corrective action if needed.
This invaluable ‘real-time’ data replaces the need for a labour-intensive monitoring system where estates personnel are required to take frequent manual temperature checks around a building’s system. Getting this vital data quickly and efficiently is a significant time-saving over manual systems.
The information gathered is then used to alert users to high-risk water temperatures, which can be a critical indicator for the potential for growth of water-borne bacterium such as pseudomonas aeruginosa and legionellosis (legionella). The solution also provides a holistic overall view of the water system, highlighting such issues as scalding risk, low-usage outlets, calorifier efficiency issues, etc.
Cistermiser technical director David Meacock says: “This is not just tech for tech’s sake. By eliminating the need for manual checks, this solution will improve risk mitigation, reduce costs and deliver a stronger business outcome overall.”
The system is already in production and running in many estates, including several healthcare sites, other public sector premises and commercial facilities. Developed through extensive collaboration with Spica Technologies and the involvement of key maintenance and engineering personnel, the platform delivers against the key regulatory and legal frameworks for managing potential water contamination in building systems.
LinkThru comprises three elements: a Temperature Monitoring Unit (TMU), which is connected to the pipework and transmits the data; a wireless network that sends data to the cloud; and the data and analytics accessed through the portal, powered by Spica Devicepoint.
This innovation comes just as Cistermiser enters a new era under the strapline ‘Our World Is Water’. The full re-branding, including a new corporate website and an overhaul of all marketing collateral, reflects the overall objective of the company to preserve, sustain and manage the world’s most precious resource through new ‘information-rich’ technologies.
