Busting the myth that Legionella only affects the elderly. Your workplace could be at risk, too! 

“It only affects old people.” 

If there was a Legionella myth hall of fame, this whopper would have its own wing, complete with a gift shop and an overpriced café. It’s the kind of misconception that’s been passed around more than office birthday cards and it’s about as accurate as saying sharks only attack people wearing red swimming costumes. 

At HCS Water Treatment, part of Premier Technical Services Group Ltd (PTSG), we’ve spent decades watching businesses make the dangerous assumption that Legionnaires’ disease is exclusively an “elderly person problem.” Spoiler alert: it’s not. And this misunderstanding could be putting your employees, customers, and visitors at serious risk. 

Let’s Get One Thing Straight 

Yes, certain groups are more vulnerable to Legionnaires’ disease. But thinking your workplace is immune because you don’t employ octogenarians is like assuming your car won’t break down because it’s not raining. The logic doesn’t quite connect. 

Let’s break down who’s actually in the firing line: 

The “Classic” High-Risk Groups 

• The Over-45 Club: Age does matter, but the threshold is lower than you think. Risk starts climbing from age 45, not 80. That’s half your management team and possibly your entire board. 

• Smokers: That colleague who disappears for “fresh air” every hour? They’re doubling their risk with every puff. 

• Heavy Drinkers: The office social butterfly who’s always organising Friday pub nights might be more vulnerable than they realise. 

• Those With Underlying Health Conditions: Diabetes, respiratory issues, kidney disease, cancer, conditions that affect millions of working-age adults across the UK. 

• The Immunocompromised: From those on certain medications to people living with chronic conditions, their immune systems might be working with one hand tied behind their back. 

But Here’s the Kicker 

Perfectly healthy people get Legionnaires’ disease too. People in their 20s and 30s. People who run marathons. People who eat kale voluntarily. 

In fact, about one-third of Legionnaires’ cases in the UK affect people without any known risk factors. That fit, healthy colleague who meal-preps every Sunday? They’re not exempt. 

Workplace Risk Factors You Never Considered 

Your workplace might be a Legionella hot spot if: 

• You’ve Got a Building: Congratulations, you qualify! Any water system can harbour Legionella, from the executive bathroom to the staff kitchen sink. 

• You Have Air Conditioning: Those cooling towers on your roof aren’t just architectural features, they’re potential Legionella condos. 

• Your Staff Travel: Business trips expose employees to hotel showers, spas, and cooling systems beyond your control. 

• You’ve Got Decorative Water Features: That fancy lobby fountain impressing your clients? It might also be a bacterial playground. 

• You’ve Reopened After Closures: Buildings that sat empty during lockdowns or holiday periods are prime real estate for Legionella colonisation. 

Real People, Real Consequences 

Let’s put some faces to these statistics: 

• The 35-year-old marketing executive who caught Legionnaires’ from a hotel shower during a conference and spent three weeks in hospital 

• The healthy 28-year-old receptionist who contracted it from a decorative fountain in an office lobby 

• The 42-year-old line manager whose only “risk factor” was working in a building with poorly maintained air conditioning 

These aren’t elderly care home residents. They’re everyday working people who happened to inhale the wrong microscopic water droplet at the wrong time. 

The “It Won’t Happen Here” Fallacy 

The most dangerous phrase in business isn’t “innovative disruption” or “synergistic alignment” – it’s “it won’t happen here.” 

Here’s what that dangerous thinking sounds like: 

• “Our staff are young and healthy” 

• “We’ve never had problems before” 

• “Our building is modern/recently renovated” 

• “We’ve got other health and safety priorities” 

Each of these statements has preceded countless preventable outbreaks. Remember, Legionella doesn’t read your risk assessment or check your staff demographics before setting up shop in your pipes. 

The Ultimate Legionella Risk Calculator: A Reality Check 

Rate your workplace vulnerability with our (slightly tongue-in-cheek but deadly serious) checklist: 

1. Do humans enter your building? Yes? You’re at risk. 

2. Does your building contain water? Yes? Risk level increasing. 

3. Has any part of your water system ever been between 20-45°C? Almost certainly yes? Risk level rising. 

4. Do you have absolute, documented certainty about the cleanliness and maintenance of every centimetre of your water system? No? Red alert! 

Look, we’re not trying to induce panic. But complacency is the real killer here. 

The HCS Approach: Protection for Everyone 

At HCS Water Treatment, we don’t discriminate based on age, health status, or how many green smoothies you drink. Our comprehensive water safety programmes protect everyone who interacts with your building, from the CEO to the courier. 

Our formula for success remains simple but effective: 

1. Innovation: Using cutting-edge technology to detect what the naked eye can’t see 

2. Expertise: Three decades of experience across every sector imaginable 

3. Systems: Tailored water safety solutions that consider your unique risk profile 

4. People: Our team of specialists who live and breathe water safety (figuratively, not literally—that would be unhygienic) 

Protection Starts with Acknowledgment 

The first step in protecting your workplace isn’t installing fancy equipment or hiring consultants, it’s acknowledging that Legionnaires’ disease could affect anyone in your building, regardless of their age or health status. 

Once you’ve accepted that reality, everything else follows: proper risk assessments, regular testing, maintenance programmes, and the peace of mind that comes from knowing you’re not gambling with people’s health based on outdated myths. 

Remember, Legionella bacteria don’t care about your assumptions. They don’t check ID cards to confirm people are old enough to infect. They’re equal opportunity troublemakers and your defense strategy should reflect that reality. 

Ready to protect everyone in your building, not just those eligible for a senior discount? Contact HCS Water Treatment today on 0141 212 7247 or email us at hello@hcsuk.org for a conversation about comprehensive protection that doesn’t discriminate.