PRESS RELEASE – 24 team members from Sandals Resorts in Saint Lucia, including Executive Housekeepers, Environmental Health and Safety Managers, Watersports Managers, Chief Engineers and Nurses have participated in a training activity to bring them up to date on Legionella Disease Management Trends.
On average some 75,000 tourists come to Sandals Resorts in Saint Lucia on an annual basis. This constant movement of people, the result of the booming global tourist industry, brings with it the need for a heightened level of surveillance, and a corresponding consistent upgrading of and concern for environmental health and safety standards for workers as well as guests.
Legionnaires’ disease is a severe, often lethal, form of pneumonia. It is caused by the bacterium Legionella pneumophila found in both potable and non-potable water systems like pools, Cooling systems, and showers, all high traffic areas used by visitors to hotels.
In line with its commitment to the well-being of both guests and staff, Sandals has taken steps to ensure that its team members remain knowledgeable on the management of such diseases and so the special training session was held to keep team members up-breast with trends related to Legionella Disease.
Resort personnel were updated on the nature of this disease which will help them create a framework for successful and ongoing management. Coming out of this training, Sandals Resorts will develop unique policies each indicating the control and surveillance methods.
The session, held at Sandals Halcyon Beach Resort, was hosted by co-presenters – Sanitary Engineer Andres Griffith who focussed on the management and policy formulation of the disease, and Medical Doctor and Infectious Disease Specialist Alina Montane Jaime who looked at the clinical aspect of Legionnaires Disease.