Why Safe Access to Drift Eliminators Matters
It’s surprisingly common for cooling towers to lack a safe and practical way to reach the drift eliminators. Whether due to missing ladders, corroded walkways or poor tower placement, restricted access not only makes scheduled cleans more difficult, but it can also directly impact compliance, performance and safety.
During a cooling tower clean, technicians must inspect and clean the drift eliminators. This step is essential to ensure the eliminators remain free of scale, corrosion, and biofilm, allowing them to capture water droplets and minimise the risk of Legionnaires Disease. When safe access is unavailable, cleaners can’t complete this element of the cleaning process, leaving the site exposed to both mechanical and compliance risks.
Under Victoria’s Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2019 and associated Risk Management Plan (RMP) requirements, drift eliminators must be inspected and maintained during each scheduled tower clean. These inspections are a non-negotiable compliance task because they directly influence Legionella control and system safety. If cleaners cannot safely reach the eliminators, they cannot inspect or verify their condition. Over time, this can result in incomplete records, repeated non-compliance findings, and even the potential for an RMP audit failure. According to the Department of Health, all components of a cooling tower system, including eliminators, must be safely accessible for inspection and cleaning.
Repeated findings of “inadequate access” may require notification to the local health authority or lead to a direction for rectification under the Act. In practice, the absence of safe access is often identified as a systemic issue that must be addressed through engineering modification, rather than an administrative workaround.
The Practical Impact of Poor Access
When eliminators can’t be reached safely, cleaning teams may need to bring in scaffolding or elevated work platforms, significantly increasing time and cost. In some cases, the inspection cannot proceed, and the site is left without documented evidence that the eliminators were checked. Without proper access:
- Biofilm, debris and scale can accumulate in the eliminator packs, restricting airflow and allowing drift to escape.
- Chemical efficiency drops as water losses increase.
- Microbiological risk rises, as untreated surfaces provide a growth point for bacteria.
- The facility’s RMP audit trail weakens, as inspections are logged as “unable to access.”
These issues rarely occur in isolation. They typically present together as reduced efficiency, increased risk and eventual audit non conformance.
Designing for Safe and Efficient Access
Creating or improving access to drift eliminators doesn’t need to be complicated. Many sites can achieve compliance simply by adding engineered access points or refurbishing existing ladders and platforms. Safe access generally includes:
- A fixed ladder or stair system providing direct entry to the eliminator deck.
- Secure handrails and guardrails to prevent falls.
- Non-slip walkways that allow cleaners to move safely across the top of the tower.
- Hinged or removable hatches positioned for direct access to eliminator panels.
- Clear access zones free from pipework or obstructions.
Where these features are missing, they can often be retrofitted without major disruption. The result is safer working conditions, reduced cleaning time, and a consistent compliance record during audits.
Tandex technicians assess cooling tower access as part of regular water treatment visits and service reviews. If the team identifies unsafe or impractical access to drift eliminators, this is clearly documented and discussed with the site’s maintenance representative. Our goal is prevention. We support customers in resolving physical access barriers before they escalate into non-compliance or audit failure. By maintaining strong communication between service technicians, tower cleaners, and site management, these issues can usually be resolved through straightforward engineering solutions.
For sites without safe access to drift eliminators, the path to compliance is straightforward. Taking the following steps ensures maintenance can be performed safely and inspections can be completed every time:
- Review your cooling towers to confirm whether drift eliminators can be safely reached for inspection and cleaning.
- Engage a qualified engineer or tower manufacturer to design compliant access points if they’re missing.
- Coordinate upgrades with your next scheduled tower clean or refurbishment to minimise downtime.
- Document the changes in your Risk Management Plan and include photos of new access structures for audit evidence.
- Verify compliance by confirming the new access allows cleaners to inspect eliminators safely every time.
Before making any upgrades, it helps to step back and look at what really matters most when it comes to safe access. Here are a few quick takeaways to keep in mind:
If access to drift eliminators has been identified as a concern at your site, addressing the issue early can help avoid complications during future cooling tower cleans and RMP audits. Identifying access limitations before they become a compliance issue allows corrective works to be planned and completed in a controlled manner.
For advice on creating or improving safe access to drift eliminators, or to discuss options for cooling tower compliance support, contact us today.
