LEGIONELLA RISK ASSESSMENT

What is a Legionella Risk Assessment?

A legionella risk assessment is the starting point for legionella control in water systems. It involves identifying potential risks, implementing preventative measures, and regularly reviewing the system to ensure ongoing safety. It's vital to understand that the risk assessment must be a living document- periodic reviews are required to keep it up to date with any changes in your system or regulations.

Why Legionella Risk Assessments Are Essential

Legionella bacteria thrive in warm water systems and can lead to severe illness, including Legionnaires' disease. As a result, regular legionella risk assessments are essential for:

• Preventing bacterial outbreaks that could lead to health complications or even death.
• Meeting legal obligations under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, COSHH Regulations, and the Approved Code of Practice L8.
•  Demonstrating due diligence in protecting your employees, visitors, and customers.

The Legionella Risk Assessment Process

Our comprehensive legionella risk assessments follow the source, pathway, receptor model to evaluate risk. We assess:

1. Is Legionella/pathogens present within the system?
2. Are there conditions or can conditions be created within the system that are suitable for Legionella and other water borne pathogens?
3. Is there a means of creating and generating a breathable aerosol bacterial transmission?
4. What is the susceptibility of infection in person within the building?

This model can be used to implement controls.  Whether you need controls, or whether the risk can be reduced in any way. You can also use the model to help with remediation in the event of an incident.

Your 'Absolute' Legal Duty: Protecting Health and Ensuring Compliance

As an employer or organisation in control of any premises, you have an absolute legal duty to undertake a legionella risk assessment. This duty is a requirement of the following legal framework:

• The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
• The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations
• More specifically, the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) and;
• HSE Guidance, The Approved Code of Practice: Legionnaires’ disease: The control of Legionella bacteria in water systems (ACoP L8)

The risk assessment doesn’t have to be complicated but will determine the right precautions that maybe required to reduce the potential risk of exposure to legionella.

Competency

Inadequate management, lack of training and poor communication have all been identified as contributory factors in outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease. It is therefore important that those people involved in assessing risk and applying precautions are competent, trained and aware of their responsibilities.

UKAS Accredited Legionella Risk Assessments

SMS were the UK’s first water treatment service provider to be accredited by UKAS for the competency of our legionella risk assessments. The crown seal provides the peace of mind you require and demonstrates due diligence in the simplest way.

UK businesses, Government and local authorities requiring third party conformity assessment services should source such services, where they exist, from conformity assessment bodies accredited by UKAS.

HM Government - Conformity Assessment and Accreditation Policy in The United Kingdom

• Reduces insurance premiums and lowers risk rating
• Ensures advice is impartial and independent of works
• Protects your due diligence & ensures competency

All our water system inspections are carried out by our dedicated UKAS assessment team using our compliance system Opuz 12 which plays an important role in our UKAS accredited process.

Read more about:

For more information on our Legionella Risk Assessment Services please call 0800 138 21 21 or use the form below