Legionnaires’ disease, a severe form of pneumonia, stealthily rides on airborne water droplets, each harbouring elusive Legionella bacteria. Premises occupiers bear a solemn duty—to navigate in compliance with health and safety laws, ensuring harmony with ever-evolving legionella regulations. A Legionella Risk Assessment can assist in preventing the spread of the bacteria.
The HSE’s HSG 274 provides technical guidance on controlling Legionella bacteria in water systems. It supports the Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) L8, which offers specific guidance for managing Legionella risks in purpose-built water systems. The Health and Safety at Work Act places a legal duty on employers to ensure health, safety and welfare, including controlling Legionella in the workplace.
What is a Legionella Risk Assessment?
Risk assessments serve as your water system’s health check. They play a crucial role in crafting an effective prevention management plan, including legionella prevention. When multiple risks are identified at a site, it is recommended to conduct water sampling to test for the presence of the disease. Remember, prevention is key! 💧🔍
After assessing your water systems on-site, your risk assessor will provide a formal document outlining details of the system and any concerns identified. It should highlight the measures required to control any risks as well as how they can be implemented and managed. If there is a concern of legionella, your risk assessor should also take measures to locate its whereabouts within your water system.
When is a Legionella Risk Assessment required?
While some water systems are naturally low-risk and need minimal oversight, it’s essential not to assume the same for higher-risk systems. In those cases, the primary concern should be avoiding the ‘shelf assessment’ trap—where risk assessments gather dust between check-ins. The risk assessment may identify routine tasks critical for compliance – to be actioned by the responsible person. Standard advice is to review your legionella risk assessment every two years. However it’s crucial to recognise that intricate water systems and higher-risk scenarios that have been assessed, should be re-assessed more often. Prevention of risk is not an isolated measure but an on-going process!
Under COSHH regulations, you should regularly assess risks and review them when circumstances change. Consider instances such as changes to the water system, shifts in key personnel, changes in use of premises, or situations where controls prove ineffective—especially in the context of Legionnaires’ disease. Note: once remedial works are completed, the previous risk assessment no longer applies to the water system and becomes obsolete.
Are you confident in your risk assessment? Is it compliant?
We can help.
Legionella Management Solutions Ltd
LMS is a specialist water hygiene company delivering industry leading compliance and remediation services to combat legionnaires’ disease. Our operatives are trained to the highest industry standards to ensure works are carried out in accordance with the Approved Code of Practice L8 & HSG274 all in compliance with the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations.
Our risk assessment will kickstart your all-encompassing water hygiene maintenance plan. Guided by the Water Management Society (WMSoc), our in-house risk assessors undergo rigorous training in order to be accredited. They will conduct a site visit, meticulously scrutinising every nook and cranny of your hot and cold water systems plus your management control records, identifying any risks. Following the site survey, we will provide a site-specific schematic to form part of your documented risk assessment.
Why choose LMS?
At LMS we take a direct approach with your water safety and will provide a risk assessment – clear as water! When it comes to risk assessments, the approach varies across providers – from a casual desktop review to a thorough, hands-on inspection of the water system. At LMS, we’re all about rolling up our sleeves and taking that immersive approach for every client.
What makes us better than other providers?
Our distinctiveness lies in our commitment to providing every client with a follow-up consultation upon completing a risk assessment. We’ll coordinate a meeting between you and our risk assessor, allowing for a comprehensive walk-through of the assessment. During this session, feel free to raise any concerns or questions. Additionally, we’ll delve into any identified remedial actions and provide a detailed quote for their implementation!
LMS specialises in delivering a comprehensive end-to-end service. We begin by thoroughly auditing your water system, addressing any identified issues, then quoting and fulfilling any necessary remedial works. But that’s not all. LMS offers an ongoing maintenance plan to ensure sustained water system excellence! Based on your assets, we’ll develop a customised maintenance schedule specific to the site – this schedule will outline the frequency of servicing.
Our pricing? Fixed and hassle-free, based on your water system’s size! 💧💰
Recommended maintenance frequency schedule:
