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Legionella is a form of bacteria known to cause Legionnaires’ disease, a potentially fatal form of pneumonia. It thrives in water that is stagnant and consistently between 20˚C and 45˚C for extended periods of time, especially when the water contains nutrients such as rust, scale and organic matter.
In commercial offices, Legionella could be found in a range of places, including:
Hot and cold water systems
Cooling towers and evaporative condensers (commonly part of A/C and HVAC systems)
Water storage tanks
Fountains and water features
Misting systems and humidifiers
Dead legs and capped-off pipes
Infrequently used toilets and urinals
Infrequently used drinking water dispensers
Thermostatic mixing valves
Fire sprinklers and hoses
In commercial offices, the requirement to control Legionella is governed by legislation, regulations and guidance including:
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations, 2002 (COSHH)
The Approved Code of Practice for Legionnaires’ Disease (ACOP L8)
These documents cover a range of requirements designed to manage Legionella bacteria and the risks it causes. One of the first steps in this process is to conduct a Legionella risk assessment, which will locate and assess any problem areas within your commercial property. After this, steps must be taken to manage Legionella, address any risks and maintain records of all activities surrounding Legionella control.
There is a long list of areas that will be covered by a Legionella risk assessment in a commercial property, but some of the most common include:
Water heaters and boilers
Cold water storage and distribution systems
Air conditioning and HVAC units
Additional water systems including fire equipment and decorative features
Anywhere where water is transported, stored, condensed, dispensed or heated within your office will need to be checked and monitored to identify risk and help prevent Legionella growth.
Within any commercial office, there are set individuals who are responsible for overseeing the control of Legionella as well as organising commercial Legionella risk assessments when required.
According to legislation including the Health and Safety at Work Act and guidance such as ACOP L8, primary responsibility for the control of Legionella in a work environment such as an office will fall to the employer, often described in law and guidance as the ‘duty holder’. The duty holder is also encouraged to appoint a ‘responsible person', who will help oversee the day-to-day implementation of the Legionella control scheme and should be adequately trained.
According to ACOP L8, “The dutyholder must ensure that the person who carries out the risk assessment and provides advice on prevention and control of exposure must be competent to do so.”
The best way to ensure that the Legionella risk assessment at your commercial property is carried out by a competent person is to contact a commercial water testing company such as EMS Water.
We employ highly experienced risk assessors who conduct their inspections in accordance with BS 8580-1:2019 standards. EMS Water is based in Hereford, and offers commercial Legionella risk assessments across Herefordshire, Worcestershire, the West Midlands, Wales and throughout the UK.
Booking a Legionella risk assessment for a commercial property is easy – just get in touch with the experts at EMS Water.
Call us today on 0800 358 110, email us at info@emswater.co.uk or fill out our contact form.
