Legionella risk assessment is a legal requirement under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, make specific requirements for risk assessment. These regulations apply to the control of Legionella and are embodied in the Approved Code of Practice and guidance document, ‘Legionnaires’ Disease: The Control of Legionella Bacteria Within Water Systems’, also known as ACoP L8.
A Legionella Risk Assessment is a comprehensive survey during which a building’s entire water system is inspected to determine the risks associated with Legionella bacteria colonisation and any conditions that can promote bacterial growth.
Once the survey is complete, a report is produced outlining remedial actions or recommendations to prevent, minimise and control the risk of Legionella. A Legionella Risk Assessment should be reviewed on a regular basis with a minimum recommended industry standard of at least every two years. The document should also be reviewed regularly particularly when there have been changes to the original circumstances such as changes to the water system, changes to the use of building or changes in legislation.
The time taken to complete the risk assessment is dependent on the size of your premises, but we are normally able to complete a risk assessment within a few hours during the working day with little or no disruption to your normal business practice.
In order to manage the risks associated with Legionella bacteria a set of robust procedures need to be devised. As part of our consultancy services we are able to perform the following of behalf of our customers;
Risk Management Audit - to ensure compliance with any existing site existing policies and procedures but also with current legislation and guidance documents.
Create policy and procedures which are to be employed in relation to the customer specific requirements to manage and monitor water systems of all kinds, these can often be referred to as Risk Minimisation Plan / Water Safety Plan / Water Hygiene Manual or Water Hygiene Log Book.
We are also able to design, prepare and implement bespoke site specific procedures to show safe management, safe systems of work, preferred designs, routine monitoring, contingency plans and maintenance of water systems.
Creation of in-house Legionella Policy Document
Legionella training is an essential and mandatory component of any legionella risk management programme. The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) specifically highlights lack of training, inadequate management and poor communication as contributory factors in outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease. As a result, they expect those people involved in assessing legionella risks, and involved in control measures to be competent, suitably trained and fully aware of their legal responsibilities. This training should also be up-to-date and refreshed on a regular basis.
We provide tailored on or offsite training courses designed for those directly involved in the management and control of legionella. In addition to this, we are also able to offer a tool box talk service and bespoke on-site demonstrative training and competency assessments and refresher training. For additional, tailored training options, please contact us (link to contact page) to discuss your requirements further.
In some circumstances a requirement to monitor, test and inspect the varying services within a water system will be determined by the written scheme for controlling the risks from Legionella. The written scheme should be implemented and properly managed so that all water services and systems are routinely checked for temperatures, cleanliness and use. The HSE ACoP L8 and associated guidance HSG274 require that the following are completed:
Check the performance of the system and its component parts
Inspect accessible parts of the system for damage and signs of contamination
Monitor the treatment / temperature regime to ensure that it continues to control to the required standard
Audit the existing site records system
EMS Water have an extensive knowledge of legionella monitoring and inspection works and are able to offer bespoke monitoring programmes to suit your individual needs on both a local and national level. Our packages include full L8 Compliance monitoring or can be adapted to just the areas not covered by your internal resource. We are also able to include a range of water sampling services including, but not limited to, Legionella, Pseudomonas Aeruginosa and Drinking Water Quality. Please contact us if you have specific requirements and we will be able to accommodate you. Our monitoring record systems are able to be provided in the form of paper- based site log book or a centralised online digital log book system with multi-access facilities where peace of mind is required, for large premise portfolios and multisite surveys. All our operatives are fully trained for the tasks in which they are assigned but also hold a current DBS and CSCS card to ensure confidence when working on site or in areas with people considered vulnerable.
