Health and safety consultancy services:
Legionella risk assessment

What is legionella?

Legionnaires’ disease is a potentially fatal pneumonia caused by legionella bacteria. Here are some of the facts:

• This is the most well known and serious form of a group of diseases collectively known as legionellosis

• The inhalation of small droplets of water contaminated by the bacteria may give rise to infection

• Legionnaires’ disease is considered an environmental disease because its causative agent (legionella) is transmitted from an environmental source (water) to a person

• Legionella bacteria are common in natural watercourses such as rivers and ponds

• The Legionella bacteria may also contaminate and proliferate in other water systems such as cooling towers, hot and cold water systems, humidifiers and spa baths.

• Outbreaks of legionnaire’s disease have occurred in or near large building complexes such as hospitals, hotels, office blocks and factories. Other areas are public buildings, sheltered accommodation, garden centres, sports centres and cruise liners.

• Cooling towers can produce droplets and if there is an air current to carry them a distance, and often being located on roof-tops, there is a potential to infect large numbers of people

How to get started on legionella risk management

Employers or other persons in control of the workplace premises legally must:

Identify and assess sources of legionella risk

Prepare a written scheme (or course of action)
for preventing or controlling the legionella risk by undertaking a risk assessment, under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.

A written scheme of intended legionella risk control should describe:

• The water system, including an up-to-date plan or schematic diagram

• Who is responsible for conducting the assessment and managing its implementation

• The safe and correct operation of the system

• What control methods and other precautions will be used

• The checks that will be carried out on the control scheme and how often these checks will be carried out

• Appoint a “responsible person” with responsibility for implementing and managing the scheme

• Keep records and check that what has been done is effective

The key aim is to prevent or control the growth and multiplication of legionella through effective design, maintenance and operation of water services. Controlling the risk from legionella in water systems requires:-

• Careful planning – for the risk assessment

• A successful legionella management policy

• Competent staff

Management and control of Legionella

Many organisations in the public and private sector require professional help to get started and to manage the process of conforming and meeting the obligations of HSC ACOP L8. Envex offer expertise with fully trained and knowledgeable consultants.

Legionella risk assessment

Trained personnel use the independent Building Services Research Institute Association (BSRIA) system to undertake legionella risk assessments. Click below to see a BSRIA legionella risk assessment. Once undertaken you will be compliant on all aspects of legionella and with a written scheme and an action plan.

View > example of BSRIA Legionella Risk Assessment (pdf 160Kb)

Public sector risk assessment service

Envex understand how difficult it is for organisations in the public sector such as local authorities, institutions, charities and housing associations to manage legionella.

We have offer a specialist service where we:

• Undertake legionella risk assessments following the BSRIA system

• We manage the process to meet your budget

• Legionella risk assessments are supplied to you prioritised with recommendations

• Envex store the information electronically

• Every two years we contact you to advise that you need to review your assessments in line with L8 (paragraph 38)

• For your review we compare the material you send on the remedial work done since the initial risk assessment to Envex stored information

• A Legionella audit is prepared to cost effectively help you continue to meet L8

Legionella training and courses

Envex can provide Legionella awareness training and Legionella Responsible Person training.

See > Training and courses for more details

Envex can also help through its > Appointed Safety Advisor service

 

Acknowledgements to OGC Office of Government Commerce Information Note 7/2002 and BSRIA.