Risk Assessment
Requirements
In order to comply with the Health and Safety Commission Approved Code of Practice L8 ACOP (Legionnaires’ Disease, The control of Legionella bacteria in water systems), employers, owners and operators of all commercial premises (including: Social Housing, Facilities Management, Hotels & Stadiums, Healthcare, Education and many others) have a legal obligation to minimise and control the risk of legionella bacteria in water systems. This includes: identifying and assessing the sources of risk, preparing a scheme for preventing or controlling the risk, appointing a person to be managerially responsible, implementing and managing precautions and keeping records of the precautions implemented.
- Legionnaires’ disease is a pneumonia type of infection affecting the lungs and the lower respiratory tract. Legionnaire’s disease and Pontiac Fever are the most commonly reported cases of Legionellosis with a fatality rate of 10-12% of diagnosed cases.
- Water temperatures within the range of 20’c – 45’c are most likely to support the multiplication of the bacteria, the optimum temperature for growth is 37’c. Where the water is at a temperature below 20’c then the Legionella may still survive in a dormant state.
- Legionnaires’ disease is most commonly linked with hot and cold water systems within buildings, cooling towers, humidifiers and spa baths. It is important that all systems with a risk of allowing bacterial growth which include the means for creating aerosols, should be identified and the risk that they present should be assessed and controlled accordingly.
- Based on the HSE’s Approved Code of Practice (ACOP L8), a written risk assessment is required for all commercial buildings that has a water supply and where five or more people are employed.
Our risk assessors will undertake a detailed site survey, and provide you with a comprehensive document including:
- Site survey data and asset register
- Observations (including photographs)
- Risk rating
- Recommendations to reduce the risk
- Schematic drawings
- Periodic monitoring regime
- Options include legionella and microbiological analysis