Legionella Risk Assessment Services

Posted on: October 31, 2011

Here at Environmental Compliance we can provide your business with a comprehensive and competent Legionella risk assessment. Our trained consultants can come to your premises and conduct a full Legionella risk assessment and / or review existing risk assessments and management systems to ensure that as a company you are minimising your risks.

But what is Legionnaires disease?

Legionellosis is an infection caused by bacteria of the genus Legionella. At least fifty species of Legionella have been described and twenty have been associated with disease in humans. The predominant cause of legionnaires’ disease is L. pneumophila. Legionella spp, with these are opportunistic pathogens of humans and normally inhabit warm moist or aquatic environments where they grow in association with other organisms. Their predilection for warm water means that they are capable of colonizing artificial water systems and equipment containing water. Legionnaires’ disease is not transmitted from person to person, but is of environmental origin and usually contracted by inhaling the organism in an aerosol produced from water contaminated with the organism. Aspiration of water containing Legionella spp. can also cause infection, particularly in hospitalized individuals.
The ubiquitous occurrence of Legionella spp. means that all water systems are susceptible to contamination with legionellae via the water supply or dust entering the system. It is therefore normal practice to assume that a system can become contaminated.

Overview of UK Employer Responsibilities.

Suitable and sufficient assessment of risks allows appropriate control measures to be put in place to protect the health and safety of employees and members of the public who could be affected by work activities and Legionella is no different.
It is a legal requirement under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, to 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 in water systems”, otherwise known as ACoP L8. (See also BS 8580:2010 Water quality. Risk assessments for Legionella control. Code of practice)
It is the responsibility of the duty holder to ensure that an assessment is carried out to identify and assess the risk of exposure to Legionella from work activities and water systems and to put in place any necessary precautions.
The duty holder appoints a person to take day to day responsibility for controlling any identified risk from Legionella bacteria. The appointed “responsible person” needs to have:
1. Sufficient standing and authority within the organization (e.g. a manager or director) and competence and knowledge of the system to ensure that all operational procedures are carried out in a timely and effective manner
2. A clear understanding of their duties and the overall health and safety management structure and policy in the organization.
If the duty holder is competent, they may appoint themselves responsible person i.e. the person who will undertake the risk assessment.
On completion of the risk assessment the duty holder remains accountable for implementing the recommendations.