Do I need a legionella risk assessment?

You may be asking: why do I need a legionella risk assessment? Find out who is responsible for a legionella risk assessment. 

A skilled Legionella risk assessment is necessary for making sure that the water systems that are installed within a property are not putting the occupants at risk of catching Legionnaires' Disease.

A Legionella risk assessment is a necessary legal requirement within buildings that have a high footfall of occupants. Some locations this would include would be commercial properties, schools, and hospitals.

These rules come from the compliance criteria for ACoP L8, also known as the Approved Code of Practice L8 - The Control of Legionella Bacteria in Water Systems. HSG274 also contains various pieces of information regarding guidance for Legionella control 

HVAC systems and cooling towers are very high-risk zones for Legionella growth, but this doesn't mean that other areas shouldn't be checked too. In fact, all sanitation and general plumbing need to be assessed as bacteria can grow in almost all locations where water is present.

Legionnaires' disease is a type of pneumonia that occurs when a person breathes in Legionella bacteria, this usually happens when tiny water molecules holding the bacteria float in the air. These small floating water molecules are known as aerosols. Legionella bacteria is commonly the result of very poor water management within a property.  

The condition can lead to flu-like symptoms, respiratory failure, difficulty breathing, and in some cases, even death.

Summer and early Autumn are the most common time of the year for Legionella infections to occur. People who are over fifty years old, people who are former or current smokers, and those with chronic diseases, diabetes, or a weak immune system have a much higher risk of infection. Legionnaires' disease cannot be passed from person to person.  

Who is responsible for a legionella risk assessment?

Building managers, facilities managers, employers, building owners, and landlords are all responsible for ensuring their properties are Legionella free. Once the risk assessment process has been completed, a water treatment business can take over and complete any further work.

In many cases, these responsible parties will hire expert legionella risk assessment support so they can ensure that this vitally important work is carried out professionally and thoroughly.

Legionella risk assessors should always be experienced, trained, and competent, as well as quickly be able to identify the conditions that will eventually lead to an outbreak of Legionella and Legionnaires' Disease.

Landlords that provide residential accommodation have a legal duty to assess and control the various risks associated with exposure to Legionella. This legal responsibility is not new.

The requirement originated from the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1989. Section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 makes it clear that the legislation applies to landlords that not only own business premises, but domestic premises too.

Every water system on the property is required to be assessed for the risk of Legionella. This assessment may be carried out by the landlord if they are competent and have knowledge of the subject; if they do not, then a professional can be hired.

In the majority of residential settings, a simple assessment can be made to show that the risk of Legionella contamination is low and that there will be no further action needed. An example of a common low-risk scenario would be in a smaller building with small domestic-style water systems that are used daily.

In these situations, the daily usage of water is inevitable and sufficient enough to turn over the entire system. Another example is when cold water is piped through via a wholesome mains supply, meaning it is not stored in a water tank, or when hot water is acquired through an instantaneous heater or a low volume water heater that supplies at 50°C.

Another situation would be where the only outlets available are washing hand basins and toilets. If the results of the assessment deem that the risks within the property are low and the water systems are being managed effectively, then there will be no further action necessary. Reviewing the assessment is vital to do regularly whenever any alterations are made to the property's water system.

There are some very simple and easily implementable control measures that can help to control the risk of exposure to Legionella. These include:

Tenants need to be advised about any of the control measures that were put in place and need to be maintained, for example, not changing the temperature if it was set at a specific number, regularly cleaning the bathroom's showerhead, and informing the landlord if there are any problems with the system so that action can be taken as soon as possible.

In situations where there will be difficulty trying to gain access to a home's units, then the needed checks can be done by carrying out water system inspections when other mandatory visits are taking place, such as routine maintenance visits or gas safety checks.

Showers are one of the main culprits for dispersing water droplets that hang in the air. These droplets can then be inhaled, causing a risk of Legionella. If the shower is used daily, then the risk will be reduced, but tenants should always be asked to clean their showerheads regularly. 

Finally, it is of the utmost importance that water is not stagnant within the water system. This is the perfect condition for Legionella to grow.

This means that properties that will be left vacant for an extended period of time should be carefully managed, for example, student accommodation that will be left empty over holidays. Outlets on hot and cold water systems need to be used once a week to minimise stagnation.

When should you conduct a Legionella Risk Assessment (LRA)?

If you are an employer, building manager, or landlord, then it is vital that you have a full understanding of all the health risks that come along with Legionella and know about carrying out a Legionella risk assessment.

The industry standard used to be that Legionella risk assessments needed to be carried out every two years, but the Approved Code of Practice L8 (ACoP L8) recommends that the arrangements need to be made for reviewing the LRA whenever there is a reason to suspect that is will no longer be valid.

Whenever building occupants are categorised as high-risk, such as the elderly, this is particularly relevant. The Legionella risk assessment will need to be carried out even more regularly.

Legionella risk assessments need to be carried out whenever a change has been made. These changes are described below: