Legionella and Landlords' Responsibilities
Posted on 10th February 2022
The law is clear that if you are a landlord and rent out your property (or even a room within your own home) then you have legal responsibilities to ensure the health and safety of your tenant by keeping the property safe and free from health hazards. It's highly important to recognise the potential risk of Legionella bacteria spreading and multiplying through any kind of water system and becoming a risk to tenants.
What is Legionella?
Legionella bacteria causes Legionnaires’ disease. Whilst it's not contaggious, this is a potentially fatal form of pneumonia.
Infection is usually transmitted through inhalation of aerosol containing the Legionella bacteria. The particles from infected water sources can become airborne when mechanical action breaks surface water causing water droplets to evaporate. Frequent sources of contaminated water can include air conditioners, showers, spas and water features and fountains. Legionella is often found in hospitals, hotels, prisons and cruise ships due to their complex water and cooling systems.
Numbers of cases have risen, with the most recent figures showing 200-250 reported cases of Legionnaires’ disease each year in the UK.
Do I need to have a Legionella Risk Assessment?
If you are a landlord, it's likely that under the 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act you will have a legal duty to ensure that any engineered water system in your property is free from Legionella. You should keep records of any risk assessments and precautionary measures you take to prevent Legionella.
According to various parts of health and safety legislation, the first step required is to perform a Legionella risk assessment. GES Water have fully trained and competent water safety experts to carry out these assessments for you, offering you peace of mind and clarity.
It's also possible for you to become fully trained and competent in conducting these risk assessments yourself, and we offer a Legionella Awareness Training Course and a Landlord Legionella Risk Assessment Pack to help too.
You can contact us today to discuss the risk assessment your property may need and how often you may need one. With our expert assistance and advice, you can be sure your tenants will be safe and you will stay within the confines of the law.
We are UKAS accredited. Below are some of the benefits of using a UKAS accredited company to carry out your Legionella Risk Assessments:
Confidence that the organisation has the technical competence to undertake the work in question.
Satisfaction that the organisation has the resources to do the work.
All assessors work to a suitable code of conduct to ensure that the risk assessments are carried out impartially and with integrity.
Confidence that the organisation has an adequate quality system with processes in place to deal with appeals and complaints.
UKAS accredited companies have safeguards in place, for example, appropriate liability insurance, in case difficulties arise.
Remember, we're always here to help when it comes to water treatment & hygiene and the control & prevention of Legionella.
If you have any questions or require any assistance, don't hesitate to reach out to us by commenting below or calling us on 0800 121 8808.
Tagged as: aylesbury, bacteria, bedfordshire, geswater, hertfordshire, Landlord, Legionella, legionellaawareness, risk, riskassessment, workplace
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