Legionella and Legionella Risk Assessments
Posted on 7th October 2019
Do you need to carry out a Legionella risk assessment at your premises or place of work, and how often do you need to have one?
If your business has any kind of water system, including hot & cold taps, toilets, showers or something a little more specialised such as a cooling tower, then the answer is yes.
It is highly important to recognise the potential risk of Legionella bacteria spreading and multiplying through any kind of water system and becoming a risk to people.
What is Legionella?
Legionella bacteria causes Legionnaires’ disease. This is potentially a fatal form of pneumonia and is not contagious but can be fatal.
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, business owner or employ five or more people at your business, it is likely that under the 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act you will have a legal duty to ensure that any engineered water system that is part of your business 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 is also possible for someone at any business to become fully trained and competent in conducting these risk assessments themselves and we offer a Legionella Awareness Training Course and a Landlord Legionella Risk Assessment Pack to help too. See our shop for more details
You can contact us today to discuss the risk assessment your business may need and how often you may need one. With our expert assistance and advice, you can be sure your business will be safe and stay within the confines of the law.
We are UKAS accredited and 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.
Tagged as: Legionella, Legionnaires Disease
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