Over the past five to six weeks, many educational buildings or office buildings during the Covid-19 years will have been dormant, i.e. not in use. While legionella may not have been active in the water system throughout the summer, the simple act of turning on taps and using showers, as well as running hot and cold water systems, runs the risk of activating the bacteria.
There is also the consideration that due to the extreme heat experienced throughout the UK this summer, many water sources and pipework will have dried out, leaving stagnation and micro-organisms that legionella bacteria feed on to thrive.
The last thing any company or educational facility wants is an outbreak of legionella. Therefore, to avoid potential contamination, arranging for a legionella risk assessment to be carried out is essential. In fact, business owners, employers, property managers and landlords are legally obliged to ensure legionella risk assessments are regularly carried out in accordance with certain legislation:
● The Health & Safety at Work Act 1974.
● Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
● Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1999 (COSHH).
● Notification of Cooling Towers & Evaporative Condensers Regulations 1992.
● Reporting of Injuries, Diseases & Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR).
● Safety Representatives & Safety Committee Regulations 1977.
● Health & Safety (Consultation with Employees) Regulations 1996.
What Is A Legionella Risk Assessment?
A legionella risk assessment identifies potential areas of risk in buildings, educational premises or workplaces that may be at risk of legionella. It must be carried out by a qualified, professional assessor who should have sufficient experience in identifying and managing the legionella bacteria.
The assessor will advise where action needs to be taken to prevent a legionella outbreak. This includes any necessary protocols and procedures to be implemented to establish legionella risk controls that are robust enough to prevent legionella bacteria from becoming dominant.
What Does A Legionella Risk Assessment Involve?
A Legionella risk assessment checks areas within a building’s water systems and its water sources which could be at risk of, or do contain, the harmful bacteria. This means legionella can be identified and dealt with before the bacteria have an opportunity to thrive. In addition, the risk assessment will recommend the establishing and implementation of any necessary procedures and protocols that will help to manage any future risk, thereby preventing Legionella disease from developing.
At Swiftclean, our Legionella risk assessment includes:
● An introduction and background information on the Legionella bacteria
● The site details
● A Legionella Management Documentation audit
● A condition survey that reports on the domestic water plant and water sources
● Temperature profiling
● Photographic evidence
● Asset register
● Identification of risks including, but not limited to, outlets that aren’t used very often and dead leg pipework
● Recommendations for controlling and managing legionella in the future
● A basic schematic of the plant and its water distribution.
It’s important to ensure all the assessment reports are reviewed regularly and updated to prevent a Legionella disease outbreak. This is particularly relevant if any water systems in buildings, or their water sources, are left dormant for a period of time.