
Legionella Risk Assessments – What are they and why would you need one?
“Knowledge is power however, wisdom is peace” – Alan Cohen
Nature is a wonderful thing, the Birds, the Bees, the Trees and the Bugs. Oh, those pesky bugs, now seeing as this post is about water you’d be forgiven for imagining serene scenes of water boatmen, dragonflies and little darting nymphs busying themselves on a barmy summer’s eve, however, it is as always, the unseen bugs that are the biggest threat to humans, Entomophobia aside of course.
Water-borne illnesses are nothing new and whilst every effort is made to make drinking water fresh, clean and free from nasties, Legionella is a naturally occurring bacterial species found in water courses and sources. Harmless when drunk, it is quite content to lay dormant until the conditions are just right and then like any opportunist, it strikes! Seeding itself into lukewarm hot water systems, oft neglected cold-water storage tanks and long forgotten bits of plumbing, waiting to infect the respiratory system of some poor soul. Think the shower scene in Psycho but with tiny vaporising water droplets being the threat.
Ready, Set – Action
Now if this was a Hollywood Movie script then our action heroes would have devised some cunning plan to eliminate this ne’er-do-well at the source with explosions and tension riddled slow motion editing, but the reality is far more mundane, unless you get excited by hot water (50°C and above), plumbing and people in yellow wellies.
As with everything it boils down to risk and as such it is the responsibility of all commercial building owners to have a risk assessment completed. The Health and Safety Executive’s guidance, ACoP L8, states that risk assessments ‘should be reviewed regularly and whenever there is a change of circumstances that could affect the risk’. A little bit vague but it has generally come to be accepted that a two-year frequency is sufficient to cover the bases, although this does depend on individual circumstances and if you’re in doubt your local water hygiene company (Ara Environmental for example), can assist.
So, what does it do?
Well, that’s a good question. Essentially the risk assessment covers the potential risks inherent in the water system and will look at both hot and cold systems, any stored water and of course the use the water is put to. It also covers the management responsibilities and may make recommendations in line with the current guidance. In short it is designed to help meet the requirements under the Health and Safety legislation and keep all those in the building safe from any potential Legionellosis harm. It also acts as an early warning of anything untoward in the system, not just bacterial wise and to paraphrase the Dutch Philosopher; Dersiderius Erasmus “prevention is often far cheaper than a cure”.
Do we need one?
Again, good question a good rule of thumb is if you own or rent a building with water systems in it, then there is a chance the answer is YES. It’s covered in the Health and safety at work regulations (1999) and there is potentially a Duty of Care. However, you can always give the Ara Environmental team a call and we’ll be more than happy to discuss your requirements.
For more information on our Legionella risk assessment service, please get in touch.