Legionella Risk Assessment

Legionnaires’ disease is a potentially fatal form of pneumonia caused by exposure to legionella bacteria found in small water droplets. All man-made hot and cold water systems are likely to provide an environment where Legionella can grow. Where conditions are favourable then the bacteria may multiply thus increasing the risk of exposure.

A Legionella Risk Assessment should have an executive summary of all the recommendations and control measures, ranked in order of priority. One very common ranking system is Very High, High, Medium and Low, Very Low, using traffic light colours to easily identify the risk rating – red for high, amber for medium and green for low.

Each Risk should be addressed in order of priority and closed off with documented evidence of each risk, what was done, by whom and when.

Yes. If you are a landlord or responsible for upkeep and maintenance of the premises, you are under a legal obligation to carry out a Legionella Risk Assessment, if your business has five or more employees, you must keep a record of the assessment. Most building managers are aware of the requirements of undertaking a Legionella Risk Assessment but are unaware that this is the very first step, of many, in being compliant.

Legionella Risk Assessment: The first step to meeting Legionella compliance is to undertake a full Legionella risk assessment. This risk assessment will identify any potential risk from Legionella that derives from your water system. 

Legionella Remedial Works:  Your next step is once the risk assessment has been carried out, and the risks have been identified, they must be removed or at the very least – managed in order to go forward with the project. This would be classed as carrying out  Legionella remedial works.

Legionella Monitoring: You must control and manage the ongoing risk of Legionella exposure to your employees and visitors from your water system by carrying out consistent Legionella monitoring to ensure that your water system continues to be safe.