Legionella Risk Assessments
Legionella Risk Assessment Service Provider
At Guardian Hygiene Services, we provide safe, efficient Legionella risk assessment services for a wide range of buildings and establishments. We can offer advice or propose a comprehensive plan of preventative measures and monitoring to keep you compliant with legislation.
Legionella bacteria can pose a huge risk to staff, customers, and tenants in any building or establishment. It is vital you ensure your building is compliant with current legislation, including ACOP L8, HSG274 and HTM 04-01 (Healthcare). Failure to do so will result in a hefty fine.
Each of our professional Legionella risk assessments is clear, easy to understand and tailored to your site and your needs. We are accredited by the Legionella Control Association and hold accreditations and memberships with CHAS, Constructionline and Safecontractor.
Speak to our specialist advisors today to book a comprehensive Legionella risk assessment.
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What is Legionella Bacteria?
Legionella is a bacteria that lives in natural water sources but that can also be found in artificial water systems. The largest potential risk of Legionella exposure, which can happen where breathable water droplets are spread, is the development of Legionnaires’ disease. This is a severe and sometimes fatal form of pneumonia.
What is a Legionella Risk Assessment?
A Legionella risk assessment is a technical review of your previous assessments and current records to ascertain if recommendations to protect against Legionella have been acted upon. The technical review is made up of administrative and physical assessments.
What Does It Involve?
We are the Legionella experts. Our fully trained engineers will assess your building or establishment for any potential problems. This will consist of:
Administrative checks:
- A thorough review of your current records
- A thorough check of your previous assessments
- A consultation with everyone involved in controlling the bacteria
- A verification of management procedures and relevant paperwork
- Risk level assessment of people in the building, focussing on the age and health considerations of anyone on site
Tour of the site:
- A physical inspection of the water systems in your building
- An inspection of any place where aerosols have potential to be created
We create a comprehensive report which will be sent to you in PDF format. Our management regulatory compliance system for monthly water checks collects, stores, analyses and communicates Health, Safety and Environmental compliance records on demand.
Why Are Legionella Risk Assessments Important?
Under the Health and Safety at Work Act in 1974, a Legionella risk assessment is a legal requirement. It must be conducted by an individual with competence and suitable training to undertake the needed physical and administrative checks.
If humans breathe in water droplets that contain Legionella bacteria, the contraction of Legionnaires’ disease is likely. Complications that result from the disease can include any number of potentially severe dangers, such as respiratory failure and multi-organ failure.
Legionnaires’ disease is especially hazardous to these at-risk groups:
- People suffering from chronic diseases
- Diabetics, lung and heart disease
- Anyone with an impaired immune system
- Those over the age of 45
- Smokers and heavy drinkers
It is vital for the safety of all occupants or visitors of a site to be protected from Legionella bacteria.
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High-Risk Water Systems Which Commonly Support Legionella
There are a large number of conditions that enable Legionella bacteria to multiply and spread.
The 4 key elements that cause Legionella bacteria to multiply and pose danger are:
- Habitat: Legionella thrives in showerheads, sprinkler hoses, taps and hot water cylinders. Deadends and deadlegs, poor plumbing and other system issues also provide the optimal environment for Legionella bacteria to thrive.
- Food source: This includes sediment, scale and other bacteria.
- Warm temperatures: Legionella bacteria tend to thrive in temperatures of 20-25 degrees celsius.
- Aerosol release: Water contaminated with Legionella bacteria released as an aerosol poses a great risk.
Any recirculated system or hot and cold water system commonly features the above elements. This is one of the reasons it is so important to carry out a full Legionella Risk Assessment on all properties, commercial or residential.
When to Carry Out a Risk Assessment
Water systems that are at risk high risk of Legionella bacteria include:
- Spa pools
- Hot tubs
- Swimming pools
- Dental apparatus
- Showers
- Healthcare Properties
- Cares homes
- Rental Properties
- Vehicle cleaning machines
- Food manufacturing sites
- Washing facilities
- Industrial facilities like manufacturing sites
- Any building or site that includes the above will need regular risk assessments.
Duty holders should arrange to review the Legionella risk assessment regularly and, specifically, when there is reason to suspect it is no longer valid. An indication of when to review the assessment and what to consider should be recorded and this may result from:
- Changes to the water system or its use;
- Changes to the use of the building or part of the building in which the system is installed;
- The availability of new information about risks or control measures;
- Indications that control measures are no longer effective;
- New construction works or system modifications planned; or
- Changes to the key personnel, contractors and service providers.
- A case of Legionnaire’s Disease / Legionellosis associated with the system
Where a reassessment has not been triggered by the above, there should be a policy of planned reassessment in place. Water systems with higher inherent risk or complex water services where changes are poorly documented may need to be reassessed annually, whereas, for water systems with a lower inherent risk, or those where all changes are recorded and where systems are well managed, it may be sufficient for a formal reassessment to be performed every 2 to 5 years.
It is unlikely that circumstances will be so stable that a risk assessment will not need reassessing within this period, in particular, due to staff and management changes. In reality, so many changes occur with time that it is difficult to keep track of them all, like general ageing and deterioration of the system and its equipment.
Landlords and Their Responsibilities
Landlords who provide residential accommodation, as the person in control of the premises or responsible for the water systems in their premises, have a legal duty to ensure that the risk of exposure of tenants to Legionella is properly assessed and controlled. This duty extends to residents, guests, tenants and customers. They can carry out a risk assessment themselves if they are competent, or employ somebody who is.
Where a managing or letting agent is used, the management contract should clearly specify who has responsibility for maintenance and safety checks, including managing the risk from Legionella. Where there is no contract or agreement in place or it does not specify who has responsibility, the duty is placed on whoever has control of the premises and the water system in it, and in most cases, this will be the landlord themselves.
All water systems require a risk assessment but not all systems require elaborate control measures. A simple risk assessment may show that there are no real risks from Legionella, but if there are, implementing appropriate measures will prevent or control these risks. The law requires simple, proportionate and practical actions to be taken, including identifying and assessing sources of risk, managing the risk, preventing or controlling the risk, and periodically checking that any control measures are effective.
If you are responsible for more complex systems, like commercial water supplies or cooling towers, or are a landlord of commercial properties, contact Guardian Hygiene Services to ensure the complete safety of the people in your building as the needs will be more complex and specialist.
Who Should Carry Out the Assessment?
If you are a landlord of multiple properties, a building manager, an employer, or in any way responsible for the water management system in a building, it is crucial that you arrange for a Legionella risk assessment to be completed.
The ACoP L8 regulations specify that whoever carries out the Legionella risk assessment should be “suitably informed, instructed and trained and their suitability assessed,” and that they are “properly trained to a level that ensures tasks are carried out in a safe, technically competent manner.”
This is why arranging a Legionella risk assessment service from Guardian Hygiene Services is the sensible choice. We can ensure your Legionella risk assessment is completed in line with all legislation and ensure all risks of dangerous diseases are prevented.
Types of Properties and Business Sectors We Cover
We have become one of the most trusted Legionella risk assessment providers for a number of clients.
The business sectors we cover include:
- Hospitals
- Care Homes
- Funeral Homes
- Landlords
- Retail
- Restaurants
- Hairdressers
- Dental Practices
- Health Clubs
- Sports Centres
- Local Authority
- National Trust
- Universities
- Schools
- Hotels
- Leisure Clubs
- Factories, including food production
- All commercial properties
Legionella Risk Assessments Cost
The size of your site and the complexity of its water systems will affect the cost of your risk assessment for Legionella. Whatever the needs of your property are, we can work with you to accommodate them.
Book a Legionella Risk Assessment Today
Legionella risk assessments are crucial to ensure the safety of all occupants in a building and to avoid legal action. Avoid any doubt and get a full service from one of the most trusted Legionella risk assessment companies in the UK.
Arrange your Legionella risk assessment with Guardian Hygiene Services today to get a team of professionals to provide a thorough assessment of your water systems and provide any necessary remedial actions.
