Legionella Risk Assessments

ACS now offers Legionella Risk Assessment and Legionella Control services to enable you to meet your requirements under Health and Safety at Work legislation and COSHH.

What is Legionella?

Legionellosis is the collective term for diseases caused by legionella bacteria, which when found in high numbers can cause the most serious and potentially fatal legionnaires disease.

The most common way people get legionnaires disease is through inhaling very fine water droplets from contaminated water systems. Legionella cannot be caught by drinking tap water.

Due to its potential life-threatening dangers, all employers, building and landowners are now required to perform or employ the services of a provider to carry out a Legionella Risk Assessment on all buildings which can be accessed by the public or are a place of work. 

Where is Legionella found?

Legionella bacteria are commonly found in natural water sources such as rivers, lakes and ponds, usually in low numbers. They can also be found in purpose-built water systems such as: 

- Hot and cold-water systems

- Cooling towers  

- Air conditioning systems

- Spas

- Showers

- Jacuzzis

These water systems are very commonly found in hotels; campsites; guesthouses; swimming pools; gymnasiums; residential homes or nursing homes and rented accommodation. To fully ensure that water systems such as these are disinfected from the likes such as legionella, we also provide a professional water chlorination service. This process sterilises and disinfects water safely to protect the quality of the water across the country. 

Are Legionella Risk Assessments Mandatory?

The Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) has made it clear for employers, landlords or anyone in control of a premises to understand the health risks associated with legionella.

In order to comply with the Health and Safety at Work Legislation and COSHH, companies are under a legal obligation to minimise and control the risk of Legionellosis by taking a legionella risk assessment to identify, manage and prevent any dangerous risk. 

What to expect from a Legionella Risk Assessment at ACS

We recommend keeping a record of your last assessment and to ensure it remains up-to-date with regular reviews. If there is reason to suspect that this assessment is no longer valid, then we suggest arranging to have a legionella risk assessment immediately.

After a legionella risk assessment is arranged, at ACS, we will send out an expert assessor to your premises that will determine:

• What equipment has the potential to carry a risk?
• Are conditions present which will encourage the bacteria to multiply (e.g. is the water temperature between 20-45°C?)
• Is it possible that water droplets will be produced and, if so, could they be dispersed over a wide area? For example, showers and aerosols from cooling towers
• Is it likely that an individual could particularly be susceptible and come into contact with the potentially contaminated water droplets?

After this has been completed, the appointed assessor or contractor should produce a written scheme/report which should describe:

• An up-to-date plan or schematic diagram of your system
• Who is responsible for carrying out the assessment and managing its implementation
• The safe and correct operation of your system
• What control methods and other precautions you will be using
• The checks which are to be carried out on the control scheme and how often these checks will be carried out.

If you decide to appoint ACS to carry out the Legionella Risk Assessment, it is still the duty of the ‘responsible person’ to ensure that work is carried out to the required standards.

Are you ready for a Legionella Risk Assessment?

To find out more detailed information on Legionnaires Disease, Legionella Risk Assessment and how it can affect you, download our legionella fact sheet here.

For further information on our Legionella Risk Assessments and how it can affect you and your business, please contact our dedicated team or alternatively email us at Office@acs-southeast.com and we will be in touch.