Legionella Risk Assessment

Site Specific Risk Assessment of Domestic Water Systems
The Approved Code of Practice L8 2001 'The Control of Legionella Bacteria in Water Systems' (ACOP L8) applies to all businesses in the UK, who store or use water in a manner that is likely to create an aerosol, irrespective of the industry sector to which they belong.

Failure to comply with any provision of any Approved Code of Practice is not in itself an offence. However, that failure is allowable in criminal proceedings, as proof to a court of law, that a person has contravened the legal requirement to which the provision relates.

The requirements for a business under ACOP L8 are:
- to identify and assess all sources of risk;
- to prepare a written scheme;
- to appoint a responsible person, who will ensure that;
- to implement and manage the scheme;
- to keep records.

Guardian's Safeguard Water Hygiene Service, is specifically designed to help you meet all of these requirements. Our Risk Assessors are competent, City & Guilds qualified engineers, with a detailed knowledge of domestic water systems, and the conditions that are known to allow for proliferation of Legionella.

All engineers are subjected to extensive training, and regular refresher training, from Guardian's specially developed Legionella Training Matrix. This training matrix more than satisfies the requirements of our ISO quality system in all aspects of the training given to our employees.

Legionnaire's Disease is a highly emotive subject with all events receiving a great deal of media attention, on Television, Radio, Newspapers and the Internet, more than it is thought to deserve, in comparison to road safety or health awareness issues. Guardian are well aware of the high profile of this disease and place great emphasis upon the standard of training given to it's employees.

Although the primary guidance is given in ACOP L8, other references used in the risk as sessment and as part of any subsequent remedial actions include The Water Regulations 1999 and British Standard BS 6700 (1997) (BS6700 1997), which is a design standard for water systems within building curtilages.

All our engineers have these reference manuals, readily available, whenever a risk assessment survey is carried out.

ACOP L8 gives practical guidance on two levels one is with respect to the legal situation, ie. Sections, 2, 3, 4 and 6 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and on Regulations 6, 7, 8, 9 and 12 of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1988 et al.

The other type of advice given is of a practical nature, giving information about what has to be done, to successfully control the proliferation of legionella bacteria in water systems.

When last revised in 2001 it integrated the old guidance note HS(G) 70 and the existing ACOP L8 together into one booklet.

Site Specific Cooling System Risk Assessment
The first step in achieving satisfactory control of an open circuit cooling system is to undertake 'a suitable and sufficient risk assessment' of the open circuit system. This is best practice as laid out by the Approved Code of Practice L8 'The control of Legionella Bacteria in Water Systems'2001 (ACOPL8).

The Health and Safety Commission, has prepared this publication to provide operators of open circuit cooling systems, with advice on two levels, firstly, how to comply with the law, and secondly; what to do practically to control their systems.

It is the 'yardstick'by which enforcement agencies such as the Health and Safety Executive and the Environmental Health Officer will measure your site. The output from the risk assessment survey will be an easy to understand report. It details,

- what if any physical aspects of the tower require remedial actions;
- the effectiveness of the precautions, that are currently being applied;
- advice about the pre-treatment equipment, and;
- any dosing equipment present;
- an independent assessment of the chemical regime in place, in relation to physical construction of the system itself, and;
- the type of make up water to the system.

With the first step of this process now complete, Guardian will produce a 'written scheme of precautions', in the form of a 'site specific water management record book', (log book), this is another requirement of ACOP L8.

Guardian Water Treatment's declared 'service objective'is to lead clients towards best practice, which is compliance to ACOP L8. Therefore, the service offering to our clients is focussed on that objective. Our team of risk assessors are competent and qualified to undertake this type of risk assessment, each one having many years of experience to call upon, in meeting the service objective.

The principle of doing a risk assessment first, derives from the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH). Legionella is a pathogenic organism, and is therefore in scope of the COSHH regulations.

By following the principles enshrined in COSHH, it will help prevent breaches of the 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act. This is the process Guardian uses to ensure peace of mind for our clients.

Is your company at risk? Complete Guardian's FREE Water Health Check survey now!

For further information on the services we provide,
give us a call on 01268 287477 or email info@gwtltd.com