All about Legionnaire’s Disease

There are more and more legionella cases appearing in court in the UK than ever before. Businesses are failing to control the risks and protect people, workers and public, from contracting legionnaire’s disease. This is a potentially deadly disease which can affect anyone. 

What is Legionnaire’s disease?
 

It is a lung infection causes by breathing in tiny droplets of water from things like air conditioning or hot tubs, showers, etc. Its usually caught in places like hotels, hospitals or offices where the bacteria have got into the water supply. It’s less common to catch it at home. 

Symptoms include a cough, difficulty breathing, chest pain, a high temperature and flu-like symptoms. 

People may need to go to hospital if they are diagnosed with legionnaire’s disease. 

What must you do as an employer/landlord or responsible person?

Under general health and safety law, as an employer or person in control of a premises (e.g. a landlord), you have health and safety duties and need to take suitable precautions to prevent or control the risk of exposure to legionella.

Carrying out a risk assessment is your responsibility and will help you to establish any potential risks and implement measures to either eliminate or control risks. 

You should consider whether you can prevent the risk of legionella in the first place by considering the type of water system you need, e.g. consider whether it is possible to replace a wet cooling tower with a dry air-cooled system. 

The key point is to design, maintain and operate your water services under conditions that prevent or adequately control the growth of legionella bacteria. You should, as appropriate: 

• Ensure that the release of water spray is properly controlled; 

• Avoid water temperatures and conditions that favour the growth of legionella and other micro-organisms;

• Ensure water cannot stagnate anywhere in the system by keeping pipe lengths as short as possible or by removing redundant pipework; 

• Avoid materials that encourage the growth of legionella. 

• Keep the system and the water in it clean; and 

• Treat water to either kill legionella (and other microorganisms) or limit their ability to grow.

If you identify a risk that you are unable to prevent, you must introduce appropriate controls. You should introduce a course of action that will help you to control any risks from legionella by identifying: 

• Your system, e.g. developing a written schematic; 

• 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; and 

• What checks will be carried out to ensure risks are being managed and how often.

What records do I need to keep? 

Records should include details about: 

the person or people responsible for conducting the risk assessment, managing, and implementing the written scheme; 

• Any significant findings of the risk assessment;

• The written control scheme and its implementation; and 

• The results of any inspection, test or check carried out, and the dates. 

This should include details about the state of operation of the system, i.e. in use/not in use. 

These records should be retained throughout the period for which they remain current and for at least two years after that period.

If you are unsure about your legal requirements, speak to us at Safety For and we can support you in your legal duties. 

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