Legionella Risk Assessment in Ipswich
At Swiftclean, our team of dedicated experts deliver professional, reliable and cost-effective Legionella risk assessments services in Ipswich.
Legionella risk assessments are essential for protecting against a potentially fatal form of pneumonia that spreads through the inhalation of stagnant water vapour. This serious condition, known as Legionnaires’ disease, primarily infects people when they breathe in airborne water droplets contaminated with Legionella bacteria.
Property owners have a legal duty to ensure the health and safety of employees and other building users. This includes protection against Legionella. A Legionella risk assessment is crucial for compliance and protection.
At Swiftclean, our team of dedicated experts deliver professional, reliable and cost-effective Legionella risk assessments in Ipswich, helping you to ensure that your property is safe and compliant with legislation.
Understanding the Risk of Legionella
Legionella bacteria naturally occur in freshwater environments such as lakes and streams, but rarely cause disease in these settings. The real danger emerges once these bacteria colonise building water systems, where, under specific conditions, they can multiply to dangerous levels. There are various factors that can contribute towards these Legionella numbers, including;
- Temperatures between 20-45°C where the bacteria can flourish.
- Stagnant water, which significantly increases the risk of bacterial growth compared to moving water.
- Build-ups of organic matter such as rust, slime, sludge, sediment and scale provide nutrients that fuel the growth of Legionella.
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Having water with high levels of this bacteria is cause for concern, but the real threat is when the contaminated water becomes aerosolised, as the tiny droplets can then be inhaled into the lungs, leading to Legionnaires’ disease.
Water systems which create these types of airborne water droplets include;
- Cooling towers and evaporative condensers
- Hot and cold-water outlets
- HVAC systems
- Whirlpool or hydrotherapy baths
- Showers
- Spa pools
- Decorative water features
Whilst anyone can contract Legionnaires’ disease, certain groups face heightened vulnerability and a greater chance of serious health complications or death, including;
- People over 50 years of age
- Current or former smokers
- Individuals with chronic respiratory conditions
- Those with diabetes, kidney or liver failure
- People with compromised immune systems
- Heavy drinkers
At Swiftclean, our specialists use Legionella risk assessments to identify any potential danger points in your water systems before they become problematic. This proactive approach helps businesses and landlords to implement effective prevention strategies whilst meeting their legal obligations.
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Swiftclean commitment:
- FREE quotation/technical advice – Nationwide – call 0800 243 471
- Works carried out in accordance with the Legionella Control Association (LCA) code of conduct
- Risk Assessments and control schemes carried out to L8, BSRIA and CIBSE guidelines
- All works fully certified and legionella control log books provided
- Fully trained and directly employed staff
- Method Statements and Risk Assessments provided site specific as required
- Training for your own staff following risk assessment
Ipswich Legionella Risk Assessments
Our professional Legionella risk assessments involve a systematic examination of your water systems to identify potential breeding grounds for harmful bacteria. Upon arranging this crucial service, you can expect a structured approach designed to thoroughly evaluate risk factors.
- Initially, our qualified technicians will visit your premises to conduct a comprehensive site survey.
- During this visit, they’ll meticulously assess the design, materials, and condition of all water systems, along with existing control measures and management practices.
- Specifically, they’ll examine the vulnerability of people using the site according to their risk profile.
- Following the inspection, our experts will compile detailed documentation that typically includes:
- A full written report outlining identified risks
- Clear remedial actions prioritised by importance
- Control measures tailored to your property
- Our team is also able to deliver aftercare consultation, helping you to implement recommendations and achieve a safe, compliant water system. This ongoing support ensures your Legionella risk assessment service delivers lasting protection against potential health hazards.
Why You Should Invest in Professional Legionella Risk Assessment Services
Whilst it is possible in certain settings to carry out a legionella risk assessment yourself, there are many reasons why choosing to use a professional service is highly recommended. Here are just some of the reasons why you should consider utilising the services of a professional.
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- Expertise and Qualifications – Reputable assessors will not only be expertly trained and qualified but also hold years of experience in legionella control, making them extremely knowledgeable. This expertise far outweighs the abilities of those who may attempt to carry out their own risk assessments with little to no real understanding of legionella and what goes into ensuring a building is safe.
- Comprehensive Reporting – Not only does hiring a professional deliver peace of mind, but the right company will provide detailed explanations of findings alongside helpful guidance on recommended remedial actions as well as a control programme to follow for managing ongoing legionella risks.
- Cost Effective – Whilst the biggest reason for doing a legionella risk assessment in-house seems to be to save money, it can actually work out extremely cost-efficient to hire someone to take on this task.
- Local Knowledge – If you choose local providers, then they will have a better understanding of the regional water conditions and relevant local regulations.
- Compliance – The consequences of failing to meet the necessary laws and regulations can be severe, especially if someone were to fall ill as a result. By opting to work with professional assessors, you can ensure that all the legal requirements are met and that your property is safe and compliant.
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As specialists providing Legionella risk assessment services across the UK, we understand just how important it is to take the safety and maintenance of your water systems seriously. Our dedicated teams are experts at ensuring every reasonable step has been taken to safeguard against this preventable but potentially serious infection. At our Highfield-accredited Swiftclean Academy, we can also offer Legionella awareness training and responsible person training.
If you need a Legionella risk assessment in Ipswich, have any questions or would like to know more, then please get in touch and one of our friendly advisors will be happy to help.
More resources and best practice
What is a Legionella Risk Assesment?
A Legionella risk assessment is a tool used to identify the risk factors in a facility and determine interventions to help control the risks of Legionnaires’ disease.
Legionella assessment helps to evaluate and mitigate the risks and is also a legal requirement for employers; this includes the owners and operators of commercial buildings including social housing, facilities management, healthcare, hotels and many others. Owners and operators have a statutory duty to control the risk of legionella bacteria in water systems.
If the assessment suggests that remedial action is required, Swiftclean are able to undertake these tasks to help remove / reduce the risk of Legionella proliferation and exposure.
What is Legionella and What Causes It?
Legionnaires disease is a severe form of pneumonia – a lung inflammation caused by infection. The disease is normally contracted by inhalation, either in tiny droplets of water (aerosols), or in droplet nuclei (the particles left after the water has evaporated) contaminated with Legionella bacteria, direct into the lungs.
Legionella bacteria is widespread within natural water sources such as river, lakes and reservoirs. The bacteria may also be found in purpose-built water systems such as cooling towers, hot and cold water systems and spa pools. People can contract the illness by inhaling small droplets of water in the air containing the bacteria.
Outbreaks of Legionnaires disease often occur from exposure to the Legionella bacteria growing in purpose-built water systems where poor water condition allows for the proliferation of the legionella bacteria to dangerous levels. The disease cannot be spread from person to person – only by contaminated water being inhaled.
Legionella UK Specialists
Under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations, owners and operators of all commercial premises (including: Social Housing, Facilities Management, Hotels & Stadiums, Healthcare, Education and many others) have a statutory duty to control the risk of legionella bacteria in water systems. This includes: identifying and assessing the sources of risk, preparing a scheme for preventing or controlling the risk, appointing a person to be managerially responsible, implementing and managing precautions and keeping records of the precautions implemented.
Swiftclean can conduct a Legionella Risk Assessment, which will identify the level of risk within your property.
Is It A Legal Requirement to Have A Legionella Risk Assessment?
There is a legal duty in place to assess and control the risk of exposure to Legionella bacteria, especially for commercial businesses, including hotels, spas, schools and social housing.
This assessment should be considered a ‘living document’ and reviewed regularly and/or whenever there is reason to believe that the original assessment may no longer be valid. This may be because of:
- changes to the water system or its use;
- changes to the use of the building in which the system is installed;
- the availability of new information about risks or control measures;
- the results of checks indicate that control measures are no longer effective.
- changes to key personnel
- a case of legionnaires disease associated with the system
Legionella Risk Assessment for Landlords
Landlords are under a duty to ensure that the risk of exposure to tenants, residents and visitors to Legionella is properly assessed and controlled. Health and safety legislation requires Landlords to carry out risk assessments and maintain control measures to minimise the risk.
Property managers or individuals responsible for the control of Legionella bacteria should ensure a safe and disease-free environment. The law is clear that if you are a landlord and rent out your property (or even a room within your own home) then you have legal responsibilities to ensure that the property is kept safe from health hazards. The requirement stems from the COSHH Regulations, which require the control of substances hazardous to health, bacteria being included; Section 3(2) of the Health and Safety Work Act 1974 to make provisions for the legislation to apply to landlords of both business and domestic premises.
Landlord Risk Assessment Details
A Landlord’s risk assessment provided by Swiftclean will include the following details:
- Potential sources of risk
- Any controls in place to control risks
- Procedures for monitoring, inspecting and maintaining
- Records of the monitored results, inspections and checks carried out
- Arrangements to review the risk assessment regularly
Why Choose Swiftclean?
If you manage a water system within a building and you require a risk assessment with control measures in place – Swiftclean are here to help.
We are known for being hassle-free, reliable and competitively priced. With a Legionella risk assessment from Swiftclean, you can help to prevent the deadly disease and rest easy knowing that professional measures are in place to help keep your business safe.
Our team of engineers will carry out comprehensive Legionella testing, tailor an action plan to your business and provide a written review to ensure that your business is compliant to the industry standards.
Whatever your needs, get in touch with Swiftclean today. We’re here to provide advice and cost-effective Legionella risk assessments and management to companies of all sizes in the UK.
What is Legionnaires’ disease?
Legionnaires’ disease can be a potentially fatal disease, caused by the inhalation of small droplets of contaminated water containing the bacterium Legionella pneumophila and related bacteria. Man-made hot and cold water systems are likely, if conditions deteriorate, to provide an environment where Legionella can grow, so it’s important to ensure your water systems are safe and not at risk of developing this fatal bacteria.
How much does a risk assessment cost?
The price of a risk assessment will differ depending on the size of the premises, how many water systems there are and whether it’s for domestic or commercial use. Contact us today for your FREE, no obligation quote.
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Please call us or email info@swiftclean.co.uk for further advice and a free quote.
