Legionella Risk Assessment in Leicestershire
A Legionella risk assessment is the first step to help ensure a Legionella compliant property for its occupants and for those responsible to prove they have taken the necessary steps needed to keep people safe.
Legionella Risk Assessment
Legionella bacteria is extremely dangerous and can cause infections that prove fatal in approximately 12% of reported cases. This is one of the key reasons why legionella risk assessments have become increasingly crucial and something that all persons responsible for commercial or rental properties should be aware of.
At Swiftclean, our team of experts are dedicated to helping individuals and businesses in Leicestershire navigate the process of legionella management with our professional, reliable and cost-effective legionella risk assessment services.
Understanding Legionella Risk Assessments
A legionella risk assessment serves as the cornerstone of water safety management, primarily focusing on identifying and evaluating potential hazards in water systems. These assessments examine crucial factors including water temperatures between 20-45°C, the presence of breathable droplets, and water storage conditions.
Our legionella assessment process encompasses several vital components:
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- Inspection of water systems for vulnerabilities
- Evaluation of maintenance practices
- Analysis of temperature control measures
- Assessment of water storage conditions
- Review of existing control schemes
As required by law, legionella risk assessments must be conducted by individuals with appropriate competency levels. The complexity of the water system directly influences the required expertise level, for example, a simple office building demands different skills compared to a complex hospital system.
Our Legionella risk assessments in Leicestershire are designed to identify potential risk sources as well as provide vital details of management responsibilities, and outline required monitoring procedures.
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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
Our Legionella Assessment Process Explained
The practical implementation of a legionella risk assessment begins with a comprehensive site survey of the water system. During this phase, our assessors will examine every aspect of the property’s water infrastructure to identify potential risks.
The assessment primarily focuses on these critical areas:
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- Water storage conditions and recirculation patterns
- Temperature profiles across the system
- Presence of nutrients like rust or sludge
- Potential for water droplet formation
- Usage patterns and infrequently used outlets
- Occupant vulnerability assessment
Under specific circumstances, water sampling can be necessary, particularly when there’s uncertainty about control measures or when recommended temperatures aren’t consistently achieved. These samples are analysed by UKAS-accredited laboratories that participate in water microbiology proficiency testing schemes.
For properties with elevated risk profiles, particularly healthcare settings, additional sampling protocols and more frequent monitoring may be required. The ultimate goal for our legionella risk assessments Leicestershire is to identify and address the root causes of legionella growth, rather than simply treating symptoms.
Legionella Risk Assessment Services
Legionella risk assessments stand as a critical safeguard for public health and safety, particularly given the potentially fatal nature of Legionnaires’ disease. Through proper assessment and management, property owners and managers can effectively minimise these risks while meeting their legal obligations.
At Swiftclean, our experienced specialists work to deliver a comprehensive legionella risk assessment service that helps to create a robust foundation for water safety management. This proactive approach, combined with proper documentation and qualified expertise, ensures effective legionella risk management for years ahead.
If you have any questions about our Leicestershire legionella risk assessments, then please do not hesitate to contact us and a member of our team 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.
