Risk, Health and Safety Information

Can I incorporate a water risk assessment into a standard risk assessment?

Yes, a water (Legionella) risk assessment can form part of a general risk assessment.

But the water risk assessment has to be suitable and sufficient to cover the specific measures associated with control of Legionella, which are set out in detail in the HSE’s L8 code of practice. In brief, the assessment should identify where there are:

• suitable conditions for Legionella growth: water temperature of 25oC to 45oC.
• means of dissemination, such as showers or air-conditioning units, as the disease is contracted by the inhalation of contaminated water droplets.
• presence and nature of the people exposed. Old and infirm people are more prone to contracting Legionnaires’ disease.

A water risk assessment typically includes the schematic drawings of your water systems, the asset register, measures to control the risk and monitoring programmes.

Legionella assessments should be carried out at least every two years or when there is a significant change to the water system, and are needed for all commercial buildings with water systems, not just those with cooling towers.

Ensure there is proper training for anyone tasked with maintaining the control systems; it is good practice to provide employees with toolbox talks to understand the potential hazards.

Most organisations trust water assessments to specialists. Whoever is assigned the task must be competent and have sufficient experience, expertise and training in the systems.