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LEGIONELLA RISK ASSESSMENT NATIONALLY
Optima Compliance offers an impartial and independent legionella risk assessment service the length and breadth of the UK. Our pricing structure is highly competitive as we use only local consultants to ensure you get a quality product at a cost effect price wherever your sites are in the UK.
Our service includes for one of our local risk assessment consultants to visit your premises across the UK to carry out full surveys of the water systems. We will liaise with you to understand the current management and monitoring measures in places before the assessor completes the site part of the risk assessment. This will cover where the water enters the building, how it is transported, stored, heated, and then in what form it is used. On completion of the site visit the reports will be generated to reflect compliance against these elements in accordance with The Approved Code of Practice Legionnaires’ disease; The control of legionella bacteria in water systems (ACoP L8) and HSG274 guidance and BS 8580-1:2019.
Once the assessor has signed the reports off and they have passed our quality control procedure a copies will then either be emailed directly to you or stored for on our client portal. Optima Compliance is always on hand to consult even after the jobs are completed and we encourage further correspondence to ensure firstly you are 100% happy that you understand the document and secondly are able to implement the control strategy optimally.
LEGIONELLA ASSESSING ON A NATIONAL BASIS
Optima Compliances highly experienced legionella risk assessment consultants are geographically located to ensure we can commit to national coverage throughout the UK. The team are dedicated to providing an industry high standard of service to ensure you get a report that reads the same wherever in the UK to assessment is carried out. All of our fully qualified (City & Guilds or equivalent) assessors comply fully with current HSE approved code of practice ACoP L8 and HSG 274 guidance along with BS 8580-1:2019 to provide the highest quality consultancy, to help all your properties reduce and control the risk of Legionella.
We at Optima Compliance understand our clients’ obligations to provide safe buildings and workplaces and to comply with all government health and safety legislation as a legal requirement. We also understand that you don’t want to receive an expensive complex report that is difficult to understand. Optima Compliance offers an economical and easy to read Legionella risk assessment. The report will always highlight the legislation, but ensure the actions you need to take are specific to your building and easy to perceive. We always provide any aftercare consultation that our clients may require, helping you further understand how to achieve a safe and compliant water system. This is what makes Optima Compliance the number one choice when it comes to national delivery.
We carry out legionella risk assessments of all types of buildings and sites across the UK including spas, construction sites, leisure centres, cooling towers, council buildings, rented homes, schools, hotels, B&Bs, hair salons, and dental surgeries. Legionella assessing of all of these types of properties nationally are a requirement.
No matter your type of business, building or water system it is vital that you control the risk of legionnaires disease, a potentially fatal type of pneumonia, with testing or legionella risk assessment of all properties. The service is cost-effective, and will give you the assurances that you complying with government legislation.
To arrange a proposal for Legionella risk assessing, simply get in touch now. All you need to do is submit an enquiry form including a few details about your requirements. We will promptly reply with a quote and our available schedule to carry out the Legionella site surveys. Alternatively, you can give us a call and one of the team will be happy to help.
WATER HYGIENE RISK ASSESSMENTS NATIONALLY
If you own or are responsible for a property in the UK with any form of water system used by employees, tenants, or the public, then you are required to control the risk of legionella. Having a comprehensive legionella risk assessment in place is a key step to compliance and proving you have a safe water system.
Legionella bacteria is present in water systems around the entire UK. The bacterium Legionella pneumophila and related bacteria are common in natural water sources such as rivers, lakes and reservoirs, but usually in low numbers. They are also found in purpose-built water systems such as cooling towers, evaporative condensers, hot and cold water systems and spa pools where human contact is more likely and where increased risk is found.
If conditions are favourable, the bacteria may grow increasing the risks of Legionnaires’ disease and it is therefore important to control the risks by introducing appropriate measures outlined by the HSE guidance documents ACoP L8 and HSG 274.
The main route of infection is through inhalation, by breathing in airborne water droplets that contain Legionella bacteria. The majority of cases or outbreaks of the disease have been via domestic water systems, evaporative cooling towers, poorly maintained artificial water systems and spa pools.
Vulnerability is heightened for certain groups including; people over 45 years of age, smokers and heavy drinkers, people suffering from chronic respiratory or kidney disease, people suffering from Diabetes, lung and heart disease, anyone with an impaired immune system.
Legionellosis is a collective term for diseases caused by legionella bacteria including the most serious Legionnaires’ disease, as well as the similar but less serious conditions of Pontiac fever and Lochgoilhead fever. Legionnaires’ disease is a potentially fatal form of pneumonia, and everyone is susceptible to infection.
It is vital that all premises implement the required control methods specific to the type of system and its design and continuously assess the risk where any changes may occur through the implementation of a written scheme of control.
As an employer or a person in control of a premises in the UK, you are legally responsible for health and safety and need to take the right precautions to reduce the risks of exposure to legionella. This includes making sure that you have carried out a sufficient Legionella Risk Assessment, implement all the continuous necessary control measures required for your water system and carry out any required remedial works.
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Frequently Asked Question's
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WHAT IS LEGIONELLA?
Legionnaire’s Disease, frequently caused by Legionella Pneumophila serogroup 1, is a potentially fatal form of pneumonia and everyone is susceptible to infection. It is a bacteria readily found in natural water sources but usually harmless as the numbers of bacteria commonly found in natural water sources is low. Additionally, the conditions found in these sources are unlikely to lead to infection.
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WHEN DOES LEGIONELLA BECOME DANGEROUS?
Legionella becomes a danger to us all when conditions are right for the bacteria to breed. Water temperature plays a key part in encouraging bacteria growth. Temperatures between 20-45˚C are ideal for bacteria growth. Infection is normally caused by inhaling small droplets of water (aerosols) and that is why showerheads in domestic and commercial properties are a key source of Legionella infection. Testing these sources may be a key part of a regular testing programme, but how do you know what to do? The short ansewer is that it begins with a Legionella Risk Assessment which is a legal requirement under the Control of Substances Hoazardous to health (COSHH). This will evaluate the causal chain and can include inspection of water storage.
Infections caused by Legionella bacteria (legionellosis) can arise particularly when water temperatures are ideal for bacteria growth (20-45˚ C). The use of and/or the recirculation of stored water should, therefore, be avoided when possible. Testing areas where the potential for water storage is essential in regular testing programmes. Legionella bacteria will also breed more effectively where nutrients (rust, sludge, scale and other organic matter) within water systems are present. It may be difficult to assess your water system to determine if these nutrients are present which is were a suitably trained and competent risk assessor is required to ensure a suitable and sufficient Risk Assessment is produced tol help you understand the risks and what you need to do to reduce them to as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP).
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WHO IS AT RISK?
Everyone is at risk of infection. However, the risk of infection increases for people who are or have;
• Smokers
• Heavy drinkers
• Over 45 years old
• Chronic respiratory or lung disease
• Diabetes
• Kidney disease
• Heart disease
• An impaired immune system
Suffering almost any illness can result in temporary increase susceptibility.
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IS A LEGIONELLA RISK ASSESSMENT A LEGAL REQUIREMENT?
Employers and landlords have certain legal responsibilities when it comes to assessing and controlling the risk of Legionella exposure. If methods of Legionella testing and control measures using HSE guidance are not carried out accurately, they could face fines and legal action. Legionella bacteria and other waterborne pathogens are responsible for causing a significant amount of serious health conditions and deaths each year, and the number of cases is on the rise. The guidance set out by the HSE are effective methods in ensuring water systems can be kept as safe as possible to all. A Legionella Risk Assessment is a key step toward making the water systems in your building/workplace are safe.
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DO I NEED A LEGIONELLA RISK ASSESSMENT FOR MY BUSINESS?
Yes! All UK businesses need a Legionella Risk Assessment. The document should provide you with a list of actions/recommendations, a scheme of control in which should be implemented to site and a risk rating. A suitable and sufficient Legionella Risk Assessment cost can be anything between £200 - £1000+ depending on the size and type of building.
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DO I NEED TO DO ANYTHING ELSE AFTER I HAVE ASSESSED THE RISKS?
Risk assessment is just the start but no further action maybe required apart from regular review should no foreseeable risk be identified. If a reasonably foreseeable risk is identified then a written scheme of control will be required to drawn up, implemented and adjusted as necessary.
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DO I NEED TO COLLECT LEGIONELLA SAMPLES?
Routine legionella sampling is not advocated for well controlled hot and cold water systems apart from in certain situations such as a high susceptible population and/or where problems with water quality controlled are identified.
