Legionella Risk Assessments

“Employers have duties under health and safety law to assess risks in the workplace. Risk assessments should be carried out that address all risks that might cause harm in your workplace.” – Health and Safety Executive (HSE)

Approved Code of Practice (ACoP) L8 “Legionnaires’ disease: The Control of Legionella Bacteria in Water Systems” (Fourth edition) (2013) was initially published in 1991 and holds special status within the Law. The ACoP L8 explains to dutyholders including employers, those in control of premises and those with health and safety responsibilities for others, what they must do to comply with Health and Safety Law in relation to legionella.

The primary obligation is to ensure that a suitable and sufficient risk assessment is conducted to identify and assess the source of risk and develop a plan, for example a written scheme, from that resultant risk assessment to ensure that the identified risks are controlled by measures to ensure the health safety and welfare of those identified at risk so far as reasonably practicable.