What is a Legionella Risk Assessment Template?
A Legionella risk assessment is a tool used by landlords, employers, and property managers to identify Legionella-related risk factors in a property, workplace, or facility and to control the risks of Legionnaires’ disease, a pneumonia-like illness caused by Legionella.
Why Use Legionella Risk Assessment Templates?
To help save time, others opt to use templates instead for their Legionella risk assessments. Legionella risk assessment templates aim to guide assessors in performing thorough inspections of water systems and prevent the growth of Legionella bacteria, which can cause serious harm or fatality from Legionnaires’ disease.
What to Include in the Template
There are many ways to create a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) legionella risk assessment form, though most forms have the following common items:
- List of water-related hardware installed such as showers, sink faucets, and the like
- Data on water temperature, as well as water cooling and heating systems and their tune ups
- Disinfection steps
- Description of the pipework in place
- People most at risk for contracting Legionnaires
Top 3 Legionella-related Risk Factors and How to Control Them
In Michigan, Flint’s water crisis spawned one of the largest outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease in U.S. history. Here are the most common factors that make a facility more susceptible to Legionella bacteria and how landlords, employers, and property managers can effectively control them:
1. Redundant Piping or Dead Legs
Dead legs are stagnant or rarely used pipes in a system, which can become breeding grounds for Legionella bacteria. To prevent this, regularly survey and update the full schematic diagram of the hot and cold water system. Include water flow details, a water treatment program, and a written plan for Legionella control.
2. Infected Cold Water Storage Tanks
Another condition for legionella to rapidly multiply is the lack of residual disinfectants like chlorine in cold water storage tanks. Routine cleaning and disinfection of cooling towers and the hot and cold water system should take place at least once every six months.
3. Lukewarm Water Temperature
The temperature of hot and cold tap water should remain 50 degrees Celsius (122°F) or above and 20 degrees Celsius (68°F) or below, respectively, while the water temperature inside the boiler should be kept at or above 60 degrees Celsius (140°F). Legionella exponentially grows in warm water temperatures, ranging from 25-42 degrees Celsius (77°-108°F). Proactively guard the premises against Legionnaires’ disease by installing temperature sensors.
FAQs about Legionella Risk Assessments
Countries that require legionella risk assessments include the following:
According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), anyone with the necessary skills, knowledge, and experience to manage health and safety can do a Legionella risk assessment. Most landlords, employers, and property managers can do a Legionella risk assessment on their own. But if they are not comfortable with doing it on their own or if they are unable to do the Legionella risk assessment, they can appoint someone else to do it on their behalf.
Based on the Approved Code of Practice for Legionnaires’ disease (ACOP L8), records of significant findings must be kept for the period that they are current and at least 2 years after the Legionella risk assessment. Therefore, it is recommended that Legionella risk assessments are reviewed and, should some changes affect the risk, be done at least every 2 years.
Legionella risk assessment should be reviewed (taken from HSE guidance for ACOP L8):
- There are changes to the water system or its use
- There are changes to the use of the building in which the water system is installed
- New information about risks or control measures has become available
- Checks have indicated that control measures are no longer effective
- There are changes to key personnel
- A case of Legionnaires’ disease has been associated with the water system
Yes, Legionella can be found in houses or residential buildings. Although most laws on Legionella are focused on businesses, legionella can be found in any establishment that has natural water and/or hot and cold water systems and this includes private homes. If a homeowner wants, they can have their houses examined for bacteria similar to how businesses do. Alternatively, homeowners can also DIY their legionella risk assessments, but would still have to consult a professional for further assistance.
Jona Tarlengco