The New Year naturally brings with it the opportunity for reflection and review, and so we should reflect and review on the management of our buildings.
One question you should ask yourself at the start of a New Year is - when was the last time I reviewed my Legionella Risk Assessment and is it still valid? As stated in the Approved Code of Practice (L8), a Legionella risk assessment is a living document, and you need to review the assessment regularly to make sure it remains up to date.
Your Legionella risk assessment should specifically be reviewed when there is reason to believe it is no longer valid. But what are some of the reasons that would mean the risk assessment is no longer valid? Some points you need to consider are:
- Changes to the water system or its use;
- Changes to the use of the building in which the water system is installed;
- The availability of new information about risks or control measures;
- The results of checks and Legionella testing indicating that control measures are no longer effective;
- Changes to key personnel; and
- A case of Legionnaires’ disease/legionellosis associated with the system.
Hopefully, whilst reading this, you have given yourself some time to sit down and consider if your Legionella risk assessment needs a review. If you need any help or support with any aspect of Legionella management in your buildings, please get in touch.