A legionella risk assessment is, of course, an important part of the management of any building. However, once the initial assessment is done, did you know that you will also need to have it reviewed periodically? Your water hygiene consultant should give you this information, but if they have not, or if you carried out your own risk assessment, then it is crucial that you are aware – changes can mean that your risk assessment is no longer valid, even if you think it is.
In the past, a legionella risk assessment needed to be reviewed every two years. This requirement has changed, and it is no longer necessary to have your risk assessment updated after this amount of time. However, there are other reasons to have your risk assessment reviewed – read on to find out what they are.
Changes To The Water System
No matter what changes you might make to your water systems, whether you are removing pipework, adding more, or rearranging the existing arrangement, you will need a risk assessment review carried out.
In this case, it might be simpler to have an entirely new risk assessment done, especially if the changes are significant.
High Risk Users
Not every building is going to have high risk users within it, but some, such as care homes, hospitals, clinics, and nurseries will be occupied for most of the time by those who are more vulnerable to legionnaires’ disease than others.
If this is the case for you, your risk assessment should be reviewed regularly to ensure that all the correct control measures are in place.
Change Of Use
If the building you are management has a change of use then it will need to have an up to date risk assessment to reflect this. The details of the risk assessment may not change – this will depend on what the building used to be used for and what it is now used for – but nonetheless, it will need to be updated to comply with legislation.
Poor Management and Monitoring
If the initial risk assessment found that the monitoring and management of the building are not effective and could be said to be poor, then the risk assessment will need to be reviewed on a more regular basis until the management is more effective and the right control measures are in place. Once this is the case, fewer checks and reviews will be needed.
New Guidance
Although it happens relatively rarely, if the HSE issues new guidance on legionella control then an updated risk assessment will need to be carried out in order to ensure the building’s control measures are up to date.
Positive Legionella Results
Positive legionella results after water sampling are not grounds in themselves to have a new risk assessment carried out, or a review on the existing one. However, if the positive results keep being found even after new control measures are in place, a thorough investigation of the building’s water systems will need to be carried out – this should involve carrying out a fresh risk assessment to ensure nothing has been missed.
Contact Assured Water Hygiene
Legionella risk assessments are important – crucial, even – but you don’t need to become concerned. If you contact an expert, just like us at Assured Water, you can relax, knowing that your risk assessment is current, inline with guidance, and can be updated if and when it needs to be.
Call us today with any queries or to find out more. Our number is 020 8432 3388, or you can email office@assuredwater.co.uk.
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