If you’re a landlord or commercial property owner, then you may have been tasked with carrying out a legionella assessment at your premises. It is your legal duty to ensure that the health and safety of your tenants or employees is protected, and a legionella risk assessment is one of the best ways to do this.

legionella testing requirements uk are underpinned by primary health and safety legislation such as the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and Management of Health and Safety Regulations 1999. Further guidance is provided in HSE’s Approved Code of Practice ACOP L8 dealing with the control of Legionnaires’ disease and also in their Health and Safety Guidance HSG274.

Legionella Testing Requirements in the UK: What You Need to Know

The purpose of a legionella assessment is to identify potential risks from the presence of legionella bacteria in the water systems at your premises. This will then allow you to put in place suitable controls to minimize the risk of legionella growing and causing harm to your people.

It is possible to carry out a legionella risk assessment yourself, although it is generally recommended that you use an expert for larger or complex sites and for those who haven’t had specific training in this area of risk assessment. Having the right qualifications (competence) and experience is important here, as failure to carry out an effective assessment could result in prosecution or a hefty fine.

As part of the legionella risk assessment process, your chosen specialist should advise you on where and when to take samples for legionella in the water system(s) at your premises based on your individual circumstances. They will then be able to advise on what needs testing and how often, in addition to helping you to develop a legionella control scheme.