Why You Need a Competent Person to Perform a legionella Risk Assessment

Every organisation where public water systems are installed needs to carry out a Legionella Risk Assessment to identify potential risks to clients, workers and others. Those who contract Legionella infection through contact with contaminated drinking water have flu-type symptoms which can progress to severe pneumonia if not treated. This makes a Legionella test one of the most important procedures carried out by companies that provide public drinking water services. If you do not know whether your company requires a test or not, contact your local water supplier and find out. Your local treatment plant may be able to advise on whether a test is required.

legionella risk assessment

You will also need to decide whether a legionella risk assessment is suitable for your business and whether or not the procedure would be carried out by a competent person. Contractors, suppliers and other business people with access to raw water sources are usually exempt from being required to carry out assessments. The majority of people who are exposed to contaminated drinking water through household taps, however, do require a legionella risk assessment. These people include contractors, management staff, engineers, architects, health care professionals and owners of private companies that supply public facilities with treated water.

You may also decide that a competent person should conduct a legionella risk assessment, especially if your public treatment facility is a concern. However, there are many advantages in having a competent person perform this task. A person who is trained to carry out such assessments will be able to find any problems early, and take steps to address them. They may choose to remove the affected material to an alternate location, or they might warn you ahead of time that you will need to remove some of the water coming into your property. Having such information available in advance will allow you to make the necessary decisions, which in turn will help you to manage risks and protect your business and your customers.