Legionella is a disease causing bacteria associated with water system usually found in domestic properties. If this bacteria turns airborne, then they can be inhaled by people living in the property and have possibility to cause pneumonia like sickness. The health effects of legionella disease can be very immense, that why it is important that land owners do all they can to contain the risks.
Guidance presented by the Health and safety executive – Legionnaires’ disease; control of legionella bacteria in water system; approved Code of Practice L8- stated the guideline and formal demands for duty holders to containing and reducing the dangers caused by legionella bacteria. As a house owner, you must assess the risks in your property.
The Legionella Risk Assessment Process
To conduct a legionella risk assessment in Scotland, house owners must have the science, comprehension and ability needed. House owners must have an awareness of what legionella is, how it can be dangerous and how to carry out legionella testing in Glasgow so that proper regulatory measures can be administered. You will be held responsible if there is an outburst of legionella in one of your properties. To start with, there is need for legionella awareness training for all house owners.
To help with your duty, here are steps to guide you with your legionella risk assessment in Scotland in your own house.
Step 1: Identify the Hazards
The first step of a legionella risk assessment in Scotland is to find out any possible origin of risk within the property. Write out a list if water systems in the property and make note of how each water system could be a legionella risk.
Step 2: Consider Who May be At Risk
Thus involves keeping record of who is likely to be impacted by any possible legionella bacteria in the property. This stage is crucial to validate that landlords have put into consideration of who may be at risk.
Take note of every person who lives in the property and then consider the people that are at more risk than other, such as people who smoke or people with illness or people who do not have a strong immune system.
Step 3: Implement Control Measures
Before administering new legionella regulator assess any regulator that is already administered in the property and recon whether there are enough or needs to be updated. Proper regulatory measures include: administering time to time check and maintenance procedure, Monitoring water temperature, Time to time cleaning parts of the water system, Averting access to water tanks and pipework by unauthorized people, Flushing out water systems before letting a property to remove stagnant water, removing any excess pipework.
Specialists such as water Treatment Company or consultant should help you monitor the bacteria level and test water, but they are not needs in monitoring domestic properties because of the low risk level. Landlords should not do legionella testing in Glasgow like testing water or monitor bacteria level unless they are supervised by specialist. Once you administer regulator, remind your tenants to maintain all they need to.
Step 4: Keep Records
Whatever you find out from the legionella risk assessment in Scotland should be documented as proof that house owners are not breaching rules. A record should be kept of all dangers discovers and their regulatory measures and a description of the water system in use. These records should be kept for at least two years other documents of monitoring should be kept for at least five years.
Step 5: Review the Risk Assessment
House owners should regularly check for changes that may affect the risk assessment. It is advisable that you check for risk assessment yearly and each time there is an alteration, new information would surface. For example when: there is a change it the water system, new information about risks or regulatory measures becomes available etc.
