Risk Assessments

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre / HSE National Guidelines for the Control of Legionellosis in Ireland 2009 are available at www.hpsc.ie.

These guidelines state that a legionella specific risk assessment must be carried out in all buildings so the risk can be identified and appropriate control measures are implemented to limit the risk if the risk cannot be eliminated completely.

When looking at each water system in a building, the following points must be considered:

• The potential for legionella growth
• The potential for aerosol generation and exposure
• Whether or not susceptible people are present
• The adequacy of existing site management arrangements and records
• The efficiency of existing preventative control measures

These guidelines state that failure to undertake a risk assessment or possession of an inadequate risk assessment may lead to prosecution, especially if a system or premises is implicated in a legionnaires disease outbreak.

H2O Solutions can carry out a survey of a buildings’ water system and compile the risk assessment and control scheme that will put a system in place that will help control the growth potential of legionella and therefore reduce the risk of legionellosis.