Legionella
What You Must Do
The health and safety law for landlords of domestic rental properties means that there is a duty to assess the risk from exposure to Legionella to ensure the safety of their tenants.
A risk assessment will show if there are any risks and what steps are needed to be taken so that the risks are being properly managed. It is important to review the assessment annually in case anything changes in the system.
A schematic diagram is an important tool that shows the layout of the water system, including any parts that are temporarily out of use.
You should check on a regular basis to see whether there have been any changes in the premises that may affect your risk assessment.
For Example:
- Are there any improvements still to be made?
- Has there been any tenant feedback?
- Have you learnt anything from accidents or illnesses?
- Has any new equipment or machinery been introduced?
- Have there been any changes to the water system?
- Do you have any new tenants that require training?
- Has it been a year or more since the last assessment?
- Has any applicable law changed or been newly introduced since the last assessment?
If the answer is yes to any of these questions, then your risk assessment will need to be reviewed to ensure it still remains appropriate and effective.
