When conducting a  legionella risk assessment a detailed system inspection will be required to collect all the relevant information to formulate the site specific risk assessment report.

At Aqua Legion UK Ltd, always take a balanced approach to legionella risk assessment!

In addition to inspecting each of the systems, all relevant information is obtained about the management structure, and persons involved in the control of the water systems under assessment. Further to this, information on particular start up and shut down procedures, emergency procedures, and lines of reporting are identified. Aqua Legion UK, will also offer support in appointing a person to be managerially responsible for the water services and in organising the management structure to adequately cover the organisation.

Our Standard risk assessment report includes:

• An Executive Summary
• The Management and Responsibility structure
• Site Introductions and Systems Information
• Site Documentation and Reviews
• A Detailed Site Specific Risk Assessment
• A Recommended Written Control Scheme
• A List of Recommendations & Remedial Actions list.
• An Asset Register – including all water systems assessed
• Schematic Drawings and photographic evidence.

Recording the detail of the relevant information into a concise, and understandable document, is where our experience and practical knowledge can be of significant benefit to any client. Whilst many assessors use similar criteria, it is the content of such criteria that will define the quality, validity or suitability of the assessment. Insufficient information and detail will serve very little purpose in empowering the client to make valid decisions about managing the risk of legionella. by combining our simplified independent risk assessment formats with our experience, knowledge and independence, Aqua Legion is  able to take a balanced approach to assessing the risk of legionella.

We often see perfectly operating water systems which due to there age, do not meet current standards. However, this does not automatically result in a high legionella risk system or result in us given a system a higher risk rating. Sometimes an old system, which does not meet current standards can operate in a way that is inherently hostile to legionella. In fact, sometime these older systems can operate and reduce or control the risk of legionella better than a new water systems with all the bells and whistles.

It is this balanced approach, knowledge and understanding that Aqua Legion UK bring to legionella risk assessments.

Controversial? (maybe), but this is the right knowledge and understanding !!

Far to often we see perfectly operating and well managed cooling towers being automatically assigned a high or very high risk rating.  However, this cannot be correct!! Why you may ask?

Answer

If a well managed cooling tower is considered an automatic high or very high risk, then cooling towers should not be used or they should even be banned!!

Fact: If an adequate water treatment programme is in place and all the required suitable control measure are being implemented and monitored then the actual risk of infection from a cooling tower may be very low. Furthermore, if it is not possible to manage and reduce the potential risk of a cooling tower then they should not be used at all.

A high risk or very high risk system should be shut down, removed, replaced or renovated to standard. Alternatively,  other measures should be implemented to reduce the risk to a level that makes the tower or system safe to operate. Measures such as water treatment dosing systems which operate proportional to make up, secondary biocide treatments, daily and weekly checks etc should effectively control the risk of a cooling tower and reduce the risks to an acceptably lower level. The measures implemented should be designed to allow the cooling tower to operate safely. A high risk or very high risk system should not be acceptable to run on an on-going basis!

We do accept that a cooling tower has a potentially high risk  if poorly managed and that a large number of people can be exposed to the aerosol from a cooling tower. However, we all must also then accept that most water systems, including a basic domestic water system, also have a potentially high risk if poorly managed. Particularly in situations such as hotels, large offices where there are heavily used shower facilities, care homes or hospitals. All such locations have a potentially large number of particularly susceptible people who may be exposed to aerosols of infected water.

So, there is an important point to understand here:  When assessing any water system.  Know the difference between potential risk and actual risk!!

When conducting a risk assessment, the risk assessor should be assessing the actual risks present and the risk rating should be based on the actual risk presented.  However, a quality risk assessment will also offer supporting information on the potential risks a system may pose and how to manage both the potential and actual risks identified. As a result most well managed cooling towers will not actually present a high risk. Hence they are safe and legal to use.

The management tasks, procedures and condition of the tower should be assessed to determine the risk rating. The risk rating of a cooling tower should be specific to the particular system being assessed. Therefore, some tower systems will pose a high or very high risk, some a medium risk and on occasions some a low, or even very low risk. I hope we have been able to explain clearly why a cooling tower should not automatically be assigned a high or very high risk. Need more info contact us today.

Aqua Legion UK – have years of knowledge and expertise to back up our service.

By providing an independent legionella risk assessment service you can be assured that our recommendations will be well balanced, objective and designed to offer the client the most cost effectively solutions towards compliance.

We believe that this balanced approach is key to Aqua Legion UK gaining respect, trust and integrity within this specialist industry.