Legionella risk assessment
Legionella Risk Assessments in London
Assess the risk from hot and cold water systems, document existing controls and identify proportionate actions for landlords, agents, property managers and businesses.
What the assessment is designed to establish
A suitable Legionella risk assessment examines the water system, how it is operated and who may be exposed. It should identify potential sources of risk, assess whether existing controls are adequate and record any further action needed to prevent or control exposure.
HSE’s approach is proportionate: simple domestic-type systems can present low risk, while larger, more complex or intermittently used systems may require more detailed control, monitoring and management arrangements.
Typical assessment considerations
System design and condition
Cold-water storage, hot-water generation, distribution pipework, outlets, deadlegs, redundant pipework and other features that can encourage stagnation or bacterial growth.
Temperature and water use
Whether temperatures and turnover are consistent with effective control, including areas that may be infrequently used or vulnerable to stagnation.
People and management
Who may be exposed, who controls the system, how maintenance is organised and whether responsibilities and review arrangements are clear.
There is no one-size-fits-all annual Legionella certificate
HSE does not prescribe a universal annual certificate for ordinary residential property. The legal focus is on assessing and controlling the risk. A low-risk domestic system may need only simple, practical controls and periodic review, while changes to the system, occupancy or management arrangements can trigger the need to revisit the assessment.
Routine water sampling is also not automatically required for every simple domestic system. Testing and monitoring should follow the risk profile and the control scheme, not a generic sales timetable.
Landlords and managing agents: make responsibility explicit
HSE advises that where a managing or letting agent is used, the management contract should clearly state who is responsible for maintenance and safety checks, including Legionella risk management. If responsibility is not defined, the duty may remain with the person who controls the premises and water system.
What you should receive
A useful assessment should define the property and system reviewed, identify material risks and existing controls, record limitations, state proportionate actions and make clear when the assessment should be revisited. For more complex systems, it should also support the wider written control scheme and responsible-person arrangements where applicable.
Primelinks coordinates the commercial and reporting process; technical assessment is routed to suitably competent professionals for the system involved.
Need a Legionella risk assessment in London?
Send the property type, occupancy, water-system details and any previous assessment or maintenance records.