Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

The Health and Safety at Work ETC. Act 1974 is the primary legislation that governs Health and Safety in the Workplace in the UK. The Act places a general duty on employers to ensure the health and safety of their employees and others who may be affected by their work activities. The act is relevant to Legionella controls in several ways. Firstly, the act requires employers to assess the risks associated with their work activities and take appropriate control measures to control these risks, this includes identifying and assessing the risk associated with Legionella in their water systems and implementing the appropriate control measures to manage those risks. Secondly, the act requires employers to provide a safe working environment for their employees, which includes providing clean and safe water supplies. The water systems that are contaminated with Legionella compose significant risk to employees health, and it's the employer's responsibility to ensure that they are properly maintained and controlled to reduce the risk contamination. Thirdly, the act requires employers to provide appropriate training and supervision to their employees to ensure that they carry out their work safely, this includes providing training on Legionella management so that employees are aware of the risk associated with Legionella and how to control these risks.

Finally, the Act places a duty on employers to consult with their employees on matters of health and safety, including Legionella control, this means that employers should involve their employees in the risk assessment process, provide them with information on the risk associated with Legionella and consult with them on the appropriate control measures to manage those risks.