The Role of Management in Legionella Prevention

The prevention of Legionella bacteria and the associated risk of Legionnaires disease is a critical concern for managers of buildings and facilities in the UK. It is the responsibility of the management team to ensure that all necessary measures are in place to prevent the growth and the spread of Legionella bacteria. The following some key roles that management can play in Legionella prevention: Conducting risk assessments; management should ensure that a competent person carries out Legionella risk assessments of all water systems in the building or facility and that appropriate controls are put into place to manage the risk. This should include regular monitoring and maintenance of the water systems. Providing resources and training; management should provide the necessary resources and training to staff to ensure that they understand the associated risk with Legionella bacteria and how to prevent its growth and spread.

This includes ensuring that staff are aware of the importance of good hygiene practices such as regular hand washing and cleaning water systems. Monitoring and reporting; management should ensure that regular monitoring and reporting of Legionella bacteria levels are carried out to detect any potential issues and to enable early intervention. This includes reporting of any suspected cases of Legionnaires disease to the relevant authorities. And finally, ensuring compliance with regulations; management should ensure that their building or facilities comply with all relevant regulations and guidelines related to Legionella prevention. This includes compliance under COSHH regulations and the Health and Safety Executive Approved Code of Practice, ACOP L8.