Legionella Prevention for Landlords
Carrying out a Legionella Risk Assessments is never top of a landlord’s priorities. However, it is a legal responsibility that no one renting out a property should forget about.
This is because the Legionella bacterium is
the cause of Legionnaire’s Disease, a potentially fatal form of pneumonia.
What’s more, Legionella could be present in the properties that you rent out.
Despite the number of cases of
Legionnaire’s Disease being relatively low (there were 503 last year),
businesses who are found to be negligent face significant fines. To avoid penalties, landlords must meet their
legal requirements; the good news is, if they use an estate agent to manage
their property, the steps they need to take can be completed for them – so
that’s one less thing to worry about!
.“You need to ensure that the person carrying out the risk assessment is competent and insured”
Sources of Legionella
Legionella Prevention – While Legionella exists in freshwater, it becomes a problem when it gets into humanmade hot and cold-water systems. This is because they create a perfect environment for bacteria to grow. This is especially true when ‘food’ is added (think rust or sludge in the pipes). This applies no matter what size the system – if the conditions are right, the bacteria will grow.
How do you catch
Legionnaires Disease?
You usually get it by breathing in
mist from water that contains the bacteria. The mist may come from hot tubs,
showers, or air-conditioning units for large buildings. The bacteria don’t
spread from person to person
What are your responsibilities?
Landlords have legal responsibilities to assess and control the risk of Legionella exposure. Health & Safety: A Brief Guide for Duty Holders outlines these responsibilities. To evaluate risks, landlords, or their agents, should carry out a Legionella Risk Assessment.
“If your report fails, we will not charge you for the pass report if you use us for the remedials”
With so many virus’ going around, make sure to be on top of your compliance and start commissioning the required assessment now. Assessment Hive are happy to help anytime.
