The Legionella Risk Assessment.

The foremost criterion of a risk assessment is the acknowledgment of a well defined management framework within the company, to allocate responsibilities to named individuals. This is important, as they will individually become responsible in the event of any legal proceedings.

The assessor must establish and evaluate the risk of legionella by taking the following actions:

• The systems at risk should be brought to light, any previous risk assessments should be read. The condition of the system and accessibility must be known as an inaccessible area cannot be assessed.
• Design features that contribute to the risk of bacteria growth should be identified (e.g. tank much larger than is required).
• The assessor may look at the facilities manager's ability to maintain control of legionella and their staff's competence to carry out maintenance on the system.

The above points will ensure a valid risk assessment, ensuring systems accessible in contact with water are examined and recommendations based on their condition then be made.