Landlords & Property Owners Urged to Comply with Legionella Legislation or Face Prosecution

Landlords and property owners face hefty fines if they fail to comply with the latest legionella legislation recently updated by the Health & Safety Executive. The revised legislation deals with the control of risks associated with legionella, a water-borne bacteria, which although rare, can have serious and often fatal consequences if it develops into Legionnaire’s disease.

With the help of specially designed tools from Legionella Control International, landlords and property owners can now take appropriate steps to mitigate the risks and ensure the safety of their tenants.

Legionella Control International offer a series of free guides and check-lists to assist landlords, property owners and managing agents control these risks.  Our “Legionella Compliance Self-Audit Checklist” is one such tool which is free for landlords and available to utilise on request… call us on 0330 223 36 86 or get in touch here … contact us

Legionella risk management

Legionella is typically found within aquatic environments and is especially dangerous where specific conditions enable the micro-organisms to propagate speedily. Legionnaires’ disease itself is rare but 359 reported cases were diagnosed during 2010 in England and Wales alone. Landlords, property owners and managing agents are encouraged to implement risk assessments and water management systems to ensure that impending risks are minimised or eliminated altogether. Landlords have been urged to watch for especially vulnerable individuals who may be further susceptible to contracting the disease when exposed to contaminated water systems.

Although outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease are rare, the ramifications are real and can be devastating to those involved. It is essential that landlords, property owners and managing agents satisfy their legal obligations to ensure that legionella is not ignored and left unmanaged within their properties. Fortunately, it is relatively easy to implement appropriate risk management strategies to ensure that the bacteria does not get a hold. UK tenants and businesses require complete compliance in this area which is why those that fail to comply with the law can face hefty fines.

Health & Safety Executive Approved Code of Practice

The Health & Safety Executive issued a revised addition of the Approved Code of Practice ACOP L8 entitled, “Legionnaire’s Disease: The Control of legionella bacteria in water systems” to ensure that property owners manage any risks appropriately. The scheme must be enforced by all within the property sphere regardless of the size and complexity of their water systems.

Legionella Control International ensures world class solutions are implemented to minimise, control and prevent the risk of legionella outbreaks in private and commercial properties. Offering independent, impartial advice, they offer landlords and property owners an extensive range of legionella risk management services including risk assessments, compliance audits, training, assessment of water systems, crisis management, and laboratory testing as well as an array of other essential options all designed to safeguard against legionella.

To find out more about Legionella Control International and how to safeguard your property to comply with the legislation call us today on 0330 223 36 86 or get in touch here … contact us