Legionella Responsible Person Training – Everything You Need to Know

Legionella responsible person training

In this expert guide the regulatory compliance specialists at Legionella Control International look at the role of the legionella Responsible Person, training and the question of staff competence.

The guide considers who is suitable to take on the role of the Responsible Person and what it involves, what they need to know; and why legionella training, skills and competence are vital to the successful implementation of this important water safety role.

Why is legionella training for the Responsible Person important?

All UK businesses have a legal responsibility to ensure their water supplies are safe for use and don’t put their employees, visitors and other people at unnecessary risk.

Part of this process includes monitoring the levels of Legionella bacteria present in those water systems.

Legionella bacteria should always be kept under control and at safe levels, thereby minimising the risk that an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease could occur.

To ensure these duties are adequately met, a legionella Responsible Person must be appointed to take control of the water systems used as part of a business to ensure they are safe to use.

the Responsible Person must make sure every water system within the premises under their control is safe

Very often, the business owner, a director or senior manager may take on this role.

However, there is more to becoming a Responsible Person for the control of legionella in a workplace than merely taking on that title.

Learn more about training for the Responsible Person

Here, we learn more about this important water safety role, what it involves, and why competence, supported by specialist Responsible Person training are of vital importance.

What is a legionella Responsible Person?

A legionella Responsible Person is the name of the role given to a person or persons in a business – they are the person responsible for managing the risks posed by Legionella bacteria in the workplace.

This legionella bacterium can lead to Legionnaires’ disease, Pontiac fever, and legionellosis – a geneal term for any disease caused by Legionella bacteria.

Learn more about Legionnaires’ disease

Outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease can potentially lead to fatalities and long-term issues among those who survive so it’s very important that it is controlled to keep people safe.

If several people were responsible for maintaining safe water systems at a property, there would be a greater chance of things going wrong or getting missed.

Someone might assume someone else had completed certain tasks, when in fact they never get done.

By appointing one Responsible Person to perform the role in a building or series of buildings, that person knows they are responsible for controlling legionella levels within their workplace or relevant location.

What does the role involve?

Put simply, the Responsible Person must make sure every water system in use (or not) within the premises under their control is safe and not at risk of becoming dangerously contaminated by legionella.

The role covers regulations laid down in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, COSHH, along with other health and safety guidance and legislation including the Health and Safety Executives ACOP L8 and guidance HSG274 documents.

The water systems should be safe to use in all ways, not just in relation to whether legionella levels are deemed safe.

The Responsible Person should be familiar with all the relevant legislation and regulations and what they require.

This would include ACOP L8, “Legionnaires’ disease: The control of legionella bacteria in water systems.”

It is important that the person selected to be the Responsible Person should be familiar with all the water systems present in their building and understand how they work.

They should be able to identify all potential water safety and legionella risk factors within the system, so steps can be taken to manage them at safe levels.

If water safety risks cannot be removed, they should be minimised and this may be done through regular legionella testing, the implementation of appropriate maintenance and control measures, and periodic monitoring of the water systems and effectiveness of the control measures in place.

For example, legionella sampling may be carried out at certain points and intervals.

If a sample were to test positive for raised levels of Legionella bacteria, appropriate action would need to be taken to reduce the levels.

Learn more about legionella testing

Why is legionella Responsible Person training important?

Few people would be aware of what the duties of a Responsible Person involve.

It would be foolhardy for everyone to assume they could perform this role… indeed, anyone wishing to take on the role (or that has been given it) should receive appropriate training before taking on the position.

The person appointed as the legionella Responsible Person must be aware of and understand their legal responsibilities.

They must also have the appropriate level of knowledge, and be competent to perform the role… and that would typically mean having legionella training to ensure they reach those levels.

Learn more about legionella Responsible Person training

Information given during any Responsible person training will help the individual understand the importance of the role and what is required of them to perform it.

They will also receive instructions on what they need to do and when, so they can make sure the water systems they are responsible for will continue to remain safe for people to use.

The importance of the legionella risk assessment

All good legionella management programmes begins with a legionella risk assessment.

This risk assessment will highlight any areas of the water system or its use that could present risks to those using it.

Learn more about the legionella risk assessment process

In-depth Responsible Person training will reveal how this legionella risk assessment should be conducted, what to look for, and how it can be used to manage the risks going forward.

In some cases, a Responsible Person may need to act to prevent risks from occurring in the first instance.

In other cases, they may need to act to manage existing risks, so they do not pose any danger to those using the water systems.

All the necessary elements involved in fulfilling the role of the legionella Responsible Person should be dealt with during the training.

Why is it vital to be competent when taking on the Responsible Person role?

It’s important to remember that the competence of the legionella Responsible Person to do their job effectively is of paramount importance.

Without this competence, the person in charge of monitoring and controlling legionella risks in the workplace may not be able to understand or manage the risk situations as they arise.

This lack of understanding could increase the chances that an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease could occur and people become ill.

For example, someone without the proper training may assume a water system is safe and that the risk of contamination is low.

That may be true of most of the system, yet there could be over sized water storage tanks, defective hot water heaters or even dead legs that are infrequently or never used.

Stagnant water is also a potential trigger for an increase in Legionella bacteria.

This could easily be missed by someone without formal legionella training or who does not exhibit the level of competency needed to perform their role in safety.

Professional legionella training for the Responsible Person

Professional training to become a legionella Responsible Person is not merely of importance – it could end up saving lives.

No one should take on this role unless they have had appropriate training, and are competent to perform their tasks.

World-leading legionella risk management specialists

Rated highly by our clients, we work closely with organisations of all shapes and sizes, across all sectors throughout the UK and internationally, training people with responsibility for the control of legionella in the workplace to give them the skills and knowledge to perform their duties effectively and so meet their social and legal obligations with confidence.

If you are a landlord, business owner, health and safety manager, property and facilities specialist, duty holder or the responsible person and would like to learn more about our City & Guilds accredited legionella training courses please contact us today.

Our experts can quickly help you develop practical learning and staff development plans that will help to keep people safe, protect your reputation and demonstrate to the safety regulators and other important stakeholders that you are taking appropriate measures to manage the risks in your business.