|
The Health and Safety Work act 1974 LRA or Legionella risk assessment must be conducted per the legal requirement. An individual must conduct LRA with the authority and competence to undertake administrative and physical checks. Engaging with an appropriate water hygiene expert who can ensure legal compliance and provide practical assistance in minimizing the risk of contracting Legionnaires’ disease in your building is important. Where do Legionella Bacteria Live? Legionella bacteria grow in water sources like reservoirs, lakes, streams, and rivers. They can also live in artificial water sources like cooling towers, cold and hot water systems, and spas. On getting the right environmental condition in any man-made or natural water system, Legionella can become a breeding ground. Many health risks are related due to Legionella bacteria, especially in the areas where water is recirculated or stored and where water droplets can be spread in aerosol form. Several external factors can cause Legionella bacteria to grow, such as water temperature, water stagnation, sediment, water temperature fluctuation, alteration in municipal water quality, insufficient disinfectant level, pH fluctuations, etc. What Do you Know about Legionnaires Disease? Legionnaire’s disease is a pneumonia infection that causes inflammation in the alveoli and other lung tissues. When humans breathe the aerosols consisting of Legionella bacteria, they start contracting Legionnaires disease. This disease is considered fatal and severe and causes hazardous problems to people who already have diabetes, chronic disease, and weak immunity system. Some of the complications which are caused due to Legionnaire’s disease are respiratory failure, multi-organ failure, and acute renal disease. When Should LRA Conduct? A landlord, building manager, or employer must conduct the legionella risk assessment to reduce the health risk that comes with Legionella bacteria. This assessment must be carried out regularly if the building occupants consist of mostly elderly people. As per the industry, standard LRA is recommended to be conducted every 2 years. In addition, it should be conducted whenever there is a change in the water system, building where the water system is present, change in the company’s key personnel, or updates in legislation if the building is changed from unoccupied to an occupied building. What Does LRA Include? Legionella risk assessment includes reviewing the current records and checking the previous assessment to ensure that the remedial work and maintenance have been properly acted upon. This assessment comes with 2 long processes -a physical inspection and consultation, verification of the management procedures, and paperwork. Based on the assessment’s findings, a formal report will be prepared, including all the recommendations about the action that must be carried out to lower or lessen the risk of Legionella disease. Suppose you are a landlord and need to conduct this assessment to identify the risk and take remedial actions. In that case, most building managers find a suitable system to address the problems. Legionella risk assessment is one of the legal obligations required by all manager building owners to ensure the safety of the people living in the building. A hefty fine will be imposed if anyone fails to manage the risk there. We are experienced experts to carry out all the right credentials to ensure safety and compliance regarding LRA. We perform a thorough assessment with the help of technical evaluation, including administrative and physical elements. If you want to perform a Legionnaire Risk assessment, then contact us.
Related Articles -
legionella, risk, assessment,
|
