Water hygiene and legionella control

Your duty

If you’re an employer, or in control of premises, including as a landlord, you must identify and assess the risk from legionella in your water systems and put proper controls in place. HSE’s Approved Code of Practice L8 and its technical guidance, HSG274, explain how.

For most premises that means a risk assessment by a competent person, a written scheme of control if the assessment finds a risk, and routine checks that are recorded. The assessment should be reviewed regularly, and whenever there’s reason to think it’s no longer valid.