We are carrying out more legionella risk assessments in Edinburgh today. We believe we offer a really affordable legionella risk assessment in Edinburgh which will be hard to beat on price or service !
Do u need a Landlord Legionella Risk Assessment ?
If you are a landlord you have a duty to carry out a risk assessment of the water system within your property and take suitable precautions to prevent the risk of exposure to legionella to your tenants within your premises.
The HSE (Health & Safety Executive) have an Approved Code of Practice and Guidance regarding this. The Code confirms that landlords have a legal responsibility to carry out a risk assessment to ensure that the risk of exposure to tenants to legionella is properly assessed and controlled !
The Code of practice can be found here http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l8.htm
You don't need a professional legionella assessor to carry out your risk assessment. It can be carried out by a landlord however you would need to be competent to do so therefore if you don't feel you have the appropriate knowledge then you should instruct someone like Lothian PAT Testing Scotland to carry this out for you. Giving you peace of mind that it has been carried out properly and any potential risks highlighted to you the Landlord.
Legionnaires Disease is a potentially fatal lung infection caused when an individual inhales legionella bacteria.
The bacteria can exist in any man made water system, for example water storage systems, taps, showers, pipework etc.
People more susceptible to the disease include:
People over 45 years of age, Smokers and heavy drinkers. Also people suffering from chronic respiratory or kidney disease and anyone with a weak immune system.
The law requires simple, proportionate and practical actions to be taken, including identifying and assessing sources of risk, managing the risk, preventing or controlling the risk and routinely checking that any control measures are effective.
Simple control measures can help manage the risk of exposure to legionella.
You are recommended to flush out the water system prior to letting out the property. Ensuring there are no debris or organic material contaminating the water. This is best achieved by ensuring the cold water tank ( if applicable to the property ) is fitted with a tight fitting lid. Insure the temperature of the water stored in the calorifier is stored at 60c and that the boiler if using direct fed water through a combi boiler is set at 60c to ensure the water which reaches the hot outlets is above 50c. Also redundant pipework (Dead Legs) identified should be removed. Landlord should advise tenants to regularly clean and disinfect shower heads as these can be a high risk water outlet.
If the property is left unoccupied for a long period of time then this can add to the risk factor. It is important that water is not allowed to stagnate within the water system and therefore properties which have been left unoccupied needs managed carefully and the water system 100% needs flushed prior to the tenant moving in.
If a letting agent is looking after the property it is still your responsibility to ensure a legionella risk assessment are carried out however letting agents are very good at highlighting the need for them and advising people to carry them out for you.
Landlords must regularly review the risk assessment and keep records. Where risks have been identified the landlord must take the appropriate action to rectify these issues.
Book your legionella risk assessment today for only £45 (No VAT) on 07570 080429 or Legionella & PAT for only £70.
You can also find us on the Legionella Risk Assessor Register website by following this link http://www.lraregister.com/