If you are a landlord,
you might have heard about endless regulations when it comes to electricity,
gas safety and EPC requirements. But do you know the details about water safety
regulations on your property? In this article, we are going to discuss all your
responsibilities when it comes to water. We will also try to discuss the risks
associated with Legionella and the things that you can do to keep everyone safe
on the property.
Before we start, it is
essential to understand what Legionella actually is. It can be described as a
hazardous water-borne bacteria. If you own a water tank, whose surrounding
temperature is around 20 degrees C to 45 degrees C, then there will be high
chances of Legionella growth. If it is ingested or inhaled, then that might lead
to Legionnaires disease, which is a fatal type of pneumonia.
Shall
You Carry Out A Legionella- Risk Assessment?
If you are a landlord,
it is your legal duty to carry out a Legionella risk assessment
and take controlling measures to reduce this hazardous bacterial spread.
However, you would not require a testing certificate for this one by health and
safety law. Depending on where you live in the UK, it can be said whether it is
mandatory to carry out the assessment. For example, it is legally required in
Scotland, but not in England and Wales.
However, it should be
the general legal duty of the landlords to care for and protect the health of
their tenants. Testing the water in the property for safety can be described as
a part of that. Thus, the Legionella risk assessment might not be a compulsory
legal requirement, but landlords carry it out to ensure that the water is safe
for use and drinking.
The
Legionella- Risk Assessment Procedure
These risk assessment
procedures should cover all the water systems on your property. The steps in
this procedure will include:
●
Identification of
potential hazards. This will also help in understanding the risk level posed.
●
The identification of
the people who are at risk.
●
Water testing for
Legionella.
●
Ensuring and imposing
all the required control measures to ensure that there is a minimum risk
involved.
●
Reviewing the
assessment as necessary.
If you possess a rental
property that has storage tanks and the water possesses the threat of acquiring
Legionella, then you should consider carrying out the risk assessment once
every two years, i.e, before a new tenancy begins.
If you are thinking
about conducting a professional risk assessment of Legionella, then the time
might vary from one property to the other. The assessors would carry out
temperature checks of all the hot and cold taps of your property. They would
also carry out visual inspections to ensure the condition of the water system.
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