Competence Of A Legionella Risk Assessor And Proportionality
Last time we looked at agreeing the scope of the assessment and the independence of the risk assessor, next we will be reviewing the competence of the assessor which is a topic that is becoming more widely discussed. So, let’s start with a simple question – What experience and specialist knowledge should a Legionella risk assessor demonstrate? Well both BS8580-1:2019 and the LCA’s Risk Assessment standard for service delivery outline the expectations of knowledge and understanding required by risk assessors, these include but are not limited to:-
Read how our teams worked around the clock to ensure thousands of properties were unaffected by a burst pipe expelling around 250 cubic metres of water an hour.
The
customer
site
This case study refers to a treatment works we manage for a customer that supplies treated water to domestic and commercial properties. Every day our team performs critical activities to ensure a consistent supply of water 24/7/365.
The
problem
In February 2023, a large burst resulted in around 250 tonnes of water per hour escaping from a three-mile strategic water supply pipe between two reservoirs.
Despite the burst being located and repaired within three hours, it was so severe that it emptied a large reserve of water held in a balance tank. This water would ordinarily keep the treatment process flowing, so the knock-on effect threatened to jeopardise our ability to produce treated water for a population of around 20,000 people.
And what’s more, with air now trapped within the pipeline, the race was on to bleed the pipes before supplies ran dry.
Why an understanding of the BS8580:2019 Standard is vital to ensuring a compliant Legionella Risk
A compliant Legionella control scheme must be based on a compliant risk assessment, but what does that really mean? What do you need to do to comply with the British standard?
Many Legionella service providers claim that their risk assessments are conducted and produced in line with the British standard for Legionella risk assessments, BS8580-1: 2019, but what does that really mean? What do you need to do to comply with the British standard?