Legionnaires’ disease – what you must do

1. Overview

As an employer, or someone in control of premises (including landlords), you are responsible for health and safety and need to take the right precautions to reduce the risks of exposure to legionella. You must:

  • identify and assess sources of risk
  • manage any risks
  • prevent or control any risks
  • keep and maintain the correct records
  • carry out any other duties you may have

To help you understand the risks, there is guidance on what Legionnaires' disease is[7]. This explains the causes of the disease and its symptoms.

Relevant legislation

Duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act (HSWA)[8] extend to risks from legionella bacteria, which may arise from work activities.

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (MHSWR)[9] provide a broad framework for controlling health and safety at work.

More specifically, the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH)[10] provide a framework of actions designed to assess, prevent or control the risk from bacteria like legionella and take suitable precautions.

The Approved Code of Practice Legionnaires' disease: the control of legionella bacteria in water systems (L8)[11] contains pra ctical guidance on how to manage and control the risks in your system.

Link URLs in this page

  1. Identify and assess sources of riskhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/legionnaires/what-you-must-do/identify-assess-sources-risk.htm
  2. Managing the riskhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/legionnaires/what-you-must-do/manage-the-risk.htm
  3. Preventing or controlling the riskhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/legionnaires/what-you-must-do/preventing-controlling-risk.htm
  4. Monitoring and keeping recordshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/legionnaires/what-you-must-do/keeping-records.htm
  5. Reviewing what you dohttps://www.hse.gov.uk/legionnaires/what-you-must-do/reviewing-what-you-do.htm
  6. Other dutieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/legionnaires/what-you-must-do/duties.htm
  7. what Legionnaires' disease ishttps://www.hse.gov.uk/legionnaires/what-is.htm
  8. Health and Safety at Work etc Act (HSWA)https://www.hse.gov.uk/legislation/hswa.htm
  9. Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (MHSWR)https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1999/3242/contents/made
  10. Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH)https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l5.htm
  11. Legionnaires' disease: the control of legionella bacteria in water systems (L8)https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l8.htm
  12. Nextpage Identify and assess sources of riskhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/legionnaires/what-you-must-do/identify-assess-sources-risk.htm
  13. The control of legionella bacteria in water systemshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l8.htm
  14. Legionella Control Associationhttp://www.legionellacontrol.org.uk/
  15. Biosafetyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/index.htm
  16. Health and social care serviceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/healthservices/index.htm
  17. COSHHhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/index.htm

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Update 2024-11-25 --> --> -->