If you manage a building's water systems, the Legionella risk assessment is where compliance begins. It shows you where the risks are, what needs doing first, and how to prove you are in control.
Water Hygiene Services is an independent, Leeds-based company with more than 23 years' experience in Legionella control. We assess offices, schools, care homes, hospitals, hotels, housing blocks, factories and warehouses. Our assessors look at how your water systems really behave, not just how the drawings say they should.
Our approach is practical. We tell you what is actually needed to control the risk, put it in a clear, prioritised action plan, and leave out work that adds no value. We are members of the Legionella Control Association. Our work follows HSG274.
What is a Legionella risk assessment?
A Legionella risk assessment is a structured survey of your hot and cold water systems. It identifies where Legionella bacteria could grow, how likely people are to be exposed, and what controls are needed. Many people call it an L8 risk assessment. It is the foundation of your duty to control the risk under HSG274.
In short, it gives you:
- Legal compliance: a record that you have assessed the risk, as the duty holder must.
- Risk control: a clear picture of where water could stagnate or reach temperatures that suit bacterial growth.
- Evidence: a written report you can show an auditor, insurer, client or inspector.
Who needs one?
If your building stores or circulates water in a way that could create a risk of exposure to Legionella, you need to assess it. That includes employers, landlords, managing agents and anyone else who controls premises: the duty holder. This applies to offices, schools, healthcare and care settings, leisure and hospitality, industrial units and residential blocks.
The assessment must be carried out by a competent person. That can be someone trained within your organisation or an external specialist, as long as they have the knowledge, experience and independence to do it properly. If you are not sure whether your building needs one, ask us and we will give you a straight answer.
What does a Legionella risk assessment involve?
- Gathering information. We ask for existing schematics, previous assessments, monitoring records and details of how the building is used.
- Surveying the water systems. We inspect tanks, calorifiers, cylinders, pipework, pumps, thermostatic mixing valves, showers and other outlets. We look for dead legs, little-used outlets, oversized storage and signs of poor condition.
- Checking temperatures and condition. We check storage, insulation and the state of the system.
- Identifying risk factors. These typically include water between 20°C and 45°C, areas of low flow or little use, scale, rust or sediment, complex pipework, outlets that create fine spray, and poorly circulating storage. We also consider who uses the building and whether any occupants are especially vulnerable.
- Reviewing your existing controls. We check temperature monitoring, flushing, cleaning, water treatment and the quality of your records against HSG274 Part 2. For example, hot water should be stored at 60°C or above and distributed at 50°C or above (55°C in healthcare premises), and cold water should stay below 20°C.
- Writing the report. You get a clear report with a risk rating and a prioritised action plan.
What happens after the assessment?
You receive a written report that normally includes:
- A description of your water systems and any areas of concern.
- A list of remedial works in priority order, which our remedial works team can carry out if you wish.
- Temperature control recommendations.
- Schematic drawings, or advice on updating yours.
- Flushing and monitoring schedules.
- Cleaning and descaling recommendations.
- Guidance on record keeping and when to reassess.
Many sites then need tank cleaning, disinfection or sampling, or an ongoing monitoring programme. We can coordinate these alongside the remedial works so nothing is missed.
How often should a Legionella risk assessment be reviewed?
A risk assessment is not a one-off document. HSG274 expects it to be reviewed regularly, and whenever something changes. Review it when:
- The water system is altered or extended.
- A new tank, calorifier or group of outlets is added.
- The use or occupancy of the building changes, or it has been empty for a period.
- Monitoring or sampling results suggest the controls are no longer working.
- There has been a case of Legionnaires' disease linked to the premises.
- Management or responsibility for the building changes.
Review it regularly, and whenever the system, the building's use or the management changes.
How much does a Legionella risk assessment cost?
The cost depends on your site, so we price each assessment individually. The main factors are:
- Size and layout: the number of buildings, floors and areas to inspect.
- The number of outlets: taps, showers and other points of use.
- The type of systems: cold water tanks, calorifiers, hot water cylinders and thermostatic mixing valves.
To give you an accurate price, we need to know what type of premises it is, roughly how large it is and what water systems it has. Send us that, and we will send a written quotation.
Where we work
We are based in Leeds and cover roughly 100 miles around it, which is a comfortable day's travel. That includes Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield, Manchester, Newcastle, Hull, Nottingham and York, and the rest of Yorkshire, the North East, the North West, the East Midlands and Humberside.
Can Water Hygiene Services manage our HSG274 compliance?
The legal duty stays with you as the duty holder, and it cannot be handed over. What you can do is appoint a competent specialist to carry out the work and give you the evidence. We do that: the assessment, remedial works, monitoring, sampling and records, so your documentation is complete and up to date.
Frequently asked questions
Is a Legionella risk assessment a legal requirement?
If you control premises, you have a duty under health and safety law to assess and control the risk from Legionella. HSG274, supported by ACoP L8, sets out what HSE expects. The assessment is how you show you have done that.
Who can carry out a Legionella risk assessment?
A competent person with the right training, knowledge and experience. That can be someone within your organisation or an external specialist like us.
How long does an assessment take?
It depends on the size and complexity of the site. We give you an estimate when we quote.
We already have an assessment. Do we need a new one?
Possibly not. If your assessment is recent and nothing has changed, it may only need a review. If it is out of date, or the building has changed, it should be redone. We can review your current report and tell you honestly which applies.
Contact
To discuss your site or request a quote, use the quote form.
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Very happy with their very high standard of work Water Hygiene Services have been carrying out legionella risk assessments for us for a couple of years now. We have been very happy with their very high standard of work, their ability to work to tight deadlines and the general professional service they provide
