Welcome to the Landlord Law Members Form.

We have negoitiated a 50% discount for our members. Please use this form to produce your Legionella Risk Assessment for £9.95

 

A Legionella Risk Assessment is a legal requirement for all domestic properties which are rented to a tenant.

The purpose of a legionella risk assessment for your rental properties is to ensure that you have taken sufficient note of the possibility of legionella in your water system and to give practical advice to your tenants.

Most of the information you need to provide to your tenant is already contained in our prepopulated legionella risk assessment template. However there are a few practical steps you need to take to ensure that you are providing a compliant and accurate assessment.

This short guide will tell you what information you need in order to complete the process.

1. The first thing you need to do is to ensure the running temparature of the cold water from all taps in the property is under 20c. If your water is fed directly to your taps/showers from the mains supply and not via a cold water storage tank then this should be perfectly acceptable. The water which is fed direct from the mains is non adjustable and should be supplied at an acceptable temperature.

If your central heating boiler is a combi boiler then is it more than likely that your cold water is fed to your taps and showers direct from the mains and not from a cold water storage tank in the loft as these are generally removed/disconnected when a combi boiler is installed.

2. You should ensure that the hot water is running above 50c. Again if you have a combi boiler or electric immersion heater this would normally be set to deliver at a temperature above 50c.

(if you are unsure about the temperatures you can check them with a basic digital thermometer which can be purchased from your local chemist from as little as £4. Run the water at the cold tap for approx 30 seconds and then measure and make note of the temperature. Then do the same for the hot water taps. The cold water reading should be below 20c and the hot reading should be above 50c to satisfy the requirements. Only in very rare cases would your readings be outside this range.

   

Check to see if the water is running freely and that all taps are in good clean condition. If there is a build up of dirt, sediment or limescale etc you should advise your tenant to clean the taps thoroughly and regularly. (this advice is contained in the report you will recieve).

3. Shower heads should always be kept clean and free running.  You should advise your tenant to clean shower heads thoroughly and regularly. (this advice is also contained in the assessment).

Shower hoses can store stagnant water when not used for a period of time, this can allow legionella to multiply in the right temperature conditions. This water is sprayed directly at the user so we have to make sure that showers are cleaned and used regularly to avoid stagnant water build up in the flexible hose. This advice is included in the report for the tenant.

4. Water storage tanks. Does the property have a cold water tank in the loft/airing cupboard? If you have a non combi boiler you will have a cold water tank.

 

When debris falls into the tank legionella will feed on it and multiply in the right temperature conditions. It would be good practice to ensure there is a lid on the tank to stop debris entering the water system. If there is limescale or debris in the tank it should be cleaned.

5. If the property has any spa baths/jacuzzis they should be cleaned on a regluar basis. They create tiny particles of water that can be breathed in and potentially can cause legionella in certain circumstances. There is a recent case of 3 deaths due to a dirty jacuzzi. The owner was fined £200,000.

6. 'Dead Legs' These are runs of pipework that are unused and blanked off but are still connected to the main water system (an old unused washing machine connection is an example). This pipework can hold stagnant water which if held at a temperature of between 20c and 45c can become a risk of legionella. If the pipework is disturbed and the water sprays into the face of a tenant it could cause serious illness. Take note if there are dead legs present in the property and if possible have them removed.

The rest of the required information is prepopulated to ensure you produce an acceptable legionella risk assessment.

You can now proceed to do your own assessment.

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Landlord Law Members Form

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The purpose of this Legionella Risk Assessment is to show that sufficient care has been taken to assess the risk of legionella in the property by undertaking an inspection of the water systems and reporting the findings for the benefit of the landlord and the tenant and in accordance with the current legislation and guidance.

The current legislation and guidance is:-
The Health and Safety at Work Act - 1974 Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations
1999 COSHH Regulations
1999 The Approved Code of Practice and Guidance L8, 'Legionnaires’ Disease
The Control of Legionella Bacteria in Water Systems” (ACoP L8)

This report is based on matters which were observed or came to the attention of the provider during the day of the assessment and should not be relied upon as an exhaustive record of all possible risks or hazards that may exist or potential improvements that can be made.
What is Legionella

Legionnaires’ disease is a form of pneumonia that primarily affects those members of the population who are at risk due to age, illness, immunosuppression, smoking, etc. and can be fatal.

Legionella can also cause less serious illnesses, which are not fatal or permanently debilitating, but which can affect all people

Legionella pneumophila is the bacterium responsible for Legionnaires’ disease and is often present in natural sources of water. When the bacteria enter manmade water systems and are provided with ideal growth conditions, e.g. temperature and nutrients, they proliferate rapidly. When these bacteria are released as an aerosol, e.g. showers, spa baths, cooling towers, taps and other water fittings, they can be inhaled and cause the disease in susceptible individuals.
Report Findings
Cold Water Storage

Generally you will find a property has a cold water storage tank if the central heating boiler is a non combi boiler. You would normally find the cold water storage tank in the loft area or on the top floor of the property in a cupboard/airing cupboard.
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Landlord Advisory (if there is a cold water storage tank): Please ensure that a tightly fitted lid is present and the tank is free from debris at the bottom of the tank and there is no build up of sediment, scale or corrosion debris which may harbour bacteria. Legionella feeds off these matters. If the property has been unoccupied for a long period we recommend the water tank is emptied and cleaned prior to any new tenant moving into the property.
Cold Water Temperature

The cold water tempertature must be below 20c. You can record the temperature with a thermometer. You should run the water tap for 1 minute to allow it to reach its normal flow temperature before taking the reading.
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Note to Tenant. If the cold water temperature is running freely at under 20c this is normal and acceptable for this assessment. Please note that you should keep all taps and shower heads clean and free running.

Landlord Note : If the cold water temparature is running higher than 20c you should take action to remedy this situation immediately. This will indicate a RISK of Legionella.
Hot Water Temperature

The hot water temperature must be above 50c. You can record the temperature with a thermometer. You should run the water tap for 1 minute to allow it to reach its normal flow temperature before taking the reading.
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Note to Tenant. If the hot water temperature is running freely at over 50c this is normal and acceptable for this assessment. Please note, as with the cold water taps you should keep all hot water taps/shower heads clean and free running.

Note to Landlord. If the hot water temperature is running over 60c this could cause scalding. Please adjust to around 50c to 53c.
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Note to Tenant. It is very important that you keep all shower heads clean and free running. We recommend you clean them at least once per month. Also note that if a shower is unused for a period of time (i.e if you are away on holiday) you should run the shower for at least 30 seconds with the shower head pointing away from you to clear any stagnant water from the flexible shower hose.

There is potential for the build up of legionella in the shower hose if the temperature has been between 20c and 45c for a period of time.

Legionella is caught by breathing in tiny droplets of water. This is why keeping shower heads clean and free running is very important. The initial surge of water when turning on a shower creates millions of tiny droplets which can be breathed in.

KEEP SHOWER HEADS CLEAN AND FREE RUNNING. AFTER A PERIOD OF NON USE POINT THE SHOWER HEAD AWAY FROM YOURSELF FOR THE FIRST MINUTE OF USE.
Dead Legs

The term 'dead legs' refers to lengths of pipework which are not in use but are still connected to the water system. An example may be a washing machine connection which is no longer in use. These lengths of pipework store stagnant water and this can lead to a build up of legionella in certain circumstances. If this pipework is then disturbed and the water sprays into the face of a tenant/landlord or contractor there may be a risk of legionella and illness.

We recommend (where possible) that all dead leags are removed from the property water system.
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Landlord Note: If you have found 'dead legs' in you property water system we recommend you contact a plumber to remove them.
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General advisories for landlord/tenant

1. Shower heads should be cleaned regularly and dismantled and disinfected every 3 months or as required by inspecting visual condition. Avoid direct spray to the face for at least 30 seconds after any long period of non use. Point away from the user to clear any stagnant water.

2. Dead Legs (unused pipe work connected to water system) should be removed where possible.

3. After a long period without a tenant we recommend any water tanks should be emptied, cleaned and refilled prior to new tenants moving in.

4. All taps/showers should be run for at least 1 minute to clear any stagnant water after any long period of non use.

5. Any Spa Baths, Jacuzzis in the property should be treated with the same care as showers. These create tiny droplets of water which can be inhaled. Spa Baths and Jacuzzis should be regularly cleaned and flushed through before use after any long period without use.

6. Any external water features should be used with caution. If the property has any external hose pipes the tenant should not spray these directly at another person. Stagnant water could be held in a hosepipe for a period of time allowing legionella to multiply in warm weather.

7. Tenants, if you have any medical conditions which may make you to more susceptible to infection due to age, illness, a weakened immune system etc you should inform your landlord.

8. Legionella is present in all water systems and we cannot eradicate it completely. There is always a LOW RISK of Legionella in every property. However certain water conditions/temperatures allow the Legionella to multiply and become a RISK to tenants. If this assessment has highlighted any RISK in your property we advise you take immediate action.
Add any further notes such as water temperatures and any specific items you noted in the box below.
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You have reached the end of the Legionella Risk Assessment. You may now proceed to generate the report and make payment.

Upon confirmation of payment you will recieve and email with the report attached in PDF format. Within 24 hours the report will also be uploaded to our database and will be available for download from this site using the 'Retrieve a Report' section on our home page.
Legionella Risk Assessment for £9.95 - 9.95 GBP

Please click Submit and you will be redirected to PayPal to make your secure payment.

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