The top problems your school will face with a legionella risk assessment.
Hi, my name is Holly, and I have been a part of the Dantek team for over 14 years. In the upcoming months, I will be discussing the common problems schools face when it comes to legionella risk assessments, I am going to be talking about the top problems your school will face with legionella risk assessments, being open and honest throughout. Dantek has over 20 years of experience with an excellent, dedicated, and qualified team of field-based technicians, legionella risk assessors, and water treatment specialists.
Your school needs to consider all risks, consequently, you may feel you are drowning in risk assessments which the water risk assessment is just one!
Having two young children in school I can see how hard the staff work. Not just the teachers but everyone, support staff, cleaners, and maintenance. The entire school is based around a profound team who works together to allow pupils to succeed and have a safe space to learn.
I don’t know the first thing about running a school or teaching a class of 30 energetic pupils, but I do know that I want to help you to make one of the tasks on your desk a little easier to understand and manage.
Top problems with a legionella risk assessment!Being a responsible person in a school is hard work and the pile-up of multiple risk assessments never seems to end. Your number one main priority is to make your school a safe place for your pupils, staff, and visitors. As legionella control specialists we know the frustrations that are felt! Split properties across your campus including sports halls, residential blocks, catering facilities, and frankly any building that has a tap-in it!
Needs must! This has now resulted in a huge document on your desk plus multiple smaller versions you now must read and make sense of. The feeling of being overwhelmed, frustrated, cross, and bored springs to mind.
Top 5 problems with legionella risk assessments!
- April’s Blog: Is your Legionella risk assessment current and when does it need to be updated? How will you know?
- April’s Blog: Written scheme. What is it and how do I write one?
- May’s Blog: How safe can my school ever be?
- May’s Blog: Asset registers. Mind-blowing pages of cold taps, hot taps and mixer valves etc. What’s the point?
- June’s Blog: Remedial actions: Do I have to do all of them and how do I choose the correct contractor?
This month, I am going to try and help you answer questions 1 and 2. If you have a problem or question that is not covered, please email holly@dantek.co.uk
All risk assessments are classed as a “working document” and under current guidelines, a risk assessment must be carried out whenever the Approved code of practice L8 and guidance applies.
What does that mean?
Legionella risk assessment front page! A resurvey date is initially controlled by the attending risk assessor, based on site-specific findings, A simple risk score is then generated. High, medium, and low. Your resurvey date could be in the range of 6 months to 5 years.
That’s not where it ends. Just because you have had a legionella risk assessment completed and the resurvey date clearly states 24 months from now, doesn’t mean that it won’t be required sooner. Simple amendments to the working document may be required, or a brand-new assessment dependent on school changes.
- To put it simply, if your school decides to change the math block, into an additional shower block for the growing sports hall, you will need a new assessment. This is known as “A change to any of the assessed water systems or its use”.
- 3 months have passed and calorifier 1 in the science block has not been achieving 60°C and your outlet temperatures are within the primary growth range. Your control regime is indicating that control is not being achieved. A review is needed.
- A simple staff change. The statutory duty holder was Miss Cox and is now Mrs. Harris. Site responsibility used to be Mr. West, but, he has now retired, and Miss Davies has been appointed. These key personnel changes have now made your assessment enter the “review” stage.
Always remember that the legionella risk assessment is a working document and must be current.
My top tip! Add your legionella risk assessment to your to-do planner, 6 monthly or annually (Dependent on risk) ask yourself these 6 questions.
- Have any alterations been made to the water systems?
- Has there been changes in the use of the system or the school?
- Has there been any key personnel changes or any that are due to occur?
- Have there been changes to the results of tests indicating that the control measures are no longer effective, or has new information about risks or control measures become available?
- Is my initial risk assessment review date still valid?
- Is the school’s responsible person up to date with training?
In the occurrence of a suspected or confirmed school outbreak or individual case of Legionella associated with the water system, review your risk assessment and written scheme immediately.
You have recently had your legionella risk assessment completed and managed to make headway on the document between your countless emails from parents, maintaining academic success and broadening your school curriculum. Once a quarter you will be sat in front of the school governors and need to advise what are the next steps following your legionella risk assessment. A written scheme!
What is a written scheme? A written scheme of control for the control of legionella is a comprehensive risk management document that clearly identifies the measures required to control the risk of exposure to legionella bacteria, and how those measures are implemented and managed so that control over water systems is achieved and maintained.
Which means… Explain in detail how your school will manage the measures you have implemented to control the risk of legionella and who is responsible.
- Roles & responsibilities i.e. Who has overall responsibility for the safety of all members of the school community? Who manages the day-to-day implementation of the policy? Who is the Responsible person, and statutory site duty holder?
- What are the risks and how will the control tasks be implemented?
- Water hygiene provider contact details if applicable.
- Record keeping.
- Audit of control regime and noncompliance escalation process.
- Schematic drawing.
- Plant shutdown procedures.
- Risk assessment review procedure.
- Emergency procedures in the event of an outbreak or suspected outbreak of Legionella.
In the occurrence of a suspected or confirmed school outbreak or individual case of Legionella associated with the water, review your risk assessment and written scheme immediately.
Management & control flow chart example
- Governing board (If singular school) or Federation governing board (If multiple schools)
- Director
- Chief operations officer
- Director of estates
- Operations Manager
- Maintenance Supervisor
- Estate trade staff
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