Regulatory Compliance
Often Legionella control programmes are designed around official codes of practice or regulations in particular countries. It is important not to loose sight of the objective that Legionella control programmes are about preventing Legionnaires’ Disease not just compliance with the law. Although the exact requirements of the regulations vary from country to country the general principles are usually the same:
- Identify Legionella risks
- Put in place processes to reduce or manage those risks
- Monitor the effectiveness of those procedures.
Fast testing is rarely specifically mentioned within regulatory frameworks, since they have usually developed before simple, affordable on-site test methods became available. However there is a role for fast Legionella tests even within the regulated environment. We have provided some detailed advice on how the test fits within the L8 Approved Code of Practice in the UK, and would be happy to discuss your local requirements with you. In general it is worth remembering that regulations will form the MINIMUM level of action you are required to take, and that where an additional, effective measure for reducing or assessing risk is available you will be expected by the courts to have given reasonable consideration to using it.