For larger Organisations with multiple departments and regional divisions it is often practical to communicate a clear Legionella Control Policy to be followed. Once the policy is put in place, regular audits should be conducted to ensure the Legionella policy is being implemented.
A good Legionella Management Policy will be the cornerstone of any large multi-departmental Organisation.
Our Legionella Policy formation services are fully scalable and are designed to demonstrate the Organisations commitment to achieve compliance to the HSE’s approved code of practice so far as is reasonably practical.
From the development of site specific risk management policies to strategies with either a pragmatic or highly robust Legionella monitoring and data management approach, our consultants understand how to help large organisations demonstrate acceptable effort towards compliance with regards to Legionella control and the HSE’s ACOP L8.
Our Legionella Policy development service and subsequent Legionella auditing services will support any Organisation in communicating a clear set of principles and commitments that can then be filtered down to all levels throughout the company.
Legionella Policy formations in the interest of the Duty Holders
The Legionella Policy and subsequent auditing programme will resolve to offer the entire Organisation and its Directors particularly, a degree of security in that a basic level of due care and diligence has been exercised from the top of the Organisation downwards that should ensure the message is relayed throughout the Organisation as intended.
A good Legionella policy will act as a top level document that sits above all of the routine risk assessment and monitoring tasks that will normally be needed.
The use and intention of the Legionella policy in our opinion, is very comparable to that the Water Safety Plan approach. Both of which are extremely effective in top level management of water hygiene risks.
The Legionella policy will also offer local departments a clear set of commitments to be implemented. A good Legionella policy will create a level of continuity that many large Organisations are currently struggling to achieve.
We offer Legionella Policy formation support for Housing Associations and local authorities providing residential and social housing. We are also able to support property management agents and landlords in policy formations that mean all properties are managed in the same way in relation to Legionella and other water hygiene risk issues.
Our Senior Consultants have developed Legionella Control Policies and implemented routine Legionella auditing programmes for some of the largest Housing Associations in the UK.
Organisations such as Universities, Housing Associations and Councils etc will benefit greatly by formulating and communicating a clear Legionella Control and Water Management Policy throughout the Organisation.
Following the development and implementation of the Legionella policy, Aqua Legion is able to provide a routine auditing programme that reviews compliance to the policy, legislative requirements including specific requirements of individual buildings, departments, apparatus or equipment for example.
Regular Reviews to Report Compliance to the Responsible Persons
The Legionella Policy should include the requirement for regular reviews. When appointed to develop the Legionella policy and the auditing programme, Aqua Legion will provide regular review meetings as part of the service. This is so we have dedicated time allocated to report and discuss the findings of the audits and compliance improvement areas to those who really need to know. It also provides an opportunity to discuss the success areas and plan the forwarding actions required to maintain the Legionella risks identified during the risk assessment phases and policy development or auditing stages.
The legionella policy and audit service is to designed to ensure the Organisation can demonstrate continuous effort towards reducing or managing the risk of infection. The goal is to serve all involved with a peace of mind that all reasonably practical tasks are implement in the most cost effective manner and that the risks are suitable managed in a way that reduces the potential for any infections and any liability in relation to Legionella or water hygiene.
The Legionella control policy doesn’t need to be complicated.
Just like a risk assessment, the Legionella policy doesn’t need to be a thick and complicated document. Whilst the policy will contain a degree of background information and guidance, the core of the policy can often come down to a simple list of clear commitments the Organisation wish to deploy throughout all departments over a given time period. Whilst the policy should be reviewed annually. There is no reason why commitments cannot include targets for achievement spread over a five, ten or even twenty year period providing progression towards these commitments can be demonstrated and there are acceptable reasons why such commitments cannot be brought forward.
How long does a Legionella policy take to do?
The initial steps required to support the formation of the Legionella control policy will be to appoint a competent person or Organisation to draft the policy. If you need a Legionella policy, contact us now.
The procedure will normally start with a desk top study or review of the organisations water hygiene, Legionella management and maintenance records. This will provide the Consultant drafting the legionella Policy with good background knowledge of the systems and current control measures implemented.
The consultant may also need to review some the properties or systems included in the programme. They will need to review any existing risk assessments and the organisations management structure.
Once enough information is collected for the consultant to have a good understanding of the systems present and the risk they present, the consultant will feed this information back to the responsible persons and duty holders as required. The issues are normally discussed in detail and the most cost effective resolutions presented.
Once remedial action with approximately timescales are agreed, such actions are put into the Legionella policy for completion.
The time this process takes is dependent on the size of the organisation and volume of data and sites that need to be reviewed to gain a full understanding of the existing control measures, their effectiveness and the risks that need to be addressed in priority order.
If you would like us to formulate your Legionella or water management policy contact us now to arrange a free initial consultation meeting. We look forward to hearing from you.
Aqua Legion UK also specialise in:
Legionella Risk Assessment and review Reviews…more
From Legionella Policy formation to Legionella management and Legionella Risk assessment Services, Aqua Legion is the Organisation that really understands how to help!