Deadly bug victim was 2 HOURS from dying after contracting Legionnaires' disease at Lifestyles leisure centre - Daily Gazette

Today our local paper has reported a story of a pensioner and former soldier that contracted the potentially fatal Legionnaires’ Disease from a local leisure centre. It is also reported that the leisure centre was closed for nearly 3 months while tests and decontamination works were carried out. Click here to read the full story.

How could this affect you?

If you employ/are responsible for more than 5 people it is a legal requirement to carry our regular Legionella testing and risk assessments, although we don’t know the specifics of the case above as they are not one of our customers; it highlights the importance of performing these risk assessments.

Not carrying out a Legionella risk assessment can result in loss of income, damage to reputation as well as fines and even imprisonment.

According to the Health and Safety Executive: “Under general health and safety law, as an employer or person in control of a premises, you have health and safety duties and need to take suitable precautions to prevent or control the risk of exposure to legionella. Details of the specific law that applies can be found in part 1 of Legionnaires’ disease:

Carrying out a risk assessment is your responsibility and will help you to establish any potential risks and implement measures to either eliminate or control risks. You may be competent to carry out the assessment yourself but, if not, you should ask someone with the necessary skills to conduct a risk assessment. This can be done by someone from within your own organisation or from someone outside, e.g. an external consultant.”

Is your property at risk from Legionella?

There is a risk of Legionella in almost every building which operates hot and cold water systems. There are a number of key factors which determine the level of legionella risk and, at Comfort Services Group, we can help you to assess the level of risk in your property’s system and put measures in place to reduce/limit this risk.

One of the most important considerations when undertaking Legionella risk assessment is the complexity of the water system. Whilst a simple, domestic cold water system presents a relatively low risk, a complex, open air conditioning system (such as those in large commercial buildings) can offer ideal incubation conditions for Legionella bacteria. Regardless of the type and complexity of the system in your premises however, it remains important that regular risk assessment and Legionella testing be completed to comply with mandatory laws and regulations.

How can Comfort Services Group help you?

At Comfort Services Group we are able to take the stress out of Legionella risk management with a complete, professional service. Our engineers are highly experienced in carrying out Legionella risk assessments on commercial properties and can advise on a programme of risk assessment and testing that will ensure you meet all necessary laws and legislation.

We’re impassioned about ensuring employers and landlords are aware of their legal obligations for domestic water systems, and can provide a wealth of knowledge as well as Legionella sampling.

Comfort Services Group Limited is a proud member of the Legionella Control Association and adheres to the Code of Conduct set out by the Legionella Control Association.

For more information call Comfort today on 01206 247010 or CLICK HERE to view our handy guide to managing the risk of Legionella