What is Legionella Testing?

Legionella is a type of bacteria that can cause Legionnaires’ disease, a serious lung infection. The bacteria can grow in water systems that are warm enough for them to survive, but not hot enough to kill them. This can include cooling towers, evaporative condensers, hot water systems, and spa pools.

Legionella testing is the process of checking for the presence of Legionella bacteria in water systems. It is an important part of statutory building compliance in the UK, as it helps to protect people from Legionnaires’ disease.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is the UK government body responsible for health and safety at work. The HSE has published guidance on Legionella control, which includes recommendations for legionella testing.

The HSE recommends that all buildings with water systems that are at risk of Legionella growth should have a risk assessment carried out. The risk assessment will identify the potential risks of Legionella growth and recommend control measures.

One of the control measures that may be recommended is legionella testing. The frequency of legionella testing will depend on the risk assessment. For example, buildings with a high risk of Legionella growth may need to have their water systems tested more frequently than buildings with a low risk.

Legionella testing can be carried out by a qualified water testing company. The company will take a sample of the water from the system and send it to a laboratory for analysis. The laboratory will test the sample for the presence of Legionella bacteria.

If Legionella bacteria are found in the water system, the building owner or manager will need to take action to control the growth of the bacteria. This may involve:

• Increasing the temperature of the water
• Adding chemicals to the water
• Cleaning the water system

Legionella testing is an important part of statutory building compliance in the UK. It helps to protect people from Legionnaires’ disease by identifying and controlling the growth of Legionella bacteria in water systems. R&B Building Services can help you arrange all Legionella Testing and water hygiene services.

How to Choose a Legionella Testing Company

When choosing a legionella testing company, there are a few things you should keep in mind:

• Make sure the company is qualified to carry out legionella testing.
• Ask about the company’s experience in legionella testing.
• Check the company’s accreditations.
• Get a quote from the company before they start work.

Legionella testing is an important part of statutory building compliance in the UK. By choosing a qualified and experienced legionella testing company, you can help to protect people from Legionnaires’ disease. R&B Building Services can assisst you in all areas of water hygiene and Legionella Testing.