For accommodation providers in the bustling hospitality industry, safeguarding the health and safety of guests and staff is paramount. A crucial element of this responsibility, often overlooked until a problem arises, is managing the risks associated with Legionella bacteria in your water systems.
A professional Legionella Risk Assessment is not merely a legal checkbox but a fundamental process for protecting your reputation, ensuring a positive guest experience, and preventing outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease and the milder Pontiac fever. Understanding the risks and implementing robust control measures is vital for all hotel managers seeking full compliance and peace of mind. Keep reading to learn how to safeguard your guests and employees from Legionnaires.
What is Legionella?
Legionella bacteria is a naturally occurring waterborne bacterium, typically found in freshwater environments. The issue arises when it contaminates man-made water systems, multiplying rapidly in conditions where the water temperature is between 20 degrees celcius and 45 degrees celcius.
Infection occurs when people inhale tiny airborne water droplets, known as aerosols, containing the bacteria. The most common species causing illness is Legionella pneumophila.
Don’t let hidden bacteria threaten your business. Assess your water systems with our experts today
Legionella risk assessment services
Why Legionella Control is Essential
Proactive Legionella management and effective water safety plans are not optional for the hospitality industry—they are cornerstones of responsible business operation. Identifying risks through a detailed risk assessment is the first step in implementing the necessary control measures to protect everyone on your premises.
Hotels Require Regular Legionella Risk Assessments for:
- Legal Compliance and Safety Standards: In the UK, under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), all duty holders, including hotel managers, have a legal obligation to assess and control the risk from Legionella bacteria. Non-compliance can lead to severe fines, prosecution, and failure to meet essential safety standards.
- Protecting Human Health and Life: The main risk is Legionnaires’ disease, a severe form of pneumonia that can be fatal, especially for vulnerable guests. By controlling the bacteria’s presence through proper water temperature management and maintenance practices, you are directly preventing life-threatening illness, safeguarding the well-being of your staff and guests.
- Protecting Your Business Reputation: A single reported case of Legionnaires’ disease linked to your hotel can result in catastrophic reputational damage and a loss of public trust. Implementing a rigorous Legionella Risk Assessment and a water hygiene monitoring programme protects your brand and secures the future of your business and the customer experience.
Protect your guests and your legal standing. We provide the control measures your hotel needs
Do Hotels in the UK Require a Legionella Risk Assessment?
Yes, absolutely. Under UK health and safety law, specifically the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) Approved Code of Practice (ACOP L8), all businesses that operate premises where water is stored or used and where there is a reasonable foreseeable Legionella Risk must conduct a suitable and sufficient assessment.
This unequivocally applies to all accommodation providers, including hotels, due to the inherent complexity of their hot and cold water systems and the volume of people using them daily.
Book a legionella risk assessment today
What Are the Legionella High-Risk Areas in a Hotel?
Hotel water systems often present multiple risk factors due to their size, usage patterns, and varied facilities. Water allowed to stagnate or kept at sub-optimal water temperature provides the ideal conditions for bacterial growth and aerosol generation.
Shower Heads and Water Outlets
Showers in guest rooms and staff facilities are high-risk because they create the perfect aerosol risks—fine airborne water droplets that can be easily inhaled. Furthermore, shower heads can accumulate scale and sludge, providing nutrients for Legionella bacteria if not regularly cleaned and descaled as part of your maintenance practices.
Hot Tubs, Spa Pools, and Whirlpool or Hydrotherapy Baths
These specialised facilities are perhaps the highest risk areas. The warm, agitated water—maintained within the ideal growth range for Legionella—generates significant aerosols. Effective water hygiene monitoring and a dedicated chemical disinfectant regime are crucial to mitigate this elevated risk in these leisure areas.
Cold Water Storage Tanks
Large water tanks, especially older or poorly insulated cold water storage tanks, are a risk if the incoming water temperature rises above 20 degrees celcius or if the tank has a loose lid, allowing contamination from debris and scale. Stored water can stagnate, creating a perfect environment for bacterial proliferation, especially if it is not used regularly.
Redundant Pipework, Dead Legs, and Stagnation Points
In large, complex / modified infrastructure or during periods of low occupancy, areas of pipework known as dead legs or stagnation points can allow water to sit unused for long periods. This leads to a drop in water temperature and a build-up of sediment, significantly increasing the Legionella Risk.
Cooling Towers and Water Features
If your hotel has air conditioning with cooling towers, these represent a major risk due to the vast amounts of aerosols they can generate and release into the environment. Similarly, decorative water features, especially if warm or rarely used, can become breeding grounds and pose an aerosol generation risk.
How Often Should Hotels Book a Legionella Risk Assessment?
The HSE does not prescribe a fixed frequency, but Legionella Risk Assessments must be reviewed regularly and whenever there is a reason to suspect it is no longer valid. For high-risk settings like hotels with complex/modified infrastructure, a review is recommended at least every two years.
However, a review is immediately necessary following any significant change: refurbishment, a change in water systems, or if monitoring indicates that your control measures are failing, such as incorrect water temperature readings. Regular monitoring and checks are an ongoing requirement.
Don’t wait until it’s too late. Schedule your Legionella Risk Assessment review today for continuous safety
What Does a Legionella Risk Assessment Involve?
A professional Water Hygiene Risk Assessment process systematically evaluates the potential for Legionella bacteria to grow and spread throughout the hotel’s distribution networks. This thorough inspection identifies all hazards and recommends specific actions.
- Surveying the Water System and Assets: The assessor traces and documents all hot and cold water systems, including storage tanks, pipework, and water heaters. They identify potential stagnation points and note existing maintenance issues.
- Temperature Profiling and System Checks: This checks water temperature control: cold water must be below 20 degrees C and hot water above 50 degrees C at outlets. They also inspect for scale, corrosion, and biofilm accumulation.
- Identifying and Documenting Potential Hazards: High-risk areas like unused rooms, dead legs, or assets such as hot tubs and cooling towers are identified. This pinpoints where conditions favour bacterial growth and aerosol generation.
- Assessing Existing Control Measures and Management: The review evaluates the effectiveness of current Legionella management, the competence of the responsible person, logbook adequacy, and the frequency of flushing and cleaning activities.
- Providing a Written Scheme of Control: The final report is an action plan. It details necessary control measures, remedial work, and ongoing monitoring programs, including schedules for water sampling and Legionella testing.
Get a full, actionable plan. Our assessment ensures your system is safe and compliant
Book LegionellaRiskandPAT.com for Your Hotel’s Legionella Risk Assessment
As your trusted partner at LegionellaRiskandPAT.com, we understand the critical importance of effective Legionella management within the hospitality industry. We are here to ensure your water systems are safe, providing robust risk assessment services that protect your guests, your brand, and ensure full compliance with current health and safety standards.
