HSE Issue 4th Version Of Legionnaires' Disease Guidance And ACOP

The HSE have just made available an amended guide to legionnaires Disease and preventive measures to be taken by duty holders, including employers.

It is also required reading for all other personnel such as those in control of premises and those with health and safety responsibilities for others, to help them comply with their legal duties in relation to legionella. These include identifying and assessing sources of risk, preparing a scheme to prevent or control risk, implementing, managing and monitoring precautions, keeping records of precautions and appointing a manager to be responsible for others.

Union Safety Reps will find this information invaluable in order to educate themselves as to what is required of those responsible for insuring that the legionella risk is controlled and prevented where ever possible. In this way their regular safety checks will be one of the major forces of prevention.

The HSE website says of the document:

This fourth edition of the ACOP and guidance on regulations contains revisions to simplify and clarify the text. The main changes are removing Part 2, the technical guidance, which is published separately in HSG274, and giving the following issues ACOP status:

• risk assessment
• the specific role of an appointed competent person, known as the ‘responsible person’
• the control scheme
• review of control measures
• duties and responsibilities of those involved in the supply of water systems

The document can be downloaded from the E-Library Database using search word legionnaire

Source: HSE / Unionsafety

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