Legionella risk assessments & written schemes for cooling systems
A site-specific risk assessment of your evaporative cooling system, and a written scheme that sets out exactly how the risk is controlled, who does what and how often.
The document everything else hangs off.
ACOP L8 requires the dutyholder to identify and assess the risk from Legionella, and where there's a reasonably foreseeable risk, to prepare a written scheme for controlling it. With a cooling tower or evaporative condenser on site, there almost always is.
Our assessors look at the whole system: the towers and condensers themselves, their location relative to air intakes, windows and the public, the make-up and bleed arrangements, dosing and controls, dead legs, management arrangements and records. Then we write it up in plain English with prioritised actions.
The written scheme follows from it. It tells your team and your treatment contractor what needs doing to keep the system under control, how often, and what to do when results go out of range.
Site survey
The cooling system, its surroundings, the plant room and the controls, inspected in person.
Management review
Who's the responsible person, who's competent, what training is in place, and how records are kept.
Prioritised action plan
Clear actions ranked by risk, so you know what to fix first.
Written scheme of control
Monitoring, treatment, cleaning and inspection tasks, with frequencies and responsibilities.
Schematic drawing
A simple diagram of the system, as ACOP L8 expects the written scheme to include.
Review whenever things change
We'll review it if the plant, the use or the people change, or if monitoring suggests the controls aren't working.
Risk assessments & written schemes: common questions
How often should a cooling tower risk assessment be reviewed?
ACOP L8 says the assessment should be reviewed regularly and whenever there's reason to think it's no longer valid: for example, changes to the plant or its use, changes in key personnel, a positive Legionella result or a case of Legionnaires' disease. Many sites review at least every two years as good practice, and more often for cooling systems.
Who is the 'responsible person'?
Someone appointed by the dutyholder to take day-to-day responsibility for managing the Legionella risk. They need enough authority, competence and knowledge of the system to do the job. We can help you set out the roles in the written scheme.
Does the risk assessment cover the rest of the building's water?
This service focuses on the evaporative cooling system. If you need hot and cold water systems assessed too, let us know and we'll quote for both.
What's the difference between the risk assessment and the written scheme?
The risk assessment identifies and evaluates the risk. The written scheme is the practical plan for controlling it: what's done, by whom and how often.
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Want a second pair of eyes on your cooling system?
Tell us about your system and we'll come back with a clear, itemised quote. No hard sell, just a straight answer on what your site needs.