Legionella risk assessments seem to create a lot of confusion in the minds of people. Adding to the confusion some service providers circulate misleading information online about the legal requirements and expectations. If you too are confused and if you are not sure what is expected of you, then here is some information that will clear the air.
According to the government sources (Hse.gov.uk), landlords have a legal duty to monitor the level of legionella bacteria in the water. It their responsibility not only to monitor the level of legionella exposure but it is also their responsibility to keep the legionella bacteria risk under control. The government source also indicates that the landlords are not required to obtain or produce any Legionnaires testing certificate. The source further goes to say that HSE does not recognize any such testing certificate.
As a landlord even if you are letting out even a single room in your own home, you have the legal responsibility to make sure that no health hazards are present including legionella bacterial infestation in the water in the rental property.
Just because you are not required to produce any legionella certificate, it does not mean that you should not run the legionella risk assessment. Without performing the legionella risk assessment test, how would it be possible for anyone to establish there is no legionella threat in the house? If you fail to check the waterlines for the infestation and if your tenant is exposed to the bacteria and succumbs to health issues, then you would end up facing expensive liability lawsuits. Instead of allowing yourself to be vulnerable to such risks, you might as well want to get the bet company for legionella risk assessment Glasgow has to offer and run regular assessments.
As a landlord, you are expected to extend duty of care towards your tenants. You cannot therefore evade this responsibility but find a reliable legionella risk assessment company that knows how to test the water for legionella infestation. The law does not require you to keep or maintain any records of legionella assessments. However, it is always a good practice to record your assessments and maintain a log for your own references. At any given point of time, you would know clearly, when the last assessment was performed and you do not have to rely on your memory.
If you have any further doubts or questions regarding the legionella risk assessment, you need to approach the right sources to have your doubts addressed. Do not pick random sources to know more about the legionella risk assessments. The laws are clear in this regard. It expects you to extend a duty of care towards your tenants. Do not let anyone confuse you or mislead you in this regard.
When you are ready to run your legionella risk assessment, select a company that is trustworthy and a company that will not mislead you any further and force you to pay for a legionella risk assessment certificate.