How Often Should a Legionella Risk Assessment Be Reviewed?
- ACoP L8 requires the assessment to be reviewed regularly and specifically when there is reason to suspect it is no longer valid, without fixing an interval.
- Reviewing at least every two years is the common routine, with an earlier review after any change to the water system, its use or the people at risk.
- Review is separate from the ongoing monitoring (temperatures, flushing, cleaning) the written scheme requires, which runs monthly and quarterly.
- Record every review, including “no change”.
The two-year figure that circulates for legionella risk assessments is a habit, not a law. ACoP L8 requires the assessment to be reviewed regularly and whenever there is reason to think it is no longer valid, and it leaves the interval to the duty holder. That is sensible, and it is also how assessments quietly go five years without anyone looking at them. Here is how to set a routine that holds.
What ACoP L8 says
L8 requires the risk assessment to be reviewed regularly and, in particular, when there is reason to suspect it is no longer valid, such as changes to the water system or its use, changes to the use of the building, new information about risks or control measures, results of checks indicating controls are not effective, or a case of legionellosis associated with the system. The earlier “at least every two years” wording was removed from L8 in favour of this risk-based approach, but two years remains a sensible default.
General information, not legal advice.
A sensible routine
For most commercial premises: review the assessment at least every two years, and sooner on any trigger. Diarise it with the annual fire safety review so it is not forgotten. A review checks that the assessment still describes the system, that the control scheme is being followed and is working, and that nothing has changed. Where it has, update the assessment or commission a fresh one.
The triggers for an earlier review
- Changes to the water system: new pipework, tanks, showers, outlets removed or added.
- Changes to the building’s use or occupancy, including periods of low use or vacancy.
- New information or guidance on risks or controls.
- Monitoring results showing temperatures out of range or positive samples.
- A case of Legionnaires’ disease linked to the premises.
- A change of duty holder or responsible person.
Due a review?
Match with competent legionella risk assessors for a review or fresh assessment. No-obligation quotes.
Review versus monitoring
People confuse the two. Monitoring is the ongoing routine the written scheme sets out: monthly temperature checks at sentinel outlets, weekly flushing of little-used outlets, quarterly checks of showers, annual tank inspection. It runs continuously. Review is the periodic check that the assessment and scheme are still right. Doing one does not discharge the other. Our guide to the written scheme covers the monitoring routine.
Low use and vacancy
Water that sits still is where legionella grows, so any period of reduced occupancy, a seasonal closure, or a vacant unit is a trigger in itself. Flushing regimes need stepping up, and the assessment should be reviewed before the building returns to normal use.
Getting a review done
ComSurv matches you with competent legionella risk assessors who cover your area, for a review of an existing assessment or a fresh one, with no-obligation quotes.
Sources & further reading
- HSE ACoP L8 — the review requirement
- HSE HSG274: Legionnaires’ disease technical guidance — technical guidance on hot and cold water systems
External links open in a new tab. ComSurv is a matching service, not a firm of surveyors, and is not affiliated with these organisations. This article is general information, not legal, surveying or valuation advice; take advice on your specific situation.
