Water compliance considerations for businesses should be taken seriously, no matter how large and small your operation. Your water safety and quality are important. Managing your water effectively will ensure you are both safeguarding health in your organisation and remaining compliant with the law.
If you’re wondering about the water compliance considerations you need to keep in mind, read on for our guide to water compliance for businesses.
Water compliance considerations
What is the law?
As a business, it’s your legal duty to ensure your water systems comply with the requirements of the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999. These regulations apply to England and Wales and were created to set a national standard for water systems. They cover the design, installation, materials and maintenance of plumbing and water systems to protect them from contamination and reduce waste. In Scotland, the same requirements are covered in the Bylaws 2000.
The Approved Code of Practice (ACoP) L8 as imposed by the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 is also a legal requirement. This act covers workplace health, safety and welfare, and those who don’t follow it could face prosecution. Legionella risk management and control fall under this act. The water systems in your business should be regularly risk assessed and checked for the presence of legionella for the safety of your staff, customers and members of the public.
As a business, your responsibilities for water safety include:
- Regular legionella risk assessments to BS 8580 standard
- Remedial work to reduce potential dangers
- Regular monitoring to ensure consistent water quality
Who does the law apply to?
Every business and organisation with any kind of water system – including toilets, washing facilities and dishwashing/laundry facilities – must remain compliant. Building owners, landlords or employers are required to ensure legionella risk assessments are carried out. These checks must be undertaken by somebody competent to do so.
Why is it important?
Legionella is a bacteria found in water that causes a pneumonia-type illness known as Legionnaires’ disease. The disease can be contracted when people are exposed to dangerous levels of the legionella bacterium. This is not limited to drinking water; legionella can be breathed in through vapour or small droplets, so there is a risk anywhere where a system heats water or creates a vapour.
Legionnaires’ disease has the potential to be fatal, so risk assessments for legionella should be taken very seriously. Those most at risk of contracting Legionnaires’ disease include those over 50 or very young, smokers, people with a compromised immune system and people with lung conditions.
Who can carry out compliance checks?
While those carrying out legionella risk assessments don’t necessarily have to be qualified, they do need to have a thorough understanding of water safety and compliance. Risk assessments and water safety checks must be carried out by someone who can find their way confidently around a water system, identify components and understand a number of other technical details.
For this reason, unless the nature of an organisation means there is already a water safety expert on-site, most people will need to outsource the task of compliance checks to someone with the necessary skills and knowledge. At Aquatrust, we’re true experts in water hygiene and safety, including water treatment, water regulations and legionella control. Our specially trained team of risk assessors are qualified to monitor and protect your water systems, giving you the peace of mind that you’re staying compliant with the law.
How we help you stay compliant
We take water safety and compliance out of your hands and place it safely in the hands of our trained team of experts. It’s our job to give you the confidence to know your business is protected, all through an easy and manageable process.
We work with a wide range of sectors, including:
- Local councils
- Housing associations
- Education
- Care homes
- Hospitals
- Leisure and hospitality
- Manufacturing and engineering
We can help with a wide range of aspects of water hygiene and safety to help ensure you’re remaining compliant. Our legionella-specific services include risk assessments, monitoring and reporting, works, water sampling, awareness training and more.
More than that, we’re known for our professional and friendly approach. We know that as your compliance partner, we need to be a team that you can rely upon, which is why we’re always here to offer honest, trustworthy water safety advice.
Do you need help to make sure you’re following the correct water compliance considerations for businesses? Get in touch with our friendly team today to find out how we can help.