In the UK, the frequency of Legionella testing and monitoring depends on the type of water system, risk assessment findings, and guidance from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE):
- Care Homes:
Care homes are considered higher risk due to vulnerable residents. The HSE’s Approved Code of Practice (ACOP L8) and HSG274 guidance recommend:- Temperature checks: Monthly (to ensure water is above 50°C for hot and below 20°C for cold at outlets).
- Shower heads and hoses: Clean and descale quarterly.
- Legionella testing and sampling: Minimum practice in care homes is annually or twice a year for best practise.
- Hotels:
Hotels also fall under ACOP L8 and HSG274:- Temperature checks: Monthly.
- Shower heads: Quarterly.
- Sampling: Minimum practice in hotels is annually or twice a year for best practise.
Key Point:
There isn’t a strict legal interval for routine Legionella testing unless the risk assessment identifies it as necessary, but monthly monitoring and annual sampling are common best practices.
Examples of Fines in the UK for Legionnaires’ Outbreaks:
- Featherstone Care Home, Blyth (2022):
- Fine: £120,000
- Details: A resident died after contracting Legionnaires’ disease. The care home operator was found to have failed proper risk assessments and water management.
- Reading Borough Council Care Home (2016):
- Fine: £100,000
- Details: The council was fined after a legionella outbreak at a care home resulted in a resident’s death. The court found inadequate legionella control and monitoring.
- Sentinel Care Home, Hampshire
In April 2012, Sentinel Health Care Ltd, which operated a care home in Hampshire, was prosecuted and fined after an 88-year-old resident died from Legionnaires’ disease. The investigation revealed that the company failed to control the risk of Legionella bacteria in its water systems, which directly led to the fatal outbreak. The court found that the home had inadequate procedures for checking and maintaining water temperatures, and Sentinel Health Care Ltd was fined £80,000 with an additional £35,000 in costs. - BUPA Care Home, Essex (Hutton Village Care Home)
In 2016, BUPA Care Homes (CFC Homes) Limited was fined after a resident died from Legionnaires’ disease at Hutton Village Care Home in Brentwood, Essex. The Health and Safety Executive found that the care home failed to manage the risks from Legionella bacteria over a period of at least five years. Poor record-keeping and a lack of proper maintenance were cited as major failings. BUPA was fined £3 million, reflecting the severity and duration of the breaches. - Vincent Naughton Court, Gateshead
Vincent Naughton Court, a sheltered housing scheme operated by The Gateshead Housing Company, was investigated after a Legionnaires’ outbreak in 2017. While there is no public record of a fine as large as those in the previous examples, the incident highlighted significant issues with Legionella risk management, leading to enforcement action by the Health and Safety Executive. The organization was required to overhaul its water safety procedures and faced reputational damage. - Ramada Jarvis Piccadilly Hotel, Manchester (2006)
- Fine: £16,000
- Details: The hotel was fined after a guest contracted Legionnaires’ disease. The investigation found failures in monitoring and maintaining the water system, including inadequate record keeping.
Summary:
- Care homes and hotels should monitor water temperature monthly and descale outlets quarterly.
- Sampling for Legionella is often annual or as determined by risk assessment, but should be more frequent if there are issues or vulnerable people.
- Failing to control Legionella can result in six-figure fines and, more importantly, loss of life.
Guardstar is able to offer Legionnaire testing to provide peace of mind.