Water Quality Legislation
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
This forms the basis for Health and Safety in the UK. It states that all employers have a duty to ensure that they are protecting the health and safety of their employees in the work place and their visitors. This includes the provision of Risk Assessments and is extended to legionella.
The Management of the Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
Came into force on the 29th December 1999 and implements the requirements of the EC Framework Directive 89/391/EEC and the Temporary Workers Directive 91/383/EEC providing a framework for managing health and safety in the work place. They revoke the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992, the Management of Health and Safety at Work (Amendment) Regulations 1994, the Health and Safety (young persons) Regulations 1997 and Part 3 of the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997. 
“Suitable and sufficient“ risk assessments must be carried out for those risks arising out of an employers undertaking, their employees and persons not employed. This is necessary in order to identify measures necessary to comply with any relevant statutory provisions.
Access to competent help is cited as necessary to assist in the need to comply with any statutory provisions.
COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) Regulations 2002
These regulations came into force on 21st November 2002 and are designed to protect people from the risks to health from substances hazardous to health arising from a work activity. The regulations impose duties on the employers for the protection of employees who may be exposed to substances hazardous to health at work. An employer may not carry out any work which is liable to expose any employee to a substance hazardous to health unless a suitable and sufficient assessment has been made.
The Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) for 'The control of legionella bacteria in water systems' (L8)
This is a guidance and an Approved Code of Practice document which gives advice on the requirements of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the COSHH regulations concerning the risks to health from the exposure to legionella bacteria. It also gives guidance on the relevant parts of the Management of the Health and Safety at Work Act. It replaces two documents, the 1995 Approved Code of Practice and the technical guidance, HSG70. It gives guidance on both water cooling/air conditioning equipment and hot and cold water systems. It is an ACOP and Guidance document and is a recognised document in the eyes of the law. It is possible to use alternative methods of control as long as they are as good if not better than the ACOP. The law will see it as a failing, however, if the methods used are not as good if not better than the ACOP and will prosecute if this is found to be the case.
The Reporting of Injuries Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations R.I.D.D.O.R. 1995
These replace the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985. RIDDOR details the requirements for the reporting of incidents arising from or in connection with work activities. Legionellosis is not a reportable disease unless it is diagnosed by a doctor or if the employee's job involves a work activity as detailed in Schedule 3 of RIDDOR.
BS6700 1997 Specification for design, installation, testing and maintenance of services supplying water for domestic use within buildings and their curtilages.
The Notification of Cooling Towers and Evaporative Condensers Regulations 1992
These were introduced in order that all cooling towers are registered with the local authority, so that all towers are known about. In the event of an epidemic of legionnaires disease it would be easier to trace the source of the outbreak.
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