Legionella management plan
A Legionella management plan brings together all measures and procedures for preventing the growth and spread of Legionella in your water system.
Do you have spray heads, air conditioners or showers on your premises?
Have a Legionella management plan drawn up and prevent health risks such as Legionnaires’ disease.
Request more information.
Why choose a Legionella management plan?
- You’ll receive professional advice and support from an independent expert from your own external occupational health and safety service.
- You’ll protect your employees against exposure to Legionella risks.
- You’ll also protect users, lessees and visitors to publicly accessible places in Flanders if your facility falls into the high, medium or low risk category.
- You’ll receive a practical dossier with clear instructions and helpful documentation on keeping Legionella growth in check.
- You’ll have a management plan that’s fully compliant with the law, as set out in the Codex and the Flemish Legionella Decree.
What is a Legionella management plan?
A Legionella management plan brings together all measures and procedures for preventing the growth and spread of Legionella in your water system. It means you avoid health risks and comply with your legal obligations.
We first conduct a risk assessment of your system: where could Legionella bacteria develop and spread? Based on this, Mensura draws up a management plan with specific actions for each risk point.
The proposed measures are practical and achievable, combining inspections, prevention and correction. You’ll also receive all the documents you need to ensure compliance in the event of an inspection by the Public Health Inspectorate for the Federal Public Service for Employment, Labour and Social Dialogue.
Note: do you already have a management plan, but is it more than five years old? If so, be sure to have it updated.
Every year, there are around 300 to 350 reported cases in Belgium of Legionnaires’ disease
This is the disease caused by Legionella, a dangerous strain of bacteria. Stagnant water and aerosol appliances such as humidifiers or water systems with nebulisers are particular breeding grounds. If you have such installations in your organisation, you are required to develop a Legionella management plan.
Source: UZ Brussel
How does Mensura help in practice?
Mensura draws up the Legionella management plan in accordance with legal requirements, working with your company’s contact person.
We start with a consultation visit before conducting the risk assessment.
You provide us with the necessary floor plans showing the taps, the sanitary construction plan and the schematic diagram. If these documents don’t exist, we’ll draw them up together.
Together with the person technically responsible for the water system, we conduct a visual inspection on site.
During this inspection, we also check the existing plans showing the taps and the sanitary diagram.
We identify the critical points and measure the temperatures there.
Based on our findings, we conduct a risk assessment. This includes an analysis of the temperatures and the frequency of use of each point, supplemented by an assessment of the transport and movement flows within the system.
Note: Legionella sampling is not included in the basic package. However, we can help you select an approved laboratory.
Extra options:
We explain the management plan to the Committee for Prevention and Protection at Work (CPPW).
We organise Legionella training for your employees.
Frequently asked questions
Does every company have to have a Legionella management plan?
No. However, the requirement applies to many organisations, depending on the type of water system and the risk of Legionella contamination.
Examples of such organisations include:
healthcare institutions such as hospitals and residential care centres
hotels and campsites
sports facilities with showers
asylum-seeker centres
other public places with sanitary facilities
What are the rules for other companies?
Even if the Legionella legislation doesn’t apply to you, you must comply with the Codex on Well-being at Work. This requires every company to conduct a risk assessment for biological agents, including Legionella.
Mensura can help you with this. For companies in this category, we’ll develop a limited Legionella management plan that meets the risk assessment requirements set out in the Codex.
How often do you need to update the Legionella management plan?
You must review a Legionella management plan regularly. Especially in these situations:
changes are made to the facility
changes are made to the building’s use
new risks arise
Make sure your plan is always up to date, as this is the only way to both give your employees and visitors effective protection against Legionella and comply with the law.
What does a Legionella risk assessment involve?
The risk assessment is the first step in the Legionella management plan. We map the entire drinking water system and look for potential risk points, such as:
stagnant pipes
showers
boilers
rarely used taps
We investigate where and how Legionella could develop. Based on these findings, we determine what measures are needed to limit the risk.
Who is responsible for the Legionella management plan?
The employer is responsible for both developing and implementing the Legionella management plan.
Mensura can help you develop the plan and provide tailored advice. However, the final implementation – such as monitoring the measures, conducting inspections and maintaining documentation – always remains your responsibility as an employer.
Does every company have to have a Legionella management plan?
No. However, the requirement applies to many organisations, depending on the type of water system and the risk of Legionella contamination.
Examples of such organisations include:
healthcare institutions such as hospitals and residential care centres
hotels and campsites
sports facilities with showers
asylum-seeker centres
other public places with sanitary facilities
What are the rules for other companies?
Even if the Legionella legislation doesn’t apply to you, you must comply with the Codex on Well-being at Work. This requires every company to conduct a risk assessment for biological agents, including Legionella.
Mensura can help you with this. For companies in this category, we’ll develop a limited Legionella management plan that meets the risk assessment requirements set out in the Codex.
How often do you need to update the Legionella management plan?
You must review a Legionella management plan regularly. Especially in these situations:
changes are made to the facility
changes are made to the building’s use
new risks arise
Make sure your plan is always up to date, as this is the only way to both give your employees and visitors effective protection against Legionella and comply with the law.
What does a Legionella risk assessment involve?
The risk assessment is the first step in the Legionella management plan. We map the entire drinking water system and look for potential risk points, such as:
stagnant pipes
showers
boilers
rarely used taps
We investigate where and how Legionella could develop. Based on these findings, we determine what measures are needed to limit the risk.
Who is responsible for the Legionella management plan?
The employer is responsible for both developing and implementing the Legionella management plan.
Mensura can help you develop the plan and provide tailored advice. However, the final implementation – such as monitoring the measures, conducting inspections and maintaining documentation – always remains your responsibility as an employer.
Mensura helps you
Mensura offers a variety of products and services to boost well-being and health and safety in your organisation. From the legally required to the incredibly useful.