Legionella prevention in industrial facilities
On an industrial site, cooling towers and process water carry the Legionella risk that domestic-focused regimes miss. How to rank each system and control it.
Industrial and manufacturing facilities face Legionella risks that go well beyond the hot and cold taps. Many sites operate cooling towers or evaporative condensers, which are among the highest-risk systems of all because they discharge large volumes of aerosol that can travel considerable distances. Several of the most serious outbreaks on record have been traced to poorly maintained cooling towers.
Process water, washdown systems, humidifiers and infrequently used welfare facilities add further hazards, and large sites often have sprawling, complex pipework. Cooling towers also carry legal notification duties to the local authority.
Control starts with a thorough, competent risk assessment that captures every relevant system, not just domestic water. From there, treatment, monitoring and maintenance regimes must match the hazards present. Getting the assessment right is the foundation for everything else on a complex site.
On an industrial site, cooling towers and process water carry the Legionella risk that domestic-focused regimes miss. How to rank each system and control it.
How to risk assess a cooling tower for Legionella: the findings that should worry you, what each one points to, and how to rank the fix before you leave site.
Cooling towers are the only Legionella system that can reach the public. Where the money goes, the duty to notify the council, and when to retire the tower.
Cooling towers are the highest-risk Legionella systems on any site. What HSG274 Part 1 expects you to control, the notification duty, and how to evidence it.
Notify your local authority about a cooling tower or evaporative condenser: what counts, what the register is for, and the evidence to keep on file.
Emergency showers, water baths and deionised loops make labs a Legionella blind spot. The mistakes UK facilities teams make, and how to fix each one.