HSE · 4th edition (2013)
ACoP L8
Legionnaires' disease: the control of legionella bacteria in water systems
Reference last checked 27 June 2026
- What it is
- An Approved Code of Practice. It has special legal status: follow it and you are normally doing enough to comply; depart from it and, in a prosecution, you must show you achieved control another way.
- Who it binds
- Duty holders (employers and those in control of premises) under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act and COSHH.
- What it covers
- The duties: identifying and assessing risk, appointing competent people, a written scheme of control, monitoring, records and review.
- Key references
- Made under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and COSHH 2002; carries Approved Code of Practice legal status.
- Edition
- 4th edition (2013)
Our explainers
Editions and clause references are confirmed against the publisher on the date shown; always check you are reading the current version. Nothing here is legal advice. See the control-parameters reference for the numbers, and all standards.
Cite this page
"ACoP L8: Legionnaires' disease: the control of legionella bacteria in water systems." Legionella.io, last reviewed 27 June 2026. https://legionella.io/standards/acop-l8/
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