How to complete temperature monitoring checks for Legionella Compliance...

How to complete temperature monitoring to manage and reduce the risk of Legionella

Temperature monitoring is a task that should be completed on a regular basis to manage the risk of Legionella bacteria. This task will be outlined as part of the control programme and written scheme of control, and should be carried out by a competent person, and recorded accurately.

Depending on your hot and cold water system, the regularity of temperature monitoring will differ. This may be outlined within your previous Legionella Risk Assessment. If your site does not currently have a risk assessment in place, this should be completed in order to have an appropriate management plan in place.

For further information on the regularity of temperature monitoring, please see Table 2.1:https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/hsg274part2.pdf

Although your site's temperature monitoring may be managed by a third party, this is a guide for those that will be completing this task inhouse.

Once the decision has been made to carry out inhouse temperature monitoring, the persons undertaking the task should be properly trained to do so, with an understanding of Legionella and how temperature can reduce the risk, therefore Legionella awareness training is necessary. They will also need a thermometer and a way to record the temperatures, which is to be kept within a logbook (hard or soft copy). Records need to be kept for at least 5 years.

Please see below for a brief overview of how to take temperatures:

Cold Outlets - Run water and immerse the probe for 2 minutes or until temperature stabilises (if this is under 2 minutes).

Hot Outlets - Run water and immerse the probe for 1 minute or until temperature stabilises (if this is under 1 minute).

TMVs - Run tap outlet and put a contact probe thermometer to the pipework prior to the TMV. The pipework area should be uninsulated and unpainted for an accurate reading.

Calorifiers - Using a contact probe thermometer, place on the flow pipework until temperature stabilises. Using a contact probe thermometer, place on the return pipework (before the circulation pump) until temperature stabilises. The pipework area should be insulated and unpainted for an accurate reading.

CWSTs - Immerse the probe in the stored water within the tank as far as possible from the inlet valve. For the inlet makeup, run the inlet valve and immerse the probe until the temperature stabilises.

Water Heaters - Run the outlet closest to the water heater and immerse the probe for 1 minute or until temperature stabilises (if this is under 1 minute).

For training requirements, please contact us on info@bc-solutions.co.uk / 01296 914916

To order a bespoke site logbook and/or temperature probe, please contact us on info@bc-solutions.co.uk