Local authorities have special plans for dealing with major outbreaks of infectious disease including legionellosis.

If you have a cooling tower or evaporative condenser on site you must, under the Notification of Cooling Towers and Evaporative Condensers Regulations, notify the local authority in writing with details of where it is located.

Yes. Anyone who is involved in the supply of water systems and their components (eg designers, manufacturers, water treatment companies and suppliers) has to make sure that such equipment is designed and made in such a way that it is safe to use at work and that it can be easily cleaned and maintained.

If you employ five or more people you must record the significant findings of your risk assessment.

You need to appoint someone to take responsibility for managing the control scheme that you have put in place.

It depends. Sampling and testing for the presence of legionella bacteria is just one way of checking that your system is under control.

It depends. If you don’t need the hot water for other reasons, then using another effective treatment method means that you can reduce water temperatures.

Cooling towers, evaporative condensers and hot and cold water systems have been associated with outbreaks.

The risk assessment is your responsibility as the employer or person in control of the premises.

Under general health and safety law, you have to consider the risks from legionella that may affect your staff or members of the public and take suitable precaution.

Legionella bacteria are common in natural water courses such as rivers and ponds

Legionnaires’ disease is a potentially fatal pneumonia caused by legionella bacteria.