Risky business: how safe is the water in your workplace?

Last month on World Water Day we celebrated an incredible resource we tend to forget. But water in your workplace should always be on your mind – because left unchecked, it can harbour a killer.

Legionella can be lethal, as one UK prison found out to its horror when a prisoner tragically died from the disease. 

After an investigation, the facilities management company working with HMP Lincoln was fined £600,000 in 2024 for failures that allowed the bacteria to flourish in the water supply. 

If you run a workplace, it’s your legal responsibility to protect your staff, residents and visitors from legionella. It’s a bacterium, like Norovirus and E.coli, that lives in contaminated water and kills millions of people worldwide every year. 

How can you be sure to prevent legionella?

Chris Hickman, CEO of Bison Assist, says: “Many people running workplaces worry about the regular steps they need to take to keep their systems free of this nasty disease, and to complying with all the legislation.

“That’s where our Bison Legionella experts step in, taking away the strain of keeping up with regulations and providing you with good advice – on tap, so to speak!”

As highly-qualified members of the Legionella Control Association, Bison’s experts provide: 

1. Legionella risk assessments – these need to be carried out every year
2. with water testing, which must be carried out by qualified professionals, and 
3. with essential staff training.

The Legionella Control Association (LCA) is a voluntary independent organisation whose members provide services and products concerned with the control of legionella bacteria in water systems. Bison’s fully-trained risk assessors follow strict procedures when they come to carry out your risk assessments, and offer highly professional advice and guidance.

Who’s responsible in your business – and what do they need to do?

Your business needs a nominated person (and a deputy) who handles the ACOP L8 requirements, trained in legionella awareness. They are responsible for control measures, including:

1. Monthly monitoring. Water temperature must be tested to make sure the cold is 20C or below, while hot is no lower than 55C.
2. Recording these temperatures in a log book.
3. Ensuring all water outlets are clean from sludge, and making sure flushing regimes are properly carried out.
4. Organising regular risk assessments by experts. 

What went wrong in the prison tragedy?

Chris says: “In the sad case of HMP Lincoln, the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) found the facilities management company had failed to act on a risk assessment carried out in 2016. 

“They’d also failed to put in place a written scheme for preventing and controlling legionella risks, failed to ensure appropriate water temperatures were maintained and failed to monitor water temperatures in the water system. 

“It shows how important it is to take professional advice and guidance not only on your risk assessments and water testing, but also to help follow through with actions you need to take to ensure safety and compliance.

“Our Bison risk assessors make unobtrusive visits to your premises to carry out their duties, but make clear recommendations that you can follow – and they’re always available at the end of the phone to provide further help. 

“Once you’re a member of the Bison herd, we’ve always got your back.”

Get your legionella protection right:

Discover more about your legionella safety responsibilities

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