Legal & Compliance Library

Legionella and the Approved Code of Practice (L8)

HSE's Approved Code of Practice on controlling legionella bacteria in water systems, supporting duties under HSWA and the Management Regulations.

Scope

Guidance under existing general duties

L8 is HSE guidance on managing legionella risk, supporting the general risk-assessment duties already imposed by HSWA 1974 and the Management Regulations — not a standalone new duty.

Guidance, not a new duty

Duty

Applies to anyone controlling relevant water systems

Anyone in control of premises with water systems that could create a legionella risk — cooling towers, hot and cold water systems — is expected to follow this guidance.

Water systems, in scope

Practice

A written scheme, not an assumption

Good practice generally means a written control scheme for the water system, recorded and reviewed like any other risk assessment, rather than an assumption that it's fine.

Written, not assumed

This page is an educational, plain-English summary — it is not legal advice and must not be relied on as a substitute for the legislation itself or advice from a competent person. Always refer to the official source for the authoritative text.

What it covers

L8 gives practical guidance on identifying and assessing legionella risk in water systems and implementing a written control scheme, supporting the general risk-assessment duties already imposed by HSWA 1974 and the Management Regulations 1999.

Who it applies to

Anyone in control of premises with water systems that could create a risk of legionella exposure (e.g. cooling towers, hot and cold water systems).

How SafetyOps supports compliance

Legionella risk can be recorded as a hazard within a general Risk Assessment today; no dedicated water-hygiene module exists in SafetyOps yet.

Explore the related module →

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