Description
Legionella Testing Analysis Sample Pack
Guidance for when to test can be found in HSG274 Part 2 page 40. Or in your Legionella Risk Assessment if you are a business. If you don’t have a Legionella Risk Assessment for your site you may be breaking the law. Speak to us today about your requirement for a Legionella Risk Assessment.
Ready to order Legionella Sample Kit with Lab Analysis
- UKAS accredited analysis as required by HSE
- Pre-paid return packaging – Order additional if sending samples separately.
- Expert interpretation and advice available
- Immediate reporting of any positive results
- Confidential service
You must not mix more than one sample per bottle, please ensure one sample bottle is used per sample outlet.
Legionella analysis has never been easier – simply click and pay and we will send you a sampling pack and instructions.
You collect the sample and post it back to us in the pre-paid package provided.
How long does it take?
We will start your legionella analysis immediately and send you the testing results as soon as they are available. – With the standard Legionella culture test It takes at least 10 days to confirm a negative result, positive results will be reported as soon as observed. For this reason no (early) news is good news.
Unlike other labs which simply give you results, Feedwater, specialise in solving water related problems so we can explain what the results mean and can provide a full range of services to help you resolve your problem.
What systems should be sampled?
- Cooling Towers and Evaporative Condensers (At least quarterly)
- Healthcare premises (Recommended quarterly)
- Care homes (Recommended quarterly)
- Domestics where temperatures are inadequate to control Legionella (As Required until problem is resolved)
- Buildings where biocides are used instead of temperature (Recommend quarterly until control is established)
- Where there is suspicion of a case of Legionella infection
- Spa Pool operators (At least quarterly)
- Industrial process waters (As required by risk assessment – Talk to us about Legionella Risk Assessments)
- Anybody who needs reassurance that their water system is free of Legionella
We have written an article with the HSG274 guidance to explain when to test water for legionella, this should cover most queries.
Remedial Action following results
| Legionella bacteria (cfu/l) | Recommended actions |
|---|---|
| Not detected or up to 100 cfu/l | In healthcare, the primary concern is protecting susceptible patients, so any detection of legionella should be investigated and, if necessary, the system resampled to aid interpretation of the results in line with the monitoring strategy and risk assessment |
| >100 cfu/l and up to 1000 cfu/l | Either: ■ if the minority of samples are positive, the system should be resampled. If similar results are found again, review the control measures and risk assessment to identify any remedial actions necessary or ■ if the majority of samples are positive, the system may be colonised, albeit at a low level. An immediate review of control measures and a risk assessment should be carried out to identify any other remedial action required. Disinfection of the system should be considered |
| >1000 cfu/l | The system should be resampled and an immediate review of the control measures and risk assessment carried out to identify any remedial actions, including possible disinfection of the system. Retesting should take place a few days after disinfection and at frequent intervals thereafter until a satisfactory level of control is achieved |
| Legionella bacteria (cfu/l) | Recommended actions |
|---|---|
| >100 cfu/l and up to 1000 | Either: ■ if the minority of samples are positive, the system should be resampled. If similar results are found again, a review of the control measures and risk assessment should be carried out to identify any remedial actions necessary or ■ if the majority of samples are positive, the system may be colonised, albeit at a low level. An immediate review of the control measures and risk assessment should be carried out to identify any other remedial action required. Disinfection of the system should be considered |
| >1000 cfu/l | The system should be resampled and an immediate review of the control measures and risk assessment carried out to identify any remedial actions, including possible disinfection of the system. Retesting should take place a few days after disinfection and at frequent intervals afterwards until a satisfactory level of control is achieved. |
About the Analysis
Notes: Legionella testing analysis takes at minimum 10 days to complete, however, if analysis is showing positive for legionella earlier than this you will be notified immediately. For this reason no (early) news is good news.
Please ensure that you post your samples the same day that you collect them and, because our lab is shut at the weekend, plan your sampling so they arrive with us between Monday and Friday i.e. its best to sample between Monday and Thursday but be aware of any bank holidays.
Other Sample Packs
- Microbial Potability Inc TVC
- TVC only
- Pseudomonas
- Enterococci
- Yeasts & Moulds
- Sulphate Reducing Bacteria
- Legionella Testing Kit
