​The Site Water Safety Group aims to minimise the risk of illness associated with water born hazards (including legionella) for all site residents: staff; tenants; contractors; and visitors. While the scope and focus of this group is domestic water systems it includes any system in which Legionella hazards may arise for example lathe cutting fluids, cooling systems etc.

Site Water Safety Groups are multidisciplinary teams formed to undertake the commissioning, development, implementation and review of the site’s water safety plan.

It provides a forum to support Legionella Responsible Persons undertake their responsibilities under SHE Code 38 ‘Control of Legionella’ in which people with a shared interest and understanding of the site’s water hazards meet to take collective ownership for ensuring it identifies microbiological hazards, assesses risks, identifies and monitors control measures and develops incident response protocols.

The Site Water Safety Group will review, and as appropriate take action to ensure, the site’s compliance with STFC SHE Code 38 ‘Control of Legionella’ and associated legislation and codes of practice.

Responsibilities:

• Ensure the Legionella Risk Assessments for all entries in the site register of water systems, domestic water systems and other sources of Legionella, are reviewed two yearly or more frequently following significant change to these systems or external good practice;
• Identify responsibility areas through demarcation of equipment assets, Identify new water, or other liquid born, hazards introduced to the site ensuring they are listed in the site register of water systems and as appropriate risk assessments and written schemes are developed for them;
• Review reported water system/Legionella incidents ensuring root cause and remedial actions arising from them are suitable and sufficient to minimise the potential for recurrence, and these actions carried out in a timely manner;
• Provide advice and guidance in the event of a Legionellosis outbreak, as appropriate assisting site emergency controllers/site management in managing the incident;
• Review the findings of specialist water systems/Legionella audits ensuring their recommendations are acted upon and agreed actions are carried out in a timely manner; and
• Provide quarterly reports on the status of water safety management and to the site Health and Safety Committee (through SHE Group reports), and present annually a review of site water safety management to the site Health and Safety Committee.

Membership:

• Representative from site CSD Estates team;
• The site Legionella Responsible Person(s);
• Representatives from any STFC Department whose activities/operations/equipment may affect site domestic water systems;
• Representatives from any STFC Department whose activities/operations/equipment may be a source of Legionella hazards independent of site domestic water systems;
• Representative from STFC SHE Group;
• Representative from the site’s Facilities Management contractors for Hard and/or Soft Services;
• Representative from site water treatment contractor(s); and
• Representative from the site’s Legionella Management Contractors.

Meeting administration:

• Quarterly; and
• Chaired by site LRP (or a senior member of CSD Estates).

Reports to:

• Site Health and Safety Committee.