Notification of Cooling Towers

As part of continuing efforts to ensure improved control of legionnaires disease and other infections caused by the legionella bacterium, and in response to a number of serious and highly publicised outbreaks of legionnaires' disease in recent years the health and safety commission introduced the above statute. 

It requires that the occupiers of all premises containing a wet cooling tower or evaporative condenser (or both) notify to the relevant local authority the presence of such facilities. 

Outbreaks of legionnaires disease have occurred in or near large building complexes such as hotels, hospitals, offices and factories. Inhaling water droplets contaminated with legionella bacteria, which are widespread in natural sources of water and are also found in many recirculating and hot and cold water systems causes infection. 

Cooling towers, such as those, which form part of an air conditioning system, can represent a particular hazard because they readily generate fine water droplets and there is an air current to carry them away. Because they are often located on rooftops there is a potential for infecting large numbers of people. Therefore the person in control of premises containing a wet cooling tower or an evaporative condenser is responsible for notifying the Environmental Health Department of the local authority in which the premises are situated the number and nature of such facilities on the attached approved form. 

Attached below is a notification form that should be completed and returned if your premises has either of the above mentioned facilities