Issue - meetings

This report provides an update on the importance of managing Legionella and seeks approval for a proposed structure and funding arrangements to enhance the water management framework for the City of York Council.

RESOLVED: (i)         That the importance of water management, and particularly the management of Legionella, be acknowledged.

                        (ii)        That the management framework described in the report be approved, including:

a)     recruitment / procurement of the specialist support required to undertake works to fulfil the water management obligations of the ‘Responsible Person’ within Property Services;

b)     employment of a specialist contractor to undertake all monitoring activities;

c)      provision of sufficient resources, through re-prioritisation, to fulfil the Council’s legal requirements.

REASON:      To ensure that the Council becomes compliant in its response to the risks associated with water management and particularly Legionella.

Members considered a report which outlined importance of managing the disease Legionella and the standards expected, and sought approval for a proposed structure and funding arrangements to enhance the water management framework at the Council.

A public enquiry held following an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in Barrow-in-Furness in 2002 had identified the need for more effective water management, resulting in a number of new codes of practice and directives.  The legal duties in respect of Legionella were set out in ‘Legionnaires’ disease – The control of Legionella bacteria in water systems.  Approved Code of practice and guidance’, commonly referred to as ‘L8’.  The Council had already acted positively to reduce the risk of Legionella but was still not fully compliant with L8.  Action was needed to ensure that all ‘priority one’ actions identified through risk assessments were implemented, that monitoring checks were carried out consistently as required and that the appointed ‘responsible person’ had sufficient resources to fulfil the legal requirements.

It was proposed that the following actions be implemented to ensure compliance:

• Creating a new post of Assistant Compliance Officer or purchasing specialist expertise to support the compliance team;
• Recruiting an in-house team to manage and perform the monitoring checks or using a specialist contractor to do this (the latter being the recommended option as the contractors would have a trained, skilled and efficient resource available immediately);
• Ensuring that the responsible person has sufficient resources to fulfil the legal requirements.

Cost associated with compliance were detailed in Annex A to the report.

Having noted the comments of the Shadow Executive on this item, it was

RESOLVED: (i)         That the importance of water management, and particularly the management of Legionella, be acknowledged.

                        (ii)        That the management framework described in the report be approved, including:

a)     recruitment / procurement of the specialist support required to undertake works to fulfil the water management obligations of the ‘Responsible Person’ within Property Services; ¹

b)     employment of a specialist contractor to undertake all monitoring activities; ²

c)      provision of sufficient resources, through re-prioritisation, to fulfil the Council’s legal requirements. ³

REASON:      To ensure that the Council becomes compliant in its response to the risks associated with water management and particularly Legionella.