Changing-room showers are one of the most common ways people are exposed to legionella, and gyms, leisure centres and sports clubs have rows of them. Add spa pools, steam rooms and clubhouses that close for weeks at a time, and a legionella risk assessment becomes essential.
Who has the duty
Employers have a duty to assess and control risks to health under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, and legionella is covered by the Biological Agents Regulations 2013. The Health and Safety Authority asks employers to carry out a written legionella risk assessment, record the findings and review it. National guidelines from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre recommend a review at least once a year.
A voluntary club with no employees still controls the water system its members and visiting teams use. Committees should treat legionella control as part of running a safe facility.
Where the risk is
- Showers: fine spray at face level, and many are used only on match days or training nights.
- Spa pools and hot tubs: warm, aerated water that needs daily checks of its own.
- Steam rooms and misting systems.
- Clubhouses in the off-season: water stands in the pipes for weeks or months.
- Away and referee changing rooms: used far less than the home side.
- Storage tanks in roof spaces: warm in summer and rarely inspected.
- Pitch irrigation and outside taps.
What the assessment covers
- Tanks, water heaters and the hot water circuit to the showers.
- Temperatures at the nearest and furthest outlets.
- How often each changing room is actually used.
- Shower heads, hoses and thermostatic mixing valves.
- Spa, pool and steam facilities.
- Who does the checks: staff, a caretaker or a committee member.
A simple routine for clubs
- Run every shower and tap on a set schedule, typically weekly, including the changing rooms nobody used.
- Check that stored hot water is at 60°C or above.
- Clean and descale shower heads each quarter, or sooner if scale builds up.
- Before the season starts, flush the whole system and check temperatures. See our reopening checklist.
- Write down every check with the date and a name.
When to add sampling
Sampling is worth adding for spa pools, for systems where temperatures are hard to hold, and after a long closure. Read more on how often legionella sampling should be done.
Based in Co. Tipperary, Safer Solutions provides legionella risk assessments and sampling in Limerick for gyms, leisure centres, GAA, rugby and soccer clubs across the city and county. Call 086 275 9728, email info@safersolutions.ie or request a quote.