BS 7592 Sampling for Legionella Bacteria in Water Systems

Posted on Thursday 10th December 2009 in News

The British Standard (BS7592) for Legionella sampling came into effect on the 30 November 2008. It gives recommendations and guidance on the sampling of water and related materials for determination of the presence of organisms of the genus Legionella. To demonstrate that measures to control legionellae are effective there is an increasing need to sample potential sources for the presence of legionellae. It is, the aim of this document to bring together information on likely sources of Legionnaires disease, the selection of sampling sites and the methods of sampling for the purposes of routine monitoring, investigating a problem, or an outbreak investigation. Building managers should ensure that persons selecting sample points and taking samples have appropriate training to understand the rationale for selecting sampling points. Whether samples are collected for routine purposes or as part of outbreak investigations, samples should be taken, wherever possible, from locations considered most likely to contain the highest numbers of legionellae.
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