An award-winning health and safety consultancy is offering free legionella audits to businesses, schools and public sector organisations following a concerning increase in cases of Legionnaire’s Disease across the UK.

Despite a decrease in the case rate per 100,000 population during the pandemic years in England (2020 to 2021), the rate of Legionnaires’ Disease increased in 2022 and 2023.

The latest government report shows 604 confirmed cases in 2023, compared with 413 in 2022, and 352 in 2021.

Experts at Acorn Safety Services say many sites, even well managed ones, are unknowingly uncompliant with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Health and Safety Executive’s Legionnella guidance (ACoP L8 and HSG274) and urging businesses and organisations to take up their complimentary offer of help.

The audit takes less than an hour and includes a review of the legionella risk assessment status, checks on logbooks, flushing and temperature records, visual inspection of high-risk areas and recommendations and next steps.

The resulting report will give a clear snapshot of compliance, and an action plan.

Operations Director, Zeynep Guzelkasap, said: “We are regularly seeing the same issues across many businesses, such as outdated or missing legionella risk assessments, inconsistent or incomplete temperature and flushing logs, no appointed or trained responsible person, and neglected assets like tanks, showers and thermostatic mixing valves.

“These gaps can put both compliance and people at risk. Legionnaires’ Disease is serious and potentially fatal. While most cases can be treated with antibiotics, it can lead to severe complications, and even death, especially in vulnerable individuals. We want to stop this increase in cases in its tracks and feel that strongly about it, we are offering free audits to help.”