Water safety
Legionella and recovery rooms: what the risk assessment must cover
By ThermaCare team · Published 2026-09-16 · Reviewed 2026-09-16 · UK guidance
Under ACOP L8 and HSG274 any premises with a water system that can create a spray or aerosol needs a legionella risk assessment: for a recovery room that is the shower, the ice bath or plunge pool, any hot tub, and any stored or little-used water. The assessment identifies the sources, the people at risk, the controls (temperatures, flushing, cleaning, disinfection, testing) and names the responsible person. It is reviewed at least every two years and whenever the system or its use changes. A competent person can do it; many operators use the same contractor as for the fire risk assessment.
Where the risk sits in a recovery room
Showers are the classic source: warm water, a spray, and hoses that sit unused between sessions. Ice baths and plunge pools are shared, recirculated water. Little-used outlets, dead legs left by a refit, and any water heater or tank all count. A sauna itself is dry, but the shower next to it is not.
What the assessment contains
A description of the system, a schematic if there is any complexity, the sources of risk, who could be exposed, the controls in place (temperature regimes, weekly flushing of little-used outlets, shower head descale and disinfection, bath water treatment and testing, cleaning), the monitoring and records, and the named responsible person with their competence. It ends with actions and a review date.
Controls you will actually run
Weekly shower descale and flush. Flushing any outlet not used in a week. Bath water tested and treated to the written scheme. Cleaning and disinfection of the tub and cover. Records for all of it. These are rota tasks, not one-off jobs; the assessment is only as good as the evidence that the controls happened.
Questions operators ask next
How often must a legionella risk assessment be reviewed?
At least every two years, and whenever the water system, its use or the people at risk change.
Can I do my own legionella risk assessment?
The law requires a competent person. For a simple room an experienced operator with training can, but most use a specialist so the document stands up if it is ever tested.
See where your room stands
ThermaCare tracks every requirement on this page against your own records, with the daily checklist, water tests, certificate reminders and asset history to prove it. Start with the free five-minute risk score, or create your account.
This guide summarises UK legislation and HSE guidance as understood on 2026-09-16. It is a working guide, not legal advice; decisions about your premises rest with you and your professional advisers.