Member News
Entrepreneurs' Forum member Phil White, who moved from property into water hygiene, says most owners don't realise the water-safety duty they carry, and is urging fellow business owners to check where they stand.
This summer marks 50 years since Legionnaires' disease was identified, following the 1976 outbreak in Philadelphia that killed 29 people. Half a century on, the guidance is well established, yet UK cases are rising again: England and Wales recorded 604 confirmed cases in 2023, the highest total since before the pandemic.
To mark the anniversary, Entrepreneurs' Forum member Phil White, Director of national water hygiene and Legionella compliance specialist Irrigonics, is encouraging fellow business owners to take a fresh look at a legal responsibility many don't realise applies to them.
Phil came to the water hygiene industry from an unlikely background. After a career in commercial property, he acquired Irrigonics in 2020.
"I knew buildings inside out, but what surprised me was how much responsibility for the water systems sits with the people who own and manage them," said Phil. "I didn't fully understand that, despite managing hundreds of buildings. If someone with my background wasn't aware of those responsibilities, there's a good chance many other business owners aren't either."
The duty applies far more widely than many expect. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act and the supporting guidance, ACoP L8 and HSG274, whoever controls a building (an office, a care home, a gym, a salon, a hotel) is responsible for managing the risk of Legionella in its water systems. Legionnaires' disease is a serious, sometimes fatal form of pneumonia, caught by breathing in fine water droplets. It still kills around one in 35 of the people it infects, most of them older or already vulnerable.
Phil’s message to fellow entrepreneurs is not to panic, but to check. "It comes down to a simple question," he said. "If someone asked you to prove the water in your building was safe, could you? A current risk assessment, a written plan, and records you could show tomorrow. Most owners aren’t sure they have them, and it’s very fixable."
To mark the anniversary, Irrigonics has produced a free, plain-English report, "50 Years of Legionnaires’ Disease", covering the history, the current picture, and a five-point checklist any business can use. It is available at www.irrigonics.co.uk/50-years-of-legionnaires-disease.
