LEGIONELLA - World Health Organization

• clear statements of responsibilities and a chain of communication between all these
personnel to ensure:
– effective cooperation between people engaged in system operation and maintenance
– a rapid and multidisciplinary response to failures in the management strategy
– coordination of a continuing review and evaluation process
• a list of identified targets, control measures and monitoring points
• all maintenance records, control measure monitoring data and control verification data
• actions to be taken as part of routine periodic maintenance of the system and its components,
and interventions to be undertaken should monitoring or verification data suggest loss of
control
• a reporting process that informs all involved people of system status and control, and identifies
actions to be taken in reporting monitoring and verification results
• a contingency plan that clearly outlines actions to be taken and chains of communication
and reporting in an emergency, and including a definition of the circumstances under which
the contingency plan will be instigated
• a description and assessment of the water system, including a current schematic diagram
of the system
• the plan for operational monitoring and verification of the system (e.g. frequency of monitoring,
target levels for parameters)
• a description of supporting programmes (e.g. training targets and manuals)
• water safety management procedures for normal operation, incidents and emergency situations.
Records are essential for reviewing the adequacy of the WSP and for ensuring that the water
system adheres to the WSP. The following records should be kept:
• supporting documentation for developing the WSP, including validation (the process of
obtaining accurate and reliable evidence that the WSP is effective)
• records and results generated through operational monitoring and verification
• outcomes of incident investigations
• documentation of methods and procedures used
• records of employee training programmes.
Periodic review of the records is recommended, so that trends can be identified and appropriate
actions taken to maintain the safety and quality of the water system.
LEGIONELLA AND THE PREVENTION OF LEGIONELLOSIS