3157 Legionellosis risk management and Legionella control. Guidance for oil and gas facilities, offshore platforms and refineries

Overview:

The control of Legionellosis is a legislative requirement, unlike many other bacterial control issues in the oil industry. As a minimum, each company must maintain an evergreen documented system to demonstrate how the risk of an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease is to be minimised. In the context of this document this is Legionellosis Risk Management. In addition, many operators are interested in how best to control the growth and activity of Legionella should their system become contaminated. This is Legionella Control.

This publication provides supplementary guidance on the management and control of Legionella in oilfield water systems, i.e. offshore platform fresh water distribution systems and cooling towers at downstream processing facilities.

It aims to be a more specific guidance tool to the oil industry than the broad guidance currently available which covers a range of industrial and commercial facilities. The unique facilities design and particular operating practices in some oilfield installations can lead to uncertainty as to what actions or precautions need to be taken in order to meet both legislative requirements of Legionellosis risk management and practical control of Legionella contamination. Although, these designs may be peculiar to the oil industry, they are common to many operating companies. Therefore, it should be possible for each operator to benefit from the development of a consistent approach throughout the industry.

This document provides similar information to that provided in other HSE publications, but wherever practical it will provide such information in a manner relevant to the oil industry.

It should be made clear that this document is presented to assist users within the industry in the development of a Legionellosis Management System and Legionella Control Program(s) and is not to be used as a replacement to current or future Health and Safety Executive documentation.