HALPIN & HAYWARD LTD · Water Treatment · Legionella Control · Dublin

Cooling Tower Compliance & Inspection Schedule (Ireland)

What Irish law and HSG274 / HPSC 2009 require of a cooling tower operator - the risk assessment, the written scheme, the testing and cleaning schedule, and the duty to notify.

An operational cooling tower in Ireland must have a Legionella risk assessment, a written scheme of control, routine (typically quarterly) Legionella testing, biannual cleaning and disinfection, and must be notified to the local authority. These duties fall on the responsible person under health-and-safety law, and HPSC 2009 guidance.

Who is responsible?

Irish health-and-safety law places the duty to control Legionella on the responsible person - typically the employer, building owner or person in control of the premises. For a cooling tower, that duty is specific and non-negotiable: cooling towers and evaporative condensers are treated as high-risk, and the responsible person must be able to show a managed control programme backed by records. Halpin & Hayward helps responsible persons discharge these duties.

The compliance building blocks

1. 1
   Legionella risk assessment- a full assessment of the cooling system identifying where Legionella could grow, reviewed regularly and after any significant change.
2. 2
   Written scheme of control- the documented plan setting out how the risk is controlled: treatment, monitoring, temperatures, responsibilities and actions.
3. 3
   Routine monitoring & testing- chemical monitoring plus Legionella sampling (typically quarterly, more often for higher-risk systems).
4. 4
   Cleaning & disinfection- biannual deep clean and disinfection with post-clean verification.
5. 5
   Notification- the cooling tower is notified to the local authority as a wet cooling system.
6. 6
   Record keeping- all of the above documented and retained, ready for audit (the Legionella Log Book).

The inspection & testing schedule at a glance

What non-compliance looks like

The common gaps we find are a missing or out-of-date risk assessment, no written scheme, sampling that has slipped past its interval, cleans that were not carried out or documented, and no notification to the local authority. Any of these leaves the responsible person exposed - and, more importantly, leaves a real Legionella risk uncontrolled. A managed programme closes all of them.

Related pages

Cooling tower compliance FAQs

• Do I have to notify the local authority about a cooling tower?

  Yes. Wet cooling towers and evaporative condensers must be notified to the local authority. This is part of the responsible person's duties alongside the risk assessment and written scheme of control.
• How often does a cooling tower need a Legionella risk assessment?

  A risk assessment should be reviewed at least annually and whenever there is a significant change to the system, its use or the building. It underpins the whole control scheme.
• What is a written scheme of control?

  It is the documented plan for controlling Legionella risk - covering treatment, monitoring, temperatures, responsibilities and the actions to take if control limits are exceeded. It follows from the risk assessment.
• Who can carry out cooling tower compliance work?

  Sampling, cleaning and scheme management should be carried out by competent specialists. Halpin & Hayward provides the full programme - assessment, testing, cleaning, documentation and emergency response.