A "dead leg" is a section of pipework that is no longer in active use but remains connected to the water system, creating a zone of stagnant water at ideal Legionella proliferation temperatures. HSE HSG274 requires all dead legs to be identified in the water risk assessment and either removed or capped.
Why this matters
Dead legs are common in older care home buildings where rooms have been reconfigured, extensions added or redundant equipment removed. An un-remediated dead leg identified during an HSE inspection is grounds for an Improvement Notice.
What to do
- 1Ensure your current water risk assessment has an up-to-date schematic of your water system dead legs should be marked.
- 2Commission a plumber to cap or remove any dead legs identified capping is acceptable, but the cap must be at the main and not at the outlet.
- 3Record the date and method of each dead leg remediation in your water safety file.
Primary source
HSE HSG274 Part 2 Water Systems
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