The Legionella Control Association (LCA) is a voluntary organisation whose membership comprises providers of services and products concerned with the control of legionella bacteria in water systems. The primary aim is to keep water systems safe and minimise the risk of cases of Legionnaires' disease caused by poorly maintained systems.
The LCA was founded in 1999 by the British Association for Chemical Specialities (BACS), now known as BCA and the Water Management Society (WMSoc). A Recommended Code of Conduct for Service Providers concerned with controlling the risk of legionella was formulated and launched. Companies and individuals were invited to pledge to a number of commitments making up the Code of Conduct with the specific objective of raising standards in the control of legionella bacteria in water systems.
Over time the Code of Conduct has been refined and there are now nine Service Provider Commitments. The Code requires service providers to draw up a Statement of Compliance addressing each Commitment and to establish and maintain appropriate management systems for those services that they offer associated with the control of legionella.
In support of this there are formal LCA Standards for Service Delivery for each category of service offered by members which define the important elements that should be part of every service providers' management system.
The LCA administers the registration of new members, the annual re-registration process and the programme of company audits by a team of LCA assessors. It is a voluntary, independent, not for profit organisation managed by a committee drawn from BACS, WMSoc, industry experts and health authorities. The LCA has close links with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and other public health authorities and regularly participates in consultations, task groups and conferences concerned with minimising the risk of Legionnaires' disease.
