DVRL Legionella risk assessment document

The DVRL (Legionella Risk Assessment Report) is the only truly effective approach for properly managing and containing the growth of Legionella.

It is a fundamental document for implementing a correct Legionella Risk Management Protocol.

The DVRL is the assessment that identifies the specific characteristics of the facility and its domestic water distribution systems (both hot and cold), in which conditions may arise that are associated with the actual or potential presence of Legionella. The document must be regularly updated based on periodic inspections, which must be carried out by an accredited laboratory (ACCREDIA), and it must ensure that the short-, medium-, and long-term prevention measures are consistently implemented and correctly recorded. This documentation is essential for demonstrating proper control and management of the risk of bacterial proliferation.

The document includes:

• The assessment of the facility’s overall condition
• The identification of any system-related critical issues
• The indication of the monitoring activities to be performed
• The definition of preventive measures to reduce risk
• The planning of routine and extraordinary maintenance activities

Following the Risk Assessment, the next step is Risk Management, which involves implementing interventions to eliminate or mitigate the identified issues. Finally, Risk Communication ensures that managers, staff, and exposed individuals are informed and made aware through training and refresher activities.

It is important to consider that Italy, in implementing EU Directive 2020/2184, adopts an approach summarized in Article 1 of Legislative Decree 18/2023:

“The objectives of this decree are the protection of human health from the adverse effects of contamination of water intended for human consumption, ensuring that such water is safe and clean, as well as the improvement of access to water intended for human consumption.”

For these reasons, the DVRL is today a fundamental and irreplaceable tool for guiding facility management toward a future that safeguards the health and safety of all.