FAQ

  • HSG282 is guidance published by the Health and Safety Executive covering the control of Legionella and other infectious agents in spa pool systems. It applies to any hot tub or pool used commercially, including holiday lets. While it isn't a standalone piece of legislation, failure to follow it leaves you exposed under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 meaning if a guest becomes ill, you have very limited legal protection.

  • Yes. If guests pay to stay at your property and have access to a hot tub or pool, HSG282 applies to you. It doesn't matter whether you're a large holiday park or a single property on Airbnb.

  • At a minimum you need a written scheme of control, a documented risk assessment, twice-daily water test records, monthly microbiological testing, quarterly Legionella testing, and five years of records kept on file. Most operators are only doing one or two of these.

  • It's a documented plan specific to your property covering how you manage and maintain your hot tub or pool to keep it safe. It needs to be written, site-specific, and available on demand. CompliSpa generates yours automatically through a short questionnaire.

  • Yes. A risk assessment identifies the specific hazards associated with your water system and what controls you have in place. Along with the written scheme of control it forms the foundation of your compliance documentation. CompliSpa generates both.

Understanding HSG282

Your Hot Tub Setup

  • Yes. Under HSG282, holiday let hot tubs are classified as business-tier systems, domestic hardware being used in a commercial context. This means the water must be fully drained and the system cleaned after every guest changeover. Maintaining the water continuously between bookings without a full drain and refill is not compliant, regardless of how regularly you test the water.

  • Yes, the compliance obligations apply regardless of heat source. However, wood fired hot tubs present significant challenges in meeting the technical requirements of HSG282. Without precise temperature control, continuous filtration, and an inline sanitiser dosing system, achieving full technical compliance is extremely difficult. If you operate a wood fired hot tub, a documented risk assessment identifying these limitations and recording the compensatory controls you have in place is essential. CompliSpa flags this during setup and includes appropriate disclaimers in your generated documents.

  • HSG282 recommends continuous inline sanitiser dosing as the preferred method. A floating dispenser is not fully compliant with this requirement as it creates peaks and troughs in disinfectant levels rather than maintaining consistent protection. However, an electric hot tub with proper filtration, temperature control, and a documented risk assessment that acknowledges this limitation and records compensatory controls, such as more frequent testing and manual dosing checks, provides significantly better protection than no documentation at all. CompliSpa helps you document your current position accurately.

  • HSG282 requires water quality tests at least twice daily when the hot tub is in use. Results must be recorded and kept for a minimum of five years.

  • These are laboratory tests carried out by an accredited lab. Microbiological tests should be done monthly, Legionella tests quarterly. The results must be stored alongside your daily records and available on demand. CompliSpa reminds you when they are due and stores the results in your audit trail.

Swimming Pools

  • Holiday let pools are covered by HSG282 for water treatment and Legionella control, and additionally by ING02 for pool safety. ING02 is guidance published by the Royal Life Saving Society in June 2025 specifically for non-lifeguarded swimming pools. It requires a pool-specific risk assessment, appropriate signage covering depth and emergency information, a means of raising an alarm, and guest safety information explaining pool rules and what to do in an emergency.

  • ING02 is the current UK guidance for managing safety in non-lifeguarded swimming pools, published June 2025. If your holiday let has a swimming pool that guests can access without a lifeguard present, ING02 applies to you. It sets out proportionate requirements around risk assessment, signage, access control, and guest information. CompliSpa covers the documentation requirements of ING02 for holiday let pool operators.

  • No. A Pool Safety Operating Procedure (PSOP) is required for commercial swimming pool operations with lifeguard provision and programmed sessions, such as leisure centres and hotel pools. It does not apply to holiday let pools. Your obligations are covered by HSG282 and ING02, both of which CompliSpa addresses.

Records and Documentation

  • A logbook alone is not sufficient. HSG282 requires a written scheme of control, a risk assessment, microbiological and Legionella test records, and a complete five-year audit trail. None of these are provided by a standard logbook. Spreadsheets and paper records also make it difficult to produce a coherent audit trail quickly when it is requested.

  • Daily test results must be kept on file for a minimum of five years. This includes water quality readings, microbiological and Legionella test certificates, and any corrective actions taken. CompliSpa stores all of this in one place and lets you download a complete audit-ready PDF at any time.

  • Yes, and they can do so without notice. If you cannot produce a complete audit trail on demand, daily logs, lab results, written scheme of control and risk assessment, you are exposed. CompliSpa keeps everything in one place and lets you download a complete audit-ready PDF at any time.

  • An Environmental Health Officer has the power to issue enforcement notices, require immediate remedial action, or pursue prosecution under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 if you cannot demonstrate that you are managing your water safety obligations. In addition, failure to maintain adequate records can invalidate your insurance at the point of a claim, precisely when you need that protection most. CompliSpa ensures you always have a complete, up to date audit trail ready to produce.

  • No. CompliSpa is a tool that helps you meet your obligations under HSG282 and ING02. You are not legally required to use any specific software, but you are responsible for having compliant documentation in place. CompliSpa makes meeting that responsibility straightforward.

  • CompliSpa is completely free during early access. Founding users who join now will receive a permanently discounted rate of £9.99 per month when the platform launches. The standard price will be £14.99 per month.

  • We are currently in early access and actively shaping the platform with input from real holiday let operators. Founding users will be the first to access the full product.

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