Legionella bacteria can cause legionnaires’ disease, which is a form of pneumonia. This disease spreads when droplets containing legionella bacteria are inhaled.

Legionella is found naturally in soil and water, where it is generally harmless. But when the bacteria enters man-made water systems – such as cooling towers, whirlpool spas, and drinking and bathing water – it multiplies very quickly. At the this point it becomes a significant health hazard.

Legionnaires’  disease can be life-threatening.

Associated health conditions include:

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Cancer
• Diabetes
• Kidney failure
• Liver failure

All types of workplaces require a risk assessment for ensuring the health and safety of employees. This also includes performing a legionella risk assessment, if it is prudent for a particular workplace.

The legislation requiring employers to control the legionella outbreak include:

The HSWA legislation states that every employer needs to ensure, as far as is practicable, the health and safety of all the employees. Employers must also provide adequate training, instructions, and information to ensure health and safety at work.

To prevent the spread of legionella, duty holders must ensure that any individual responsible for a premises or its water facilities have sufficient training to manage this hazard.

The MHSWR states employers should put in place arrangements as are appropriate to prevent health and safety risks. Arrangements will include effective planning, control, monitoring, and reviewing of the proactive measures.

Anyone responsible for a building or water system in which legionella bacteria may be present must take appropriate precautions.

As per COSHH, employers who undertake work that can expose the employee to a substance that is hazardous to health should provide employees with appropriate information and training.

The basic objectives of this legionella awareness advance course are helpful to understand:

• Legionella growth and its health risks
• Legionnaires’ disease symptoms and methods of diagnosis
• Effective design and operational procedures to minimise the risk of legionella
• Legionella related legislation and guidance
• Legal duties of employers or a water system in charge to ensure safe working practices are being followed

This RoSPA assured legionella training requires:

• No prior domain knowledge
• No certification requirement

To create basic awareness related to legionella disease, this module covers:

• Legionella health risks
• Legionella symptoms and diagnosis
• How the legionella disease develops
• How the legionella disease spreads
• Controlling the possible risk from legionella
• Overall summary of the sections taught in this module

This module regarding the legionella regulations covers:

• Introduction to UK legislation
• Legionella guidance
• Roles and responsibilities
• Legionella outbreak
• Prosecution case studies
• Summary of all the sections covered in this module

This module on legionella awareness covers:

• Types of hot and cold water systems
• Cold water systems
• Hot water systems
• Scalding risks
• Operational requirements for managing legionella
• Summary of all the sections taught in this module

The end test comprises 20 questions to review and assess the learner’s understanding of all of the content covered.

This online training course about legionella awareness advance is specially designed for:

• Health and safety managers
• Building owners
• Facilities managers
• Maintenance and engineering contractors
• Those who are responsible for the safe storage of water and safe operation of water systems

Delegates will learn the following aspects by the end of this course:

• Legionella and its associated hazards to human health
• Diseases caused by legionella, their symptoms, and diagnosis
• Design and operational procedures of water systems to minimise the risk of developing legionella
• Develop an understanding of legionella related legislation and guidance needed to operate a water system to control the risk of legionella
• Types of cold and hot water systems & legionella development in these systems
• Understanding of operational requirements to manage legionella risks in water systems

• Meet compliance with latest health and safety legislation
• Protects against the hazardous impact of legionella diseases
• Ensures that necessary steps are carried out competently for minimising the outbreak of legionella related diseases

• Understand legionella diseases, their prime symptoms, and diagnosis
• Learn the regulatory framework of the UK and steps to meet compliance with the law
• Understand the roles and responsibilities to ensure legionella related health risks are managed for saving the h&s of staff and other people as a whole

The Human Focus version of the legionella awareness course is:

• Offers RoSPA assured course content
• Meet compliance with health and safety legislation
• Available all the time through accessing LMS (learning management system)
• 100% online training- no travelling required to reach classrooms
• Information is delivered with the help of quality videos and animations
• The self-paced training nature ensures maximum knowledge retention and comprehension
• Interactive exercises based on interactive scenarios and illustrations for easy learning
• Assessment tests to evaluate trainee’s understanding due to this course
• RoSPA assured globally recognized certificates for trainees on completion of course

• 100% online training course – accessible via any device
• Course Duration – approximately 2 hours course

Knowledge Test 

• Comprises of multiple-choice questions
• Passing score: at least 80%

On passing the end test, the RoSPA assured e-certificate will be awarded to trainees in PDF format. The certificate shows the following information on it:

• Trainee name
• Course name
• The completion date of the legionella awareness course
• The expiry date of the certificate

The legionella training certificates have a validity period of 3 years. Trainees need to refresh their courses after the expiration of this certification.

All the information regarding training certificates, training progress, assessment results are centrally stored in the Human Focus LMS (Learning management system). The data is accessible all the time to reprint e-certificates or to check/modify the passing/failing criteria of pieces of training.

• Legionella control in water systems
• Legionella risks at workplaces
• Legionella risks during the coronavirus pandemic

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned employers, to be aware of the increased risk of legionnaires’  disease, when reopening workplaces after lockdown. Any employee responsible for the management of a building and its water systems must be well-informed of the risk of legionella bacteria and know what steps to take to prevent its spread.

For the latest news on legionella, visit the legionella control association.

Legionella is found naturally in natural water sources including rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. When it enters domestic water systems such as cooling towers, evaporative condensers, hot and cold water systems, and whirlpool spas, it can quickly multiply.

The ideal temperature range to let legionella bacteria grow is 20 to 45°C. It is recommended that domestic water is kept at temperatures below 20°C and above 60°C.

Yes. 1 out of every 10 people infected with legionnaires’ disease dies from severe complications from the illness, as per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

If the water movement is stagnant or slow, legionella colonies can grow quickly. Within 48 hours it can reach levels that are potentially hazardous.