UR1-O: Online Legionella Awareness Training Course

This legionella awareness course is suitable for duty holders and the legionella responsible persons for the health and safety of buildings with cold water systems of any size. This includes employers, self-employed and people who control cold water systems.

This legionella awareness course provides you with the knowledge and skills you need to learn more about the health risks created by legionella bacteria, the legal responsibilities of duty holders and how to develop control measures, including risk assessments.

Landlords also must be aware of the dangers of legionella and must undertake a legionella risk assessment to identify the risks of legionella.

This legionella awareness course is written by the Approved Code of Practice L8 (HSG 274) and covers areas necessary in detail through the modules.

Companies have a legal duty to manage Legionella under the Health and Safety Executive’s code of practice. Legionella bacteria can cause Legionnaires’ disease and cause serious harm to people’s health. Therefore, leaders of every premise with a man-made water system must ensure that the system is free from bacteria, safe to use and regularly maintained.

Developed by James Whelan, chartered health and safety expert, this online legionella awareness course and certificate will provide you with the knowledge and skills to understand more about the health risks created by Legionella bacteria, the legal responsibilities of duty holders and how to develop control measures, including risk assessments.

Please note: These training courses consist of learning through video, task completion and further reading/research. Please consider this when planning and allocating your time. To successfully understand and achieve the objectives of the course, learners are expected to engage in all aspects of the learning process to ensure they can successfully apply the knowledge and skills they have gained in their own settings.

Designed in Line With the Following Policies:

Health and Safety at Work Act 1974

Important note for non-UK learners: Although the legionella training courses reflect best practice principles and might be useful for learners outside the UK, please note that it is based solely on UK guidance and legislation. Please make sure you also adhere to relevant legislation applicable in your own country.

Legionella awareness training is recommended in the following situations:

• Fresher training where required
• Change of personnel
• The increased risk or lack of appropriate management
• If you are unsure of your duties

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Everyone completes the course in different timeframes depending on their knowledge and experience levels. However, typically the online legionella awareness course is completed within 1-2 hours.

Yes absolutely! You can log into our online portal at any time with your user login.

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No, these training courses are aimed at Duty Holders and Responsible Persons to gain an awareness of their responsibilities for legionella control and management. The responsible person should appoint a competent person to undertake legionella risk assessments, remedial works, and monitoring tasks.

If you would like to undertake legionella risk assessments, remedial and plumbing works, and monitoring you will need to undertake further specialist training.

All of our courses are CPD certification services that conform to universally accepted continuous professional development guidelines. Our legionella awareness course has achievable and relevant safety learning outcomes.

This certificate does not have an expiry date. However, based on industry best practice guidelines, the recommended renewal period for this training is every 2 years.

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uRisk provides a range of legionella awareness courses. These start from as little as £35.00+VAT for online courses. We also provide classroom training and on-site training, which is considered the most detailed and useful training as you will experience both practical and theory-based training by the legionella guidelines, and demonstrated how to apply it to your premises to prevent legionnaires disease.

Courses For Cold Water Systems

https://www.urisk.co.uk/other-risk-systems-training-course-classroom/

https://www.urisk.co.uk/spa-pools-training-course-classroom/

Legionella Training Courses

https://www.urisk.co.uk/legionella-risk-assessments-training-course-classroom/

https://www.urisk.co.uk/hot-and-cold-monitoring-and-inspection-services-training-course-classroom/

Our Legionnaires Training Course

​https://www.urisk.co.uk/legionella-legionnaires-training-course-classroom/

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Legionella bacteria causes legionnaires disease outbreaks, meaning legionella awareness, is one of the main ways to ensure that legionnaires disease outbreaks are kept in check. Both initial and refresher training in legionella awareness can help prevent the spread of legionnaires disease.

​Legionella bacteria are microorganisms that can lead to a severe form of pneumonia known as Legionnaires’ disease, as well as a milder illness called Pontiac fever. These bacteria are naturally present in freshwater environments, such as lakes and streams. However, they become a health concern when they proliferate and spread within human-made building hot and cold water systems. These systems may include various components like:

1. Showerheads and sink faucets
2. Cooling towers, which are part of centralized air cooling systems for buildings or industrial processes
3. Hot tubs
4. Decorative fountains and water features
5. Hot water tanks and heaters
6. Large, complex plumbing systems

It’s important to note that home and car air-conditioning units, which do not use water in their cooling process, do not pose a risk for Legionella growth. Legionella bacteria can be harmful when inhaled in aerosolized water droplets, particularly for individuals with weakened immune systems or underlying health conditions. Proper maintenance and water treatment protocols are essential to prevent the proliferation of Legionella in these man-made water systems and minimize the risk of associated illnesses.

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The United Kingdom has been witnessing a noticeable increase in both Legionella bacteria and cases of Legionnaires’ disease. This upward trend in cases typically occurs during the period between July and September. The warmer weather during these months provides a favourable environment for the proliferation of these dangerous waterborne bacteria.

While Legionnaires’ disease can often be effectively treated with antibiotics, it carries the potential to lead to enduring health issues and even fatalities. Legionella bacteria tend to thrive in heated water systems that remain stagnant for prolonged periods. Consequently, buildings with extensive and intricate water systems, such as hotels, hospitals, office complexes, schools, and other large structures, are particularly susceptible to Legionella infections.

To grasp the importance of a Legionella Training Course, we recommend exploring our article titled “What is Legionnaires’ disease.” This resource not only clarifies the nature of Legionella and its impact but also provides insights into relevant UK legislation related to Legionella. Furthermore, it outlines how undergoing Legionella control training can empower individuals and workplaces to effectively mitigate the risks associated with Legionella. All our training courses cover legionella bacteria in its full, allowing the legionella-responsible person to undergo safety compliance training with our health and safety specialists.

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A Legionella Risk Assessment will include reviewing your current records and a check of your previous assessments to ensure that all recommendations of remedial work or maintenance have been acted upon.

A Legionella risk assessment should be a two-pronged process. There should be a physical inspection and a consultation with everyone involved in controlling the bacteria, including the verification of management procedures and paperwork.

The first part of the Legionella risk assessment will include reviewing your current records and a check of your previous assessments to ensure that all recommendations of remedial work or maintenance have been acted upon.

The second part of the assessment will involve a tour of the site—with a specific focus on those areas where water is stored or where there is the potential for aerosols to be created.

Based on these findings, a report will then be prepared, including any recommendations for actions that should be carried out to lessen or lower the Legionella risk.

The Legionella risk assessment report should focus on the following six key areas:

1. ​​Assessing the risk level of the people in the building: is there anyone on site who is particularly susceptible due to age or health considerations?
2. Describing both cold water and hot water systems: are they mains fed, from water storage, or a combination of the two or maybe something different?
3. Recording water outlet temperature: water services must be operated at temperatures that inhibit Legionella growth. (This means below 20°C at outlets and where water is stored in cold water systems and above 50°C at for hot water outlets unless there is a supplementary strategy, such as secondary disinfection in place.)
4. Assessing the cold and hot water systems: is the cold water tank accessible, insulated, and tightly covered to prevent vermin or foreign matter from entering?
5. Assessing the hot water system: what type of system is it (unvented cylinder, combi-boiler, cylinder fed, etc.), and are the distribution pipes adequately insulated?
6. Identifying additional areas of risk: are showers and mixing valves correctly installed and well maintained? Are there any dead legs, redundant, or rarely used pipework on the property that will need to be removed or altered? If areas of the property are left unattended for periods, is there a schedule in place to regularly flush water systems?

All remedial works need to be recorded in a logbook and followed up with periodic checks and maintenance.

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We are often asked about the legal requirements with regards to Legionnaires. While there are no specific training requirements, a Legionnaires training course is part of the Health and Safety Executive’s Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) which follows the requirements of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH). By following the ACOP, you will comply with the law. 

The Health and Safety Executive’s Approved Code of Practice and guidance on regulations is clear on the necessity for training that helps duty holders and employers control the risk from legionella. “Inadequate management, lack of training and poor communication are all contributory factors in outbreaks of legionnaires’ disease. It is therefore important that the people involved in assessing risk and applying precautions are competent, trained and aware of their responsibilities.”

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Managing legionella bacteria comes under the auspices of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations. Training is one of the essential elements of the regulations. It is a requirement for competent persons to have the “ability, experience, instruction, information, training and resources to enable them to carry out their tasks competently and safely.” In the case of legionella, this means to have the training needed to understand, control and manage the risks from the bacteria. The ACOP states that the duty holder: “must be properly trained to a level that ensures tasks are carried out in a safe, technically competent manner; and receive regular refresher training”.

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Training is critical when it comes to legionella compliance, as a good understanding of the conditions that provide the bacteria with a rich breeding ground and the risk to human life this poses is critical to its management and control. 

If conditions are optimal for legionella bacteria to thrive, there is a far greater risk of human infection which could lead to the potentially fatal Legionnaires’ disease. If there is an outbreak of Legionnaires’ on your premises, it could cost your business dearly in terms of fines (which could run into thousands of pounds), the cost of remedial work to make your water systems safe again. An outbreak will also attract adverse publicity leading to lost business and the consequent financial losses.

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uRisk runs a number of training courses that will enable employers, duty holders, landlords and responsible persons to gain the technical competence needed in order to comply with the HSE’s ACOP and COSHH regulations. Our knowledgeable trainers are safety specialists who have been working in legionella risk management for many years, bringing with them a wealth of knowledge, qualifications and hands-on experience. 

All our training courses provide an ideal introduction to legionella awareness, as well as specific requirements of legionella management and legionella risk assessment. They are aimed at people who are newly-appointed duty managers and responsible persons, as well as employers or landlords who want to gain a better understanding of water safety in the premises they are responsible for.

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Whether you are a newly appointed legionella duty holder or are looking for regular refresher courses, our legionella training courses will give you all the information and knowledge you and your staff need in order to identify, assess, and manage the risks from legionella bacteria. From online training in legionella awareness to more specific ones that look at different legionella control measures and give you a deeper practical knowledge of water hygiene, legal responsibilities, control strategies and regulatory compliance.

Legionella training courses are an essential part of your business’s health and safety requirements. Careful management and maintenance of your water system is needed in order to control legionella bacteria and decrease the risk of an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease.

• Legionella Awareness Training Course (Classroom)

• Legionella Awareness Training Course (Online)

• Legionella Risk Assessments Training Course (Classroom + Practical)

• Legionella Monitoring Training Course (Classroom + Practical)

• Clean and Disinfection Services Training Course (Classroom + Practical)

• Water Softener Training Course (Classroom + Practical)

• Spa Pools

• Other Risk Systems

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Adequate training is key to minimising the risk of an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease. The Health and Safety Executive recognises that “inadequate management, lack of training and poor communication are all contributory factors in outbreaks of legionnaires’ disease. It is therefore important that the people involved in assessing risk and applying precautions are competent, trained and aware of their responsibilities”.

HSE’s Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) also states that competent persons “must be properly trained to a level that ensures tasks are carried out in a safe, technically competent manner; and receive regular refresher training”. Therefore, legionella training courses are an important requirement for businesses needing to find out more about legionella bacteria and fulfil their health and safety obligations with regard to their hot and cold water systems. 

Knowledge is for everyone

While it is necessary for an employer, landlord, duty holder or competent person to fully understand the dangers of Legionnaires’ disease and know why and how they need to keep on top of legionella risk management, legionella training courses are useful for everyone. The HSE advises duty holders to “ensure that all employees involved in work that may expose an employee or other person to legionella are given suitable and sufficient information, instruction and training.”

So it could well be that a basic understanding of the risks and dangers posed by the legionella bacteria is enough. By knowing how and why their actions might have a knock on effect on whether or not legionella contaminates your business’s water system, it is more likely that employees understand why you are asking them to take safety precautions. A cost effective way of doing this is through Online Legionella Awareness Training which gives enough topline information about legionella, the conditions that help it multiply, how it is transmitted to humans, and the health implications of infection. 

Specialist courses for people who want to know more

If you run a small business or have been appointed as a responsible person, you might find it more cost effective to handle your own legionella control and risk management in order to fulfil your legal responsibilities. From basic risk assessment to more detailed control measures, our specialist courses take a deeper dive into your responsibilities and duties, giving you a comprehensive understanding and technical competence to implement control strategies that keep your people safe and prevent unnecessary risks to your business. 

Click on the links below to find out more about our legionella awareness training and about each of our practical courses that we hold at our Hertfordshire headquarters. Then get in touch to organise your booking. 

• Legionella Awareness Training Course (Classroom)
• Legionella Risk Assessments Training Course (Classroom + Practical)
• Legionella Monitoring Training Course (Classroom + Practical)
• Clean and Disinfection Services Training Course (Classroom + Practical)
• Water Softener Training Course (Classroom + Practical)
• Spa Pools
• Other Risk Systems