Legionella Awareness Training for Employers: What Is Required

In Great Britain, employers and people in control of premises must control the risk from legionella bacteria, and that includes making sure the people who manage or work on water systems are suitably informed, instructed and trained. HSE's Approved Code of Practice L8 says the person appointed to take day-to-day responsibility must be trained to a level that keeps tasks safe and technically competent, and must receive regular refresher training. Staff whose work may expose people to legionella need suitable and sufficient information, instruction and training. In the parts of L8 we reviewed, no particular course or certificate is named.

This article covers Great Britain, where HSE regulates. Northern Ireland has its own regulator, HSENI. It explains the current status of L8 and HSG274, who needs what, and what awareness training should cover.

Is L8 still current? Status in October 2026

Yes. According to HSE's publication page, Legionnaires' disease: The control of legionella bacteria in water systems (L8) is the fourth edition, published in 2013, and the page was last updated in August 2025. It is an Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) with guidance. The fourth edition removed the technical guidance, which HSE publishes separately as HSG274, Legionnaires' disease: Technical guidance. HSG274 is in its second edition, published in March 2024, and that edition updated Part 1 (evaporative cooling systems) only. Parts 2 (hot and cold water systems) and 3 (other risk systems) were not revised.

The legal weight of each document differs:

• HSE says the ACOP has a special legal status. If you are prosecuted for a breach and it is proved you did not follow the relevant provisions, you must show you complied with the law in some other way, or a court is likely to find you at fault.
• Only some parts of L8 carry ACOP status: risk assessment, the role of the appointed competent person (the "responsible person"), the control scheme, review of control measures, and the duties of those involved in supplying water systems. The rest is guidance.
• HSE says guidance is not compulsory unless stated, but following it will normally be enough to comply with the law.

The legal duties behind the training

HSE explains that the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 extends to risks from legionella arising from work activities. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations provide the framework, and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) set out what to do to assess, prevent or control the risk. Employers, and anyone in control of premises including landlords, must identify and assess sources of risk, manage and control the risk, and keep the correct records.

According to HSE, every system needs a risk assessment, though not every system needs elaborate controls. A simple assessment may show the risks are low and already controlled.

Who needs what training?

L8 distinguishes between the person who manages the risk and the employees whose work could expose others. The table below sets out the position and where HSE is silent.

L8 states that inadequate management, lack of training and poor communication are all contributory factors in outbreaks of legionnaires' disease. It also notes that a competent self-employed person or partner may appoint themselves. HSE says the responsible person can be you, one or more workers, or someone from outside your business, but where you use outside help, it is still the responsible person's job to ensure treatment is carried out to the required standards.

L8 does not give a refresher interval; it says "regular". Separately, HSE's landlord guidance says landlords with simple domestic systems can often assess the risk themselves and do not need to be professionally trained or accredited.

What should legionella awareness training cover?

There is no HSE syllabus, so use the risk assessment and the control scheme as your guide. Topics that follow from HSE's guidance include:

• How the risk arises. HSE says a system is a risk where water is between 20 and 45 degrees Celsius, breathable droplets can be created or spread, water is stored or circulated, and nutrients such as rust, sludge, scale or biofilm are present.
• Where it occurs. Cooling towers and evaporative condensers, hot and cold water systems, spa pools, and other systems such as humidifiers, air washers, emergency showers and indoor ornamental fountains.
• What controls apply to your premises. HSE says temperature control is the traditional strategy for hot and cold water. Cold water should be kept below 20 degrees Celsius where possible, hot water stored at least at 60 degrees Celsius, and distributed so it reaches 50 degrees Celsius (55 in healthcare premises) within one minute at the outlets.
• Who is more vulnerable. L8 says everyone is susceptible, with higher risk for people over 45, smokers and heavy drinkers, people with chronic respiratory or kidney disease, diabetes, lung or heart disease, or an impaired immune system.
• What to report. Changes to the system, unused outlets, temperature problems and out-of-range readings.
• Who does what. Names and roles, including deputies, and how the responsible person is contacted.

The final two items are practical suggestions rather than HSE-prescribed content.

Records you should keep

L8 says that if an employer has fewer than five employees there is no statutory duty to write anything down, but records of significant findings are required where there are five or more employees. The code says records should include the responsible persons, significant findings, the written scheme and its implementation, and monitoring and inspection results. Training records are among the typical items listed. A training matrix is a simple way to hold them, and you can link renewal dates to your review cycle using our guide on how often health and safety training needs renewing.

Frequently asked questions

Is legionella awareness training a legal requirement?

Employers must provide suitable and sufficient information, instruction and training to employees whose work may expose people to legionella, and the person with day-to-day responsibility must be properly trained. The format is not prescribed in the parts of L8 we reviewed.

Has L8 been replaced?

Not according to HSE's publication page. L8 remains the fourth edition from 2013, with HSG274 as the separate technical guidance (second edition, March 2024).

How often should the responsible person be retrained?

L8 says regular refresher training and does not give an interval. Set one based on your risk assessment, changes to the system and the person's role.

Do small employers need written records?

L8 says there is no statutory duty to write anything down if the employer has fewer than five employees, although a written record may still be useful.

Can we rely on a contractor for everything?

No. HSE says responsibility stays with the dutyholder, who should check the contractor's competence.

Where to start

Confirm who your responsible person is, check what training they have had, list who else works on or near your water systems, and agree an awareness briefing that matches your controls. For more workplace learning, see the Learnsignal CPD hub.

This article is general information based on HSE guidance (L8 and HSG274) as at October 2026. It is not regulatory, legal or compliance advice. Check the current HSE documents and take professional advice for your own premises.