Free legionella training for domestic properties

Eight lessons, in the order you would do the job.

Take them in one go in the guided course, which plays each video, stops to explain and to ask you questions, and keeps your score. Or open any lesson below to watch and read it on its own.

1. Lesson 1 · 2 min video · 7 min readWhat legionella is, and how people catch itExplain what legionella is, how it reaches people, and the four conditions that let it grow.
2. Lesson 2 · 2 min video · 9 min readLegionella and the law: what a landlord has to doState what the law asks of a landlord, and what it does not.
3. Lesson 3 · 2 min video · 10 min readHow the water system in a home worksRecognise a combi boiler, a vented cylinder and an unvented cylinder, and say what each stores.
4. Lesson 4 · 2 min video · 12 min readWhere legionella grows in a homeFind the places in a home where water stands, warms or is turned into spray.
5. Lesson 5 · 2 min video · 9 min readHow to take water temperatures for a legionella risk assessmentTake hot and cold readings correctly and say what each one means.
6. Lesson 6 · 2 min video · 11 min readHow to survey a home for legionella, step by stepCarry out a survey in the order the water flows, and record honestly what you could not check.
7. Lesson 7 · 1 min video · 11 min readControlling the risk: what to do about what you findMatch each common finding to the action that controls it.
8. Lesson 8 · 1 min video · 8 min readRecords, review, and what to tell your tenantsSay what to write down, when to look again, and what tenants need to know.
9. Then · 20 questionsTest yourselfCheck what you remember. Each answer shows the reason and the lesson it came from.

Then carry out a legionella risk assessment, with DwellFlow.

The course teaches you what to look for. DwellFlow is the software you do the assessment with. Starting is free.

1. Step 1 · on your phoneAnswer the survey questions at the propertyDwellFlow asks them in the right order, one at a time.
2. Step 2 · thirty minutes to an hourTake the temperatures and the photographsThe time depends on the size and type of the water system.
3. Step 3 · written by AIGet the risk assessment, the tenant sheet and the written scheme of controlRead a full example report before you start.

Short answers.

• Is this legionella training free? Yes. All eight lessons and the test are free to read, with no sign-in and no payment. You only pay DwellFlow if you go on to use the software and want the documents it produces.
• Is it accredited, and do I get a certificate? No. It is not an accredited course and there is no certificate or pass mark. It gives you the knowledge. HSE says most landlords can assess the risk themselves and do not need to be professionally trained or accredited.
• Do landlords need legionella training? There is no legal requirement for a landlord to hold a legionella qualification. HSE’s code of practice does ask that whoever carries out the risk assessment is competent: that they understand where legionella could grow, the precautions, and how to keep them working. This course covers those three things for a home.
• Who is the course for? Landlords assessing their own property, letting agents, estate agents and property managers and their staff, and people who already visit rented homes for other work: gas engineers, plumbers, heating engineers, electricians, energy assessors and inventory clerks.
• Is this legionella risk assessment training? Yes, for homes. Lessons 5 and 6 teach how to take the water temperatures and how to carry out a legionella risk assessment of a house or flat, step by step. Lessons 7 and 8 cover what to do about the findings and what to record.
• Is it legionella awareness training? Yes. Lessons 1 to 4 are awareness: what legionella is, how people catch Legionnaires’ disease, what the law asks of a landlord, and where the bacteria grow in a domestic water system.
• Can I take the legionella course online? Yes. The whole course is online and works on a phone or a computer. There is nothing to download and nothing to sign up for.
• What do I do after the training? Carry out the assessment. DwellFlow asks the survey questions in the right order on your phone, you take the temperatures and the photographs, and AI writes the risk assessment, the tenant sheet and the written scheme of control. Starting is free.
• Does it cover commercial buildings? No. It covers houses and flats let as homes, including houses in multiple occupation and holiday lets with ordinary domestic plumbing. Offices, care homes, hotels and buildings with cooling towers need more than this course teaches.
• How long does it take? About 13 minutes to watch all eight videos, or about 1 hour 17 minutes to read all eight lessons in full. Each lesson stands on its own, so you can do one at a time.
• Is it a video course? Both. Each lesson opens with a two-minute video that can also be played as sound only, with the words written out underneath. The full written lesson follows, with photographs, drawings and questions.
• Will this course make me a competent person? Not by itself. HSE’s code of practice says competence comes from training, instruction, experience and knowledge together. The course gives you the knowledge. If you finish it unsure about a particular property, HSE says you can arrange for someone else to carry out the assessment.