Legionella Toolbox for Schools and Learning Environments Talk

This Legionella Awareness toolbox talk template is designed for education facilities, caretaking and premises staff who manage water systems.

It outlines the key hazards of Legionella bacteria growth, including temperature control failures, water stagnation, and scale build‑up, and references the legal duties under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 and the HSE Approved Code of Practice (ACoP) L8.

• Use this toolbox talk for: routine hot‑water temperature checks, weekly flushing of low‑use taps, and reporting of water quality issues.
• What each section includes: purpose, hazards, why injuries occur, detailed do‑items, detailed don’t‑items and an important summary.

Implementing this toolbox talk helps schools meet duty of care under health and safety legislation, reduces potential downtime from water system shutdowns, and promotes a culture of proactive maintenance.

Regular training using this talk ensures staff stay informed about emerging best practices and supports continuous improvement of water safety management.

All guidance complies with current UK legislation and best practice. For more information see HSE ACoP L8 and BS EN 806‑1.

Compliant with: Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 and the HSE Approved Code of Practice (ACoP) L8.

Fully editable and shareable, this toolbox talk can be customised to suit the specific water system configurations and maintenance procedures of any school.