What does a legionella monitoring schedule template look like?
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Key points
- A monitoring schedule template is an editable grid: one row per task, with the point in the system, the frequency, the parameter to record, who does it, and where the result is logged.
- The starting frequencies come from HSG274 Part 2: weekly flushing, monthly sentinel temperatures, quarterly shower head cleaning, six-monthly tank inspection, annual calorifier inspection, and a roughly two-yearly assessment review.
- Adapt the grid to your building: delete rows for equipment you do not have, tighten frequencies your risk assessment demands, never loosen one it has set.
- Every row needs a named person and a named place for the record, or the schedule exists only on paper.
- The schedule sits inside the written scheme of control; the log book is where its rows become evidence.
A legionella monitoring schedule template is an editable grid of the routine checks that keep a water system under control between risk assessments: one row per task, showing what is done, where, how often, what to record, and by whom. The grid below covers the standard weekly, monthly, quarterly, six-monthly and annual tasks for a hot and cold water system, ready to adapt. It is an indicative starting point: your risk assessment decides which rows apply and at what frequency, and the reasoning behind each task is in our guide to the legionella monitoring schedule.
The grid
| Task | Where in the system | Frequency | Record | Done by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flush little-used outlets to temperature | Each outlet used less than weekly (LU-01, LU-02...) | Weekly | Date, outlet, temperature reached | ____________ |
| Sentinel outlet temperatures | Nearest and furthest outlet on each hot and cold loop | Monthly | Temperature at each sentinel; hot ≥50°C within 1 min, cold <20°C | ____________ |
| Calorifier flow and return temperatures | Hot water storage vessel | Monthly | Flow ≥60°C, return ≥50°C | ____________ |
| Clean and descale shower heads and hoses | All spray outlets | Quarterly | Date, outlet, condition found | ____________ |
| Cold water storage tank inspection | Tank, lid, screens, stored temperature | Six-monthly | Condition, temperature <20°C | ____________ |
| Calorifier internal inspection or base drain-off | Hot water storage vessel | Annual | Debris, corrosion, condition | ____________ |
| TMV service, clean and descale | Each thermostatic mixing valve | As risk assessment sets (often 6–12 monthly) | Date, valve, service outcome | ____________ |
| Risk assessment review | Whole system | About every 2 years, or sooner on change | Review date, outcome, next review | ____________ |
Starting frequencies from HSE HSG274 Part 2, supporting ACOP L8. These are typical defaults; the risk assessment sets the actual frequencies for your building.
How to adapt the grid to your building
The template is the scaffold, not the answer. Three rules keep the adaptation honest.
Delete deliberately, not silently. A mains-fed building with no cold water storage tank has no tank row. Strike the row and note why, "no storage tank fitted", rather than leaving it blank or pretending the inspection happened. A schedule with honest deletions shows the building was thought about; a schedule with empty rows looks like checks that were skipped.
Tighten where the assessment demands; never loosen against it. A care setting, a building with long pipe runs, or a system that struggles to hold temperature may need more frequent checks than the defaults. That direction is always legitimate. The other direction, stretching a frequency the risk assessment has set because the default looks easier, undermines the whole document.
Name a person and a record for every row. The "done by" column is what turns a grid into a rota, and each row's record has to land somewhere: the flushing rows in the flushing log sheet, the temperature rows in the log book, the review in the assessment itself. A row with no named person and no named record is a wish, not a control.
Free legionella risk assessment template
A structured Word document following the five-step approach in ACOP L8. Covers risk identification, written scheme, monitoring, and records. If it isn't written down, you can't evidence it.
Follows ACoP L8 and HSG274 Part 2. Free. No spam.
Where the schedule sits among the other documents
The schedule is the calendar inside the written scheme of control. The scheme says how the risk will be controlled and who is responsible; the schedule says when each part of that happens; and the log book is where the evidence accumulates. The three documents refer to each other constantly, which is why the free risk assessment template carries a written-scheme section and a monitoring log alongside the assessment itself.
For the temperatures in the record column, the temperature checker lets you compare a reading against the targets on the spot, and the temperature chart explains why the numbers are what they are. If a check falls out of range, the row's record becomes a remedial action, and what to do if legionella is detected covers the escalation.
One row per task, a named person, a named place for the record. A schedule with those three things on every row is a control system; without them it is a calendar of good intentions.
What the template cannot do
A schedule template organises the routine; it cannot judge what the routine should be for your building, and following it does not certify the system safe or make a premises compliant. The frequencies and rows belong to your risk assessment, the records belong to your log book, and the duty stays with the person in control of the premises. Keep the grid current, keep every row evidenced, and review it whenever the system or the assessment changes. It records, it never certifies.
Free legionella risk assessment template
A structured Word document following the five-step approach in ACOP L8. Covers risk identification, written scheme, monitoring, and records. If it isn't written down, you can't evidence it.
Follows ACoP L8 and HSG274 Part 2. Free. No spam.
Frequently asked questions
What should a legionella monitoring schedule template contain?
One row per task, with columns for the task, the point in the system it applies to, the frequency, the parameter or result to record, and where the record is kept. A template for a hot and cold water system typically covers weekly flushing of little-used outlets, monthly sentinel temperatures, quarterly shower head cleaning, six-monthly cold water tank inspection, annual calorifier inspection, and the risk assessment review roughly every two years. Add a column for who does each task so the schedule names people, not just jobs.
How often should each legionella monitoring task be done?
The usual starting frequencies from HSG274 Part 2 are: weekly flushing of little-used outlets; monthly temperature checks at sentinel outlets and at the calorifier flow and return; quarterly cleaning and descaling of shower heads; six-monthly cold water storage tank inspection; annual calorifier inspection; and a risk assessment review about every two years or sooner on change. These are defaults, not fixed rules, and your risk assessment sets the actual frequencies for your building.
Can I adapt a monitoring schedule template to my building?
Yes, and you should. A template is the grid; your risk assessment decides which rows apply and at what frequency. Delete the rows for equipment you do not have, such as a cold water storage tank in a mains-fed building, and mark that they were removed deliberately. Tighten frequencies where the assessment demands it, for example in a care setting. Never loosen a frequency the assessment has set just because the template default is easier.
What is the difference between a monitoring schedule and a written scheme of control?
The written scheme of control is the document that sets out how the risk will be controlled: the measures, the responsible people and the escalation when something fails. The monitoring schedule is the calendar inside that scheme: the routine checks, their frequencies and where each result is recorded. In practice the schedule often appears as a table within the written scheme, and the log book holds the evidence that the schedule was followed.
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