Qualifying in Legionella Risk Assessment just got easier with the WMSoc

Aimed at legionella risk assessors of all types there are 3 pathways within the Legionella risk assessment qualification. Pathways include common modules providing an understanding of Legionella, water microbiology and the legal requirements with regards to compliance. There is a common element which covers Legionella risk assessment and introduces the delegate to reporting, record keeping and the legal requirements of a risk assessment.


What can I learn?

This qualification is split into 3 pathways depending on the specialism of the risk assessor:

  • Legionella risk assessment of hot & cold water and other systems – this will go into more detail on hot & cold water systems giving an understanding of the systems as a whole and more details on how they are controlled. Also covered in this pathway are temperature monitoring, sampling and inspection of water systems to ensure the risk assessor has a good understanding of precautionary measures likely to be in place and concludes with practical risk assessment where the student will have the ability to carry out a risk assessment and produce an executive summary for a dummy water system.

  • Legionella risk assessment of cooling water and other systems - Legionella risk assessment of cooling water and other systems - This pathway will focus on evaporative cooling systems and will provide a basic understanding of evaporative cooling water chemistry followed by Legionella risk assessment for evaporative cooling systems. Focusing on the difficulties of cooling towers, their water treatment control programs and tower inspections.

  • Legionella risk assessment for healthcare - this follows the foundations for Legionella risk assessment of hot & cold water and other risk systems with an additional modules to cover HTM 04-01 and BS 8580-2, Risk assessment for Pseudomonas aeruginosa and other waterborne pathogens – code of practice. Risk assessment pathway – course list as above.

In addition to attending the various required courses (see Map & Courses tabs) the candidate is expected to have practical experience of assessing the systems risk for legionella as defined by the chosen pathway. They would be expected to have seen a variety of buildings water systems and gained sufficient practical as well as theoretical knowledge to demonstrate competence. To achieve this level of practical experience depends on the candidate’s aptitude, frequency and complexity of risk assessing systems for legionella. We would recommend that the candidate has undertaken a variety of legionella risk assessments (from a mixture of different system types), and that the subsequent reports have been independently peer reviewed in order to allow a candidate to achieve the required experience.

Water Hygiene Pathway Map

Courses required to complete your Legionella Risk Assessor Pathway

Knowledge/Skill/Competence Requirements “the building blocks”. You can download a copy of the Legionella Risk Assessor Qualification Map here.

Course Title Course Type

Legionella Control and the Law - W201

LMS VIEW COURSE

Legionellosis Causes and Impacts of Infection - W202

LMS VIEW COURSE

An Appreciation of Hot & Cold Water Systems - W203

LMS VIEW COURSE

Legionella Control of Hot & Cold Water Systems - W204

LMS VIEW COURSE

Evaporative Cooling Water Chemistry Foundation - W255

Course VIEW COURSE

Evaporative Cooling Water Chemistry Advanced - W256

Course VIEW COURSE

Cleaning & Disinfection of Evaporative Cooling Systems - W258

Course VIEW COURSE

Temperature Monitoring, Sampling & Inspection of Hot & Cold Water Systems for Technicians - W259

Course VIEW COURSE

Legionella Risk Assessment of Hot & Cold Water Systems Foundation - W264

Course VIEW COURSE

Practical Legionella Risk Assessment Hot & Cold Water Systems Advanced - W265

Course VIEW COURSE

Legionella Risk Assessment of Evaporative Cooling Systems - W266

Course VIEW COURSE

Pseudomonas aeruginosa Risk Assessment in Healthcare Environments - W268

Course VIEW COURSE

Legionella Risk Assessment Hot & Cold Water Systems Qualification - W300

Exam VIEW COURSE

Legionella & Pseudomonas Risk Assessment Healthcare Qualification - W301

Exam VIEW COURSE

Legionella Risk Assessment Evaporative Cooling Qualification - W302

Exam VIEW COURSE

Further Information:


  • WMSoc will provide a rounded curriculum to meet the needs of various job roles within the water industry. The qualification will give additional confirmation of understanding of the given job role.
  • As part of the qualification a separate certificate will be issued along with the use of CertWMSoc in personal and professional communications, and the provision of a CertWMSoc logo and digital badge for personal use.
  • All qualified students will be listed on the WMSoc website for 36 months, and this can be used with customers to prove knowledge.

To complete each of the pathways the candidate must attend a tutor led Q&A session where elements of the various courses making up the pathway can be discussed and student’s questions answered by a knowledgeable tutor. The afternoon will then consist of the final 2 hour exam touching on points covered in all of the training building up to the qualification. For some pathways part of this exam may include a practical element.

Based around our existing training courses, our offering has been reviewed and updated to meet the needs of various job types within the industry. Identifying gaps and providing solutions to give a rounded qualification these pathways will ensure that students end with all the relevant knowledge necessary to complete their job effectively.

The names of all people achieving the CertWMSoc will be freely publicised on our website and via our waterline publication for a period of 3 years. In addition all successful students will receive a digital badge and certificate which they can use to advertise their higher level of knowledge to their customers.

Yes, you can qualify for as many pathways as you wish. In order to qualify for multiple pathways within the same section you would need to take any additional courses identified in the pathway maps, and take the additional wash-up and exam session.

If you have already taken our courses in the past 3 years and passed the exams you will be eligible for the qualification. Simply enrol for the qualification and take any additional modules not already covered. On successful completion of the final exam session module you will be awarded the qualification and added to the website in the same way as any other student.

How do I get started on this CertWMS Legionella Risk Assessor Pathway?

We have a wide variety of Online Courses available for you to take if our CertWMS Pathways aren’t for you. Our Online Courses cover all aspects of water management and legionella training, including Cleaning and Disinfection of Water and Cooling Systems, Legionella Risk Assessment, and HTM 04-01 Water Hygiene Training. You can take our Online Courses in the comfort of your own home or office. At the end of our Online Courses, you’ll receive a City & Guilds number and certificate indicating the grade of pass obtained.

Download our PDF Guide