Free Legionella Temperature Log Template (HSG274): PDF & Excel

Your legionella risk assessment is only as good as the monitoring that backs it. This log covers the three records HSG274 Part 2 expects for hot and cold water systems: monthly sentinel-outlet temperatures, calorifier flow/return checks, and flushing of infrequently used outlets.

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The targets, printed on the sheet

• Hot water: ≥50°C within 1 minute at the tap (55°C in healthcare)
• Cold water: ≤20°C within 2 minutes
• Calorifier: flow ≥60°C, return ≥50°C

How to use it

Your risk assessment defines the sentinel outlets. List them once, then work through monthly. Record failures with the action taken; a reading out of range with no action is worse evidence than no reading at all. Keep monitoring records at least 5 years. Full guidance: legionella temperature monitoring explained.

Who must keep this record

The duty sits with whoever controls the water system: the employer, landlord or duty holder. It comes from the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, COSHH 2002 and the HSE's L8 Approved Code of Practice, with the technical detail in HSG274. L8 also expects a named, competent responsible person with the authority and training to run legionella control.

• Buildings with stored hot water and multiple outlets
• Care homes and healthcare premises, where occupants are more vulnerable
• Cooling towers and evaporative condensers (also notifiable to the local authority), spa pools, hot tubs, and anywhere water is aerosolised
• Landlords: the HSE confirms residential landlords are included, though your risk assessment may call for flushing after void periods rather than a monthly log where a combi system stores no water

How long to keep it

Keep monitoring records for at least 5 years on higher-risk systems. The same applies to flushing, tank cleaning and TMV servicing records. The risk assessment runs longer: life of the system plus a reasonable period. The written control scheme is kept for the life of the system. For a domestic rental, retain records for the duration of the tenancy plus a reasonable period. Binning logs early is a common L8 failure: see what L8 requires you to keep.

What a completed entry looks like

One line per outlet per visit, written at the tap, not from memory. A completed monthly sentinel entry looks like this.

• Date and time: 14/07/2026, 08:20
• Outlet: S3, first-floor kitchen tap (furthest outlet from calorifier 1)
• Hot: 51.4°C at 1 minute, in range (target ≥50°C)
• Cold: 18.2°C at 2 minutes, in range (target ≤20°C)
• Checked by and action: initials, plus the instrument (calibrated digital probe). A failed reading gets the fix on the same line: "Calorifier flow 56°C, thermostat raised, re-checked 21/07 at 61°C."

FAQs

Do I have to check every tap?

No. You check sentinel outlets, the nearest and furthest outlets from each water heater or tank, because they represent the system between them. Little-used outlets are flushed weekly and temperature checked periodically. Your risk assessment names which outlets count as sentinels.

How often should the log be filled in?

Monthly is typical for sentinel outlets and for stored hot water. Incoming cold water is checked at least every six months, more often in summer. The exact frequency is set by your legionella risk assessment, not by the template.

What thermometer should I use?

A calibrated digital thermometer. Surface probes are common for pipework, with running-water readings at taps. Check the calibration periodically and keep the method consistent: run the tap, time it, and record at the specified interval.

Can my water hygiene contractor keep the log for me?

Yes, and many businesses do. But legal accountability stays with the duty holder, so you still have to oversee the contractor and hold the records. Ask for completed sheets as they are produced rather than at the end of the contract year.

Sources

HSELegionella: official guidance (ACOP L8 / HSG274)

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