Basic Requirements for Compliance in ASHRAE Legionella Standard
January 7, 2015
If ASHRAE 188P, Legionellosis: Risk Management for Building Water Systems, becomes a standard, the burden for compliance should not be too onerous in facilities that are already well maintained, says Matt Freije, founder and president of HC Info, a company that provides consulting services pertaining to Legionella control. If an adequate Legionella control program is not already in place, the burden for compliance will be a little more steep, but well-worth it. "The risk of Legionella is real. Thousands of people contract the disease in the US each year. Many die from it and others endure horrible suffering and long term disabilities," he says.
Rather than a prescriptive approach, the proposed ASHRAE standard recognizes that facilities have their idiosyncrasies, leaving it up to the individual facility managers to specify the control measures they'll need to put in place. "For example, the document states that procedures must be included for 'flushing or mixing of stagnant or low flow areas' in potable (domestic) plumbing systems but does not state how often or for how long to flush," says Freije.
At a minimum the written document for the water management program proposed under ASHRAE 188P must include the following:
• A list of the water management program team members.
• A description of building water systems, with flow diagrams.
• An analysis of building water systems to determine which present a significant risk.
• Control measures, and planned corrective action if the control measure is not performing to the expected standard.
• Verification procedures.
• Validation of the water management program's effectiveness.
• Documentation of all the activities in the program.
The water management program will have to take into consideration all of the water systems in a facility, particularly those that generate water in droplet form. These include:
• Potable (domestic) plumbing systems
• Cooling towers and evaporative condensers
• Public whirlpool spas
• Decorative fountains
• Misters, atomizers, air washers, and humidifiers
For more on ASHRAE 188P, read the full article
here.
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