Welcome Guest! The IOSH forums are a free resource to both members and non-members. Login or register to use them

Postings made by forum users are personal opinions. IOSH is not responsible for the content or accuracy of any of the information contained in forum postings. Please carefully consider any advice you receive.

Notification

Icon
Error

Options
Go to last post Go to first unread
paulw71  
#1 Posted : 10 April 2014 15:37:14(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
paulw71

Does anyone have an example of the above they would be willing to share. Thanks in advance.



hopeful  
#2 Posted : 11 April 2014 12:26:44(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
hopeful

I believe it is difficult to share as each office will have a potentially different water system and therefore risks. If there are no showers is there a need?
Xavier123  
#3 Posted : 11 April 2014 13:05:54(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Xavier123

As per hopeful's comment, it really is difficult to just say 'office' and have a generic RA.

But in order to be of some assistance:

Consider the water assets at the office - incoming water source, tanks, pipework, outlets like taps and showers, fountains, vending machines, TMV's, etc.

Now for each of these and/or the systems they are involved with consider:

Potential for contamination
Potential for amplification
Potential for transmission
Exposed population
Host susceptibility

Contamination is hard to avoid but I'd hope you can in some way define the others.
Amplification is largely controlled by controlling temperature as either hot or cold.


I'm wary of overstating the above because MOST offices are on mains supplied water with general low risks due to small pipework runs etc.
However...
This could be a huge office in an old building.
There can easily be stagnating areas of water due to out of use areas, poor turnover, poor plumbing. Temperatures in unlagged pipework can rise/fall.
And you might have a large amount of over 60's male workforce who all smoke and drink.
and so on...


This is why you can't really automatically have a simple template RA ... but the above 5 factors are from the BS8580 for legionella risk assessment and competently considering those areas for all your water assets (particularly if uncomplicated and straightforward) should be sufficient. <insert caveat/disclaimer here>


jay  
#4 Posted : 11 April 2014 14:00:48(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
jay

If you have not done so far, please refer to HSE Guidance , HS(G)274 Legionnaires’ disease Part 2: The control of legionella bacteria in hot and cold water systems. It has a description of a "low-risk" system, but you would need to document the risk assessment.

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/hsg274part2.pdf

Info box 2.2: Low-risk systems
An example of a low-risk situation: in a small building without people especially ‘at risk’ from legionella bacteria;
#where daily water usage is inevitable and sufficient to turn over the entire system;
#where cold water comes directly from a wholesome mains supply (no stored water tanks);
#where hot water is fed from instantaneous heaters or low storage volume water heaters (supplying outlets at 50 °C);
#where the only outlets are toilets and hand washbasins (no showers).
Users browsing this topic
Guest
You cannot post new topics in this forum.
You cannot reply to topics in this forum.
You cannot delete your posts in this forum.
You cannot edit your posts in this forum.
You cannot create polls in this forum.
You cannot vote in polls in this forum.