Posted By Melanie Harrison A number of Centre Managers are now asking for Water Risk Assessments for Retail Stores. Does anyone have any experience regarding this?

Posted By Melanie Harrison They are asking about how water is plumbed in the staff rooms apparently because of the risk of legionella bacteria etc.

Posted By steve e ashton Melanie: Are you sure the concern is being raised in relation to legionellae -and not 'general' bacteria?. Legionellae should only really be an issue in places where water is aerosolised - turned to droplets/mist e.g. in showers / cooling towers etc. A far more common concern is simply whether the water at the tap in the sink in the staff room is 'potable' (i.e. drinkable) If this is the concern, then the response could be to trace the plumbing, and all cold taps fed direct from the mains can be labelled 'drinking water' - and all cold taps fed with water from tanked storage in the roof should be labelled 'not drinking water'. Water from the mains can (normally) be assumed to be safe to drink. Water from tanked storage is of uncertain quality, may have any amount of any number of unknown organisms... It may be fit for bathing, laundry, wc flushing etc - but not for drinking (even after boiling.....). In any 'new' commercial building, you may be able to get the information from the 'CDM H&S File'. The alternative is to have a plumber trace all your pipes or do a pressure test (which may or may not be conclusive....) Bottom line - if there is a dead rat in your header tank, and someone suffers illness as a result of drinking the water... what are you going to say? Hope this may help. Steve

Posted By Melanie Harrison Thank you for the feeback - it is very helpful -

Posted By Robert K Lewis 100% of the dead people had also previously been alive! Ergo the cause of death is life. Or - If you don't live you don't die Or - If you live you will die It is a happy world of statistics isn't it. On a more serious note the supply of non-potable water to welfare areas is a real problem as most people assume the cold supply is always from the mains, it is a thing called Perceptual Set and we need to make any deviation abundantly clear. In a regularly used welfare area the use of the taps is likely to obviate the growth of bacteria in the lines/tap heads but do look out for taps not used on a regular basis or for dead leg lines. Bob

Posted By Tony Brunskill Salus, This may be one for Clarkeson but are you aware that none potable water is supplied to a number of taps in the workplace. Often as a result of the use of holding tanks that are contaminated. Drinking water shuold be direct to the tap from the rising main in most cases. Oh and utility companies do get it wrong!! I recall an incident where they introduced sodium thiosulphate to the supply uetralising the residual chlorine (Available Free Chlorine) intended to deal with contamination after treatment. Tony

Posted By Salus exactly Tony, it is not the water that is the problem it is mechanics of storage and supply. If a company has identified a significant risk of an employee or other contracting legionella (after they have ID how it is formed and transmitted)then that company should put in a maintenance policy to ensure the disease is prevented by recognised cleaning procedures I recall that 1 incident as well, but it was of human error,where their procedures were at fault. You cannot control everything, there is always a risk, you have to look at the problem then put in resonable and practicle control measures. Petrol is highly flammable but that does not stop people from filling up