International. ASHRAE announced that the new standard on legionellosis is now available, which seeks to provide guidance on risk management requirements.
The document sets out the minimum requirements for risk management against legionellosis in the construction of water systems. "The industry interest and entry into the development of this standard has been enormous," said presidential member Tom Watson, chair of the committee that wrote the standard. "With 8,000 to 10,000 reported cases of Legionnaires' disease each year in the United States, and with more than 10% mortality in reported cases, it is vital that we establish the requirements to manage the risk of this bacterium."
Legionella can also cause a less severe illness similar to the known influenza and is Pontiac fever. Most cases of legionellosis are the result of Legionella exposure associated with building water systems, according to Watson.
The ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 188-2015, Legionellosis: Risk Management of Water Systems in Buildings, is intended to be used by owners and managers of occupied buildings and those involved in the design, construction, installation, commissioning, operation, maintenance and service of centralized water systems in buildings and their components.
The release of the standard coincided with the 2015 Annual Conference that took place June 27-July 1 in Atlanta.
Specific requirements of the standard include:
- Minimum risk management requirements against legionellosis in buildings and associated drinking and non-potable water systems.
- Establishment by building owners of a Team for the Program and (in turn) the Water Management Program for which they are responsible in order to comply with the standard.
- Provision of specific and detailed requirements for what legionellosis control strategies achieve and how they are to be documented but, does not provide (or impose restrictions) to which specific strategies are to be used or applied.
- Standard 188 consists of normative sections, followed by normative and informative appendices. The regulatory sections and regulatory annexes specify the requirements to be met. The informative appendices and informative references are indicative.
The cost of the ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 188-2015, Legionellosis: Risk Management of Water Systems in Buildings, is US$58 (US$48, for ASHRAE members). To order it visit www.ashrae.org/bookstore
