The standard’s risk-management approach is a sound methodology, similar to the process safety management (PSM) framework.Ĭompliance with this standard is voluntary unless local or state authorities incorporate the standard into building codes or other legislation, such as the state legislation enacted following the outbreak of Legionnaire’s disease in the Bronx, NY, in the summer of 2015.ĪSHRAE’s press release (2) explicitly defines the scope of the standard as water systems and cooling towers associated with buildings. In June 2015, after nearly a decade of effort, ASHRAE released “ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 188-2015, Legionellosis: Risk Management for Building Water Systems” (1) to provide guidance to owners and managers of human-occupied buildings and professionals involved in the design, construction, installation, commissioning, operation, maintenance, and service of centralized building water systems and components. Three conditions must exist for a Legionnaire’s disease infection, or legionellosis, to occur: the presence of Legionella bacteria, the creation of contaminated aerosols, and the presence of people vulnerable to infection in the airspace that contains these contaminated aerosols. So it is not surprising that many cases of Legionnaire’s disease can be traced to cooling towers. Rust, scale, contaminants that serve as nutrients, and the presence of other microorganisms can also promote the growth of the bacteria. The organisms can multiply at temperatures between 20☌ and 50☌ (68–122☏) they thrive at temperatures of 32–40☌ (90–105☏). Warm, stagnant water provides ideal conditions for growth. Legionella bacteria are naturally present at very low levels in most surface waters, including streams, rivers, ponds, and lakes.
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