For 115 years, ASSE International has been bringing the industry together to improve the performance and reliability of products and professionals. By working together, we protect the health and safety of the public. ASSE’s mission is to promote public awareness about the importance of safe and correct plumbing and mechanical systems and improve the performance and safety of these systems. This issue of Working Pressure magazine is focused on health and safety. All the standards that ASSE develops are health and safety standards. It is important to point out that we are not just focused on the health and safety of the general public, but we are also concerned with the health and safety of the workers involved with new construction, renovations, and maintenance of buildings’ systems.
This issue features an excellent article by Rich Benkowski, who talks about the need for a holistic approach to infection control, security, and resilience in building systems. The article explains the risks that can be found in buildings’ air and water, and also explains the risk groups among occupants of buildings that need to be identified to determine the risk control measures that are needed within a given building.
The industry recognizes the need to have trained and certified individuals who understand and can address the complicated plumbing and mechanical systems that contribute to building occupant risks. ASSE/IAPMO/ANSI Series 12000-2021, Professional Qualifications Standard for Water Management and Infection Control Risk Assessment for Building Systems, was developed to establish minimum knowledge and performance criteria to perform infection control risk assessments and water quality risk assessments. ASSE International is working to address solutions to water quality issues, including the threat of Legionnaires’ Disease. We want to raise awareness of how trained and certified personnel are part of the solution to improving water quality and preventing the spread of infection.
When working in a healthcare facility, each person has a responsibility to contribute to the best possible outcome for patients. This is not limited to health care providers alone. Understanding the environment of care allows the construction and maintenance worker to be conscientious about their role in the spread of potentially dangerous pathogens. It also helps in the understanding of how noise, vibration, utility service interruptions, and so many other factors affect the healthcare environment.
Air quality is also very important when discussing potential risks to occupants of buildings. Maintaining an environment that is free of airborne pathogens and other particulates is difficult during construction and renovation. These concerns are addressed under the ICRA standards within the ASSE Series 12000, along with certification requirements for contractors and tradespeople from the plumbing, pipefitting, HVAC, and fire sprinkler industries.
Construction is not the only factor that affects the quality of the air within a building — heating, air conditioning, ventilation, and other associated systems can all influence air quality. The next revision of the Series 12000 will contain standards for contractors and installers to address the training and certification needed to install and maintain HVAC systems to maximize the quality of the air within a building. With the addition of these new standards, the Series 12000 will cover all the areas needed to ensure a holistic approach to infection control, security, and resilience in building systems.
ASSE continues to produce health and safety professional qualifications standards that address the need for training and certification of the workforce that helps to keep our buildings safe and their occupants healthy. This aligns with our century old motto, “Prevention Rather than Cure.”
