A Summer Of Discontent For Commercial Air Conditioning Users
Every organisation involved in the use or provision of air conditioning needs to be aware of the changing regulations and issues this summer.
June 2013 saw the Met Office hold a workshop for the UK’s pre-eminent meteorologists, to discuss the unpredictable British weather. (Read More)
Top of their agenda was to better understand the drivers of our unusual weather patterns. However, despite some distinctly cool summers, UK business is becoming increasingly reliant on climate control equipment to keep the workplace within the “Goldilocks Zone” - not too hot, not too cold - providing suitable conditions for temperature-dependent industrial processes and a comfortable and productive environment for employees, visitors and nomadic guest workers such as clients.
In fact the Health & Safety Executive (H&SE) workplace regulations stipulate a duty of care for employees which amounts to providing a sufficient supply of dust free fresh or purified air at a reasonable temperature and ensuring workplace equipment is in efficient and clean working order.
Whether factory, office or larger public venue, every organisation involved in the the use or provision of air conditioning needs to be aware of the changing regulations and issues as this summer, a combination of factors has the potential to cause serious disruption.
BS EN 15780 ductwork cleanliness legislation
British Standard EN 15780 deals with cleanliness of ventilation ductwork in commercial buildings and focuses on providing proper assessment criteria for cleanliness and cleaning procedures. The legislation applies to existing, new and recently modified systems, the duty of care being to ensure that work is inspected and cleanliness mainless.
Necessary cleanliness criteria depends on a building’s use and occupancy. Levels of acceptable dust accumulation are very specific - for example the ductwork in treatment area in a hospital or laboratory would need to comply with 0.3 g/m2, whereas a room used for storage only may need to be clean to a level of 0.9 g/m2.
What are the consequences of non compliance?
Dust mites, E. coli, salmonella and more are found in dirty air ducts and pose a potential health risk to anyone in the building. However, many organisations do not realise that the responsibility for BS 15780 lies with the end user - not the landlord, regardless of who commissioned the building work or contract cleaning. This means that if any employee has a medical issue - such as allergies or asthma - related to improper cleaning of air ducts, it could be said that the employer will have failed in their duty of care. There is a risk that a case of negligence and non compliance could be brought, leading to fines or long and expensive court proceedings.
R22 refrigerant legislation
Many people are now aware that the new legislation around R22 refrigerant comes into effect from 2015. Although R22 has long been an industry standard for air conditioning, it is now being phased out due to environmental concerns. New substances like R410-A will be used instead, requiring specialist, qualified installation engineers to manage the changeover. This is could be costly and disruptive, depending on the size of the system. This may then leave facilities without air conditioning for a significant length of time.
General maintenance issues
As with any area under close cost scrutiny, facilities managers can lose sight of the importance of air conditioning maintenance. However without routine maintenance, once these systems come under load due to extended operation or a heat wave they can fail catastrophically.
Why is all of this a concern now?
There is a very real danger that many air conditioning systems will soon not be fit for purpose this summer. However many organisations will not realise how precious their supply of cool air is until it’s taken away - either during essential works to meet compliance or by way of a complete breakdown.
When temperatures force air conditioning units to work at or beyond capacity, having a system that is ill-equipped to cope can at best create unpleasant and unproductive working conditions, and at worst seriously disrupt business-critical processes. Also, as users and providers realise these issues, the HVAC industry is likely to experience a capacity crunch - so there are no guarantees that experienced engineers will be available to help in an emergency situation. Portable air conditioning is a cost effective temporary solution to help minimise disruption.
Any organisation who pays little attention to the issues surrounding air conditioning this summer does so at their peril - it could lead to expensive remedial work and potential legal action further down the road.
Author Bio:
Article written by Stewart Owen at Andrews Sykes. The company is the UK’s largest specialist air conditioning hire company and has been supplying offices and other workplaces with temporary air conditioning for over 25 years.
Visit:
http://www.andrews-sykes.com/
