Water Safety Plans have been a requirement for some time in healthcare premises and, quite rightly in our view, are becoming more common in commercial premises and the British Standards Code of Practice makes them easier to scope and manage.
BS 8680:2020 Water quality. Water safety plans. Code of Practice is the first-ever British Standard on water safety planning, and it gives guidance on developing and implementing water safety plans to ensure building water is safe.
The new Standard is based on the risk management approach that underpins all health and safety compliance in the UK, and all of the work that Airmec undertakes for our public and private sector clients.
The principle recommendation of the Code of Practice is for all organisations to have a documented Water Safety Plan (WSP) that defines and safely manages all water-related risks, whether from natural sources or within engineered systems and equipment on site.
For organisations that have written schemes in place to manage legionella risks in accordance with ACOP L8, many elements of a WSP as defined by the Code will already be in place, but they may want to consider switching to a holistic WSP to include the risk assessment and control of other biological, chemical, radiological and physical hazards relevant to their uses and applications of water.
The British Standards Institution free webinar introducing BS8680:2020 can be viewed HERE.
*There’s a lot of information to take on board, and we’d be happy to help you navigate your way to better water safety. Email or call us on 01454 275050 for an initial assessment of your current position.
Reviewed October 2022
