NeWS PoLicy All the latest news from around the building industry New york outbreak that led to 12 deaths prompts adoption of legionella standard Cooling-tower owners required to create plan for equipment maintenance An outbreak of Legionnaires disease in July, which led to 12 deaths and more than 120 cases of infection, has prompted New York City Council to draw up legislation requiring coolingtower owners to comply with part of ASHRAEs newly published legionella standard. Owners will have to create and file a plan to maintain equipment to comply with Section 7.2 of ANSI/ ASHRAE Standard 188-2015, Legionellosis: Risk Management for Building Water Systems. The standard provides minimum legionellosis risk- management requirements for the design, construction, commissioning, operation, maintenance, repair, replacement and expansion of new and existing buildings, and their associated water systems and components. Standard 188 was published just two months ago, said ASHRAE President, David Underwood. Although the circumstances surrounding its use are tragic, ASHRAE is grateful that the standard is available to set requirements to manage risk of this bacteria. We are hopeful that other governments will follow the lead of the New York City Council to help safeguard public health. Michael Patton, a member of the ASHRAE committee that wrote Standard 188, addressed members of the New York City Council, and pointed BIM 2050 group rises to challenge of greater industry collaboration The young engineers of the BIM2050 group say they are already addressing many of the challenges set by the Collaboration for Change report produced by The Edge as part of its remit to promote interdisciplinary working across construction. The group said the report was a direct challenge to crossinstitutional groups to embrace our cross-disciplinary nature, join forces and lead from the front. Its members were addressing the reports accusation that the industry was failing to collaborate and was too silo based, it said, by making a commitment to work with each other to share ideas and data. We communicate frankly, openly and in an environment of trust. Were resolved to make measurable progress, leading to outcomes with real value and impact, and share the results freely around our professions, the industry and beyond, a group statement said. BIM 2050 has already developed simple, practical messages and tools to move the industry forward in key areas including education by promoting built environment careers to schoolchildren; encouraging movement between professions; and establishing a shared vision of structural reform of the industry. We are looking at the tools and processes required to support new structures for example, in training and procurement and speaking with digital entrepreneurs outside construction, as well as institutional task groups, the group said. It is also seeking to identify processes where new technology can enable us to improve efficiency, communication, and effect positive change within and without the industry. out that the standard lists common tasks and steps for such things as newsystem start-up and seasonal shutdowns, general system maintenance, water treatment, and disinfection plans. Section 7 is very good by itself, but it doesnt really address the whole idea of informing building owners and managers about how to put into place a plan for a whole building, and what it should contain, said Patton, urging adoption of the complete standard. Underwood said ASHRAE would continue to push for the full standard to be adopted in New York City and across the US. restrictions lifted on invoice finance Businesses will be freed from restrictive clauses in contracts that prevent them from gaining invoice finance when new measures come into force early next year, according to the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS). Invoice finance allows businesses to apply for credit using invoices for money owed to them as security. . have your say on minimum wage The government is making major changes to UK wages and is seeking evidence to inform the Low Pay Commissions (LPCs) report on national minimum wage rates. The LPC wants employers and workers views on existing rates, and evidence of the potential impact of the national living wage, introduced in April 2016. The consultation runs until 25 September. A government consultation on closing the Gender Pay Gap closes on September 6th. It proposes that companies with over 250 employees publish their gender pay gap. Have your say here. f-Gas records on half of inspected sites are inconsistent or non-existent Lack of information risks legal action for end users F-Gas-compliance standards on many commercial refrigeration and air conditioning sites are falling short of mandatory requirements, exposing end users to the risk of legal action. Air conditioning and refrigeration firm Cool-Therm claims that, in 50% of the sites it visited, the detailed records required to meet regulatory requirements are either absent or incomplete. It is calling for an industry-wide review to ensure F-Gas requirements are fully met, and clients are better informed about their responsibilities. The requirement for detailed site records applies to all systems containing more than five tonnes of CO2-equivalent F-Gas, and includes the common refrigerants R134a, R410A, R407C and R404A. Hermetically sealed equipment containing up to 10 tonnes CO2-equivalent is exempt, and there is a grace period for units containing less than 3kg of any F-Gas until the end of 2016. New mandatory obligations came into force in April last year, with the introduction of updated European legislation. The F-Gas Regulation lays down strict requirements for record keeping, designed to ensure a log is available on site for all operations affecting F-Gas plant, said Cool-Therm technical director, Alex Strong. This has to include a log sheet for every applicable F-Gas asset, and to record all mandatory leak tests carried out, whether any leaks are identified, and if any remedial work is required, with a Firms affected by ESOS leaving it late Only 120 of the estimated 10,000plus businesses that need to comply with the governments Energy Saving Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) have completed the mandatory energy audit. Under the scheme a product of the European Unions Energy Efficiency Directive all UK businesses with more than 250 employees, 40m in annual turnover or a balance sheet of more than 34m are obliged to complete an energy efficiency audit every four years. Only 120 businesses have notified the Environment Agency (EA) that they are compliant. Any such business that has not completed its first audit by 5 December risks a fine of up to 50,000. A last-minute rush for audits may put significant pressure on energy consultancies as demand for approved energy auditors soars, says the EA. CIBSE Certification has an ESOS Lead Assessors register that passed the 100 mark on 13 January. To find a CIBSE assessor, or to become one, visit www.cibseenergycentre. co.uk/esos clark launches starter-home fund Communities Secretary Greg Clark has launched a 26m fund to support the governments Starter Homes initiative, so house builders can improve the range of properties for first-time buyers. The fund will be used to buy brownfield sites to provide land for starter homes. Money from the sale of these sites will go back to the government. Up to 10m has also been made available by government for local authorities to prepare more brownfield land for the development of starter homes. It has pledged to build 200,000 starter homes by 2020. record of all refrigerant moved in/out of the plant. Importantly, there is a requirement to log all top-ups of F-Gas refrigerant made to equipment. Full records should be kept for at least five years. Strong said that, in reality, records are at best inconsistent or poorly presented, with no annual summary or management review; and at worst non-existent, providing no documentary evidence of F-Gas work meaning owners are breaking the law. The problem is particularly acute on sites attended by different contractors over a period of time. For example, a facilities management provider or contractor responsible for a site may be replaced, perhaps several times over several years, and data lost or subsequently recorded in a different format or place, Cool-Therm explained. Late-paying local authorities named and shamed More local authorities have admitted to holding 10% payment retentions against work carried out by building services firms, after enquiries by the Specialist Engineering Contractors (SEC) Group. Among those that admitted holding back payments were Basildon, Central Bedfordshire, Elmbridge, Hastings, Kent, Northamptonshire, Police Service NI and Kent Police. The survey also revealed that 6% of public bodies held onto retention cash for up to two years, but that 21% charged no retention. The SEC Group threatened to report the authorities to the governments Mystery Shopper Scheme for investigation. The Electrical Contractors Association added: We urge the government to stop this practice, which is stifling innovation and investment in the contracting supply chain.