Facility Management October/November

SOLUTIONS FOR THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT FACILITY MANAGEMENT

GREEN SCHOOLS MAKE CENTS

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Quick financial and productivity wins HVAC Proactively avoiding Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks SECURITY Impressive new features and functions HEALTHCARE FACILITIES How digital hospitals enhance care and asset use

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018 | GREEN FACILITIES

SUSTAINABLE SCHOOLS MAKE SENSE AND CENTS

The classroom environment can affect a child’s academic progress over a year by as much as 25 percent. ROBIN MELLON of the GBCA explains why green schools make sense and shares some quick wins any facility could implement.

Whereas green was once simply about minimising environmental impacts, the impetus is now on efficiency, health and wellbeing, productivity and resilience – and the return on investment.

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Bay View State School in Queensland has established a food scrap program, Landcare group and a garden club.

nspired by their new green school, the children at Bay View State School in Brisbane have established a food scrap program, a Landcare group and a garden club.

At Charles Sturt University’s Albury-Wodonga campus, a self-guided sustainability walk is attracting school and special interest groups, which come to see the award-winning campus water management system and artificial wetlands.

Students and teachers at GippsTAFE Leongatha in Victoria are enjoying improved concentration, health and comfort in a building designed to maximise fresh air and good indoor environment quality.

And, at Monash University in Melbourne, a photovoltaic array on the roof of the new residences – the largest residential solar installation in Australia – has slashed students’ energy bills by almost half.

A sustainability revolution is underway as our schools and universities recognise that green can deliver much more than energy efficiency.

Whereas green was once simply about minimising environmental impacts, the impetus is now on efficiency, health and well-being, productivity and resilience – and the return on investment.

For most schools and universities, the initial motivation to build green is driven by a desire to cut operational costs, future-proof long-term investments and demonstrate environmental leadership. Forwardthinking education institutions recognise that they have a special duty to the occupants of their buildings as they are the next generation of leaders.

As a result, more than 120 education projects around Australia – from entire schools to new university faculties – are seeking Green Star ratings from the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA).

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GREEN UNIVERSITIES OUTCLASSING OTHERS Many universities in particular have embraced sustainability and are choosing to have each new or refurbished building Green Star certified. Melbourne University has three Green Star-certified projects, including the Faculty of Business and Economics, the new Melbourne Brain Centre and the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunology.

Melbourne University’s vice chancellor, Professor Glyn Davis, comments: “Having a green rating enables us to demonstrate our true commitment to sustainability. This is important to reduce our carbon emissions significantly as prospective students increasingly consider the environmental impacts of their university choice. Rating our buildings helps build trust in our commitment. Furthermore, it helps us to reach our performance targets and makes economic sense as our green buildings outperform existing buildings by large margins.”

The University of Tasmania has achieved several Green Star ratings for projects in and around its Hobart campus, from its Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies Building to the Medical Sciences Building 2. Although very different types of developments, both have enabled the university to cut operating costs, improve facilities management and operational efficiencies, and demonstrate its leadership role.

Similarly, Monash University has achieved a number of Green Star ratings, including its research facility for material engineering, known as New Horizons, and its new activity and recreation centre.

Monash can also lay claim to the fi rst As Built rating for a multi-unit residential development – Briggs and Jackomos Halls. According to the university’s

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024 | HVAC

LEGIONNAIRES’ DISEASE:

A number of Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks investigated by the Victorian Department of Health have been linked to cooling tower systems on commercial buildings managed by facilities managers.

PROACTIVE AVOIDANCE Why outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease are still occurring and how they can be proactively avoided is shared by STUART ADCOCK, Legionella team leader for the Department of Health, Victoria.

n June 2000, one of the world’s largest outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease occurred in Melbourne, Victoria, with 125 cases and four deaths. The source of the outbreak was a cooling tower at the Melbourne Aquarium.

And, a number of outbreaks investigated by the Victorian Department of Health that have occurred since the aquarium incident have been linked to cooling tower systems on commercial buildings managed by facilities managers. How can these outbreaks be avoided?

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WHAT IS LEGIONNAIRES’ DISEASE? Legionnaires’ disease is a form of pneumonia that can be fatal. Early treatment can prevent the disease from becoming severe. Legionella bacteria are found in natural water bodies such as rivers, lakes, creeks and hot springs, as well as in spas, potting mix, warm water systems and artificial systems that use water for cooling, heating or industrial processes, such as cooling towers. Early symptoms are similar to flu symptoms.

Not only do outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease have a significant impact on human health, they also create a massive expense to the business operating the cooling tower system. There are the immediate costs associated with disinfecting and cleaning the cooling tower system, but, often, the business impacts associated

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with the publicity surrounding the outbreak are more significant. There is also the possibility of prosecution if there are breaches of the laws and the potential for civil litigation.

LEGIONELLA LEGISLATION In 2001, following the Melbourne Aquarium outbreak, an expert panel was convened to provide a series of recommendations on a proposed Legionnaires’ disease prevention strategy. The cornerstone of the strategy was the registration of all cooling tower systems in Victoria, as well as the requirement to develop risk management plans that need to be audited annually.

The legislation also included prescriptive requirements for the sampling and servicing of cooling tower systems and other warm water delivery systems.

The Victorian Legionella strategy represents one of the strictest programs in the world, with strong legislative provision for implementation and enforcement. The number of cases of Legionnaires’ disease in Victoria has decreased following the introduction of the legislation.

In addition, the aquarium outbreak highlighted to doctors treating patients with pneumonia that they should test them for Legionnaires’ disease. So, it is likely that the number of cases of Legionnaires’ disease was underreported prior to the aquarium outbreak.

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IRRESPONSIBLE SAMPLING AND SERVICING The Department of Health’s Legionella Team conducts targeted inspection of sites where a lack of compliance with legislation is indicated, such as the non-renewal of their registration, lack of an annual audit or a non-compliant audit.

In 2011, during an investigation into a site that had not renewed the registration of a number of systems on the site, the samples collected detected Legionella in large numbers in almost all the systems on site. Service reports from the water treatment technician indicated that many of the dosing systems were faulty and needed to be replaced.

The facilities manager had not replaced the dosing equipment because the years of sampling by the water treatment technician had not detected Legionella.

The problem with that decision was that it assumed that if Legionella had not been detected previously that it would not be found in the future, which is not the case.

It also did not consider the possibility that the sampling was not being conducted appropriately.

For example, a water treatment technician could be concerned that their company would lose the account if they continually had to return to the site to undertake remedial actions. Under that pressure they might collect unrepresentative samples.

In this case, it appears that the sampling results were distorting the real story and the system had become heavily colonised with Legionella. It took months and tens of thousands of dollars to regain control of the system.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO IDENTIFY THE BEST WAY TO MANAGE THE RISKS RATHER THAN COMPLY WITH THE LEGISLATION WITH THE LEAST COST.

PROACTIVE ACTIONS It’s important to be on the lookout for small faults and problems before they develop into larger issues.

Facilities managers need to be engaging with and questioning water treatment companies to ensure their clients are protected.

A common problem is not enough oversight and involvement with water treatment providers.

It is important to work with treatment providers or to engage an independent consultant to develop a program to ensure the risks are being adequately managed. It is also important to identify the best way to manage the risks rather than comply with the legislation with the least cost.

The Victorian Legionella strategy is one of the strictest programs in the world.

The number of cases in Victoria has decreased following its introduction.

Legionellosis cases notified to the Department of Health (excluding L. longbeachae and not further specified cases), Victoria, 1991 to 2012

300

Number of notified cases

250

200

150

100

50

0 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Year Source: IDEAS website, Communicable Diseases Epidemiolog y and Surveillance, Victorian Government Department of Health. Accessed on: 25 July 2013. Available at: http://ideas.health.vic.gov.au.

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Sometimes, the department’s authorised officers visit facilities managers’ sites where all the paperwork is in order and records are complete and complying with the requirements; however, when they take a good look at the service records, they see reports of system failures and faults that require attention. Often, no one has read the service reports or assessed the recommendations. This can lead to the costly failure of equipment that could have been avoided with preventative maintenance.

Often, contractual arrangements with the treatment providers mean that having to react to an adverse microbiological result will place a fi nancial burden on the treatment provider. This encourages technicians to take unrepresentative samples.

IMPORTANCE OF REGISTRATION According to the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2009, the owner of any land on which a cooling tower system is in operation is required to ensure that the cooling tower system is registered with the Department of Health at all times it is in operation.

The land owner must also take all reasonable steps to ensure that a risk management plan is prepared, reviewed and audited annually. Often the land owner will require the facilities manager to ensure these tasks are completed.

The department records the details of people to contact in relation to the registration of the system (the ‘registration holder’) and a person that can be contacted in relation to an investigation of Legionnaires’ disease (the ‘responsible person’).

If the department does not have the correct ‘responsible person’ details, it may delay the site being informed that they need to disinfect their system as a precaution, where the department has been notified of a person with Legionnaires’ disease who lives or works in the vicinity of the facility or has been to the facility.

If the department does not have the current ‘registration holder’ details, it may also result in the registration expiring in breach of the law. This can result in the department contacting the land owner directly after fi rst conducting a title search. This may not reflect well on the facilities manager.

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036 | SECURITY While the initial purchase cost holds some people back, an IP surveillance system has a number of long-term benefits.

NETWORKED IP SYSTEMS:

WHY THEY’RE BETTER GERBEN ROMIJN, chief security officer of LevelOne, puts the case forward for IP-based network systems, explaining their benefits over traditional, cabled CCTV installations.

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hen it comes to choosing between a traditional, cabled closed circuit television (CCTV) installation and an Internet protocol (IP) networked system for your surveillance needs, there are many factors to suggest that an IP-based system will provide better results and flexibility in the long term, despite being more expensive to purchase upfront.

There are two types of IP cameras: the centralised camera, which requires a network video recorder (NVR) to capture and store images, and the decentralised camera, which has in-built recording functionality and can store data on a network attached storage (NAS) device, USB or remote hard drive. Both provide a much higher image resolution than CCTV cameras.

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SAVING COSTS WITH IP HOW IP TECHNOLOGY SAVES COSTS IS NOTED BY DEAN HOBIN, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND FOR MOBOTIX.

THE SYSTEM DETECTS THAT AN OBJECT THAT SHOULD NORMALLY APPEAR ON A CAMERA IS MISSING AND ALERTS THE SYSTEM CONTROLLER. HIGHER RESOLUTION The resolution of traditional CCTV images stops at about 0.4 megapixels, whereas an IP system averages about 3 megapixels, with some going as high as 10 megapixels. A CCTV image can be converted to digital to achieve an HD picture resolution, but this often results in loss of image quality.

An IP system can send true HD signals over 100 metres and, by adding a switch at this point, can be extended almost indefi nitely with no loss of image quality. With the bandwidth achievable by a fibre optic IP, the range can extend to several kilometres.

Traditional installations are limited by the distance from the central server to each endpoint. To send a true HD signal over cables, 60 metres is about the limit before image quality starts to deteriorate.

FLEXIBILITY If you need to expand an existing IP network, it can simply mean buying and installing new cameras. With a WiFi system, cameras can be installed and connected remotely to the controlling PC. A CCTV installation would have to be wired up and routed to the mains power supply.

Any new extension would also be limited to the same specifications as the existing system. Different grades of cable can’t be mixed. For instance, an existing network of copper cables can’t be extended using fibre optic cables.

IP cameras can also be moved around anywhere within the network, which enhances the flexibility of an installation. In addition, IP solutions are more flexible in their consumption of power, as they can be scaled to consume as much or as little as required.

CCTV cameras tend to be fi xed for the life of the network, drawing the same power both day and night.

HIGH TECH ADD-ONS The latest developments in surveillance software for IP systems also offer a range of cutting edge benefits.

Look for Smart Guard and Smart Search elements in the surveillance management software, and features such as Foreign Object, which learns what should appear in front of any given camera and sounds an alert if foreign objects are detected within that space.

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Thanks to the high resolution of Internet protocol (IP) technology, fewer cameras are required to record the necessary image section in comparison to analogue or standard IP systems. For example, hemispheric camera technology enables a single camera system to capture views of up to 360 degrees, reducing the number of cameras required and the associated costs. Where previously four conventional cameras were required to record the activities, now one single, wide-angle camera is suffi cient. Costs can be reduced even further by the integration of IP cameras into network infrastructure already in place, doing away with time-consuming and costly cabling expenses.

Decentralised cameras are already equipped with a powerful processor and, if desired, a digital long-term fl ash memory (MicroSD card) that enables recording over several days. The central computer, or the video control centre, thus serves purely for viewing, not for analysis or recording. This prevents users from having to rely on expensive, complex video management software, as most of the important functions that require a large amount of processing power are integrated into the cameras themselves. Effi cient video codecs, motion detection and data storage integrated into cameras helps to minimise the network load.

As a result, high-resolution security monitoring systems can be implemented and operated at a low cost, whether for installations requiring just a few cameras or for large projects with several hundred cameras.

A decentralised solution with high resolution and integrated smart camera functions can do the same with substantially fewer cameras, does not require any (or only very little) additional cabling if an in-house network is already in place, and reduces the number of required computers, thanks to image processing built into the camera.

At fi rst sight, modern ‘energy- and bandwidth-devouring’ video systems appear to be in conflict with green thinking. And, in most cases, this assumption is true.

Some modern cameras, however, represent an example of how combining a product and technology concept can result in green CCTV. Cameras that have no mechanical motors for lenses or movement, and no moving parts are more robust, meaning that maintenance is reduced to a minimum, thus less resources are used.

Similarly, with the Missing Object feature, the system detects that an object that should normally appear on a camera is missing and alerts the system controller.

An instant alert will sound on their phone if something goes missing from a chosen field of view at any time.

Recent software developments also provide new, more flexible ways in which a system can be monitored. Instead of being locked into the controlling PC or server, image information can now be controlled remotely from any computer attached to the network.

Many vendors offer smartphone apps, which means a camera image can be surveyed from anywhere at any time. Transmissions sent via the network can be encrypted to make them secure, so a system cannot be compromised by hackers or malware.

So, while the initial purchase cost may be holding some people back, an IP surveillance system holds a number of benefits for facilities of any size. FM

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