Simplicity
Ease of use, simplicity, and a practical approach have been the central principles guiding the development of T@pper, a smart digital solution designed to implement Legionella prevention control measures more efficiently. The system’s simplicity ensures that no intensive training courses are required for those responsible for Legionella safety. With minimal instruction, anyone can implement control measures. “There are no more complicated logs to fill out, and there is no longer any confusion about which faucets need to be flushed.
This has the positive effect of ensuring that control measures are carried out more effectively. And that, in turn, benefits water quality,” says Arjen Kempen, former managing director of Normec Kalsbeek. “In practice, for example, we see that a change in the use of a particular space or a space that has been vacant for an extended period does not automatically result in that space being included in the flushing schedule. In T@pper, for instance, we’ve built in a feature that ensures flushing is performed intentionally in such situations.”
“Managers are pleased with a system that gives them more control”
Woonzorg Nederland
Web-based
The developers have opted for a web-based solution. The building manager or technician responsible for implementing maintenance measures can access the system from anywhere via the internet using a smartphone, tablet, or PC to see what actions are required. This could include, for example, flushing a system, recording the temperature at a faucet, taking a sample, or inspecting a check valve.
Dennis de Haas, Legionella project manager at Woonzorg Nederland, is very pleased with the initial experiences with T@pper. “The feedback has been exceptionally positive, both from the companies responsible for implementing the control measures and from the management of the facilities. Users are enthusiastic about how smoothly the system operates; its user-friendliness is particularly appealing. Managers are pleased with a system that gives them greater control and immediate access to an up-to-date overview.”
Three years ago, Woonzorg Nederland entered into a partnership with Normec Kalsbeek to develop T@pper because, as De Haas explains, “the existing software packages on the market did not deliver the performance that Woonzorg Nederland required.” That is why the decision was made to develop a proprietary software package in collaboration with Normec Kalsbeek. It had to be a package tailored specifically for Woonzorg Nederland, but one that was also suitable for other market players, so that it could later be licensed out.
Tested
Woonzorg Nederland has since extensively tested the software package at several of its own complexes, and any imperfections or illogical steps have been eliminated. Normec Kalsbeek can now bring T@pper to market. Earlier this year, Woonzorg Nederland had eight students working full-time for four months to enter all architectural and mechanical/electrical data for the more than 1,000 Woonzorg complexes. The backbone of the software package is based on the completion of a list of water outlets, which in turn is part of a Legionella risk analysis. The actions that must follow are linked to the implementation measures. When the technician logs into T@pper, he is shown exactly which water outlets need to be flushed or which check valves need to be inspected for each room. Kempen:
“T@pper’s software is intuitively designed, resulting in a user-friendly package. The company employee responsible for implementing the measures no longer has to fill out complicated forms, encounters no ambiguities, and doesn’t need extensive training to understand the system. The system is so simple that anyone can carry out the control measures.”
Cost Savings
“Because everything has become much simpler, the control measures will also be implemented much more carefully, which in turn will improve water quality,” says project manager De Haas. “With a better and, above all, more consistently implemented management plan, the risk of Legionella contamination is greatly reduced, and the costs for cleaning and disinfecting drinking water pipes are therefore also significantly lower.”
According to De Haas, the effects of implementing Legionella management are already clearly noticeable in the Woonzorg Nederland complexes. “We’ve been able to reduce the number of infections by about 50 percent. We expect that with the introduction of T@pper, that percentage can be lowered even further. So we’re talking about substantial cost savings.” In 2011, the year we began implementing the Legionella management program, we had an annual cost of half a million euros. After a year, we had managed to reduce the costs to 150,000 euros, and now we consistently stay below 100,000 euros. The savings are not only due to fewer infections but also to significantly fewer labor hours.”
The expected savings from using T@pper stem from its simplicity. “The technician simply walks through the complex with a tablet or smartphone, enters the temperature, time, and any actions he has performed, and that’s it.
According to De Haas, the improved implementation of the Legionella control plan is also reflected in the audit scores. “We’re making progress every year. In the early years, the focus was mainly on what I’ll call the ‘hard side’—for example, deficiencies in the installation or missing drawings. Nowadays, you see that the ‘hard side’ is in order, but the focus must now shift to the management tasks.”
Logbook
The actions taken are checked off by the installer and automatically recorded in the digital logbook. This approach significantly reduces the risk of Legionella contamination (the critical value is 100 cfu/L), allows the right actions to be taken in a timely manner, and prevents the situation from worsening. Thanks to the insights provided by the software, the building owner or user is able to act proactively. The software includes a report generator that can provide a comprehensive overview of the current status and the actions taken at any time. Because the software is web-based, it is generally not necessary for employees of the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate to physically visit the complex to review the logbooks. In this regard, Woonzorg Nederland has already made tentative contact with this government agency. The “remote inspection” approach could result in significant cost savings for the agency.
Performance Agreements
T@pper offers a business advantage for both the tenant/manager of the complex and the installer. De Haas: “With the companies that Woonzorg Nederland has selected to implement the Legionella management plan, we want to work on the basis of annual performance agreements in the future. By now, almost all of our complexes have been mapped out in great detail. We know how many check valves we need to inspect and where we need to flush the system. Armed with this knowledge, we can agree on a price with the companies for the work to be performed. We will include these elements of performance agreements in the new contracts.”
Incidentally, the package is designed so that users can add modules to it at a later stage. The software will then also be suitable, for example, for recording asbestos inventories or matters related to fire safety. The T@pper package is thus effectively a shell around the database.
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