Electrical Safety Awareness: Understanding Risks Before They Become Accidents Electricity powers our workplaces - but when misunderstood or uncontrolled, it becomes one of the most silent and deadly hazards. For professionals working in Safety, OSH, Engineering, Maintenance, and technical operations, understanding the nature of electricity and its risks is not optional - it is essential. This safety infographic breaks down the fundamentals every worker should know: How Electricity Works * Electricity Flow occurs when current moves through a conductor from a source to ground. Key concepts include: Voltage (V): The force that drives electricity Current (A): The flow of electric charge Resistance (Q): Opposition to current flow Even low voltage can be fatal under the right conditions. Major Electrical Hazards in the Workplace Electrical Shock - Contact with live parts can cause muscle paralysis, cardiac arrest, or death Arc Flash & Arc Blast - Extreme heat (up to 19,000°C), pres...
Cooling Towers: The Hidden Legionella Risk No One Talks About
Most people in FM (including engineers) assume cooling towers are “safe” because they confuse them with closed chilled-water loops.
But cooling towers are not closed systems.
They’re open-air, warm-water, aerosol-generating machines — and that
makes them one of the highest-risk systems for Legionella worldwide. (a
waterborne bacterium that causes Legionnaires' disease—a severe form of
pneumonia—when inhaled in aerosolized droplets from contaminated water systems).
Here’s the technical truth:
🔹 Why cooling towers can spread Legionella
Cooling towers operate at 28–35°C, the perfect growth zone for Legionella bacteria.
They mix warm water with air and create aerosols through evaporation.
Even with drift eliminators, small droplets escape.
These can enter:
• Fresh air AHU intakes
• Roof areas
• Nearby public spaces
• Adjacent buildings
And that’s how occupants (or people walking nearby) breathe contaminated droplets.
🔹 “But isn’t this a closed cycle?”
❌ No.
Chilled water loop = closed
Cooling tower loop = open (air + water contact, evaporation, drift)
🔹 ASHRAE 188 classifies cooling towers as high-risk
Because they can release bacteria into the atmosphere, not just inside the building.
🔹 Can Legionella grow in the Gulf, KSA, and hot climates?
Yes — even faster.
Warm climates + dust + sunlight + stagnant water = perfect breeding ground.
GCC cooling towers routinely stay in the 28–34°C Legionella growth zone.
🔹 Why this matters for FM
Many outbreaks globally (NYC, Dubai, Spain, UK) were traced back to cooling towers that were not properly treated or monitored.
🔹 The real FM responsibility
Cooling towers require strict:
• Water treatment
• Biocide management
• Basin cleaning
• Temperature control
• Drift elimination
• Monitoring per ASHRAE 188 & Guideline 12
Cooling tower biology is something every FM leader should understand deeply — yet very few talk about it.
2026 should be the year we shift from ignoring this topic to prioritizing it.
hashtag#FacilityManagement hashtag#Legionella hashtag#CoolingTower hashtag#ASHRAE188 hashtag#FMTech hashtag#MEP hashtag#HealthAndSafety hashtag#BuildingOperations
But cooling towers are not closed systems.
They’re open-air, warm-water, aerosol-generating machines — and that
makes them one of the highest-risk systems for Legionella worldwide. (a
waterborne bacterium that causes Legionnaires' disease—a severe form of
pneumonia—when inhaled in aerosolized droplets from contaminated water systems).
Here’s the technical truth:
🔹 Why cooling towers can spread Legionella
Cooling towers operate at 28–35°C, the perfect growth zone for Legionella bacteria.
They mix warm water with air and create aerosols through evaporation.
Even with drift eliminators, small droplets escape.
These can enter:
• Fresh air AHU intakes
• Roof areas
• Nearby public spaces
• Adjacent buildings
And that’s how occupants (or people walking nearby) breathe contaminated droplets.
🔹 “But isn’t this a closed cycle?”
❌ No.
Chilled water loop = closed
Cooling tower loop = open (air + water contact, evaporation, drift)
🔹 ASHRAE 188 classifies cooling towers as high-risk
Because they can release bacteria into the atmosphere, not just inside the building.
🔹 Can Legionella grow in the Gulf, KSA, and hot climates?
Yes — even faster.
Warm climates + dust + sunlight + stagnant water = perfect breeding ground.
GCC cooling towers routinely stay in the 28–34°C Legionella growth zone.
🔹 Why this matters for FM
Many outbreaks globally (NYC, Dubai, Spain, UK) were traced back to cooling towers that were not properly treated or monitored.
🔹 The real FM responsibility
Cooling towers require strict:
• Water treatment
• Biocide management
• Basin cleaning
• Temperature control
• Drift elimination
• Monitoring per ASHRAE 188 & Guideline 12
Cooling tower biology is something every FM leader should understand deeply — yet very few talk about it.
2026 should be the year we shift from ignoring this topic to prioritizing it.
hashtag#FacilityManagement hashtag#Legionella hashtag#CoolingTower hashtag#ASHRAE188 hashtag#FMTech hashtag#MEP hashtag#HealthAndSafety hashtag#BuildingOperations
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