Water safety in buildings - libdoc.who.int - World Health Organization

3 Roles and responsibilities
This section describes the roles of stakeholders and other responsible personnel to ensure
that the water supply is safe. Many people are involved in water safety, from the initial
water planners to ongoing operation and maintenance providers, and their range of duties
is illustrated in this section.
3.1 Background
A large number of stakeholders can influence the safety of water systems within buildings.
These stakeholders can be involved in the planning, design, construction and renovation
of buildings, as well as development of water safety plans (WSPs), and the ongoing
maintenance and operation of water systems. The specific titles of stakeholders and
divisions of responsibilities will vary between different countries and jurisdictions, but
the broad range of tasks will remain fairly consistent. Figures 3.1–3.3 (at the end of this
section) provide examples of roles and responsibilities in one jurisdiction.
Stakeholders can include:
• building commissioners who are involved before construction of new buildings or
renovation of existing buildings, such as developers, planning officers, architects,
design engineers, builders, plumbers, manufacturers and suppliers;
• building operators, including building managers and owners, tenants and employers;
• employees, residents and users of buildings;
• service providers and specialist consultants who provide technical assistance, such as
plumbers, maintenance contractors, water-treatment specialists, risk assessors and
auditors;
• professional bodies who develop guidance and training;
• infection-control personnel in dental and medical facilities, and infection-control
teams in hospitals and health-care facilities;
• regulators responsible for oversight of building and plumbing codes, public health
requirements and occupational health and safety;
• public health and environmental health officials;
• standard-setting bodies and certification agencies;
• training providers;
• providers of laboratory services.
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