Fresh water systems Flashcards
what are the responsibilities of the MEO?
- responsible for operation and maintenance of all collection, storage, treatment and distribution equipment whether the supply is from shore or desalination plant
- accountable to the CO for provision of potable water
- responsible for quality of water produced from desalination plant
what is the responsibility of the MO/medical branch rating ?
- advise CO/MEO on risk to health and safety of water taken onboard
-responsible for advising on the medical examination and clearance of tank cleaning parties and inspectors
-to ensure that any ME with infectious disease/condition are excluded from freshwater duties, policy for food handlers, JSP 456 - collect samples of potable water to be analysed by a competent lab
- for ships with no MO/MBR, coxswains coordinated via MEO or 1PBS MEO
list the potential health hazards
- bacteria
- viruses
- protozoa
- helminths
- chemicals
- radioactivity
what are the principles of potable water management?
- concerned with the water requirement, identification of potential contamination, the health risk assessment and the implementation and monitoring of effective control strategies and procedures
- BRd 820 chap 2
with regards to conducting a health risk assessment to quantify the risk health,
name the factors and give an example of information that should be taken into account
- population at risk- large number of personnel consuming water from one supply, illness can affect mote personnel and possibly compromise operation
-medical information - SO3 EH Ops, BRd 820 Annex 1C, Port guides
- geographical factors- climate, topography, flora and fauna
- epidemic and endemic factors - types and prevalence of disease, local prophylactic measures, resistant strains and control and treatment
- special environments and occupational hazards- radiation, toxic and industrial
-exposure - oral or dermal, the concentration of an impurity and the length of exposure
- local history - climate or civil unrest, local info and guidance can be gathered from port agents, British consulate
when is a detailed investigation required?
- failure of a bacterial or chemical water sample
- illness or medical conditions, when water is suspected as the cause
- suspicion of contamination of the ships water
- procurement of supplies form a previously untested source
state and briefly explain effective risk control
- engineering controls- contamination can be removed provided that the fresh water system has the necessary removal systems, filtration, RO or evaporation plant
- potable water filtration unit for ships- gut parasites are significant in port weather supplies, potable water filtration units are available to filter shore supplies before filling tanks.
- chemical controls - chemical may be used disinfect potable water storage and distribution system or maintain quality of water in tanks, chlorination.
- avoidance - if health risk is unavoidable from supply, use alternative supplies such as bottled water.
what are the 6 steps of risk management matrix for the ships FW supplies?
- potential hazard
- hazard identification
- risk assessment
- risk control methods
- monitoring
- review
where can you gather information as part of the risk management algorithm?
- NMOH (F) deployment briefs
- port guides
- port agent
- British consulate
- host nation support
- NATO sources
briefly explain what is done to ensure that the water quality policy is followed
- NMOH inspection - naval EHOs will check fresh water supply and distribution system, meeting with the MEO and examination of potable water section of ME logistics log
- the institute of naval medicine is the reference authority of potable water standards, contacted via Naval environmental staff.
- health lab provides bacterial and chemical analysis of water samples and give advise
- choice of lab and analysis is cooraninted by environmental health staff
- outside UK advice sought from NMOH(F)
what is the requirement for water sampling and testing?
sampling and testing, together with daily residual chlorine level checks, play a major part in assuring that fresh water management maintains the required high standards of water quality
what are the types of water sampling and testing and the frequency of each test?
- routine sampling and testing
- independently check for bacterial contamination 4 times a year, chemical contamination every 12 months - reactive sampling and testing
- carried out anytime consider necessary by NMOH staff
All results recorded in the ME logistics log
explain the procure for sampling from taps
- clean tap, removing dirt, oil, soap, especially inside the spout
- run tap a few mins to remove stagnant water
-sterilise tap by wiping it with a bleach solution - tap must be fully opened for 2 mins to remove all traces of bleach residue
- the sterile bottle must not be open until needed.
- the bottle contains sodium thiosulphate to neutralise residual chlorine
- open tap to give a gentle stream.
- hold bottle in one hand and carefully remove the top ensuring that the neck of the bottle, inside of the top touches the hand or any other surface
- fill the bottle but be careful to not over fill
- label the sample bottle
of often should chemical sampling and testing take place?
every 12 months
what are the consequences of slippage in water quality?
- bacterial and viral infections
- chemical contamination leading to poising ships company, also compromising operation of ships board equipment supplied with water form potable supply
how is the control of legionella maintained in HM ships?
- regular cleaning of shower heads and tap fittings
- shower heads and flexible hoses for showers must be soaked in a 50 mg/l solution of free chlorine for 1 hour every 6 months
showers must be flushed with piping hot water following any dormant period prior to ship company moving back on board
