Basic Documentation

Page 10 of 12 Siemens Industry, Inc.
Document No. 149-903
time, UVGI is generally not effective for
disinfe
cting a fast moving air stream due to the
limited time that airborne microbes would be
exposed to the UV rays.
 UVGI units must receive regular inspections and
periodic bulb replacement. Good quality bulbs
will have a service life of about seven to twelve
months. After that time period, bulb
effectiveness is rapidly reduced.
General Healthcare Facility
Ventilation Related
Recommendations
 Monitor all ventilation system components in
accordance with manufacturers'
recommendations to ensure optimal system
performance for removal of particulates, and
elimination of excess moisture.
 Ensure that filters are of proper type, properly
installed, and maintained to prevent air leakage
and dust overloads. Differential pressure
sensors that are monitored from the BAS will
detect filter loading.
 Monitor areas with special ventilation
requirements for proper ACH rates and
adequate room differential pressure.
 Provide automatic data recording and archiving
of important room parameters, such as
temperature, relative humidity, and especially
ACH rates and pressure differentials.
 Monitor room relative humidity levels to ensure
moisture levels are within the required range
and do not rise above pre-set limits. Proper
humidity controls and dehumidification are
designed into the HVAC system. All patient
rooms should have individual room temperature
control.
 Locate duct humidifiers upstream from the final
HEPA and pre-HEPA filters. Locate all duct
takeoffs sufficiently downstream from a
humidifier so that moisture is completely
absorbed by the air stream.
 Develop an isolation room contingency plan in
the event of a general power failure. Emphasize
continuation of air quality and ventilation
conditions in all isolation rooms as well as
operating rooms, emergency departments, and
intensive care units, etc.
 Coordinate HVAC system maintenance with
infection-control procedures and arrange for
relocation of immunocompromised patients if
maintenance is necessary.
 Shut down HVAC systems serving offices and
administrative areas during unoccupied periods
for energy conservation. However, the shutdown
must not alter or adversely affect pressure
differentials maintained in critical-care areas with
specific pressurization requirements.
Construction and Renovation
Procedures
Healthcare facilities are almost continually
undergoing some construction, either for expansion
or facility upgrades. Construction activities can pose
a significant challenge to maintaining the proper
level of infection control in existing, functioning parts
of the facility. The following recommended measures
minimize the adverse affects of construction
activities:
 Establish a multidisciplinary team
18
that includes
architect, contractor, consultant(s) and infection
control personnel to plan the necessary
preventive measures during demolition,
construction, or renovation activities. The
Infection Control Risk Assessment (IRCA) will
determine the location and construction of
construction barriers to prevent dust from
construction areas from entering any part of the
facility. In addition, construction areas must be
maintained at a negative pressure relative to the
adjoining part of the facility.
 Educate the project design firms (architects and
engineers) on the special needs of the ICRA to
prevent airborne infection
19
due to construction.
These requirements must then be properly
documented and added to or referred to by the
project documents and contract documents
(plans, specifications, instructions to bidders,
etc.). This is necessary to ensure that
contractors during the negotiation or bidding
process can include these measures in their
cost estimates and in establishing their
construction schedule. In addition, including
these requirements in the contract documents,
or referring to them, will ensure that they can be
enforced.
 During construction, it is important to monitor the
integrity of the construction barriers and to
18. AIA Guidelines 2006, section 2.1.1 p. 26
19. Immune suppressed patients are particularly susceptible to
infections caused by airborne mold spores, particularly
Aspergillus (which is often fatal) and tend to multiply rapidly
in the high moisture situations as associated with new
masonry and rainwater penetration in areas without finished
roofs).