Indoor Air Quality Considerations for Hospitals & Healthcare Facilities
Some common causes of IAQ problems in hospitals and healthcare facilities include:
- Poor design and construction of facility
- Patient infection and viruses
- Facility staff and housekeeping employees
- HVAC and ductwork
- Outdoor air quality issues like vehicle traffic and emergency generators
- Sterilization equipment leaks if using EtO (Ethylene Oxide)
- O2 Supply lines leaking
- Failing to keep room pressures in the directions that are intended (operating rooms would keep a positive pressure so air is always flowing out of the room, while Isolation rooms might keep a negative pressure so the disease does not spread out of the room)
- Monitoring for Waste Anesthetic Gas leaks from OR Equipment
- Air Balancing of the HVAC system to evenly distribute the air flow across the facility
What are IAQ standards?
The following organizations are involved in determining regulations, standards, and design recommendations for hospitals:
- United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
- American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
At RAECO Rents, we have hospitals that rent particle counters to confirm HEPA filtrations systems are working. They also test for Waste Anesthetic Gas in operating rooms, oxygen concentrations to test for leaks in O2 supply lines, and they also test differential pressure between rooms to determine that positive pressure is being kept.
Learn more about IAQ standards for hospitals.
Maintaining IAQ standards in hospitals & healthcare facilities
It is important to set up administrative controls, understand facility function and design requirements, monitor and document air quality, and develop contingency plans to maintain IAQ standards in hospitals and healthcare facilities.
Professional IAQ testing equipment for hospitals & healthcare facilities
Instruments used for IAQ testing in hospitals and healthcare facilities include:
- TSI 9565 – 964 (air flow) and 982 (IAQ-CO, CO2, Differential Pressure, Temp and Humidity)
- TSI – P-Trak – Ultra Fine Particle Counter
- TSI – DustTrak – Monitors the various particle sizes, particularly used during re-modeling
- GasMet DX4040 – Waste Anesthetic Gas
- Rae Systems Monitors with EtO sensor
- TSI/Alnor – EBT731 and 6200D for high and low flow air balancing
- BioPump – Sampling pump to test with Air-O-Cell (viable and non-viable aero-allergens including mold spores, pollen, insect parts, skin cells, fibers and inorganic particulate) and Via-Cell (viable and non-viable bioaerosols, maintain viability of viable mold spores) cassettes
Keep Your Healthcare Facility Safe with RAECO’s IAQ Testing Equipment
RAECO Rents supplies instrument from leading manufacturers to monitor and alert on the IAQ hazards found at hospital sites. At RAECO Rents, we have training materials on the site to get you up to speed and or support staff is available for any question you might have. RAECO Rents only charges you for the days that you have the equipment in your hands and not when it is in transit to or from. Get in touch today!