Healthcare

Attention to indoor air quality is particularly important in health care settings for several reasons:

• Patients have infections that can spread through airborne exposure, proper ventilation must be maintained
• The density of people health care settings is relatively high, reducing contact through droplet nuclei exposure is of considerable concern in controlling the spread of infection.
• Many hospitals are aging and their HVAC and ventilation systems are in serious need of maintenance and repair.

Infection rates will probably not decline significantly from these rates, as a result of improvements in disinfection and sterilization techniques. What will greatly reduce infection rates, however, would be a reduction in microbe concentrations in hospital air. This is an area that deserves, and is beginning to receive, that attention it demands.

The quantity and quality of air supplied, the air movement within the Operating Theatre and the particle (and where necessary microbiological) counts in the Operating Theatre should be shown to be correct. These requirements are laid down in the documents listed below:-

• ISO 14644-1: Classification of Air Cleanliness
• ISO 14644-2: Specification for Testing and Monitoring to Prove Continued Compliance with ISO 1466-1
• ISO 14644-3: Test Methods
• EN12469:2000: Microbiological Safety Cabinets

During its lifetime, a Operating Theatre must be checked to ensure it continues to comply with the initial design standard. Testing is therefore undertaken at regular intervals to ensure that the room and clean air supply remains fit for purpose throughout its working life. This also applies to pharmacy, laminar air flow cabinets and uni-directional air flow systems, fume hoods & Bio Safety Cabinet. The team at Air Quality Control includes a dedicated certified clean room specialist who can carry this work out for you.

Air Quality Control & Maintenance utilizes two methods of disinfectant:-

• Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI)

  is a disinfection method that uses ultraviolet (UV) light at sufficiently short wavelength to kill microorganisms, this includes Tuberculosis, MTB. When concentrated in a closed environment such as an isolation room, Operating Theatres, ICC, general wards/rooms and duct system it is lethal over time to all micro-organisms.

• Automated fogging system

  disinfectant of Air Handling Unit and Ducting with an antimicrobial detergent sanitizer is an effective biocide and detergent for the cleaning and hygiene maintenance of HVAC systems.

Services as follows:

Operating Theatre Validation Comprises

• Microbial Contamination
• Particulate Contamination
• Air Flows

How Often to Testing should be carried out

• Testing should be carried out according to ISO 14644
• Test when newly installed ISO 14644
• Not more than 12 months between testing depending on ISO classification
• Test after every change to the system
• Testing after filter change

Microbiological Safety Cabinets

• Particle Count Classification
• Measurement of air velocity
• Visualization of air flow patterns

Room Particle Counts

• Validation of Operating Theatres particle count classification verification
• Test should be carried in accordance with ISO 14644-1
• Protocol and Standard Operating Procedures for particle counting

Airborne Bacterial Monitoring

• Establish existing procedure of bacterial testing
• Work with microbiologist to ensure protocols and procedures are being followed or establish protocols and procedures for client.

Airflow

• Measurements of air flows according to clients design criteria and Department of Health policy
• Measurement of air velocity
• Measurement of air change rate

Consulting/Documentation

• Development of Standard Operating Procedures & Protocols
• Training

Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI)

• Design, supply and install UVGI across cooling coils in Air Handling Units
• Design, supply and install UVGI recirculation units for Operating Theatres, wards, isolation rooms etc
• Supply & install UVGI over HVAC Coils.

Fogging system

• Fogging of new and existing areas with automatic fogging disinfectant.