Many people know how crucial air duct cleaning is to ensure a clean and healthy environment, whether in a home or office. When dealing with a healthcare facility, more risks are more critical. It is an absolute priority in any healthcare facility for many reasons. Click for more information about air duct cleaning!
A hospital’s air conveyance system can move upwards of 30 cubic feet of air to its ventilation ducts. With the enormous quantity of air and the necessity to exchange external air in a hospital, the build-up of harmful substances within the ducts is inevitable.
The accumulation of debris such as human hair, skin cells, dust, and linen inside the ducts provides a that bacteria can use to grow. That’s why additional treatment is required for cleaning hospital ducts. Cleaning hygienically clean ductwork stays the same in a hospital or healthcare setting.
What is changing is the method of maintaining a safe environment for patients and personnel at the facility. Bacteria or allergens and dust accumulate inside HVAC systems, but they do not just sit there; they move around with airflow. When the furnace or air conditioner turns on, the air is forced through dirty ducts and circulates throughout the facility.
This is a particular issue for patients who could suffer from a weak immune system. There is an increased risk of respiratory infections and sinus problems associated with dirty air ducts. The air in all medical facilities must be clean and of high quality.
How Does Air Duct Cleaning Benefit Hospitals, Medical Offices & Healthcare Facilities?
Cleaning is a primary priority for any health facility. It’s a space that focuses on keeping the patients who visit as healthy as they can at all times. There are some places that can be overlooked, including air ducts. Here are a few benefits of cleaning your air ducts. For more information about air duct cleaning, click here.
Cleanliness: If dust, dirt, and other debris are eliminated from the air vents, it will improve the cleanliness of the structure. The dust will be less likely to accumulate on surfaces once they have been cleaned.
Airflow: Everyone would like to prolong the lifespan of the system they have installed as long as possible. This applies to any healthcare facility. If airflow isn’t impeded through air ducts full of debris and dirt, the HVAC system can function better and last longer. It reduces wear and tear on a variety of HVAC components.
Contaminants: There are a variety of germs that are discovered in air ducts that have been contaminated. This can cause havoc in environments where the primary goal is healing people. Cleaning air ducts can eliminate toxins and create a healthier environment for the nurses, doctors, and patients in the facility.
Air Quality: If the air ducts are cleaned, the air quality is expected to improve dramatically. When people with immune deficiencies are treated, this can be of vital importance.
Odor: Ducts that aren’t cleaned properly can be a source of unpleasant smells. The ducts are cleaned off once they’ve been cleaned, and they won’t be a problem anymore. The scent may be originating from mold, bacteria, and other things that could be located in the air ducts that have been contaminated.
Cleaning of ventilation systems in hospitals is a legal requirement.
According to The Workplace (Health and Safety, and Well-being) Regulations, the building managers and owners are legally bound to ensure that workplaces are cooled by pure, clean air. If a mechanical ventilation system is installed, it should be maintained, cleaned, and inspected regularly. Keeping records to prove the system’s ability to comply with the standards is essential.
This responsibility is for every building owner and manager, but it gets even more significant for hospitals. Setting where the chance of spreading disease and infection is highest.
Communication and Compliance
The primary concern of the Department of Facilities Engineering in the hospital is to ensure the contamination is not distributed throughout the building. To accomplish this, collaboration between the hospital as well as Pure Air Control Services is crucial for the success of the hospital duct cleaning program.
Communication and coordination between facility staff, nurses, environmental health and safety staff, and other hospital staff is essential.
These are some of the most common ducts and interstitial spaces that need to be cleaned:
- Preventive Maintenance for Optimal Environmental Conditions
- A before and after comparison of air handler upgrades and HVAC remodels
- In the course of Remedial Cleanup following water Damage or fire
- After an Environmental Concern or Infection/Disease Outbreak
How often should hospitals conduct duct cleaning?
Based on our experience, given the environment of hospital facilities, hospitals must cleanse their ducts at least every 3 to 5 years. Pure Air Controls Services’ Building Sciences division can provide HVAC Hygiene assessments before the PURE-Duct cleaning process to determine the degree of contamination in the ducts before the project of cleaning hospital ducts.
Building Sciences can also monitor the project of cleaning ducts during its progress and test it after completion to prove that good baselines were maintained and enhanced.
Hospitals are in continuous operations, compared with other institutions and commercial establishments that are only used during the daytime hours. They are open 24/7.
The main reason for cleaning the ducts and the entire HVAC unit is to improve the indoor air quality. This is why adhering to strict procedures, being aware of confinement, and testing the conditions of the environment throughout the process are essential further steps to safeguard the health of the people who live there when cleaning hospital ducts.
Conclusion
Instead of cleaning the ducts of restaurants, cleaning the ventilation systems in hospitals is challenging since it’s difficult to close a hospital for a while. But the advantages of clean ducts for preventing the spread of HCAIs, reducing energy expenses, and making hospitals more eco-friendly are far more significant than the difficulties. Careful planning and refurbishments are two methods to set up a time to purify the air that staff and patients breathe.
