Infection Control and Risk Management for Hospitals

* Infection control during hospital renovation and construction
* Pre construction design
* Monitoring during construction
  - Particulate monitoring
  - Environmental rounds
  - Pressure differential monitoring
  - Containment verification
* Commissioning of renovated areas before re-occupancy
*Pre-occupancy testing of air,water and surfaces.

Healthcare facilities are inundated with many agencies that have rigorous, and sometimes contradictory, requirements and guidelines, including JCAHO, CDC, EPA, OSHA, AIA, APIC, and NFPA.

Risk Tech provides a variety of Risk Management outsourcing solutions that allow healthcare facilities to allocate their existing resources for optimum efficiency, and use an independent third party to help manage risk and meet standards compliance related to Infection Control Construction Risk.

We have the knowledge, expertise, and resources to manage environmental infection control and related risks during healthcare renovation and construction activities. We can serve as the interface for ensuring that everyone works together to maximize patient safety, meet regulatory and JCAHO accreditation requirements, and complete your construction project on time and on budget.

Are you interested in infection control training? Take a look at our Infection Control Considerations for Hospital Renovation course offering..

Professional Service Highlights

Hospital Acquired Infection Control Investigations

* Review of infection control data with the infection control practioner, hospital epidimiologist, facility engineer, and risk management.
*Inspection of the building envelope to include potential moisture intrusion points.
*Review of the past constuction and renovation activity
*Review and inspection of portable water and sanitary sewer systems
*Review and inspection of facility HVAC systems to include filtration, air exchange rates, and pressure relationships
*Collecton and analysis of appropriate surface,air, and/or water samples for biological analysis
*Preparation of final report and outbrief with hospital leadership
*Litigation support services as needed

Infection Control Procedures Manual

Is your contractor confused about how to properly price the infection control measures for your project? The Infection Control Procedures Manual provides specific project details for accurate pricing of the project.
Project specific measures for compliance based on PCRA, ICRA, ILSM policy and relevant guidance documents can be found in this manual. It includes, but is not limited to:

* Step- by -step documention of project, including maintenance of pressure and particle count data, and quality control checks.
* Barrier location and design specifications for IC and ILSM compliance
* Anteroom location and requirements (when necessary)
* Negative airflow requirements
* Appropriate adjustment of the ventilation system for adjacent areas
* Debris transfer and emergency routes
* Monitoring equipment recommendations

Infection Control Professional Support Services


* Pre-design infection control input to the architect and owner
* Collaborate with infection control, facilities planning and development, and construction contractors to ensure seamless integration of risk assessment plans
* Identify work area containment, and location and design of construction barriers
* Determine location of HEPA filtered air filtration equipment and Microsocopeducts and negative pressure methods.
* Conduct pre-construction baseline air sampling
* Pre-construction training and certification of general contractor & sub-contractors
* Commissioning of construction containment before the start of work
* Deployment of real time particulate monitors and micromanometer monitors for highest risk areas
* Routine monitoring of pressure relationships, and containment integrity
* Post-occupancy environmental sampling for highest risk areas
* Evaluate protective rooms, including isolation rooms and operating rooms, to ensure that appropriate pressure relationships, air exchanges, and filtration efficiencies are maintained

OSHA Compliance Services

*Employee exposure assessment for airborne hazards
*Noise survey
*Air sampling services
*Ventilation surveys
*Indoor air quality surveys
*Confined space testing and training
*Formal dehydetesting
*Benzene testing
*Hazard communication consultation
*Respirator program development and training
*Respirator fit testing
*Lead compliance program development and testing
*Construction safety training


H1N1 Intervention

*Personal protective equipment (PPE) selection
*Decontamination specification preparation
*Isolation specification preparation
*Surface hygiene testing with direct reading instrument

Risk Tech LLC
Phone: 800 968-3565 Ext 101

Over View

Most recently, Risk Tech successfully completed project management services and oversight of reconstruction of 42 hospitals, medical office buildings, and hospital support buildings in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma.

JCAHO Considerations

Hospital renovation and construction activities elevate the risk for Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs) and must be considered in the Risk Assessment under IC 2.10. Priorities and goals must be set for the prevention of renovation and construction related to Hospital Acquired Infections (IC 3.10) Strategies must be implemented to achieve those goals (IC 4.10).


Additional Considerations and Questions:

1. How much negative pressure do you need?
2. How do you get negative pressure if your project is land locked, with no windows to the outside?
3. Are you adversely affecting the ventilation to other areas of the hospital?
4. Are your construction barriers 'topped out' to the deck above?
5. Do your barriers have penetrations not shown in as-built drawings?
6. Can you install a debris chute instead of transferring debris through the hospital?