Facility Management role in controlling infections at a hospital
A facilities management professional guarantees the built environment's functionality, comfort, safety, and efficiency as well as enhance residents' quality of life and productivity. Facility management significantly impacts building performance, which improves occupant health and comfort.
The typical hospital building is dated. Inadequate ventilation can have an impact on occupant health. There are a few risks, including issues with the water system, airflow issues, construction debris, and more.
Let's look at a few infection control risks specific to facilities.
1. Improper pressurization and ventilation: To protect patients, staff, and visitors, facility managers must properly regulate pressurization in their facilities. Ventilation is essential to the prevention of infection. FM staff members also use positive pressurization in the pantry, restrooms, and other areas to control odors.
2) Dust and contaminants: Patients and staff are exposed to dust, noise and vibration, odors, and chemicals as a result of pollution, outside noise, and dust, as well as as a result of frequent visitors. The FM team has begun utilizing cutting-edge equipment like sensors, which can be used to track the number of important variables like dust, pressure, temperature, humidity, carbon monoxide, and volatile organic compounds.
3) Water-borne diseases from sources of potable water: Hospitals' intricate water and air conditioning systems need to be carefully managed to curb the potential spread of water-borne infection outbreaks. Weekly cleaning is recommended for cooling towers, condenser water systems (such as chillers, tower basins, and sump), and potable water systems (such as water tanks, showers, and faucets).
How does facilities management prevent infections?
Facilities management can rest easy knowing that our staff has received training in basic environmental transmission prevention, infection prevention strategies, and building management fundamentals. They perform routine tests, such as culturing of the air, water, and surfaces in specific places, like areas used for compounding pharmacy products or sterile medication. Additionally, we ensure that there is adequate airflow and that the workspace is kept clean, and free from obstructions.
FM staff should use products that make use of the hospital's filtered water when cleaning and maintaining a healthcare environment. They should also keep the water and air temperatures at the right levels and adhere to all rules and regulations necessary to keep the space free from infections.
CONCLUSION
Facilities managers ought to walk through their buildings as part of their maintenance program to find potential risk spots. The effective mitigation of infection risks requires facility managers to assess, comprehend, and establish programs.
Proper pressurization and a preventive maintenance program are crucial elements for preventing the spread of infection related to the physical environment because they are based on the infections with the highest risk to patients and the most frequent causes of infections.