HEALTHCARE: DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR INFECTION CONTROL. HE N D E R S ON IN SIG HTS | COVID-19 SERI ES
No work is more important right now than what’s done in healthcare environments. Within these spaces, preventative, restorative, and essential care is provided. COVID-19 has introduced a new set of challenges for infection control within these critical spaces, and it’s our responsibility to design them to successfully operate regardless of circumstances. Our experts have developed the design guidelines below to ensure staff, patients, and their families are protected in healthcare facilities of all kinds.
A IR BOR N E
SURFACES
BIOAEROSOL TRANSMISSION
SURFACE CONTACT TRANSMISSION
▪ Add thermal cameras at specific entry points
▪ Increase surface cleaning
▪ Upper air UV in waiting areas ▪ Low exhaust to reduce cross contamination ▪ Displacement ventilation or other enhanced air distribution to better flush rooms and spaces ▪ Expand ducted return to hospital areas without patients
- Consider removing high-touch areas like vending machines - Use UV lights to sanitize after hours or throughout the day ▪ Reduce touchpoints throughout facility - Remove doors or install more auto operators
▪ AHU enhancements including expanded HEPA filtration and UV lights
- Remove doors leading into restrooms or provide hand sanitizer within each stall
▪ Operate spaces at a higher humidity level as the envelope allows
- May require building/life safety code changes
- Need to clear this with CMS and equipment manufacturers ▪ Design/construct additional flexible ICU rooms ▪ Utilize local exhaust snorkel in operating rooms to extract air at intubation site. ▪ Utilize portable air cleaning devices to move in areas with occupants of concern
- Turn off drinking fountains or provide touchless water bottle filling only ▪ Remove cloth seats from waiting spaces ▪ UVc sterilization in restroom stalls, food service prep, terminal cleaning, operating rooms, and other targeted areas ▪ Provide line of demarcation for PPE removal/ change-out to make sure contaminants are not transferred on the PPE CON TI N U ED
> H E A LT HCA R E: DESIGN GUIDELINE S FOR IN FE CTION CON TR OL
SOC I A L D I STAN C IN G DROPLET TRANSMISSION ▪ Reducing lines at specific entry points (ED or clinical space) - Promote online registration - Set-up texting system to alert patients when to arrive or if appointments are running late - Waiting in car until designated text comes in ▪ Reducing waiting space or gathering areas - Assign seating based on symptoms at ED (infectious vs broken bone) ▪ Increase and promote telehealth services
▪ Visitors - Limit number of visitors per patient or on-site - Control visitor access and egress to enforce cleaning and PPE restrictions ▪ Reduced or limited dining facilities ▪ Remote working for non-essential staff ▪ Shift outpatient pharmacies located in hospitals to pick-up at designated times ▪ Provide one-way corridors with separate ingress and egress on patient floors
▪ Master planning to locate related departments closer together or performing all services in one location (e.g. lab and clinical space to limit patient movement) MARK CHRISMAN HEALTHCARE PRACTICE DIRECTOR mark.chrisman@hendersonengineers.com
There are many considerations when making changes to your existing building. When it’s time to talk logistics, our Henderson Building Solutions group can help get these updates done fast and efficiently through product sourcing and installation. Speed to market and making changes in a seamless manner both matter as people come back to your spaces. Let us know how our team at Henderson can help.