Clean Air in the New Normal: Measures to Prevent the Spread of Infection in Hospitals
Clean air in the New Normal: recent disease outbreaks have reaffirmed the importance of clean, safe air, especially in high-risk settings such as hospitals. In the New Normal era, in which we must adapt to living alongside pathogens, measures to prevent the airborne spread of infection within hospitals cannot be overlooked. This article explores the relevant clean-air standards and technologies for creating a safe environment for patients, medical staff and visitors alike.
Clean-Air Standards in Hospitals
Air quality within a hospital has a direct impact on the health of patients and medical staff. Air contaminated with pathogens, dust or chemicals can cause infections or allergic reactions, so maintaining air quality to standard is extremely important.
- ISO 14644-1 — an international standard that defines the cleanliness levels of cleanroom air, in which the amount of airborne particles is strictly controlled. It is divided into 9 classes (ISO 1 to ISO 9), with ISO 1 being the cleanest.
- ASHRAE Standard 170 — a standard that provides guidelines for designing air-conditioning and ventilation systems in healthcare facilities, to control temperature, humidity and air quality appropriately for the application.
- Ministry of Public Health standards — in Thailand, the Ministry of Public Health has established standards and practice guidelines for controlling indoor air quality in hospitals to prevent the spread of pathogens.
Clean-air standards in hospitals cover several areas, including:
- Control of airborne particles — limiting the number of fine particles such as dust, mould and bacteria in the air, using high-efficiency air-filtration systems such as HEPA Filters to capture these particles.
- Control of temperature and humidity — keeping temperature and relative humidity at appropriate levels to reduce the growth of pathogens and improve comfort.
- Ventilation — circulating the air within the building appropriately to reduce the concentration of contaminants and pathogens.
- Odour control — removing unpleasant odours that may arise from chemicals or medical waste.
Technologies for Clean Air in Hospitals
- HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filtration — the HEPA Filter is a highly efficient air filter that can capture particles as small as 0.3 microns, including pathogens such as bacteria and viruses.
- UV-C disinfection — UV-C light can destroy the DNA of pathogens so that they can no longer multiply and cause disease.
- Bipolar Ionization — this system releases positive and negative ions into the air that attach to particles, causing them to clump together into larger masses that are easier to filter out.
- Air Handling Unit (AHU) air-conditioning with humidity control — keeping humidity at an appropriate level (40–60%) helps reduce the airborne spread of pathogens.
Measures to Prevent the Spread of Infection in Hospitals
In addition to maintaining air quality to standard, hospitals must also implement other measures to prevent the spread of pathogens, including:
- Air-conditioning and ventilation design — must take into account the separation of usage zones, control of airflow direction and effective air filtration.
- Air-conditioning maintenance — must clean and replace air filters regularly, check for air leaks and measure air quality routinely.
- Personal protective measures — medical staff and visitors should wear face masks, wash their hands frequently and maintain social distancing.
- Cleaning and disinfection — frequently clean touch surfaces and disinfect patient rooms, operating rooms and other high-risk areas.
The Importance of Clean Air in the New Normal
Clean air not only helps reduce the risk of disease transmission in hospitals, but also benefits the health of patients and medical staff, helping to reduce stress, improve work efficiency and reassure those who use the facility.
Sanyawit, as a specialist in air-conditioning and sterile rooms, is ready to provide consultation, design, installation and maintenance of standards-compliant air-conditioning systems, to help hospitals and other healthcare facilities create environments that are clean, safe and held to the highest standards.
Maintaining clean, safe air quality in hospitals is extremely important in the New Normal era. By understanding clean-air standards, adopting the right technologies and strictly following measures to prevent the spread of infection, we can create a safe environment that promotes good health for everyone in the hospital.
Sanyawit designs and installs clean rooms, sterile rooms and clean rooms to the standards of leading hospitals nationwide.
When you think of effective contamination control from a highly experienced team, look no further than Sanyawit.