Although the health care building environment serves as a reservoir for a variety of microorganisms, it is rarely implicated in disease transmission except in the immunocompromised population.  However, inadvertent exposures to environmental opportunistic pathogens such as Aspergillus spp. and Legionella spp. may result in infections with significant morbidity and/or mortality.

Increasingly, Health Care Facilities are becoming aware of the link between infections caused by airborne opportunistic fungal spores and construction or maintenance activities.

Infection-control strategies and engineering controls, when consistently implemented, are effective in preventing opportunistic, environmentally-related infections.  Generally, adherence to the proper use of disinfectants, the proper maintenance of medical equipment that uses water, water-quality standards for hemodialysis, proper ventilation standards for specialized care environments, and the prompt management of water intrusion into facility structural elements will minimize health-care-associated infection risks.  However, special controls are required during construction, maintenance, and renovation activities depending on the amount of dust that is generated, the duration of the activity, and the amount of shared HVAC systems.  

In 2004, the Canadian Standards Association published the document entitled “Infection Control during Construction or Renovation of Health Care Facilities”.  This document is fast gaining acceptance as the guideline to follow to control the spread of fungal spores during building work.

Power Vac and Power Environmental are uniquely qualified to work with the CSA guideline and other standards. In addition to having received specialized training from CSA on the guideline, our team members have many years of experience in asbestos and mould abatement along with HVAC system cleaning and maintenance.  This combination enables us to make significant and meaningful contributions when an owner is investigating an infection outbreak or planning a project.

Some examples of our capabilities include:

• Assessing dust and mould levels in ductwork following guidelines published by The National Air Duct Cleaning Association (NADCA) and the University of Minnesota.
• The identification of exposure pathways.
• The inspection, cleaning, and disinfection of HVAC systems.
• Assisting in the development of hospital maintenance and construction infection control programs and procedures.
• The construction of containment barriers and establishing negative air.
• Accessing building systems and removing mould and other hazardous substances following CSA guidelines.
• The training of trades (i.e. mechanical and electrical contractors) and hospital staff in infection control techniques.
• Air monitoring for viable and non-viable mould spores.