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Air Quality in Healthcare
Effective air quality management can significantly impact your patients' and staff's health and wellbeing.
We can identify issues in your healthcare setting with a full-site air quality risk assessments. Then, using the information gathered in the test, we’ll deliver tailored solutions, including proactive air quality monitoring, UVC air purification, ventilation, air and surface infection control, and dust management.
The Healthcare Air Quality Problem
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has called for urgent action after analysis showed every hospital and medical centre in the capital is in an area the World Health Organisation (WHO) classifies as having toxic air pollution.
According to WHO, poor air quality is the UK's largest environmental risk to public health. Long-term exposure to air pollution can cause chronic conditions such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases as well as lung cancer, leading to reduced life expectancy.
We take air hygiene in hospitals and surgeries very seriously and understand its vital role in patient recovery.
Air Compliance in Healthcare
The World Health Organisation and the UK Government recognise air pollution - particularly internal air quality- as the largest environmental health risk we face today.
Hospitals and healthcare facilities must comply with
ASHRAE and other regulatory standards concerning air change rates, humidity requirements, and pressurisation. ASHRAE Standard 62.1 is the most commonly referenced standard to meet appropriate HVAC system design. Other factors include UV light to reduce hospital-acquired infections, unique air requirements, and outdoor air systems.
Furthermore, employers have a duty of care to create a safe and healthy work environment under the
Health & Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the
Occupiers Liability Act 1984. The Approved Code of Practice accompanying the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations also requires indoor air quality to equal the air outside the building.
The Impact of Bad Air Quality
Air pollution has a disastrous effect on children. Worldwide, up to 14% of children aged 5 – 18 years have asthma related to factors including air pollution. Every year, 543,000 children* younger than 5 years die of respiratory diseases linked to air pollution.
Air pollution is also linked to childhood cancers. If pregnant women are exposed to air pollution, it can affect fetal brain growth. It is also linked to cognitive impairment in both children and adults.
Poor air quality is responsible for 36,000 deaths a year in the UK. It negatively impacts the health of the 12.7 million people with long-standing respiratory conditions and 7.4 million people with heart and circulatory diseases.
These figures need to be dramatically reduced to improve our life expectancy and quality of life and reduce the substantial financial burden and workload on our NHS.
Air pollution is not just an external issue. The air can be 5 times worse internally than externally.
Healthcare Infection Control
Microbes (germs) within our healthcare are a major issue and are a cause of a high number of hospital stays due to cross infections. This is a large drain on resources (around £2.7 Billion worth in 2017).
The only true solution to microbial hygiene is to sterilise both air and surfaces constantly. However, germs multiply rapidly and a single germ can become more than 8 million germs within one day. Normal cleaning methods are insufficient to tackle the problem.
Improving Air Quality in Healthcare
Air Quality Testing For Hospitals
Improving internal air quality begins with an internal air quality assessment. This is a risk assessment which outlines the current condition of the air in your facility. It will show which areas need improvement and lay out measures for these improvements.
Indoor air quality testing and monitoring can tremendously impact achieving our reduction targets. Proactive air quality monitoring will give you control of the health of both your buildings and the people using them.
Understanding what is in the air can help you optimise your ventilation and building maintenance based on need, resulting in energy savings.
Air Purification for Healthcare
Relying on humans to clean buildings is outdated as it is virtually impossible to reduce microbes this way for more than a few minutes – especially within busy areas. Self-sanitising building technology is the future of protection against the growing microbial threat – and is available now.
Surface and the air have to be sanitised as a partnership to control Pathogens, including viruses, successfully. There are solutions available right now that will virtually eradicate the microbial threat. Working with information obtained through an air quality assessment; we can implement a series of measures to improve your air quality.
Our air quality solutions include
- Air Purifiers with UV-C
- UV sanitisation and decontamination
- Ventilation systems and air filtration.
- Dust management assessments and solutions
One germ can multiply into more than 8 million germs in one day
Germs are found in the healthcare environment through everyday normal activities and are near impossible to avoid through normal cleaning methods.
Examples of environmental sources of germs include: -
- Dry surfaces in patient care areas (e.g., bed rails, medical equipment, countertops, and tables)
- Wet surfaces, moist environments, and biofilms (e.g., cooling towers, faucets and sinks, and equipment such as ventilators)
- Indwelling medical devices (e.g., catheters and IV lines)
- Dust or decaying debris (e.g., construction dust or wet materials from water leaks)
- In the Air with Viruses spread through coughs and sneezes with the aerosols staying present for many hours.
The impact of Healthcare Associated Infections (HCAI's)
834,000
HCAI cases in 2016/17
9.6
Additional hospital stay days
12,500
Deaths as a result of HCAI
13,900
HCAI cases amongst 810,000
3X
The cost to manage a patient with a HCAI is 3x that of one without
79,700
Days of absenteeism
Solutions
Relying on humans to clean buildings is outdated as it is virtually impossible to reduce Microbes this way for more than a few minutes – especially within busy areas.
To protect against the growing microbial threat, self-sanitising building technology is the future – and is available now
Surface & the Air have to be sanitised as a partnership if the Microbe (Pathogens – including Viruses) are to be successfully controlled.
There are solutions available right now that will virtually eradicate the Microbial threat – most certainly 99.999% of them.
We Specialise in Air Quality Assessments
Air quality testing is important to help ensure your buildings safety and compliance to the latest legal requirements.
Air Quality Testing
The World Health Organisation and the UK Government recognise that air pollution is the largest environmental health risk we face today – especially internally.
Poor air quality is responsible for 36,000 deaths a year in the UK and negatively impacts the health of the 12.7million people who live with long-standing respiratory conditions and 7.4million people living with heart and circulatory diseases.
These figures need to be dramatically reduced so as to improve our life expectancy, improve our quality of life and reduce the substantial financial burden and workload on our NHS.
Indoor Air Quality testing and monitoring can have a tremendous impact to achieve our reduction targets. Proactive Air Quality Monitoring will give you control of the health of both your buildings and the people using them.
Good air quality makes employees and visitors happier, healthier and more productive. Studies have shown a 58% reduction in employee sick leave and a 101% improvement in decision making abilities.
Understanding what is in the air can help you optimize your ventilation and building maintenance based on need, resulting in energy savings.
CO2 Levels in Healthcare Settings
CO2 levels are measured in parts per million (ppm) with the recommended indoor level capped at around 600 ppm.
Unfortunately most office environments have an existing level between 1000 – 2500ppm – where studies show that an
employee’s performance will drop between 35 and 60% dependant on the activity.
This increases to 91% where levels exceed 2500ppm.
Facts About Air Pollution
Air pollution is one of the UK's biggest killers
The Smallest particles are the most dangerous.
Worldwide, millions of premature deaths are linked to air pollution.
Children and the elderly are the most vulnerable to air pollution
A child born today may not breathe clean air until they are 8
Air Pollution causes 36,000 premature deaths in the UK each year
It is estimated that 9,000 premature deaths are caused by air pollution in London each year
London’s air is some of the dirtiest in Europe.
the High Court have ordered the Government to come up with a plan to clean up air across the UK
In 2017 the the annual pollution limits in London were breached in 5 days
Air quality inside buildings is normally 5 times worse that outside
Air pollution costs the UK £20Bn per year
We can assess your building for the following:
● CO2 Levels
● Carbon Monoxide Levels
● Nitrogen Dioxide
● Particulate matter (2.5- & 10-micron counts)
● Temperature
● Humidity
● Microbiological counts
● Ventilation flow rates / Air changes
CO2 Levels in the workplace
● CO2 levels are measured in parts per million (ppm) with the recommended indoor level capped at around 600 ppm.
● Unfortunately most office environments have an existing level between 1000 – 2500ppm – where studies show that an
employee’s performance will drop between 35 and 60% dependant on the activity.
● This increases to 91% where levels exceed 2500ppm.
Facts on Air Pollution
● Air pollution is one of the UK’s (and the world’s) biggest killers.
● The smallest particles are the most dangerous – these are generally INVISIBLE to the eye.
● Worldwide, the human costs of indoor and outdoor air pollution are terrible - millions of premature deaths each year are linked to air pollution.
● Children are most vulnerable to air pollution.
● A child born today might not breathe clean air until they are 8.
● Most areas of the UK are breaking WHO and UK limits on air pollution.
● Air pollution causes up to 36,000 early deaths a year in the UK.
● Invisible pollution claims more than 9,000 early deaths each year in London.
● London’s air is some of the dirtiest in Europe. In 2016 the government was ordered by the High Court to come up with a plan to clean up air across the UK in the shortest possible time.
● ONLY 5 days into 2017, annual air pollution limits in parts of London were breached for the WHOLE YEAR.
● Being inside a building can be more dangerous for your health as air quality internally is generally 5 times worse.
● Air pollution costs the UK £20 billion a year.
Solutions at Ultra Protect
Under the current Health & Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Occupiers Liability Act 1984, an employer has a duty of care to ensure that a safe and healthy environment is provided. The Approved Code of Practice accompanying the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations, states that indoor air quality should be at least equal to, but ideally better than, the air outside your building and that all commercial premises must have an Air Quality Management system in place. To achieve this then an Air Quality Assessment would need to be completed.
The Internal Air Quality Assessment report is effectively an internal Risk Assessment of your property, laying out in simple terms what the existing Air Quality state of play is, the reasons why and how it can be improved with both short and longer-term measures. It is a report that will give you control of your Air Quality situation and will allow you to control the improvements based on the risk factor.
Book Your Air Quality Assessment
We have the expertise and products to provide solutions for a cleaner, fresher and healthier environment for us to work in.
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