Hospital renovation or construction has become a norm as modern & Up-to-date facilities seem to be the bare minimum required to attract the clientele.

Any healthcare facility can be classified as a high-risk environment when it is under renovation or construction. Engaging with a general contractor for hospital construction or renovation is advantageous, but making sure that the work process meets all the standard requirements can be a challenge. This makes it important to engage with a certified general contractor when it comes to hospital renovation or construction.

Being insightful about the risks involved in hospital construction or renovation helps when it comes to communicating with the general contractors and ensuring project efficiency.

Dust & Infection Control

“Did you know that removing just a single ceiling tile during renovation can release thousands of fungal spores into the corresponding occupied area?”

Dust and infection risks are heightened when the structure under renovation is a healthcare facility. The effective renovation or construction procedure should address the following:

• Identifying the at-risk population
• Locating the at-risk population
• Identifying the & hazards
• Forecasting the likely frequency analysis of the hazard
• Foreseeing the consequences

To consider and address these, an elaborate and well sort out plan is a must. While renovating, it is easy to overlook a critical area that might be housing a cluster of fungi or bacteria spores. The fact that infections triggered by certain fungi, pulmonary aspergillosis, for example, is difficult to diagnose and treat, seconds the importance of infection control during renovation.

Asbestosis

Asbestos in its naturally occurring state can be harmless until it is damaged. When damaged or during deterioration, it can start producing powdered asbestosis fiber that can trigger health concerns if inhaled. The patients at hospitals are bound to have a weakened immune system and could exhibit severe symptoms once infected.

The fact that asbestos can trigger serious health concerns without any warning or signs/symptoms is something that makes it deadly. The following factors contribute to the risk of a health concern trigger from inhaling asbestos fiber particles:

 

• The density of airborne particles
• Frequency and duration of exposure
• Time elapsed after the first exp

As the possibility of disturbing or unearthing asbestos during renovation is more, the situation has to be addressed in the most professional manner.

Patient Health

Failing to consider patient health during and well being during is another aspect that is often overlooked during hospital construction. The situation arises when there is no sufficient and clear cut communication with the renovation/construction team with the hospital staff or the respective stakeholders.

Failure to address these factors causes issues like unwanted noise or other disturbance close to critical patient zones, leading to patient distress and even panic attacks.  It is mandatory to liaise with the hospital staff to make necessary arrangements including moving patients to a quieter location prior to construction.

Access to workers

Failure to designate specific routes and exit maps can lead to trip hazards to infection spread. Hospital corridors are usually busy and not allocating or barricading the work areas within, is a big mistake.

Necessary steps are to be taken to ensure that construction activities do not coincide with the day to day hospital operations. Designating specific entry and exit routes for construction workers could range from allotting specific lifts to parking lots.

Protecting Hospital Equipment

Hospitals or other healthcare facilities often house equipment that are worth millions. Failing to secure these pieces of equipment from the construction activities could lead to unusable machines or have an impact on patient well-being.

Having a clear cut picture of the different areas within the building that are under or expected to be in renovation and planning ahead is the right way to protecting hospital equipment.

Hospital construction or renovation is a much serious task that has to be carried out under the supervision of a general contractor. It is ideal to gain insights into the following prior to choosing a general contractor:

• Infection control Safety Precautions adopted
• Site Safety measures adopted
• Previous client references