Regular, preventative commercial HVAC maintenance in hospitals is extremely important for maintaining indoor air quality (IAQ). For this reason, there are well-established and strict industry standards for HVAC maintenance in healthcare facilities.
Hospitals must maintain the highest levels of IAQ. It’s vital for the health of patients and staff, especially when it comes to operating rooms and clean rooms.
The Importance of HVAC for Hospitals
Poor indoor air quality can lead to increased risks of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) Allergens, bacteria and other sources of illness can build up in HVAC systems when they do not receive proper maintenance procedures, which poses serious threats to patients who are already vulnerable to further illness.
According to the CDC, there are as many as 99,000 deaths every year from preventable HAIs in hospitals, and 380,000 annual deaths from preventable HAIs in long-term care healthcare facilities. Due to the difficulty of proving when an infection occurs, as opposed to when symptoms appear, hospitals and healthcare facilities are almost always liable when a patient develops further illnesses.
Hospital HVAC maintenance is important not only for the safety of patients, but the liability of hospitals and other healthcare facilities.
Improving Indoor Air Quality in Hospitals through HVAC System Maintenance
HVAC technicians are on the frontlines of battling HAIs by improving IAQ in hospitals. Preventative maintenance of HVAC systems keeps them clean and operational, minimizing the risks of mold or bacterial growth that can lead to hazardous indoor air quality.
HVAC plays a crucial role in temperature and humidity in hospitals, which is especially important in operating rooms and other clean rooms. Low temperatures and low humidity levels can make the hospital environment as unfit as possible for bacterial growth. An HVAC system with poor maintenance procedures may not be able to maintain the temperatures required to minimize bacterial growth.
Preventative maintenance also helps spot issues before they rise. This allows hospitals to proactively sustain IAQ and fight HAIs, instead of being reactionary. Any unscheduled downtime in hospital HVAC equipment is a threat to indoor air quality and patients’ health – fixing problems before they arise prevents this scenario from ever occurring.
Hospital HVAC maintenance is vitally important for indoor air quality and for the health and safety of patients. Preventative HVAC maintenance reduces the risk of illness and even death, while also reducing a healthcare facility’s liability.
If you’re looking to improve indoor air quality in hospitals, read more on HVAC for hospitals.
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