Page 60 - OHS, July/August 2020

CONSTRUCTION SAFETY
Infection Control: Adapting Worksites at Active Healthcare Facilities
Construction companies are familiar with safety and mess-control; however, with the COVID-19 pandemic, there are some more factors to consider when working at healthcare facilities.
BY MATT ELLIOT
COVID-19 has forced nearly every industry imaginable to enhance safety protocols for workers and customers alike. Perhaps more than others, those working in construction
are well-prepared for these changes. When construct- ing or renovating healthcare facilities, it’s critical to routinely consider how construction impacts factors like emergency management, patient flow, security, life safety and infection prevention and control af- fect—and to consider ways to minimize the work on occupied spaces.
In many ways, the precedent has already been set for infection control precautions in healthcare con- struction. Maintaining access to jobsites and coor- dinating shutdowns in a way so as not to impact any patient or operating rooms during the COVID-19 pandemic is not new to those who work on construc- tion sites at medical facilities. The level of infection control employed on any given project is a function of the work type to be performed, its adjacencies to sensitive areas and the associated risk level. Based on the determined risk level, and in adherence to the
hospital’s published requirements in its contractor handbook (if it has one), an infectious control and containment plan is developed well in advance of the construction start. Routine internal inspections by dedicated craft workers during construction ensure adherence to the established plan.
To control infection, first and foremost, sites oc- cupied by patients must remain dust- and contami- nant-free. To do this, you should employ a variety of containment systems ranging from finished, hard partitions to fabric or plastic barrier systems. Ante- rooms should be set up to keep negative air pressure within the workspace and out of patient rooms. Ante- rooms look like small boxes and comprise two doors: one to get in and one on the other side with a door or zippered opening to block debris from escaping. Manometers, or digital displays, inform construction workers of the room’s pressure. In some cases, two anterooms may be necessary to ensure maximum im- perviousness.
Exhausting out of a window to create negative pressure is common. But more challenging cases—like
54 Occupational Health & Safety | JULY/AUGUST 2020
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