Architects and designers have transformed hospitals into welcoming environments designed to promote health and healing. But when it comes to great hospital design, it’s important to remember that it’s often the details that make all the difference. When it comes to patient health,...

Patients’ health and safety is at the forefront of healthcare goals, but oftentimes risks for hospital-acquired infections are not addressed until construction on a facility has already started, or an infection has broken out. Infection control actually starts in the design of a...

Legionella bacterium is water-based organism that can cause a deadly infection called Legionnaire’s Disease if inhaled. Legionella Pneumophila (Legionella bacterium)  is known to prosper in environments where standing water is present, such as tanks, reservoirs and areas of piping...

An effective Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Plan is an essential step to protect workers from workplace hazards. According to OSHA, PPE are “designed to protect workers from serious workplace injuries or illnesses resulting from contact with chemical, radiological, physical,...

The 2014 FGI Guidelines for Design and Construction of Hospitals and Outpatient Facilities are undergoing final reviews and will be available January 2014.Recently, the topic of preventing infection through design, material selection and modified building practices has been of...

An Infection Control Risk Assessment (ICRA) is an essential step in limiting the acquisition and transmission of infections in a healthcare environment. According to The Joint Commission, an ICRA needs to be conducted when significant changes in the environment, community or patient...

The first step in determining whether there are industrial hygiene risks in your workplace is to have an experienced industrial hygienist conduct a qualitative risk assessment. They will take into account everything from the building ventilation to the workflow and products...

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), “indoor air quality describes how inside air can affect a person’s health, comfort, and ability to work.” One of the best ways to measure Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is air sampling. To have good IAQ the indoor...

What is MRSA Infection?Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection is caused by an antibiotic-resistant strain of staph. This most common type of this infection is known as healthcare-associated MRSA (HA-MRSA), which can be contracted in hospitals and other...

What is OSHA’s Occupational Noise Standard?OSHA regulations stipulate that if “any employee’s exposure equals or exceeds an 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 decibels, the employer shall develop and implement a noise monitoring program.”What are some signs that your workplace has...