If anyone has ever done a home renovation or been in a construction zone, it is clear how much dust can be produced and found everywhere. Infection, Prevention and Control Services (IPAC) has certain standards that are required during the building of the new hospital. We chat with our staff members Shelly McKee and Kathleen Poole who have played a vital role in this piece of the project.
Can you provide a bit of background on CSA Z317.13: Infection Control During Construction, Renovation and Maintenance of Health Care Facilities?
The Canadian Standards Association (CSA) is a non-profit standards organization which services Canada and the United States. CSA is an association that develops standards among 57 specialty areas which ensures safety and best performance standards. Ontario's Occupational Health and Safety Act requires compliance with published CSA standards for safety of personnel.
The Z317.13 standards were launched for the protection of patients and personnel. Preventative measures must be put in place:
- To prevent the release / liberation of infectious agents during health care construction or renovations or repairs, which have included: legionella, aspergillis or other moulds which resulted in outbreaks of bacteria or fungal infections.
- To prevent materials from being contaminated or damaged during delivery, storage, and installation.
What does this mean for Providence Care Hospital? How does this benefit patients/clients/staff who will be in the building?
This means that our new facility has been subject to the highest level of construction cleanliness. Throughout every step of the construction process, the Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) Team has been involved in inspecting all required areas to maintain a certain level of cleanliness as per the CSA standards. Examples of this involvement include:
- Only one side of a wall could be closed in and all ceiling spaces could not be fully enclosed with drywall or ceiling tiles until it was cleaned and then inspected by Ellis Don and IPAC for dust, moisture, debris and extra materials left in ceiling spaces
- Providing feedback on the delivery and storing of equipment on the new Providence Care Hospital (PCH) site, to ensure that CSA standards were adhered to and maintained.
The involvement of our IPAC team benefits our patients, clients, staff and visitors by ensuring that they will be no unnecessary dust or organic debris accumulation left in ceiling spaces, wall cavities, or ducts.
We hope that as a result of our daily, and sometimes greater than 3 hour inspections, PCH will be a safer work and living environment for those in our care.
It is important to adhere to these standards in order to prevent accumulation of dust or organic debris that can result in other organisms contaminating ventilation systems and creating health risks for those we serve.
How does this align with current ICP standards/protocols?
This aligns with IPAC's mission, vision and standards which is "to promote patient, client and personnel safety by reducing the risk of acquiring and transmitting health-care associated infections."
The health and safety of our patients, clients, staff, volunteers and visitors is very important to us. Best Practice guidelines such as this and other CSA standards are incorporated in Providence Care's policies and procedures.
It is important to adhere to these standards since unnecessary and excessive dust and/or organic debris could allow for mould and/or organisms to develop and then be dispersed throughout our ventilation systems; causing severe health consequences for some of our staff and patients/clients we serve.
