Construction
Construction Sites present unique challenges when it comes to implementing Infection Prevention and Control Programs. At, IPAC Consulting we understand that each environment will experience challenges specific to their current circumstances. Certified Consultants understand how to effectively implement Infection Prevention and Control Programs based on each individual practice and their required needs. Our Consulting team will provide support within your site using practical solutions to keep both you and your staff safe and healthy.
GENERAL SITE ASSESSMENT
A certified IPAC Consultant will apply the complex infection control standards to the operation of your construction site by auditing policies and procedures, education and training, record-keeping, and physical attributes of your construction site. This assessment provides a verbal on-site confirmation and an in-depth written report of baseline administrative controls as they pertain to infection control requirements. After our visit, you will have a better understanding of any gaps in your practice through our in-depth gap analysis, and our customized action list will help you prioritize the recommendations. The Site Assessment mirrors the Public Health Inspection checklists.
SITE PRACTICE AUDIT
While the General Site Assessment is the groundwork for knowledge, Practice Audits are the most important step in ensuring compliance. The actions of staff demonstrate the application of infection control principles and are the main component of a Public Health inspection. An IPAC Consultant will evaluate staff actions, with a special focus on tasks such as risk assessments, screening and testing, proper hand hygiene stations, using personal protective equipment appropriately, and infection control barriers. Upon completion, you will receive an in-depth written report that will provide recommendations and outline any gaps in your site practices.
FIT TESTING
Fit Testing is the most accurate way to determine if a tight-fitting respirator properly fits workers appropriately; it is designed to protect workers from hazardous, airborne agents. Within Canada fit testing is legislated and should be performed by qualified fit testers, ensuring that each participant is receiving the expected level of protection provided by the respirator. Clinical Staff are required to be fitted with the specific respirator model being used within the facility.
If a worker has never received fit testing before and they are required to wear a respirator, they would need to be provided with the use of a respirator that is in accordance with the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) and Ontario’s Occupational Safety Act (OHSA). Workers are required to be re-fitted every two years according to the CSA (Z94.9.1.6), this keeps accuracy and proper fitting to each individual person as changes to individuals face can alter the fit.
TRAINING
Infection Control training is a key factor in all businesses, to ensure that staff and volunteers have the knowledge to perform best practices to keep both themselves and others safe. IPAC Consulting has developed education and training specific to the challenges that are often found in your setting. Using content and guidelines from governing bodies, these modules are helpful resources for each individual on reducing opportunities for infection transmission. Your staff will be educated on Hand Hygiene, Personal Protective Equipment, and Environmental Cleaning.
Infection Control in Design and Planning of New Healthcare
Construction or Renovation
The impact of COVID-19 on the health care system reinforces the importance of strict compliance to Infection Control principles when designing and planning new healthcare construction or renovation. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), H1N1 and now COVID-19 all highlight the importance of effective safeguards in design and the role it plays in disease transmission. Planning of new healthcare construction or renovation requires early consultation with a certified Infection Control Practitioner, as well as engineers and architects, to ensure that design elements adhere not only to clinical practice but also appropriate standards and guidelines. Aesthetics of the environment can often pose a risk to patients, staff and the public. It is vital to ensure that the physical environment has been assessed to ensure design elements meet the IPAC requirements. IPAC Consulting has extensive experience in working with multidisciplinary teams through the various stages of design. Our consultants have assisted with service delivery and location planning, the development of functional programs and block schematics, writing of project output specifications and review of working drawings.
The Infection Control Risk Assessment (ICRA) should be conducted before the design begins, prior to construction and again when the project is commissioned. The ICRA should inform:
- Building design features
- Location of segregated treatments areas and requirements for negatively pressured spaces
- Air handling and ventilation needs
- Water systems and requirements to decrease or prevent water-borne pathogens
- Locations for soiled areas, clean utility and storage areas
- Requirements for sterilization and reprocessing areas
- Locations of known hazards
- Continuous monitoring of infection prevention and control measures
- Emergency requirements (eyewash stations, decontamination shower, etc)
- Locations and design of sinks, food preparation areas, and exam spaces
- Requirements for public spaces
- Finishes, furnishings, and surfaces
It is of the utmost importance that the ICRA is incorporated into the specifications of planning and design.
During the construction phase, our consultants work with the construction team to ensure appropriate Infection Control measures are in place. Onsite inspections should occur regularly to address issues that may arise which include but are not limited to:
- Water damage
- Proper storage of materials to prevent mold and moisture
- Protection of the HVAC system during construction
- Movement of construction traffic flow, materials, and workers
- Impact of disruption of essential services
- Commissioning
- Integrity of proper IPAC barriers
- Appropriate cleaning procedures
Experience
Our consultants are experts in applying the following standards:
- CSA Standard Z317.2-10 Special Requirements for Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) Systems in Health Care Facilities
- CSA Standard Z317.13-17 Infection Control during Construction, Renovation, and Maintenance of Healthcare Facilities
- CSA Standard Z8000 Canadian Health Care Facilities
- Canadian Construction Association 82-2004 Mould Guidelines for the Canadian Construction Industry
- Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. MMWR Recommendations and Reports, “Guidelines for Environmental Infection Control in Health-Care Facilities: Recommendations of CDC and the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC)
- IICRC ANSI/IICRC S520 (2015) Standard for Professional Mold Remediation, 3Rd Edition
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Bureau of Environmental and Occupational Disease Epidemiology, Guidelines on Assessment and Remediation of Fungi in Indoor Environments, 2008
- Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Capital Planning Manual
- Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Generic Output Specification
- Provincial Infectious Diseases Advisory Committee (PIDAC). Best Practices for Routine Practice and Additional Precautions in All Health Care Settings
- Provincial Infectious Diseases Advisory Committee (PIDAC). Best Practices for Environmental Cleaning for Prevention and Control of Infections in All Health Care Settings
- Provincial Infectious Diseases Advisory Committee (PIDAC). Best Practices for Cleaning, Disinfection and Sterilization in All Health Care Settings
- Provincial Infectious Diseases Advisory Committee (PIDAC). Best Practices for Clinical Office Practice
Testimonials
IPAC Consulting
We are your strategic partners in Infection Prevention And Control