Infection-Safe by Design
One of the most challenging environments to design and build are healthcare facilities. Apart from their functionality, efficiency, and aesthetics, these buildings have to satisfy a very basic, and actually, very important requirement: they must not cause infections to patients, staff, and visitors. The COVID-19 pandemic has helped the world to see this responsibility more clearly; however, infection-safe design is not a temporary solution to the crisis, it is a long-term necessity. The construction strategies of such facilities need to reflect the prevention of infections in every aspect of the design, materials, systems, and workflows.
Infection-safe design should not be considered an additional feature. It is a concept that involves the whole planning stage and is followed by construction, commissioning, and daily operation.
Designing With Infection Pathways in Mind
The first rule of infection-safe construction is to understand infection sources in healthcare environments. Besides humans, air, water, and surfaces can transmit pathogens. All these factors have an impact on risk. Efficient design recognizes these routes and stops them before they can cause harm.
The role of space design is essential in this matter. Strict dividing lines between clean and dirty areas, limited patient and staff movement, and reduced cross-traffic make the chance of the virus transmission to be less. The emergency departments, operating theatres, isolation wards, and intensive care units are the places that need especially careful zoning so that infection does not spread to the low-risk areas.
Ventilation and Airflow as Primary Defenses
Air quality is a very strong weapon in infection prevention. Contemporary healthcare construction gives the first priority to the implementation of state-of-the-art HVAC systems aimed at achieving air control. In particular, these systems manage the direction of air movement, the pressure difference between the rooms, and the filtration of the air. The former type of pressure is used in rooms that help to keep airborne pathogens stable, while the latter type of pressure is the one that provides a barrier of safety to the patients with weakened immune systems.
Advanced particulate air filtration, enhanced air change rates, and extremely accurate airflow control are the factors that determine the lowering of pathogen concentration in tightly closed spaces. Health facilities that are infection-safe do not consider air as a passive source of support but rather as an active defensive tool thus, it is continuously checked and optimized.
Material Selection That Reduces Contamination
The choice of materials for building also has a significant impact on infection risk. The porous surfaces, complicated joints, and hard-to-clean finishes can be the places where pathogens nest. Infection-safe design has decided to use materials that are non-porous, seamless, and strong enough to be cleaned and disinfected frequently without losing their quality.
The use of antimicrobial surfaces, integrated wall protection, and continuous flooring systems contributes to the reduction of microbial survival and the facilitation of maintenance. Material selection is a combination of hygiene and durability thus, the implementation of infection control measures will not compromise the long-term performance and safety of the facilities.
Water Systems Designed for Safety
Waterborne infections may be a less visible source of danger, but they are no less serious than other types, especially in healthcare facilities. A bad plumbing system can be the reason for stagnation, temperature changes, and biofilm formation thus, creating conditions suitable for, e.g., Legionella propagation.
An infection-safe building features the design of water supply systems with considerations such as set points for temperature, regular circulation, and maintenance areas that are easy to access. In addition, sinks, showers, and medical water systems are not only the places where splash contamination comes from but also the areas users continue to be exposed to each other in cross-use activities.
Construction Phase Infection Control
Saving the building from infections is not the time when the building is opening that is important—it is the construction time. Healthcare construction projects usually take place in or next to already existing facilities that are operational, thus, there is a possibility that dust, mold spores, and airborne contaminants might find their way to patient areas.
Successful construction methods are the use of physical barriers, negative pressure containment zones, material movement that is under control, and cleaning that is performed in a rigorous manner. The risk of infection control is considered when assessing the present situation, thus, it is management and site location that guide the order of construction and the change of sites to ensure the safety of the continuous clinical operations.
Integrating Technology into Infection Control
The use of technologies will lead to infection-safe construction if the incorporation is done in a thoughtful manner. Disinfection is facilitated by less touched doors that open automatically, lighting that works without the intervention of the user, faucet usage that is sensor-based, and digital monitoring systems that reduce surface contact and human error. Intelligent building systems are able to monitor and report on air quality, the number of people in a room, and other environmental factors almost instantly.
Once data is used as a basis for decision-making, infection control transitions from being reactive to proactive. Technology serves as a bridge between the design goal and the daily performance of the building.
