HYGIENE AND HEALTH AND SAFETY
Encouraging behaviour change to lower risk
Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the attendant additional health risks, Mike Boxall, managing director of FM best practice benchmarking specialist, Sitemark, discusses how facilities managers in healthcare settings can use workplace risk assessments to maintain the highest hygiene standards and encourage behaviour change among building occupants.
It’s been some 16 months since we first went into lockdown, so we’re all more than familiar with the coronavirus, and the steps we need to take to reduce the chances of infection and contamination. However, the longevity of the pandemic can also lead to complacency. People can get tired of the rules. They may wash their hands less frequently, or stop maintaining social distance as often, especially those who have not been directly affected by COVID- 19 so far, and can fall into complacency. In healthcare settings, even the smallest lack of compliance can have a huge impact. Facilities managers must therefore not only introduce measures to maintain a high standard of hygiene, but must also communicate procedures to all building users, and encourage everyone to comply.
Risk assessment
We have become so accustomed to judging an area’s cleanliness by its appearance. Although many working in healthcare will be used to managing an invisible threat, there’s no room for error when dealing with COVID-19. Furthermore, patients and visitors to healthcare facilities may not be as familiar with hygiene routines. A risk assessment, therefore, should be the first step that every Facilities manager takes to map the threat within a building. Assessments should be uniquely tailored to the site, and be carried out at regular intervals to make sure that the protocols in place are effective. Following a risk assessment, a hygiene programme can be created that will cover the same key areas.
Healthcare hygiene programme Site control considers the overall usage of the site and those present. Access points, visitor restrictions, door mechanisms, and one-way systems, will all determine site occupancy and the interaction between
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Signage clearly displayed around the hospital or healthcare facility can be used to keep all occupants up to date on current protocols, and the measures in place for their protection.
those on site. Vulnerable staff, and those receiving healthcare, require particular attention to ensure that no risks are taken. Bathrooms, and community areas such as reception areas, are examples of specifically high-risk points for potential transmission, and site controls need to be put in place to mitigate these risks to the greatest extent possible.
Assessment of the cleaning provision will cover the capacity of the cleaning staff and management to negate potential problems in high-risk and high- usage areas. High-risk touchpoints need to be identified, and usually include door handles, light switches, stairway railings, and bathroom taps. This is particularly important, because greatly increasing the cleaning provision universally across the building can quickly stretch the existing cleaning provision to a point which is
Access points, visitor restrictions, door mechanisms, and one-way systems, will all determine site occupancy and the interaction between those on site
unsustainable, and potentially lead to some key areas not receiving the level of attention required. By assessing chemical use and the potential for deep cleaning and swab tests, building managers can identify which touch points will need additional attention and more regular cleaning, and whether there are areas which should remain closed for the time being. In addition to keeping all building occupants healthy, a clear and organised cleaning specification offers reassurance to occupants, and also acts as a reminder of the level of care necessary from the building users.
Different building usage behaviours Building usage behaviours may need to be altered, so identifying what is necessary and possible is vital. This might mean encouraging a high level of home working (though this is understandably not an option for many healthcare workers), utilising contact tracing, and ensuring that building users change their behaviour as required. These factors should be taken into account when
July 2021 Health Estate Journal 53
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