JOHN COUSINS – NAADUK AUDITING TEAM, UK VENTILATION
Importance of hospital ventilation hygiene
John Cousins of the National Association of Air Duct Specialists UK (NAADUK) explains the importance of placing hospital ventilation at the centre of a hospital’s testing, inspection, and maintenance regime.
The inspection, cleaning, and maintenance of ductwork is an important part of building facility requirements. Awareness of the essential requirement to undertake cleaning and maintenance of ventilation systems, in order to prevent the build-up of grease and dust in ducts and therefore prevent fires, is paramount. Building owners have a responsibility to the occupants of the building to ensure that a competent accredited company conducts regular inspection, cleaning, and maintenance of ductwork under HSE 1992 Rev 2013.
It is the air that we breathe, so it must be clean and healthy, right? Wrong! Many circumstances, from poor hygiene standards, poor maintenance, or even non- maintenance, could all lead to the growth of potentially harmful organisms and, in some cases, pathogens. This also increases the risk of the spread of fires, and under Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order 2005 it is the responsible person’s duty to identify and control risks. Any ventilation system should be included in this assessment, identifying risk, hazards, and control measures to ensure protection and the prevention of fire risk.
Why is ventilation maintenance important? As with all areas of the hospital environment, sterilisation and cleanliness are of the utmost importance. It is therefore critical that hospital ventilation is considered as
Pre-clean (general hospital).
part of the testing, inspection, and maintenance regimes. Ventilation hygiene is there for the betterment of the environment and to reduce the risk of fire spreading within any building, and there are many guideline publications to assist in meeting the standards. Ventilation hygiene within the clinical setting has been neglected for many years and the recent Covid pandemic has highlighted shortfalls. Here at NAADUK, we have identified the great importance of ventilation hygiene in the hospital
John Cousins
John Cousins is part of the NAADUK Auditing team, currently sitting on several committees within the BSi. John focuses his efforts on compliance and improving the standards across the industry. NAADUK is recognised as a leader in ventilation hygiene
compliance and John contributes time and energy to assist NAADUK and its members.
John came into ventilation hygiene in 2016, after leaving the British Army, where he served in the Irish Guards. During his
service, he learned about diligence and moral courage, which he has brought into this industry. John is highly focused on helping companies, individuals, and building users understand the legislation and push for compliant safe premises for people to work, live, and enjoy.
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Post-clean (general hospital).
environment as persons could potentially have the following conditions: l Weakened immune systems. l Risk of secondary infections. l Breathing difficulties. l Incapacitated persons at risk of spread of fire.
People suffering from these conditions are at greater risk and it is the duty of the responsible persons to ensure the health, safety, and wellbeing of these people.
Building classifications, inspection frequencies, and limits Inspection frequencies are clearly defined within HTM-03 Chapter 1 and state the following:
“All ventilation systems should be subject to, at least, a simple visual inspection annually. Ventilation systems serving critical care areas should be inspected quarterly and their performance measured and verified annually. The quarterly inspection should be a simple visual check; the annual verification will be a more detailed inspection of the system together with the measurement of its actual performance.”
IFHE DIGEST 2023
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