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Indoor Air Quality for Healthcare Facilities​

Hospital Corridor

Higgins’ experienced industrial hygienists are available to assist with potential indoor air quality problems, providing effective solutions following the latest standards by the: 

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  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC), 

  • The Joint Commission Environment of Care and Life Safety Codes, 

  • Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA),  

  • Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),  

  • National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and 

  • American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) guidelines.  


Higgins can assist clients with the reopening of building that were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. We follow the latest ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force guidance on mitigating potential infectious aerosol health risks. Higgins assists our healthcare clients with their pandemic strategic planning by supporting the environmental testing and sampling, reviewing HVAC systems, the risk of pathogen spread, and cleaning techniques.

 

Higgins industrial hygienists can also review HVAC system maintenance protocols to protect healthcare workers and maintenance technicians alike.   

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We offer guidance and practical solutions to healthcare infrastructure problems including: 

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  • Controlled environment air sampling and testing (e.g., cleanrooms, operating rooms)  

  • Sterile compounding and sterile preparations air testing (USP <797>, USP <1116>) 

  • SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) by qPCR air sampling 

  • Determining risk of aerosol pathogen spread between adjacent zones and interzones 

  • Verification of containment zones, clean rooms, and other spaces requiring high levels of indoor air quality via tracer studies 

  • Pressurization, airflow distribution particle distribution, and optimization 

  • Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) air sampling  

  • Bioaerosols (culturable and non-culturable) bacteria, fungi, and environmental dust / discrete particulate sampling during construction, demolition, etc. 

  • Multiplex Array for Indoor Allergens (MARIA) and  Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) allergens air sampling 

  • Chemicals, silica, heavy metals and other VOC air sampling 

  • HVAC/air handling unit /fan coil/maintenance protocol infection control reviews 

  • NO2, SO2, airborne lead testing, radon, nitrous oxide and halogenated agents 

  • Waste Halogenated and N2O anesthetic gas leak testing and personal monitoring 

  • Welding/brazing fumes, diesel exhaust, asphalt air emissions 

  • Pesticides and semi-volatile organics air sampling 

  • Indoor air quality investigations (unknown odors, IAQ complaints) 
    Wildland fire particulate intrusion (PM2.5, discrete particulates, airflow evaluations) 

  • Smoke visualization studies (cleanrooms, pharmacies, AIIR, PE rooms, HVAC systems) 

  • Laboratory chemical ambient and personal air sampling (e.g., formaldehyde, xylenes, etc.) 

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