Hospitals Need Industrial Hygienists and Certified Safety Professionals on Call

Hospitals are full of all sorts of hazards.  There are miles and miles of water pipes in some of the huge hospitals.  Just like in a home, the water pipes in a hospital can burst at any moment.  The difference, however, is when they burst in your home only your possessions are effected.  When water pipes burst in a hospital, people’s lives are at stake.

If you have ever been to the hospital then you know that water is a necessity in almost every aspect of recovery.  Water is needed in the ER to clean wounds of patients that have been admitted.  In the surgery suites water is used to sterilize the surgeon’s hands so that the actual surgery room can be kept germ free.  In patient rooms water is used, to give patients baths, in their toilet and for drinking.  Water keeps a hospital running, but it can also bring the workings of hospital to a screeching halt when there is a leak.

The Infectious Control Nurse is in charge of ensuring the health safety of all the patients in her hospital.  She makes certain that no matter where a patient is in the hospital their environment is as sterile and healthy as possible.  When there is a water leak the infectious control nurse gets really upset and uneasy, because the water leak adds an unsterile component to her once sterile environment. 

The water that can leak in a hospital often times is not the cleanest water, and once the water comes in contact with different areas of the hospital the water can quickly become contaminated with whatever diseases are in the hospital.  The water can flow in between the walls and collect all sorts of unsanitary contaminants along the way.  While the maintenance workers can try and turn off the water, at some point the water has to be turned back on.

Once the leak has been contained and it has been stopped, now is the perfect time for the hospital to call their on call Certified Industrial Hygienist, CIH.  They will assess the damage, speak with the Infectious Control Nurse and then create a plan to manage the flood disaster area.  They will take air samples to determine if mold has begun to grow, they will write a plan for the remediation crews to follow that will ensure correct containment of any type of airborne contaminants.

The Certified Industrial Hygienist will work closely with the hospital and with the construction crews to get the hospital back to normal operation.  If you are concerned that your hospital might have mold contamination, click hereto find an industrial hygiene firm near you that can run tests.  You would rather be sick in a mold free environment than be sick in a hospital with a mold problem.