HVAC Management in Health Facilities

Abstract

The errors in the design, installation and maintenance of an air-conditioning system within a health facility appear to have consequences that are more serious and complex than those that can be generally hypothesized and verified in the case of residential facilities or offices. This is also due to the presence in hospitals of patients with immune system deficiency. The use of a risk matrix can help to evaluate and better manage the HVAC (Heating, Ventilating and Air-Conditioning) system in healthcare facilities, also allowing to answer questions relating the need to clean the air-conditioning systems. In fact, the latter is associated not only with the reduction of microorganisms, but also with the risk of spreading microorganisms and chemical particles in the environment.