Guidance on Indoor Environmental Quality in Health Care Facilities

Abstract

The indoor environment of a health care facility is complex and requires special attention to ensure a healthy indoor environmental quality (IEQ) to protect patients, visitors, health care workers and support personnel against diseases. IEQ in a health care facility is critical, since patients have less immunity. Moreover, patients and health care staff remain in the building over extended periods of time. Indoor environments are highly complex and building occupants may be exposed to a variety of contaminants (in the form of gases and particles) from office machines, cleaning products, construction activities, carpets and furnishings, perfumes, cigarette smoke, water-damaged building materials, microbial growth (fungal, mold, and bacterial), insects, and outdoor pollutants. Other factors such as indoor temperatures, relative humidity, and ventilation levels can also affect how individuals respond to the indoor environment. This document presents an analysis of the airborne chemical and microbiological contaminants of concern for health care facilities.