With a phased build project, hospital administrators, infection preventionists, and other staff must deal with the threat that the construction could spread contaminants, according to an article on the Infection Control Today website.

 Early discussion and risk assessment are key to minimizing the potential impact.

Renovation or construction that happens in preexisting spaces or occupied areas have very different sets of challenges than the building of new facilities. 

The current phase of the construction and the assessment of risk will help determine what is needed. Demolition, for example, in the existing or adjacent areas creates dust and debris. It also creates a need to remove construction debris from the site to an appropriate disposal location. 

According to recent research, some construction companies are not providing adequate training to their workers and subcontractors on how to avoid creating conditions  in healthcare project job sites that could be dangerous to  patients, according to a Construction Dive article. 

Read the full Infection Control Today article.