Hospital Ventilation in the COVID-19 Era

ASHRAE Standard 170 survived pandemic and is ready for next edition

By By Dan Hounsell


The COVID-19 pandemic tested nearly every component, system and process in healthcare facilities, and perhaps no system underwent more scrutiny than HVAC systems. 

And through it all, two truths emerged for the committee charged with the 2021 edition of the American National Standards Institute/ASHRAE/American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE) Standard 170, Ventilation of Health Care Facilities. First, the standard survived a pandemic, and second, the standard was prepared for its next edition, according to Health Facilities Management. 

There are a variety of better and best practice measures that the Standard 170 committee is assembling into guidance that might constitute a future white paper, but discussions of possible changes to the standard reveals that the core elements and strictures of ventilation for infection control have weathered the year as well as any other aspect of the environment of care. 



April 6, 2021


Topic Area: HVAC


Recent Posts

Safety Synergy: Infection Prevention That Protects Patients and Workers

For environmental services managers, the central message is that cleaning and disinfection should be governed through an integrated systems approach.


Prefabricated Wall Panels Speed UCF Lake Nona Medical Center Construction

StoPanel systems helped the project meet Florida’s wind-load and impact requirements while supporting a fast, safe exterior installation.


New Dallas Pediatric Campus Reaches Topping-Out Milestone

Projected to open in 2031, the campus will expand inpatient, surgical and ambulatory capacity.


Hospitals Are Energy Super-Users. Why Is It So Hard to Modernize Them?

Managers face the ongoing challenge of finding a practical way to fund improvements while competing with capital priorities.


Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Bangor Officially Opens

Encompass Health Bangor is the company’s first wholly owned hospital in Maine.


 
 


FREE Newsletter Signup Form

News & Updates | Webcast Alerts
Building Technologies | & More!

 
 
 


All fields are required. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.