Sanitising fan coil units makes hospitals safer

The health sector and clinical environments have always taken a proactive approach to hygiene. The pandemic has called into question other parts of hospitals’ infrastructures, including air-conditioning systems, and the impact on patients and frontline caregivers, as well as other employees and any visitors. UV technology is increasingly being used to combat bacterial growth and transmission, and has an important role to play.

HVAC systems are a key part of a hospital’s infrastructure. They not only maintain comfortable environments (temperature and humidity) for patients and employees, but of course medical equipment is sensitive to temperature and humidity changes, so air control needs to be well managed and to function properly. There is the additional complexity of various rooms having different uses in hospitals – for example patients requiring isolation, neonatal units, or intensive care facilities.

Hospitals are places where a much higher concentration of pathogens can accumulate than in the average building or workplace. Given that these pathogens can travel in air which can be affected by many factors – temperature, humidity, frequency of doors opening and closing, and room occupancy – this has focused attention on HVAC systems and what steps can be taken to improve their design and protect patients and hospital workers from exposure to any pathogens.