A young man in coveralls walked down the hallway of a building undergoing a remodel. He was a very conscientious craftsman, having worked in quite a few finished tenant improvement spaces. When he arrived to a room that he needed to enter temporarily, he very carefully reached down with both hands and dusted off both pants’ thighs rigorously to remove the dust on his coveralls that had accumulated in performing his work earlier that day. Then he stomped his feet to remove the dust from his shoes and clothing. Like any responsible, meticulous craftsman, he wanted to be sure that he would not get dust in the finished room. The hallway that he was walking down was in the newborn intensive care ward of a hospital. In an effort to be conscientious, this young man unintentionally spread dust and mold spores throughout an area inhabited by patients with highly compromised immune systems.
Hospitals and clinics throughout North America are choosing remodels over new construction due to tight budgets and economic constraints. Remodels can be a lucrative way to capitalize on real estate that is already developed. However, in clinical and surgical settings, seemingly cost-effective tenant improvement projects can impact the bottom line with the smallest mistakes. The uncontained spread of construction dust, debris, mold and overall poor control of infection hazards is a risk for hospital and clinic patients. The spread of dust and mold (especially aspergillus) is a real threat to hospitals and the patients inside.