Infection Control Specification

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Author Message Ronald L. Geren, FCSI, AIA, CCS, CCCA, SCIP Senior Member Username: specman Post Number: 1336 Registered: 03-2003 Posted on Tuesday, August 25, 2015 - 08:07 pm:    I have my first alteration project in an existing, occupied hospital within treatment areas. I cannot find anything adequate for an infection control specification. Does anyone have a section they'd be willing to share? ron@specsandcodes.com Thanks! Ron Geren, FCSI, AIA, CCS, CCCA, SCIP www.specsandcodes.com Margaret G. Chewning FCSI CCS Senior Member Username: presbspec Post Number: 272 Registered: 01-2003 Posted on Tuesday, August 25, 2015 - 08:17 pm:    I may have something that would work from an Army Hospital job I did a while back. They were renovating while keeping the facility in operation. I'll look and email it to you Richard Gonser AIA CSI CCCA SCIP Senior Member Username: rich_gonser Post Number: 111 Registered: 11-2008 Posted on Tuesday, August 25, 2015 - 08:37 pm:    There are a cascading series of restrictions for this. I have a series of sections integrated into Division 1. In what form do you need it? I use BSD, so the multiple choices are embedded in the document. Not in Word format. I do have implemented Word versions. But that does not include everything. Ronald L. Geren, FCSI, AIA, CCS, CCCA, SCIP Senior Member Username: specman Post Number: 1337 Registered: 03-2003 Posted on Tuesday, August 25, 2015 - 08:52 pm:    Thank you, everyone. Richard, I use Word. Ron Geren, FCSI, AIA, CCS, CCCA, SCIP www.specsandcodes.com ken hercenberg Senior Member Username: khercenberg Post Number: 944 Registered: 12-2006 Posted on Wednesday, August 26, 2015 - 08:27 am:    Ron, many facilities have their own very specific ICRA requirements. Some government and military organizations do as well. This tends to be a moving target as to levels of protection required. I've see organizations throw the kitchen sink at minor revision projects where only a couple of rooms are affected and where isolation is not difficult. Of course lives are at stake so people tend to err on the side of caution. A lot of focus has to involve HVAC systems. The nature of the work being performed will impact the content of the specs, especially if there is hazmat remediation on top of ICRA requirements. Has a survey of the above-ceiling conditions been done to determine whether it's even possible for the Contractor to conform with the ICRA requirements being specified? The facilities usually don't want any more areas shut down than absolutely necessary while work is being done; someone will have to go to the facility and determine what the practicalities are. As far as generic starting points, the VA has a pretty good spec in Section 01 35 26 SAFETY REQUIREMENTS - http://wbdg.org/ccb/VA/VAASC/VA013526.pdf Best of luck. Greta Eckhardt Senior Member Username: gretaeckhardt Post Number: 23 Registered: 08-2013 Posted on Wednesday, August 26, 2015 - 09:48 am:    Since architects and specifiers are not medical personnel, we need to rely on the expertise of the healthcare institution to determine the protocols for protection of patients and staff from infection. At the same time, our documents must alert the Contractor to these special protocols, which they will need to follow during construction. As Ken mentions, Owners of healthcare facilities have Infection Control Risk Assessment (ICRA) plans, which they should make available to the Architect/specifier. After reading it thoroughly, one might want to augment certain provisions in Section 015000 - Construction Facilities and Controls. At the same time, since the development of the protocols is the responsibility of the Owner, it would be a good idea to attach a full copy of the ICRA Plan to either that section or Section 011000 - Summary for reference by the Contractor, and include cross-references in appropriate Division 01 sections. Lisa Goodwin Robbins, RA, CCS, LEED ap Senior Member Username: lgoodrob Post Number: 279 Registered: 08-2004 Posted on Wednesday, August 26, 2015 - 09:53 am:    Good information here from Ken and Greta. I've worked on some projects where it hasn't occurred to the Architect to ask the hospital's Environmental Health and Safety department for their protocols. They're not usually in something we would recognize as a spec format, but they can be added as an appendix. - Ronald L. Geren, FCSI, AIA, CCS, CCCA, SCIP Senior Member Username: specman Post Number: 1338 Registered: 03-2003 Posted on Wednesday, August 26, 2015 - 11:33 am:    Thank you, everyone, for the great advice. I have asked the architect to obtain from the hospital their ICRA plan (if they don't already have it). I'll compare the multiple documents I received (again, thank you everyone!) and write a section conforming to their plan. What a great forum... See you all in St. Louis, I hope? Ron Geren, FCSI, AIA, CCS, CCCA, SCIP www.specsandcodes.com anon (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Thursday, August 27, 2015 - 02:29 pm:    Echoing Ken, Greta, Lisa here: Don't attempt to author this section yourself. This must be a section that is authored/dictated by the client. As architects/specifiers, we are not trained/qualified/credentialed/licensed/insured to prepare these sections. Colin Gilboy Senior Member Username: colin Post Number: 413 Registered: 09-2005 Posted on Thursday, September 17, 2015 - 04:29 pm:    CSI Specifier had an article - "Designing to Prevent Infection" by Scott Blevins http://www.constructionspecifier.com/designing-to-prevent-infection/ Colin Gilboy Publisher, 4specs.com 435.200.5775 - Utah 800.369.8008 Michael Chusid, RA FCSI CCS Senior Member Username: michael_chusid Post Number: 446 Registered: 10-2003 Posted on Saturday, December 15, 2018 - 01:23 am:    I need to reactivate this string: 1. Infection Control Risk Assessment: Are your attitudes towards and experience with ICRA the same as they were in 2015? 2. Pre-Construction Risk Assessment: How is PCRA different than ICRA? What is your approach to incorporating PCRA into construction documents? 3. Are ICRA and PCRA considered during product selection or specifying. Please share examples. Michael Chusid, RA FCSI CCS 1-818-219-4937 www.chusid.com www.buildingproduct.guru Ronald L. Geren, FCSI Lifetime Member, AIA, CCS, CCCA, CSC, SCIP Senior Member Username: specman Post Number: 1550 Registered: 03-2003 Posted on Friday, June 14, 2019 - 10:29 pm:    Well, I'm finding myself in the same situation that I was back in 2015 when I started this thread, however, it's a different hospital chain (if you can call it that). I'm not sure if I really need to prepare this section (yet), but it is a Mayo project, so if anyone has had experience specifying for Mayo I would like to pick your brain (and maybe your spec masters, if necessary and permissible). Thanks! Ron Geren, FCSI Lifetime Member, AIA, CCS, CCCA, CSC, SCIP Edward J Dueppen, RA, CSI, CCS, LEED AP Senior Member Username: edueppen Post Number: 56 Registered: 08-2013 Posted on Monday, June 17, 2019 - 08:51 am:    Hi Ron, I have been working on a number of Mayo projects in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The Rochester, MN main campus has a set of "Standard Specifications" that include a section for Infection Control. But we have found that the use of Mayo "standards" varies depending upon the location. I suggest you check with the Mayo project manager about what their standard is for your project. If you would like to chat more, contact me at edueppen at kahlerslater.com Anne Whitacre, FCSI CCS Senior Member Username: awhitacre Post Number: 1454 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Monday, July 01, 2019 - 04:29 pm:    Ron: because the infection control is part of the hospital's risk management protocol, and may well be partially determined by their insurance requirements, you need to get this information from the hospital, and not borrow something from some other institution. At best, you can provide a "sample section" and state to your owner: "this language is used by another hospital system, and you need to provide me with something comparable, or review and comment on this". You are not in a position to determine their patient risk requirements, nor should you. Do not under any reason, use an infection control section from some other institution. This opens up both you and the hospital to potential liability. Ronald L. Geren, FCSI Lifetime Member, AIA, CCS, CCCA, CSC, SCIP Senior Member Username: specman Post Number: 1553 Registered: 03-2003 Posted on Monday, July 01, 2019 - 04:45 pm:    Anne: I know, that is why I specifically asked for those with experience specifying for Mayo. Ron Geren, FCSI Lifetime Member, AIA, CCS, CCCA, CSC, SCIP Juste Fanou (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Monday, September 09, 2019 - 07:57 pm:    Hello Ronald, Not sure if this has been resolved, but overhere in Canada, we specify infection control according to CSA Z317.13. It is a fantastic standard which has informed the development of my own Master Specification which I use as a preamble to the Owner's own IPAC (infection prevention and control) policies. I am happy to share my master spec with you if you wish. Here is the link to the standard: https://store.csagroup.org/ccrz__ProductDetails?sku=CAN/CSA-Z317.13-17 Chris Grimm, CSI, CCS, SCIP Senior Member Username: chris_grimm_ccs_scip Post Number: 503 Registered: 02-2014 Posted on Wednesday, September 11, 2019 - 06:35 pm:    Similar to a few others here, I just reference the "Owner's infection control procedures for construction work", and I request a copy that I can attach to a spec section. This is referenced from the same spec that has temporary barriers and dust control in Division 01. If I am not allowed to write Division 01 for whatever strange reason, it could be an Appendix at the end of the Project Manual. Lately I'm finding with some projects the architect is never given the infection control procedures for me to insert. This can be listed as a pre-construction conference item somewhere such as temporary barriers or demolition. Sheldon Wolfe Senior Member Username: sheldon_wolfe Post Number: 1037 Registered: 01-2003 Posted on Saturday, September 14, 2019 - 01:52 am:    Amusing anecdote. Not long after starting with my last employer, one of our hospital clients sent us their infection control specifications for incorporation into our specifications. They looked familiar, and I soon realized they were using specifications I had written many years before for another client. We had an interesting discussion, during which I explained what I would do differently now, and we agreed on several modifications. One of the changes was including references to current owner requirements, which can change at any time. The problem with not making owner requirements, which can be expensive, available to contractors before bidding is that the contractor has no idea what the cost of those requirements will be. Chris Grimm, CSI, CCS, SCIP Senior Member Username: chris_grimm_ccs_scip Post Number: 512 Registered: 02-2014 Posted on Sunday, September 15, 2019 - 02:42 am:    I agree Sheldon, and I ask for it, but I have learned: Ask for ICRA and ye shall [not always] receive.