Airborne Dust Managed Successfully at James Cook Hospital

Construction of the TomoTherapy Unit for James Cook Hospital will utilise more space on site and allow the hospital to keep up with its growing demands. The workspace is surrounded by multiple busy treatment areas and it is essential that patients and staff suffer minimal disruption.

Challenge

The hospital has a zero-tolerance policy on dust due to the risk of patients breathing in airborne aspergillus spores – a major threat to those with weak immune systems.

Construction of a new TomoTherapy Unit for the James Cook Hospital was particularly challenging for the main contractor as the workspace was surrounded on four sides by busy treatment areas. It was essential that hospital staff were able to go about their daily tasks with minimal disruption and that patients and visitors were not put at risk during construction works.

Solution

Before any works could commence the client, principal contractor and Infection Control all agreed that a ‘belt and braces’ approach was required to be certain patients were not exposed to dust. RVT Group provided assurance that staff, patient and visitor safety would be maintained at all times throughout the construction process.

To prove no dust was escaping from the work area, a magnahelic differential pressure gauge was installed and monitored three times a day with a signoff sheet to log that negative pressure was being maintained at all times.

With RVT Group’s input, expertise and specialist equipment, all parties involved were satisfied that patients would not be affected in any way by dust that may be produced during construction works. The hospital’s ZERO tolerance policy on airborne dust was upheld ensuring patients lives were not exposed to risk. The contractor demonstrated its commitment of care for those in close proximity to works, and built on its reputation for the highest standards of project management in the most critical environments