Healthcare

Asset management – we’re in it for the long term

Effective asset management can improve service delivery. Avoiding reactive spend helps estates teams to manage budgets and streamline operations. By keeping assets in the best possible condition, their life is extended for a more sustainable way of working.

NHS and private hospitals provide outstanding patient care, day in, day out. At Rock Compliance, we support them by ensuring healthcare buildings and assets are safe and compliant, performing to their design brief for as long as possible. In so doing, we help hospitals to focus on their number one priority – patient care.

Delivering compliance to support patient safety

The vulnerable hospital population is more susceptible to infections. Multi-site operations, older buildings and complex water systems present an ideal environment for the proliferation of biofilm and bacteria.

In addition to being very distressing for patients and their families, healthcare associated infections (HCAIs) drain the NHS of valuable financial resources – according to the British Medical Journal, in 2016/2017 alone, HCAIs were estimated to have cost the NHS an estimated £2.1 billion.

If you are a healthcare provider, we can work with you to ensure patient safety, making hospital buildings as safe as possible for consultation, treatment and care. We do this by offering a wide range of compliance services for healthcare premises, in line with HTM 03-01 ‘Specialised ventilation for healthcare buildings’, HTM 04-01 ‘Safe water in healthcare premises’, and HTM 05-02 ‘Fire safety in the design of healthcare premises’.

Supporting the healthcare sector

We recognise that all facilities have different requirements, but there are certain areas that may be of particular concern within the healthcare and care home sectors, particularly in relation to water hygiene, water treatment, and air hygiene.

Healthcare Water Treatment Rock Compliance

Water treatment and water hygiene

Healthcare buildings are occupied by the highest number of susceptible people with respect to legionella and other waterborne pathogens. HTM 04-01 was written to help guide those responsible for the management and delivery of safe water in hospitals and healthcare premises.

Rock Compliance engineers are used to working in live environments to carry out a wide range of water hygiene services and are sensitive to the challenges this presents. This means that we will always do everything needed to minimise disruption to staff and patients.

Water treatment and water hygiene services

Legionella risk assessments

It is essential that a risk assessment is carried out on all healthcare buildings. A Rock Compliance risk assessment will help establish an up-to-date web-based live asset list and assist you in ensuring all your water hygiene and treatment regimes are set up for success from the start.

Our live risk assessments also allow assets to be added or removed during future alterations to the system, so they are always current.

Water monitoring and PPM checks

All your control measures must be met to ensure the safety of your end users. From temperature monitoring to shower descales and TMV works in line with the D-08 guidance, we offer a wide range of services related to the ongoing management of risk in your water systems.

Secondary disinfection

Routine treatment and processes are crucial in ensuring water systems remain safe. Rock Compliance offers a range of secondary disinfection options, including chlorine dioxide and silver/copper ionisation. We work closely with you at all times to ensure we can facilitate your requirements.

Water sampling

Routine sampling is critical for demonstrating the efficacy of your monitoring and maintenance systems and ensuring all your water systems are safe for the people that use them.

We offer water sampling for waterborne pathogens including pseudomonas aeruginosa and legionella to give you the required assurance. Following on from this, we have experts on hand to work with you to analyse the data.

Remote monitoring

We can offer real time information on the temperatures throughout your building. Ascertain the risk from your system by monitoring the subordinate loops and ensuring temperatures above 55°C are being met, download the data for working water safety groups, and analyse the root cause and solution for your system.

For more information on all the other water services we offer, including remedial work, training and softeners, please click here

Healthcare Air Hygiene

Air Hygiene

If you manage a healthcare setting, there is a responsibility placed on you to protect your staff, patients, and visitors. An air hygiene compliance plan from Rock Compliance helps you to achieve this as well as safeguard against future unexpected cost and inconvenience.

Work with us to reduce non-conformances and produce low risk, compliant systems with minimised and predictable spend. We offer expert advice on compliance with HTM 03-01 and HTM 05-02 and can assist with routine compliance activities. Our wide experience of working in live environments means that disruption is always kept to a minimum.

Please note: HTM 03-01 was updated in 2021. If you need assistance ensuring you comply with the latest guidance, contact us today.

Air hygiene services

Fire and smoke damper testing

Hospitals have complex HVAC duct systems that carry conditioned air throughout the building. Fire and smoke dampers in the ductwork prevent fire and smoke spreading and should be considered as vital as a functioning fire alarm. Given their importance, it is essential that fire and smoke dampers are checked annually and crucial maintenance carried out immediately.

Local exhaust ventilation (LEV) testing

LEV testing protects everyone in your building from contact with hazardous airborne contaminants. LEV systems need to be tested, maintained and repaired by skilled engineers, such as those provided by Rock Compliance.

LEV systems found in the healthcare setting include CL3 and CL4 containment laboratories, downflow benches, mortuary extract, fume cupboards, isolator cabinets, and microbiological safety cabinets.

HEPA filter changes

High efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters are often fitted in critical extract systems to prevent the spread of disease or dangerous pathogens, as defined in HTM 03-01. They work by trapping and destroying viruses to provide a safer environment.

HEPA filters must be checked and changed regularly to protect the vulnerable hospital popular and maintain environmental sterility and effective disinfection.

Dispersed oil particulate (DOP) testing

HEPA filters and ULPA filters are used in the air purification process associated with ventilation systems. They are particularly important in healthcare critical ventilation systems and the pharmaceutical, microelectronics, optical and aerospace industries.

The filters work by forcing air through a very fine mesh of densely matted fibres that trap unwanted particles. It is essential that the filters in these sensitive areas are checked regularly to ensure they have been correctly installed and have not developed leaks during operation or installation.

We provide DOP testing as a standalone service or as part of a commissioning package, which can include the validation, verification and balancing of entire critical ventilation systems.

Air quality sampling for operating theatres

Microbiological contamination of operating theatre air is a risk factor for surgical site infections (SSIs). SSIs can be very dangerous and expensive to treat, taking up valuable resources.

Air quality sampling is a good way to assess the contamination of operating theatres to improve air quality. It should always be carried out by specialist engineers, such as those at Rock Compliance, who can then advise on remedial action if required.

Particle counting

Particle counting is a highly specialised service, carried out in clean and controlled environments, such as cleanrooms, to provide contamination monitoring. It does this by counting and sizing the number of particles inside a space or in the ambient air, demonstrating the cleanliness level. It measures particles both in the air and on surfaces.

Particle counting is widely used in environmental monitoring in the pharmaceutical, bio-pharmaceutical and radiopharmaceutical industries.

Kitchen extract cleans

Hospital kitchens are busy around the clock. Dust, grease and other contaminants can build up in the extract system, creating a fire and infection risk. Rock Compliance engineers can work with you to ensure extract systems are clean and safe, supporting the culture of patient care in your healthcare building.

Ventilation System Risk Awareness training

Our Ventilation System Risk Awareness training course is designed for managers, specifiers and persons responsible for health and safety and the general wellbeing of building users and occupants.

Course modules include the legislative requirements related to:

  • General air handling and ventilation ductwork systems hygiene
  • Kitchen grease extract ductwork systems fire risk
  • Local exhaust ventilation (LEV) testing

We also offer services related to HTM 03-01 and general air hygiene services. Are your office spaces returning to normal occupancy and do you need to check the air quality is suitable? Do you need general ventilation cleaning? For further information on air hygiene, please click here

Healthcare Closed System

Closed System Water Treatment

Most heating and cooling systems use closed loops to transfer heat. These loops range from chilled water loops to hot water loops, geothermal loops, and other refrigerant-related loops. Though these closed loops are meant to be airtight, this is often not the case. Corrosion and bacterial growth can affect their functionality and potentially lead to a leak in the system.

Left unmonitored or unrectified, these systems can experience massive inefficiencies or even failure, but Rock Compliance is here to help.

Closed System Water Treatment Services

Closed loop treatment systems

We provide effective closed loop water treatment systems for healthcare facilities. Our technicians are experienced in water system care for the healthcare industry and understand the importance of maintaining peak efficiency in closed loop water systems.

We can monitor your system manually or remotely using Hevasure technology. In this way, we detect any signs of damage or inefficiencies, identifying problems and implementing a comprehensive treatment plan to remove the issue. From filter changes and water testing to system flushes and chemical treatments, Rock Compliance puts into place effective techniques to help get your closed loop system back to optimal performance.

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Click here for more information on Hevasure and maintenance of closed loop treatment systems.

David Baker Healthcare Rock Compliance

 

Meet David Baker

Business Development Manager (Healthcare)

David has over ten years’ experience in the UK compliance field, working with some of the largest providers in the country. He has carried out risk assessments across large NHS and private hospitals at home and abroad, as well as auditing in line with HTM 04-01. David has had direct involvement with multiple Trusts, assisting with ongoing management and policy writing. He has also completed Authorising Engineering training to ensure he is best placed to assist healthcare clients.

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