IN

ITS TRACKS

STO

P CO

NTAMINATION

BEST PRACTICES IN HEALTHCARE CONSTRUCTION

Are you thinking of remodeling?

Do it right. Protect everyone in your facility by leveraging the Infection Control Risk Assessment (ICRA) Best Practices in Healthcare Construction progrm. Central South Carpenters are specifically trained in how to contain pathogens, control airflow, protect patients, and work without disrupting adjacent operations. We understand how to isolate work areas to minimize risks, how to adhere to ICRA protocols, and how to communicate with a facility’s ICRA team.

Our training includes:

• Air pressure differential

• Anteroom construction

• Building & sealing a soft wall

• Controlling contaminants

• Controlling exposure

• Contaminants & infectious agents

• Containing the work area

• Effective communication with hospital personnel

• Establishing a negative pressure environment

• Facility awareness

• Hazmat recognition

• How secondary infections are transmitted

• Individual responsibilities for patient safety

• Mold in a health care facility

• Personal protection

• Personal protective equipment

• Pre-remediation considerations

• Pre-work & work activities

• Regulatory agencies

• Remediation

• Risk evaluation process

• Routes of entry

• Site-specific considerations

• Understanding the ICRA document

• Work area classifications

• Work practices

• Working within a portable isolation cube

In a healthcare facility, patient care is everything.

Unfortunately, thousands of patients fall victim every year to

infections caused by dust stirred up during renovation projects.

Inadequate procedures at the jobsite can release contaminants

trapped above ceilings, behind walls or under floors, allowing

them to infiltrate patient and staff environments via HVAC

systems, foot traffic, and other conduits.

Construction professionals who are trained in the proper

procedures for containment of infectious agents at an occupied

healthcare facility job site are essential. Contractors from the

United Brotherhood of Carpenters (UBC) recognized that

keeping patients, staff, and construction crews safe from infection

risk while meeting their project schedule is “mission critical”. In

response, the Carpenters International Training Fund (CITF)

engaged leading infection control experts to guide development

of this exclusive training program.

One goal:

Deliver a workforce

of construction

professionals who

understand how to

protect the patients and

staff during a building

project, while not

disturbing daily activities.

Reaching Across the Trades

Our goal is to not only train carpenters, but also help other skilled trades understand ICRA by training qualified building trades instructors.

We envision a total construction team effort to meet and exceed ICRA standards.

We provide an ICRA Awareness Course, which teaches facility personnel and qualified building trades instructors why ICRA must be followed. The key is to have them understand why ICRA should be followed and how they fit into the total ICRA construction picture.

• Control Risks

• Complete the Project On Time

• Minimize Hazards

• Maintain a Safe Facility

• Ensure ICRA Protocols Are Met

Upon successful completion of this workshop, the participant should be able to:

1. Describe why healthcare facilities are unique work environments and why extra precautions must be taken while working in them.

2. Explain the functions and responsibilities of the ICRA team and how the ICRA form is used to determine a work area classification.

3. Explain the differences between positive, equal, and negative air pressure and how air pressure affects contaminants.

4. Recognize how airborne contaminants are isolated and controlled.

5. Describe the work practice procedures used in a healthcare facility.

6. Identify the agencies and organizations that oversee healthcare facilities.

7. Identify the different types of barriers and the purpose of each.

8. Describe the four methods used for mold remediation and a list of PPE and work practices needed for mold remediation in a healthcare facility.

About Our Training

The training curriculum was developed in consultation with leading construction-related infection control experts around the country. The program utilizes a two-tiered approach to ensure training standards.

In Tier 1, certified Master Instructors put qualified trainers through a rigorous “Train the Trainers” program. The program includes the use of simulated health care facility conditions. Only those who successfully

complete this course are qualified to teach at our regional training centers. Refresher and re-certification courses are mandatory.

In Tier 2, the qualified instructors train UBC members how to remain productive within ICRA protocols in combined hands-on, classroom, and simulation training. Successful completion results in a carpenter earning a qualification card in the CITF ICRA Best Practices Training Program. Refresher courses are mandatory.

ICRA-trained carpenters

are trained to react

quickly when unforseen

conditions show up

inside or outside

containment areas.

Central South Carpenters Regional Council2850 Massachusetts AvenueMetairie, LA 70003Telephone: 504-305-4737Toll Free: 877-927-8876Fax: 504-305-2456General E-Mail: cscrc@cscouncil.netWeb Site: www.centralsouthcarpenters.org

CENTRA

RA

RLSOUTH

CARPE

NTERS REGIONALCOUNCIL