VA 01 00 00 General Requirements - Appendix D.pdf

Appendix D

Safety and Infection Control Guide

SECTION 01 00 00

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

Appendix D

Safety and Infection Control Guide

Required to be Posted on the Construction Site This Safety and Infection Control Guide is for informational purposes only and is not meant to be used in place of the contract.

General Information and Telephone Numbers:

• CEP ext. 7080

• Police ext. 7554

• Safety Office ext. 7292

• Medical Emergency (Non-Life Threatening) Dial 123

• Medical Emergency (Life Threatening) VA ED / Dial 123

Fire Safety:

• Contractors shall provide worksite Fire Extinguishers and are required to perform and document monthly maintenance.

• All Contractors’ staff shall be aware exit locations in and around the worksite and keep them clear.

• If an alarm is activated in the construction area, a member of the construction crew shall be available to advise VA staff on the cause of the alarm (if known) and dial the CEP.

• Permits are required to perform “Hot Work Operations” including cutting, welding, brazing or silver soldering, or any process that utilizes an open flame.

Safety:

• Access to emergency services (fire, police and other emergency forces) shall be free and unobstructed.

• Temporary construction partitions shall be smoke tight and built of noncombustible or limited combustible materials.

• All Lock out / Tag out needed on utilities or equipment in the facility shall go through the COTR and VA Maintenance & Operations Supervisor.

• All penetrations made by Contractors during construction / renovation activities shall be sealed (at least temporarily) at the end of the work shift.

• Smoking is permitted only in designated areas, and NOT within the Construction site.

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The following procedure is for reporting a fire at the JAHVH Facility:

FIRE SAFETY FOR CONTRACTORS

(SEGURIDAD CONTRA INCENDIOS PARA CONTRATISTAS)

CODE RED (FIRE)

CODIGO ROJO (FUEGO)

R – Rescue (Rescatar)

A – Alarm (Activar la Alarma)

Pull the nearest pull station. (Activar la alarma contra incendios mas cercana.)

Call 1-2-3 and inform the operator of location. (Marcar en el teléfono el numero 1-2-3 para informar a la operadora la localización del fuego.)

C – Contain (Close the door / Isolate the area of fire) (Contener) (Cerrar las puertas / Aislar el área del fuego)

E – Extinguish / Evacuate (Extinguir / Desalojar)

Privacy:

• Patient information found within a construction site should be turned in to the Nurse Manager or

COTR.

Security:

• ID Badges must be worn at all times while on duty.

• Parking is allowed in designated areas only.

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Infection Control Orientation for Construction Workers

The dirt and dust that are part of construction activities contain hidden infectious hazards. It is not “just dust”. One such hazard is fungal organisms such as Aspergillus. Aspergillus may be found in decaying leaves and compost, plaster and drywall, standing water, and settled dust. These organisms usually do not cause problems in healthy people, but can cause problems in a hospital with sick patients, especially those with lung problems, or in those with poor immunity, such as transplant or cancer patients. Therefore, it is critical that you do your part to keep everyone in the hospital safe and healthy as possible. We, in turn, will make conditions as safe as possible for you.

1. Medical Waste:

a. Hospital staff will remove any medical waste, including sharp object containers (for used needles and syringes), from construction areas prior to the start of projects.

b. Please notify your supervisor and the COTR or Resident Engineer immediately if you (contract workers) find any needles, syringes, sharp medical objects or red bag waste left in the construction area.

2. Barrier Walls:

a. Construction areas must be kept separate from patient care areas by barriers that keep the dust and dirt inside the worksite.

b. Walls must provide a complete seal of the construction area from adjacent areas, 1.8.E.2 (walls may be rigid or 6 mil thick plastic)minimum .

c. Any gaps or breaks in barriers must be repaired immediately.

3. Environmental Control:

a. The construction zone and adjacent entry areas shall be maintained daily by the Contractor in a clean and sanitary manner.

b. Vacuum dirt and dust routinely inside the work area. This will minimize dirt tracking on shoes and reduce the dust generation inside the work area. (Sweeping creates more dust in the air).

c. Debris shall not be hauled through patient care areas unless approved by Infection Control and the COTR or Resident Engineer.

d. Demolition debris must be removed in carts with a tightly fitted cover.

e. Do not overfill carts so that cover will not fit tightly.

f. If 6 mil plastic minimum is used as cover, no sharp objects shall be allowed to cut through the plastic.

g. Wipe down the exterior of the carts with a damp rag to remove dust before taking it through the hospital.

h. Debris removal will follow specified traffic patterns and elevator usage.

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i. Sticky or walk - off mats (minimum of 24 x 36 inches) shall be placed immediately outside the construction area and are changed regularly (i.e., whenever they no longer remove dirt from feet).

j. Contractor must ensure that their staff mop any dirt / dust tracking which occurs outside the construction barrier by their workers with a damp mop.

k. There shall be no standing water left in the construction area. This includes water in equipment drip pans and any open containers within the construction area.

l. All accidental spills must be cleaned up and dried within 12 hours.

m. Remove and dispose of porous materials that remain damp for more than 48 hours.

n. Optimally, construction-zone air will be exhausted directly to the outside with no potential for re-circulation. If an existing direct exhaust system cannot be located and a tie into re-circulated air system is necessary, a pre-filter and high efficiency filter (95%) will be used prior to exhaust to prevent contamination of the duct. The filters will be changed routinely so that operational performance of unit is maintained.

o. Negative air pressure must be maintained within the construction area for all projects that generate a moderate or high level of dust and are adjacent to any patient care or treatment area.

p. Contractors working in a sterile or invasive procedure area of the hospital will be provided with a disposable coverall, head cover, and shoe covers that must be worn upon entry and removed after exiting that area.

q. Tools and equipment must be damp-wiped prior to entry and exit from sterile and invasive procedure areas.

r. All equipment, tools, material, etc., transported through occupied patient areas shall be made free from dust and moisture by vacuuming and wipe down.

s. Water mist work surface to control dust when cutting or drilling.

t. Seal unused doors with duct tape.

u. Block off and seal air vents in construction area to prevent duct contamination.

v. Seal holes, pipes, conduits and punctures appropriately.

w. If demolition chutes are used, they must be sealed when not in use. The chute and damper should be sprayed with water, as necessary, to maintain dust control.

x. Control, collection and disposal must be provided for any drain liquid or sludge found when demolishing plumbing.

y. During outside excavation work, exterior window seals may be required to reduce the amount of outside dust entering the building.

4. Worksite Access Control:

a. Use designated entry and exit procedures.

b. Keep all hospital hallways free of debris and dirt.

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c. No unauthorized personnel should be allowed to enter the construction areas.

d. Use designated elevators only.

5. Workers:

a. Clothing and shoes must be free of loose soil and debris when exiting the work area.

b. Use personal protective equipment (masks, face shields, etc.) as indicated for the task at hand.

c. Hand washing is the best method of reducing the transmission of infection. Always wash your hands with soap and water after visiting the restroom, before eating or smoking, and when leaving the construction site.

Please feel free to call the Infection Control Section at:

(813) 972-2000 extensions 4953 or 6953

Pagers 201-1764 or 201-1228

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