Five things to include in a physical environment mitigation plan

With a deeper appreciation for just how impactful environmental risks are to patients when building materials become compromised or the physical environment is disturbed and fungal spores are released into occupied spaces, it is essential that the facilities management team proactively establishes policies and plans to mitigate and control these risks. The development of processes for identifying and addressing issues in the physical environment should include:

1. Assessment and mitigation of environmental risks associated with construction and renovation.
2. Protocols and guidelines to assess water intrusion and damage and to address remediation when necessary.
3. Identification and routine assessment of critical utilities systems, as well as how to address disruptions. For ventilation systems, see also the new ASHRAE/American Society for Health Care Engineering, Guideline 43, Operations Guideline for Ventilation of Health Care Facilities, which addresses how to establish a ventilation management program.
4. Routine risk assessment for repairs and maintenance of the physical environment in clinical spaces, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Targeted Environmental Investigation Checklist for Outbreaks of Invasive Infections Caused by Environmental Fungi (e.g., Aspergillus, Mucormycetes) 
5. Multidisciplinary approval of requests to change space or space utilization. See the American National Standards Institute/ASHRAE/American Society for Health Care Engineering Standard 170, Ventilation of Health Care Facilities, and the Facility Guidelines Institute Codes/Guidelines for design parameters for healthcare spaces.