Setra Blog

The Joint Commission (TJC) is a non-profit organization that evaluates and accredits healthcare organizations in the United States, ensuring that hospitals and other medical facilities are providing safe and high-quality care to their patients. Inspections occur every three years and take between 2 to 3 days. In most jurisdictions, Medicare and Medicaid funding is contingent on accreditation by TJC.

One of the most important standards scored in a Joint Commission evaluation is room pressurization (EC.02.05.01). According to ASHRAE Standard 170 (used specifically by TJC as its standard), over 60 different areas of concern within a facility need to be either positively or negatively pressured. Pressurization in these spaces is tested simply by holding a tissue at the bottom of a door and determining whether the tissue is blown back away or sucked towards the gap.

Many environments within a health care facility require pressure monitoring in order to protect patient health. Even spaces like hospital linen closets require some sort of indicator of positive or negative differential pressure.

It is commonly known that gowning procedures and air flow requirements are essential to maintaining a sterile clean room environment. Workers and operators don’t realize how crucial employee training is and the enormous impact employees have with the sanitation of the cleanroom. Unfortunately, humans are considered to be the biggest threat to the cleanroom and the largest source for contaminants, accounting for 75% to 80% of particles and microbes generated in a room. Understanding how personnel create particles and microbes or bring in contaminants, can help structure proper employee training, greatly bringing down the risk for clean environment contamination.

Thank you to all who visited us at Booth C1452 in the Building Automation and Controls section of the AHR Expo this year in Las Vegas, Nevada! We enjoyed seeing both new and familar faces! The world's largest HVACR event was anything but boring and we think the 60,000 attendees would have to agree.

In HVAC/R applications it is helpful to understand the methods used to determine air velocity. Air velocity (distance traveled per unit of time) is most often expressed in feet per minute (FPM).  Multiplying air velocity by the area of a duct allows you to determine the air volume flowing past a point in the duct per unit of time. Volume flow is generally measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM).

Unidirectional Pressure Transducers

Unidirectional pressure transducers measure between zero and a positive pressure. The diaphragm of the sensor should only move in one direction and will produce a positive voltage or milliamp output.

Pressure transducers today are more rugged and reliable than ever. Made of stainless steel construction, they provide abundant overpressure protection, improved total error band, and offer negligible orientation and vibration effects. They are ideal for long-term use even in harsh environments of extreme temperature, humidity, and vibration.

Monitoring and controlling room pressure in laboratory and healthcare settings can do more than just ensure directional airflow (positive or negative pressure rooms). Proper room pressure also contributes to saving energy. Overpressure or under-pressure scenarios mean that airflow, or even temperature control, are not optimal.

The accuracy of differential pressure transducers has greatly improved to provide better solutions for demanding applications. This article discusses why accuracy is an important consideration when selecting a pressure transducer for low-differential, critical pressure applications.

Operating Rooms consume a great deal of energy, considering the high airflow requirements needed, bright lighting, and significant plug load from patient care equipment. There are, however, strategies to conserve energy and still meet the stringent safety requirements of maintaining positive room pressure. Two conditions need to be met to enable OR energy savings. The first is a method to trigger occupied and unoccupied states. And the second is to act on that state change to setback both temperature and airflow.