International. Ashrae announced the launch of the revised ANSI/ASHRAE/ASHE 170-2013 standard on ventilation in healthcare facilities, which includes provisions for the application of energy recovery and stipulates that these systems must not allow cross-contamination of exhaust air with supply air.
"Without high-quality ventilation in health facilities, patients, healthcare personnel and visitors can become exposed to pollutants through normal breathing of airborne particles. Ventilation systems and designs for health facilities are created to provide a comfortable environment for patients, healthcare personnel and visitors, while diluting, capturing and extracting airborne contaminants, including potentially infectious agents in the air," Paul Ninomura, chair of the 170 committee.
According to the engineer Pedro Vásquez, of the Panamanian Association of Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, the 170-2013 standard allows relative humidity as low as 20% in some rooms, resulting in humidification equipment of lower capacity, as well as operating and maintenance costs. It also allows some use of the return plenums in outpatient facilities, with lower construction and operating costs. Additionally, displacement ventilation is also recommended in patient rooms.
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