Infection Control
The global pandemic of 2020 has brought a greater awareness of conditions that lead to infection. We all now know that breathing air in the vicinity of an infected person can be dangerous, even deadly. Along with information about pathogens, we are forced to acknowledge and comply with required conditions to prevent infections. The risk is even more acute in hospitals and other healthcare facilities.
We designed SāfAIR™ to use accurate and frequent measurements of data, and use the data to respond quicker. Faster response creates a safer environment for hospital patients and staff.
SāfAIR™ is an effective risk management tool since it reduces the long-term cost of insuring and damages incurred in airborne risk events.
HVAC Maintenance
Buildings have heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to bring fresh air into a building, heat or cool it for comfort, and move it through all the rooms in the building. HVAC systems are complex and must be engineered carefully to ensure that every room has a steady flow of air to keep it comfortable. Any breakdown in existing HVAC equipment or installation of new equipment forces hospitals to remeasure the airflow.
SāfAIR™ incorporates HVAC equipment and measures the impact of any equipment changes. It considers the whole facility, not just a few rooms. In maintenance projects, we work closely with hospital engineering teams and their contractors during the diagnostic phase. This reduces cost since it allows hospitals to identify problems earlier and consider less costly alternatives. We also work with hospitals in major capital projects. We help hospital management teams optimize new facilities and select systems that minimize the risk of airborne infections.
Developing New Applications
We have already started researching new applications that incorporate the important features of SāfAIR™ with other data sources. We intend to use our system to piggy-back on existing systems to create real-time signals and eventually predict future events which could expose patients and staff to an airborne infection risk. Life Balance Technologies will not try to develop new gadgets; our role is to connect existing technology with our data in order to manage facilities proactively.
Preparing For Airborne Infections
While we hope that the Covid-19 pandemic is a colossal aberration, history suggests that there will be future airborne infection events. SafAIR™ allows hospitals and building owners to retain critical data, which is important for understanding building conditions and surrounding environments that may create an airborne risk. Having more data provides clearer visual resolution of the problem, and we provide a safe repository of information that hospitals and building owners can quickly retrieve.