- Operating theatres of any type
- Patient isolation facilities
- Critical care, intensive treatment or high dependency units
- Neonatal units
- Category 3 or 4 laboratories – dealing with potentially lethal airborne disease including those for which treatments exist and for which vaccines and other treatments are not available
- Pharmacy aseptic suites – preparing and supplying products that must be completely sterile before administration to the patient
- Inspection and packing rooms in sterile service departments
- MRI, CAT and other imaging technologies
- Any system classed as LEV (local exhaust ventilation) under the COSHH regulations
For critical ventilation systems quarterly inspections is done each year by professionally trained on site maintenance staff who will record each inspection within a log. Verification of the same is carried out by trained and recognised professionals at least annually. This ensures that minimum standards are being maintained specific to the application. And the system is operating to acceptable performance levels and that the system remains fit for purpose. In particular, there are specific guidelines requiring specialist knowledge and expertise for operating theatres and isolation facilities. The air handling plant serving critical systems should also be inspected annually with detailed records in accordance with BSEN ISO 14644 with special attention being paid to particle contamination levels. The inspection, assembly and packing (IAP) room standards are set at Class 8 (ISO 14644) and it is also important to ensure microbial contamination levels are routinely monitored and maintained within defined levels.
