by Shane Henson — April 15, 2013—The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) released a new publication this month, HVAC Design Manual for Hospitals and Clinics, Second Edition, to ensure healthcare patients are kept both comfortable and safe.
As ASHRAE notes, healthcare heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems serve facilities in which the population is uniquely vulnerable and exposed to elevated risks of health, fire and safety hazards. These heavily regulated, high-stakes facilities undergo continuous maintenance, verification, inspection and recertification, typically operate 24/7 and are owner occupied for long life.
The recently published manual provides guidance on addressing these issues for mechanical and consulting engineers, designers, architects, facilities managers, infection control personal, maintenance staff, contractors, developers and code accreditation and licensure officials.
HVAC Design Manual for Hospitals and Clinics, Second Edition, provides in-depth design recommendations based on best practices, and presents proven, cost-effective and reliable solutions that result in low-maintenance cost and high reliability with systems providing desired performance and efficiency, the organization says.
The book, a complete rewrite of the first edition, focuses specifically on HVAC system design for healthcare facilities, omitting general system descriptions that are readily available in other ASHRAE publications, the organization adds.
“The manual presents a unified and comprehensive summary of engineering background on the standard, how to meet it, and alternatives for best engineering practices beyond the minimum requirements,” said Daniel Koenigshofer, editor of the manual. “A principle objective of the manual is to present what is different about designing HVAC systems for hospitals and healthcare facilities.”
The cost of HVAC Design Manual for Hospitals and Clinics, Second Edition is $115 ($99 ASHRAE members).
