Hospital Construction: Top Regulations And Codes To Remember

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Hospital Construction Top Regulations And Codes
To Remember
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• The hospital is the most regulated and one of the
  most complex of all buildings in the construction
  sector. A hospital building comprises several
  functional units tailored to specific services
  such as hospitality, diagnosis and treatment,
  in-patient care, and administrative functions.

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Table of contents

• Provision Of A Therapeutic Environment Is Crucial
• Efficient And Cost-Saving Spaces
• The Design Should Allow For Controlled Movements
• Implementation Of the Appropriate Security And
  Safety Measures
• Cleanliness And Sanitation Are Critical Aspects
• Common Healthcare Construction Challenges and How
  to Overcome Them
• Increasing Costs of Healthcare Construction
• Rising Demand for Medical Office Spaces
• Working Smoothly With a General Contractor Top
  Secrets You Need To Know 

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• As a hospital construction contractor, it is your
  responsibility to ensure that the prescribed
  standards and best practices are adhered to when
  building a hospital regardless of the location,
  size, and the number of its functional units.
• Here are 5 top regulations you should keep in
  mind when constructing a hospital

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Provision Of A Therapeutic Environment Is Crucial

• Loneliness, fear, and confinement are some of the
  factors that make a hospital environment more
  stressful for patients, and they may hinder quick
  recovery. The use of appropriate, cheerful colors
  in the interior is highly recommended but note
  that some colors can distress the staff and
  patients. The building should also allow for the
  entry of sufficient natural light where possible.
  Otherwise, install appropriate lighting in the
  interior. Ensure that the environment less
  stressful by making the spaces easy for patients,
  staff, and visitors to find and use.

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Efficient And Cost-Saving Spaces

• Even as contractors look into building hospital
  spaces to accommodate patients, equipment, and
  staff, it is wise to come up with cost-effective
  and efficient layouts. Distances between areas
  frequently used by staff should be small. Save on
  space by combining functional units with similar
  requirements and ensure that there are no
  redundant spaces in the building.
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• Additionally, constructors should install
  efficient logistics systems such as manual or
  automatic carts, elevators, and pneumatic chutes
  to allow for efficient handling of supplies,
  food, and trash. Closely related functional units
  such as the operating theatre and the surgical
  intensive care unit should be adjacent to each
  other.

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The Design Should Allow For Controlled Movements

• Hospitals are characterized by the constant flow
  of goods and people, and this is a significant
  factor to consider when putting up a hospital
  building. Out-patients pathways should be defined
  and the visitors' routes should direct them to
  the nursing units without causing distractions to
  other units in the building. The movement of
  clean supplies and food should be on a separate
  path from that of soiled materials and trash. The
  inflow and outflow materials should also be
  separated from the visitors and patients
  pathways. Additionally, the transfers of cadavers
  to and from the morgue should not be seen by the
  visitors and patients.

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Implementation Of the Appropriate Security And
Safety Measures

• The implementation of security and the safety
  measures during construction of a hospital
  requires electrical, structural, and mechanical
  expertise. A qualified electrical technician
  should be able to design and coordinate the
  installation of comprehensive security and
  lighting systems in the building. Necessary
  structures and systems should be put in place to
  protect the hospital assets and property,
  including drugs, motor vehicles, machines, etc.
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• The control of unstable or psychotic and violent
  patients, as well as the safety of the patients
  and the staff is essential aspects to consider in
  hospital construction. The construction should be
  durable enough and up-to-standards to span
  several years and also mitigate damage from
  potential terror attacks and natural disasters
  such as earthquakes and flooding.

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Cleanliness And Sanitation Are Critical Aspects

• The use of safe materials in the construction of
  health centers is a statutory requirement. Hence,
  you might want to do away with lead-based and
  asbestos materials. Additionally, consider
  installing antimicrobial surfaces in the right
  spaces and ensure that housekeeping facilities
  are accessible and sufficient. Provision of
  adequate water, bathing facilities, and toilets
  accompanied by optimized sewage and drainage
  facilities are also fundamental aspects to
  consider when establishing a hospital.
• Hospital design and construction is an intensive
  process that requires the involvement and
  supervision by highly trained and experienced
  contractors. Most importantly, contractors should
  ensure that all codes and standards are adhered
  to in all phases of construction. A
  well-constructed hospital is clean, safe,
  efficient, cost-saving, and has seamless and
  controlled movements to and from various
  functional units.

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Common Healthcare Construction Challenges and How
to Overcome Them

• Among the most complex endeavors in the
  construction industry is healthcare construction.
  Why is it so? Well, it is a very highly regulated
  industry since it is one of the most fundamental
  sectors. Not only are several stakeholders such
  as architects, owners, local community and staff
  involved but it also has many authorities
  imposing ethics and standards. Each of the
  parties has their ideas and many regulatory
  bodies might have conflicting codes and
  standards. These make the entire process very
  challenging. Here are some of the common
  healthcare construction challenges and how you
  can overcome them.

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Increasing Costs of Healthcare Construction

• Healthcare construction costs have been
  increasing incredibly over the years. But, why is
  this so? There are many contributing factors,
  including buying new equipment technology,
  equipping hospitals with patient monitoring
  systems, investing in security and constructing
  modern structures. What is more, the increased
  demand for sophisticated hospitals has been on
  the rise causing construction costs to skyrocket.
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• Solution
• To cut costs, hospital owners are encouraged to
  make use of collaborative teams to come up with
  innovative techniques and plans that can reduce
  cost construction time. Such teams may include
  the hospital owners, architecture,
  subcontractors, staff, and even members of the
  public. One such innovative idea is a combination
  of the 3-D modeling and project components
  prefabrication.

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Rising Demand for Medical Office Spaces

• Currently, the human population is rising
  steadily in most parts of the globe. As the
  population keeps on rising, so does the demand
  for medical space. An increase in the number of
  people will definitely lead to an increase in
  numbers going to hospitals. This leads to
  increased need for hospital offices. Besides,
  more medical practitioners keep on graduating and
  joining the market. These new practitioners will
  need offices to practice.
• Solution
• Whenever you are building hospital units, ensure
  you have enough funds and build many units at
  that particular time. If you wait to build later,
  construction prices will also be increasing and
  it may end up being too expensive to afford.
  Always keep in mind that the health industry is
  dynamic and keeps on changing as new innovations
  are made. Treat any healthcare construction
  project as a long-term project and remember to
  create flexible and highly adaptable spaces that
  will be able to accommodate changes as they come.

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Bottom-line

• Before a heath care facility is constructed,
  there are many aspects that must be put into
  consideration. Its design is dictated by several
  factors like patient safety, capacity, finances,
  patient satisfaction, and technological
  advancement. All these factors make the entire
  process complicated.
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• That not all many stakeholders have to be
  involved making it even more complex. However, if
  you want to construct a health care facility, do
  not be discouraged as all these challenges have
  solutions. Plan in advance putting every tiny
  detail into consideration and you will be good to
  go. Despite the challenges, health care centers
  must be constructed because at the end of the
  day, we all need medical attention.

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Working Smoothly With a General Contractor Top
Secrets You Need To Know 

• So you have identified an amazing general
  contractor that has visited your home and even
  given you a quote. You have gone as far as
  calling 5 referees all of whom have nothing but
  kind words for the contractor. So how do you work
  with your contractor to ensure that what you get
  in the end is what you envisioned? Here are
  secrets for successful management of your project
  and how to build rapport with your contractor.
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• Be Flexible
• You need to be always ready for unexpected
  things. Sometimes, you cannot know what is on the
  other side of the door until you open it. It
  could mean that the doorway cannot be moved some
  feet without impacting on your pocket. Therefore,
  even though you require a design plan, be ready
  for plan B design.

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• Ensure The Contract Has Expressly Defined the
  Scope Of Work
• It is in the best interest of both parties to
  have a clear and strong contract. It is important
  to ensure that the details are clear. For
  instance, you need to know the exact number of
  recessed lights that are covered in the cost, and
  who is tasked with buying what. Do not make
  assumptions. Make sure that the contract clearly
  describes roles, responsibilities, and the scope
  of work. It needs to be clear who will clean the
  job site, and how long the job is expected to
  take.
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• Insist On Project Plan With Key Milestones
• It is critical to know what to expect from your
  contractor, and who will be coming to your place
  each day. For instance, is the electrician coming
  today or the plumber? What are some of the issues
  that could arise today or questions that might
  need answers? You may also want to be present
  when some special items are being installed, for
  instance, a light fixture or a handmade tile.
  Having a project plan helps to manage your
  expectations and you will know when things are
  not going to plan. Additionally, you will be on
  the same wavelength as you go to the next
  milestone regarding where you currently are in
  the work.

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• Discuss How Your Communication Will Be
• Will you be requiring updates daily or do you
  only want to be informed once a milestone is
  attained? Are you the type that prefers asking
  their questions over the phone as opposed to
  through email? Your preferred style
  notwithstanding, it is important to inform your
  contractor of your preferred communication
  plan.  These people are busy and could be on-site
  all day, which is why you need to clarify to them
  the kind of updates you like. This will enable
  the two of you to determine how best you can
  communicate.
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• What You Pay For Is What You Get
• Good contractors do not come easily. If you want
  a general contractor who is insured and licensed,
  guarantees their work, has a strong crew and that
  consistently pays taxes, you need to understand
  that all this costs money. So, you will most
  likely get what you pay for.

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Bottom-line

• Most contractors are generally honest people that
  just want a chance to do the things that you want
  to be done. The good majority of them want you to
  have a great experience with their work. The
  whole livelihood of a general contractor depends
  on how satisfied you are. However, sometimes
  things might not work out as intended, which is
  why you want to establish the best way of working
  with your contractor. A written agreement or
  contract will guide your operations with a
  general contractor. Make sure the scope of work,
  duties, and responsibilities are clearly defined
  and have an elaborate communication plan in
  place. With these, you will have a smooth working
  relationship with your contractor.