A new Canadian Standard Association (CSA) standard can help hospitals and healthcare facilities reduce infections, plan for pandemics, protect newborns and the elderly, and care for obese patients.
Released last month, CSA Z8000, Canadian Healthcare Facilities–Planning, Design, and Construction, sets out requirements and addresses concerns specific to healthcare facilities, beyond what is contained in building codes and guidelines.
“The standard aims to improve the safety, effectiveness, and efficiency of healthcare facilities by focusing on five key principles: operations, accessibility, safety and security, infection control, and sustainability (OASIS),” Bonnie Rose, CSA president, told Construction Canada Online. “It provides a nationally recognized baseline for healthcare facility design and construction/renovation in Canada.”
According to Rose, the standard was developed with representation from seven provincial health ministries. CSA and its committee members are working to have the new standard integrated into provincial/territorial planning and specification processes for hospital construction. Architects, engineers, and specifiers benefit from having a common language to describe facility planning processes, components, and systems for projects such as acute care hospitals, long-term care facilities, and outpatient care (e.g. clinics and dentist/doctor offices).
