FEATURE ARTICLES

A Legionella Control Association ‘open day’ included a high-level overview of emerging rapid microbiology techniques designed to help identify hazardous waterborne bacteria – fast.

A report on a conference on ‘water microbiology – current and emerging issues in healthcare’, which considered how well recent legislation and guidance had been working for those ‘at the frontline of infection control’.

A flooring specialist describes how a range of its products were chosen for use in two adjoining new hospitals in Singapore that form a S$1 bn care ‘cluster’ for the west of the city-state.

The proper and expert maintenance of high voltage switchgear is vital not only to hospitals’ uninterrupted operation, but also to the safety of personnel working on or near the equipment.

A fire safety consultant argues that to minimise the risk of fire in healthcare facilities, incorporating good fire safety measures early in the design process must be a priority.

A panel debate on the morning of the first day of IHEEM’s flagship conference in Manchester last October focused on some of the most pressing issues facing the sector.

At Healthcare Estates 2015, Lord Carter reported on some of his team’s findings in looking at the ‘operational productivity’ of 22 NHS Trusts across England, and highlighted some of the areas with the greatest scope for improvements.

The importance of properly understanding the risks associated with closed circuit water pipework systems, and how to minimise such risks, explained.

A commercial door and window fabricator and installer discusses some of the key demands it faces, including from mental health sector specifiers, and highlights its expertise in bespoke manufacture.

Delegates at an IHEEM waste seminar heard about a new system for processing permitted categories of clinical waste on site, with the NHS’s first installation set for next Spring.

The head of Health at Arcadis examines some of the key things to consider when ‘buying in’ external consultancy services.

How to secure maximum value from a diverse estate – in the process improving working conditions, maximising property-related revenue, and optimising the patient environment, while reducing costs and improving efficiencies.

An approach to low energy cooling and ventilation that the system’s supplier says can reduce energy consumption by between 80 and 90 per cent when compared with air-conditioning.

Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has completed a meticulously planned project to introduce carbon/energy-saving initiatives and upgrade other infrastructure at two of its main hospitals.

A suite of environmental assessment tools developed by The King’s Fund is continuing to help healthcare providers develop effective ‘dementia-friendly’ care settings.

Waste not, Want not’ was the title of a recent IHEEM healthcare waste seminar which examined issues ranging from regulatory compliance to opportunities for on-site processing.

An article first published in The Australian Hospital Engineer examines some of the issues around corrosion of the reinforcing steel in concrete, and how to combat them.

In HEJ’s first article from Australia this month, an Australian fall prevention specialist considers the implications of a recent revision of a key Code of Practice on the subject.

A guide to designing ‘modern, effective, and clean’ sluice rooms using an innovative, informed, and cost-effective approach.

A leading plastic pipe supplier highlights the importance of specifying a sufficiently robust pipe product able, for instance, to accommodate thermal and chemical disinfection.