FacilityCare September 2009 : Page 27
ASK THE EXPERTS them for correct order and clarity of the copy or image. Once the retention period expires, the contractor should provide the medical facility with a Certificate of Destruction. Conclusion X-rays, patient charts and personnel records are the veins through which the knowledge and vitality of a medical facility flows. Knowing in advance how to secure qualified professional assistance with docu- ment reclamation as part of the complete recovery effort will save time, money and per- haps lives. Health facility managers should ensure that document recovery is included in their emergency preparedness plans in order to avoid significant loss of business continu- ity and escalating costs. JOE PERKO Rapid Refile Flooring We are considering installing a polished con- crete floor for our facility, but we’re concerned about dust from any potential renovation. How can this be done without compromising air quality? B.H., Kansas City, Kan. Polished concrete flooring is a new trend taking hold in commercial facilities. It’s con- sidered a “green” floor, and compared to tile floors, it’s more sanitary and more durable and it requires only a quarter of the maintenance. The process used to install the floor should include diamond polishing pads and a pow- erful vacuum system. Essentially, polished concrete is a multistep progressive grinding process that transforms a concrete floor sur- face into an entirely new floor. When considering polished concrete as an alternative floor in a facility, one issue to con- sider is how the installation of the floor will affect patients and staff as well as any equip- ment in place. That’s because the process actually grinds the top layer of concrete into particulate matter. However there are effec- tive methods developed to virtually eliminate the dust during the flooring process. To remove particles while installing a pol- ished concrete floor, it’s best if HEPA filters are used with exceedingly powerful vacuums that pull air to a high velocity. A high-effi- ciency particulate air (HEPA) filter is a type of super-efficient filter that should be used during the floor grinding process to maintain air quality. In that way, virtually no dust will be released into the building, preventing con- tamination of equipment and keeping the SEPTEMBER 2009 work environment healthy and dust free. Once a polished concrete floor is installed, the low maintenance cost to keep a consistent shine is the single greatest advantage. Polished concrete is inherently easy to clean. That’s because the polishing process reduces the surface area, or pores, that trap dirt. The floor has a flat, smooth surface texture, so the dirt stays on top. It even requires less soap. Common on commercial floors today is VCT tile. Typically the coat on top of VCT is burnished and buffed to maintain its shine. But periodically the coat builds up and requires that it be stripped off, and the process begins again. Not so with polished concrete. And not only does polished concrete require significantly less maintenance to stay shiny, but it can also take better advantage of new green-cleaning technologies. Many facilities prefer polished concrete because it’s more san- itary, whereas VCT can hold dirt and bacteria that hide in the joints between tiles. Particularly attractive is that a polished con- crete floor is immediately accessible after cleaning so activities are not interrupted. There is no waiting time for materials to cure. The annual estimates for cleaning and maintaining a nice bright shine on polished concrete run as little as $0.09 to $0.25 cents per square foot, depending on what level of shine you want to maintain, compared with $0.60 cents to $1.05 for VCT. The payback for installation is recovered quickly because of the low maintenance cost. If properly installed, polished concrete is a stunning, low-cost green alternative to more traditional flooring. The install process is quick and painless in the right hands. And for those of us looking for eco-friendly floors, we now have a good option. SETH ROSE Eneref Group Going Green green products? How do we filter marketing claims to select L.L., Philadelphia, Pa. Choosing green products requires a holistic approach. Internally, an environmental policy that includes directives for green purchasing is a good starting point for reducing an orga- nization’s environmental footprint. Establishing a green supply chain provides guidelines that meet the needs of a specific industry and/or regional climatic concerns. In the meantime, here are a few questions to ask. • What’s in the product? • How was the product made? • Does the manufacturer subscribe to sus- tainable practices? • Is the product certified against a sustain- able product standard? • What is the off-gassing of the product? • Is the product durable? • How is the product maintained? • Is the product recyclable? • What happens to the product at the end of its useful life? Externally, some of the best tools available are independent standards that consider the entire enterprise of a particular product. These third-party certifications provide assurance that a product, process or service conforms to specified requirements. They also support decisions that balance economy, ecology and social equity in daily business decisions. Certifications for green products take the product life cycle into account and take that worry from the specifier. Single-attribute off- gassing standards like GreenGuard and Green Label Plus address volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The Carpet and Rug Institute’s Green Label Plus program for car- pet and adhesives sets scientifically based standards for indoor air quality (IAQ) to ensure that customers are purchasing low- emitting products. Multiattribute green standards often employ Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in con- sidering the life phases of a product. Examining the environmental impact cate- gories of LCA can be instructive in appreciat- ing its role in the product selection process. Two standards that serve as models for sus- tainable certification are NSF-140 and SMaRT. The ANSI/NSF 140-2007 Sustainable Carpet Assessment, or NSF-140, is intended for commercial, hospitality and similar car- pets and serves as a universal industry stan- dard. Reliable third-party verification from reputable auditors provides assurance that product expectations are met. California standards have been incorporated into the final ANSI/NSF 140-2007 standard at Platinum certification levels. SMaRT is a consensus national standard developed by The Institute for Market Transformation to Sustainability (MTS). SMaRT is approved as part of the LEED Green Building Rating System based on com- pliance with comprehensive sustainable product certification criteria. Green manufacturers make sustainable continued on page 33 facilitycare.com FACILITYCARE | 27
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