Technology and Ventilation – How the NHS can Harness New Technology to Operate Air Handling Units

The NHS uses ventilation to keep patients, staff and visitors safe in what are known as “critical” areas of the healthcare estate. In the aftermath of Covid-19 the number of areas deemed “critical” has expanded. This means that the burden on the NHS to maintain the plant that supplies the air flows and ensures the correct pressure cascade has increased. It also has meant that the amount of energy used in critical ventilation has increased.

Areas that previous to Covid-19 were not deemed to require measured rates of ventilation have now come under the guidance of the HTM03-01. General wards and waiting areas in hospitals are also being considered as areas where increased ventilation is being provided with a minimum of 6 air changes an hour becoming the accepted norm, which is significantly greater than the CIBSE occupancy guidance levels. Where air handling units are not supplying enough air the room ventilation rate can be supplemented by opening windows and/or the provision of air scrubbers.

This presentation will discuss how technology, for example links to Building Management Systems and phone Apps can allow Engineers in Estates to be more pro-active in their management of critical Air Handling Units.

There will also be discussion of new fan technology and the most up-to-date AHUs which are built to be self-managing and send alerts to the BMS and also mobile Apps when there is a fault.