Air quality is an important component of the overall safe hospital environment. To sustain a safe airborne environment within a health care facility, mechanical and other building systems must be properly designed, constructed, and maintained. This presentation will include discussion of the following related topics: airborne health care hazards, behavior of opportunistic pathogens, engineering controls, filtration systems, evaluation of HEPA filters, particle counts, exposure to hazardous chemicals, and investigative tools and techniques. This session will enable you to—

• Identify airborne hazards in health care environments.
• Describe tools for characterizing and controlling airborne hazards.