HEALTHCARE RESTORATION SERVICES

All Guarantee Restoration Services equipment is decontaminated after each job regardless of what type of job it came from. 

Equipment is decontaminated prior to leaving the containment to prevent cross contamination. Prefilter and secondary filters are removed and double bagged. Equipment is HEPA vacuumed then wiped with a botanical antimicrobial disinfectant. Then it is wrapped with plastic and brought back to the warehouse.

Here are the steps involved.

1. The housing of each piece equipment is disinfected with a multi spectrum disinfecting botanical solution upon arriving back at our warehouse.
2. Each air filtration device is disassembled, and HEPA vacuumed as well as wet wiped inside the unit, and all filters are replaced with new filters.
3. Once all cleaning is completed, particle counting is conducted to ensure that the air filtration device has the proper reduction from the intake to exhaust of 99.97%, giving it a true HEPA designation. Then, the air filtration device is wrapped with poly and tagged with date of cleaning and testing.
4. Dehumidifiers have filters removed and the condenser coils cleaned. The housing is cleaned and checked for proper grain depression. Coils are covered as well as exhaust, it is then tagged with date of cleaning and testing.

GRS does this to ensure the equipment is performing efficiently and is thoroughly cleaned prior to being deployed at your facility.

All barriers' assemblies are designed specifically for the project and the scope of work. We consider the exact location and proximity of the work as it relates to the critical care areas of the hospital. Some of the considerations are: what is around the corner, what is across the hall, space over, what is above, what is below. All this matters when it comes to evaluating a project and selecting the right barrier system. 

Whether it is a panel system or a polyethylene barrier or a steel stud and drywall fire rated assembly, Guarantee Restoration Services has the knowledge and the teams to provide these different type of barrier systems to the healthcare organizations

There is a lot of information and training available to the healthcare industry as it relates to restoration services and contractors providing such services. Often healthcare facilities do not know where to go to get it. Often, they do not have time to invest in research, or are not certain if it is quality training or correct information. Unfortunately, when a healthcare facility has a catastrophic event, or even a smaller issue, this is not the time to figure out if you have a competent restoration company on its way to help you recover from this event. 

Your contractor should be IICRC (Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification) certified firm with its staff also trained and certified to perform the work in accordance with all IICRC guidelines as it relates to water, mold, sewage, smoke and fire restoration projects. Your contractor should also be trained and certified in infection prevention, and the role it plays in 90% of the work a restoration contractor will perform inside a hospital or clinic. This ICRA training and certification is important to ensure that any ICRA issues have been identified and acknowledged in the ICRA permitting process and documented within the permit. It is also helpful that the restoration contractor is able identify any ILSM (Interim Life Safety Measures) issues that could arise when engaging in these types of projects. They should also have a robust safety program with an IIPP internal training program for staff. Other training does include OSHA 10-30 hour, as well as disaster worker card.

Most reputable restoration companies are licensed contractors. In order to obtain a building license they have worked in the building industry and studied and taken a test on building codes and applicable state contracting laws, and receiving a passing score proving their competency within the general commercial or residential building industry. Each state has its own laws regarding contracting so it’s important to check to see is the company is holding the proper licenses necessary to work for you facility or your state.

 Insurance is a very important feature of any serious contractor. It is vitally important to check to see if the have the correct insurance and adequate coverage to provide services to you facility. Some of them are liability, auto, workers compensation, errors and omissions, not all insurance policies/ coverages held by a restoration contractor may meet the minimum insurances required by your healthcare organization.

When vetting a restoration company, it is important to ask how long have they been servicing the healthcare industry and if they can provide verifiable references.  Doing this will help verify you are dealing with a restoration company with a proven history of professionalism and a comprehensive understanding of what it takes to work at your facility, such as how to best evaluate the project, how to behave while on campus, and how to get your facility back up and running without a lot of down time or more unnecessary loss of revenue.   

The first step in the barrier/containment process is to determine if the HVAC supplies in the area to be contained can be isolated by closing dampers or other mechanical controls (this is done through discussion with the facilities team). ***FYI - Positive or negative pressure rooms pose challenges if the facility can't override the set pressure. *** If the HVAC supplies in the area to be contained cannot be isolated the supplied air will need to be rerouted or “dumped” outside of the contained area . 

If the HVAC supplied air can be isolated, they will be covered with plastic sheeting along with any returns located inside the contained area.   All doors leading to rooms where no work is being completed inside the area to be contained will be sealed off by either taping the seams (top, both sides & bottom) or with plastic sheeting.  The containment will be attached from the ceiling grid (or hard lid) to walls and floors. An anteroom, if needed, will be erected the same way. 

Once the containment is erected an air filtration device (AFD) will be installed in the contained area and negative pressure will be established. The air pressure inside the containment is measured with a manometer to make sure that we have established -0.03 to – 0.05 pressure (yes that is NEGATIVE).

If we are contracted to complete the terminal clean – all horizontal and vertical surfaces are HEPA vacuumed then wiped with a botanical antimicrobial disinfectant. If we are not contracted to complete the terminal clean and the medical facility uses their EVS/cleaning team, we will still wet wipe the containment and anteroom with a botanical antimicrobial disinfectant.

Infection control is essentially the prevention of cross-contamination and the process detailed under "Barrier/Containment Process." GRS company trainings routinely cover this process. 

In addition to what is noted in the section above, all PPE is donned and doffed (put on and taken off) in the anteroom, trash is double-bagged and goosenecked with tape, tools/equipment/trash bags are HEPA vacuumed and wiped down, and walk off mats are used.