Air permeability testing of isolation facilities (BTS 3/2018)

Overview

This standard recommends limits for the overall air leakage of isolation suites in healthcare facilities and also gives recommendations on how to measure air leakage through paths such as doors and door grilles, allowing for comparison against the design specifications.

Air leakage in isolation suites needs to be minimised to reduce the risk of infection. Air leakage to or from an isolation suite translates into unaccounted-for airborne pathogens travelling from or to other hospital areas. The design of the isolation suite should take into account the airflows through the doors, grilles, pressure stabilisers, supply and extract grilles and other components and the air leakage through the envelope. The successful operation of an isolation suite requires the air permeability to be within its required criterion and the airflow through known air leakage paths to be within defined limits.