Healthcare Industrial Hygiene
When hospital staff report symptoms that may be related to indoor air quality, every minute matters. Healthcare facilities must quickly determine whether hazardous conditions exist while maintaining patient care, supporting employee safety, and avoiding unnecessary operational disruption.
During a high-traffic weekend, a pediatric hospital experienced employee reports of symptoms consistent with potential carbon monoxide exposure in and around the Emergency Department. After the hospital’s regular industrial hygiene consultant was unavailable, EBI mobilized immediately to investigate.
What began as an emergency indoor air quality assessment quickly evolved into a comprehensive environmental investigation spanning approximately 4 months. Through continuous monitoring, HVAC evaluation, meteorological analysis, and daily technical interpretation, EBI helped hospital leadership move from uncertainty to informed, data-driven decision-making.
Project Snapshot
Project
Emergency Indoor Air Quality Investigation & Continuous Environmental Monitoring
Industry
Healthcare
Facility Type
Pediatric Hospital (name withheld)
Services
Industrial Hygiene Investigation; IAQ Assessment; Continuous Environmental Monitoring; CO, CO2, and VOC Monitoring; HVAC Performance Evaluation; Meteorological Monitoring; Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) Consulting
Project Duration
Initial emergency response within 24 hours, followed by approximately 4 months of continuous monitoring
Results at a Glance
24-Hour Emergency Response
EBI was the only indoor air quality firm to answer the hospital’s emergency call during Super Bowl weekend. Our team mobilized within 24 hours to assess CO, CO₂, and other indoor air quality conditions.
Daily Technical Interpretation
Hospital leadership received daily monitoring updates and expert guidance throughout the investigation.
Long-Term Monitoring Strategy
Developed an automated monitoring framework to support future indoor air quality investigations.
Continuous Monitoring Locations
As the investigation progressed, continuous monitoring was expanded throughout the hospital campus to better characterize conditions and identify potential sources. Monitoring equipment was strategically placed both indoors and outdoors based on the evolving investigation.
Additional monitors were deployed on the hospital rooftop to continuously monitor ambient conditions, including wind direction. Correlating wind direction with real-time monitoring data helped identify the location of natural gas leaks and determine when leak events were occurring, allowing the investigation team to better understand dispersion patterns and potential impacts to the facility.
background
The hospital experienced reports of employee symptoms that raised concerns about potential carbon monoxide exposure within and around the Emergency Department. Because the hospital remained fully operational, leadership required an experienced industrial hygiene consultant capable of responding immediately, identifying potential hazards, and providing reliable environmental information without interrupting patient care. EBI was engaged as an emergency environmental consultant and rapidly deployed personnel and monitoring equipment to begin investigating potential contaminant sources.
Challenge
- Boiler exhaust
- Humidifier exhaust
- Ambulance traffic
- Loading dock operations
- Outside air intakes serving the Emergency Department
- Mobile imaging equipment
EBI's Solution
Rather than relying solely on traditional spot sampling, EBI implemented a continuous environmental monitoring program that provided hospital leadership with real-time visibility into air quality conditions.
The monitoring program included emergency indoor air quality assessments using direct-reading instrumentation, continuous cloud-based monitoring for carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), interior monitoring throughout the Emergency Department, Imaging Department, and other critical hospital areas, rooftop monitoring near outside air intakes and potential exhaust sources, wind direction monitoring to evaluate contaminant transport, and daily interpretation of monitoring data by a Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH).
As the investigation evolved, EBI expanded monitoring from 3 to 9 continuous monitoring stations while working closely with hospital Facilities, Safety, Infection Prevention, and engineering personnel.
Services Provided:
- Emergency Industrial Hygiene Response
- Indoor Air Quality Investigation
- Continuous CO, CO2, and VOC Monitoring
- Cloud-Based Environmental Monitoring
- 24/7 Automated Email and Text Alerts
- HVAC Performance Evaluation
- Wind Direction Monitoring
- Meteorological Analysis
- Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) Data Review
- Daily Technical Reporting
- Long-Term Environmental Monitoring Strategy Development
Strategic Approach
EBI approached the project as a comprehensive environmental investigation rather than a single air sampling event. Monitoring data was continuously evaluated alongside HVAC system operation and wind direction and weather conditions, allowing the team to distinguish genuine environmental signals from equipment or seasonal noise.
- HVAC system operation review
- Wind direction and weather condition tracking
- Cross-referencing occupant complaints against monitoring data
- Daily CIH-led interpretation and escalation protocol
- Development of a long-term automated monitoring framework
Results
Daily technical interpretation gave hospital leadership a consistent, defensible basis for communicating with staff and regulators throughout the 4-month investigation.
Expanding from 3 to 9 monitoring locations allowed the team to rule out or confirm each of the potential contaminant sources identified at the outset, closing the investigation with a documented, data-backed conclusion.
The long-term monitoring framework developed for this engagement has since been adapted as a standing environmental intelligence capability for the hospital’s Facilities and Safety teams.
Client Perspective
“We had a building full of anxious staff and no clear answer. EBI gave us daily, straight answers backed by real data, not guesses. That let us reassure our team and keep the Emergency Department running without ever having to speculate.”
— VP of Facilities & Safety, Pediatric Hospital
Frequently Asked Questions
How quickly can EBI respond to an indoor air quality emergency?
For this project, EBI mobilized within 24 hours to begin investigating reports of potential carbon monoxide exposure.
What contaminants can continuous monitoring detect?
This monitoring program continuously measured carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and meteorological conditions to support the investigation.
Why is continuous monitoring beneficial during an IAQ investigation?
Continuous monitoring provides real-time environmental information that helps identify trends, evaluate potential contaminant sources, and support informed operational decisions throughout an investigation.
What healthcare environmental consulting services does EBI provide?
EBI provides industrial hygiene consulting, indoor air quality investigations, continuous environmental monitoring, HVAC evaluations, infection prevention support, healthcare construction consulting, and environmental compliance services for healthcare organizations.
Key Project Highlights
Emergency Response
Mobilized Within 24 Hours
Approximately 4 Months
Of Continuous Environmental Monitoring
Monitoring Expanded
From 3 to 9 Locations Across the Hospital Campus
Continuous
CO, CO2, and VOC Monitoring
Wind Direction
Monitoring and HVAC Performance Evaluation
Daily Review
by a Certified Industrial Hygienist
Automated
Email and Text Alert Notifications
Development
of a Long-Term Automated Monitoring Strategy
Need Rapid Industrial Hygiene Support for Your Healthcare Facility?
Indoor air quality concerns require immediate technical expertise and reliable environmental data.
EBI helps healthcare organizations respond to complex indoor air quality events through industrial hygiene consulting, continuous environmental monitoring, HVAC evaluations, and proactive environmental intelligence that supports informed decision-making while protecting patients, staff, and visitors. Contact EBI to learn how our healthcare environmental consulting team can support your facility during planned projects and unexpected environmental events.