When construction takes place inside an occupied healthcare facility, environmental monitoring isn’t simply about responding to problems. It’s about building a monitoring strategy before work begins.
During a laboratory renovation at a regional medical center, construction activities were located adjacent to an active clinical laboratory that remained fully operational throughout the project. To support patient care and lab operations, hospital leadership wanted an indoor air quality (IAQ) monitoring program that could establish baseline conditions, continuously track airborne particulates, and provide actionable information throughout construction.
EBI partnered with the hospital to develop a project-specific monitoring program combining baseline particulate assessments, customized action thresholds, continuous cloud-based monitoring, and standardized response procedures. The result: a proactive environmental monitoring program that delivered continuous data throughout construction.
Project Snapshot
Project
Indoor Air Quality Monitoring Program for Laboratory Renovation
Industry
Healthcare
Facility Type
Regional Medical Center (name withheld)
Services
IAQ Monitoring; Baseline Particulate Assessment; PM2.5 & PM10 Monitoring; Healthcare Construction Monitoring; Infection Prevention Support; SOP Development; Environmental Reporting
Project Duration
3-Week Laboratory Renovation
Results at a Glance
background
Challenge
- Establish accurate baseline environmental conditions.
- Create project-specific particulate action thresholds.
- Continuously monitor PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations.
- Provide immediate notification if conditions changed.
- Deliver clear environmental documentation throughout construction.
- Support coordination among multiple hospital departments.
EBI's Solution
EBI developed a monitoring program tailored specifically to the project. Before construction began, the team completed a 4-day baseline assessment to document typical PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations surrounding the renovation area. Using these findings, EBI established project-specific action thresholds reflecting the hospital’s normal operating environment. Continuous particulate monitors using SMARTSENSE™ technology were installed adjacent to construction, providing cloud-based monitoring, automated notifications, and ongoing environmental data throughout the renovation. Rather than simply collecting air quality data, the monitoring program created a structured process for evaluating environmental conditions and supporting project decision-making.
Services Provided:
- 4-Day Baseline IAQ Assessment
- PM2.5 & PM10 Baseline Analysis
- Custom Action Threshold Development
- SMARTSENSE™ Continuous Monitoring
- Automated Email Notifications
- Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) Development
- Continuous Environmental Data Collection
- Technical Review and Interpretation
- Summary Reporting
- Infection Prevention Coordination
- Measuring baseline particulate concentrations over 4 days.
- Developing project-specific action levels.
- Installing continuous monitoring equipment adjacent to construction.
- Providing cloud-based dashboards and automated notifications.
- Reviewing environmental data throughout construction.
- Delivering summary reporting for project stakeholders.
Results
Client Perspective
“Having real baseline data instead of generic thresholds changed the entire conversation with our construction team. We weren’t guessing anymore. We knew exactly what normal looked like, so when something moved, we could act on it immediately instead of debating whether it mattered.”
— Director of Facilities Management, Regional Medical Center