Author: Kirsten Nielsen

Jessica joined HH Angus in 2017 and is a Senior Engineering Designer in our Technology Division.

What is your favourite thing about working at HH Angus?

By far, it’s the sense of camaraderie and community - not only with my immediate colleagues, but between junior staff and management. Everybody genuinely cares about everybody else’s well-being, everyone is very open. It is always a positive working environment.  

What drew you to consulting engineering and to HH Angus coming out of school?

The summer before I graduated, I worked for ACML (Angus Consulting Management Limited) at the TD Centre in downtown Toronto. Many of my colleagues there told me I had done a great job and recommended that I apply to HH Angus next year. It helped get my foot into the door but also opened my eyes to consulting engineering. Seeing HH Angus in action at the TD Centre site attracted me to the company specifically, but also to consulting, because I had a clearer idea about what it is. 

How do you personally contribute to design and construction here at the company?

I am doing a lot of construction administration (CA) work for the Health Division during the (COVID-19) pandemic, which has been a rewarding way to give back to the company and my community. I also do CA on my own projects because I appreciate construction and find it interesting to see a project through from a design on paper to a completed installation in front of me.

What is Contract Administration?

The majority of it is attending site meetings and walking through the site. We take the drawings that HH Angus issues and, essentially, review and verify the contractor’s progress, and help when the contractor has questions or challenges along the way. We handle the RFIs (Requests for Information), shop drawings, examine change notices, review costs and make recommendations to the owner…just generally being a steward between the owner and the constructor.

I really like the company culture and how open people are. As someone who learns best verbally, I often walk over to someone’s desk and ask
a question.

How has working at HH Angus helped you grow your career?

This being my first job, I warrant an incredible amount of technical advice from my mentor as well as my manager. As you get onto different projects, you are exposed to different things. I always have an abundance of questions, so the answers add to my technical knowledge. I’ve worked on diverse projects and have had really good exposure to the construction industry and how it works from a trades perspective rather than from an engineering perspective. I feel that I have a better sense of what it actually takes to get that thing built that I am designing.  

Why did you decide to become an engineer?

I always liked science and math, but I disliked biology, so that took me out of the path of health sciences. In my Grade 12 Physics class, a former student made a Women in Engineering presentation – I was at an all-girls school. I remember thinking, ‘this is so interesting’ – I loved the idea of females in engineering and that push forward for woman getting into STEM and the varied career opportunities you can have with those skills. I remember thinking, “Oh, engineering… I could do that. I would be good at that! Let’s focus my energy there now”.

What HH Angus projects are you proud to have worked on?

I’m proud of the laboratory jobs that I have worked on, mostly because I have firsthand experience performing research during my undergrad at Queen’s University. Through that experience, I recognize how important a functional lab is to quality of research, and then how important research is for the greater good of society. I’m always proud that we can build the lab that meets a professor’s standards.  I’ve never had a happier client than a professor who gets to go in and start getting their hands dirty in their new lab.

Bright and Ultra Modern High Tech Laboratory Full of Advanced Technological Wonders, Computers, Analyzing Machines, Test Tubes and Beakers.

Which lab projects have you worked on?

I’ve worked on a small cleanroom at the University of Toronto. And I am doing CA for a virology lab at Sunnybrook that is going to be testing Coronavirus samples so, very relevant. The state-of-the-art lab was already in development, but when the hospital saw that Coronavirus was on the rise, they designated it as a testing facility. It was all hands on deck to get the project out the door and up and running; it was unusual to see everybody from the construction team completely come together. And when the owner says something “needs to be done yesterday”, the construction team responds - no questions asked - because everybody knows how important this is.

Describe a typical day.

There really is no typical day! 50% of the week, I’m on site. When I am in the office, it’s answering emails, doing design-related work, etc. Often, I find a big chunk of my day goes towards coordination between the disciplines. I usually work on projects where we’re the Prime Consultant, so I make sure that the sub-consultants have all the information they need. I also look at their drawings and our drawings and make sure that when the package leaves the door the client receives a unified design.

Is what you are doing now at HH Angus what you expected to be doing when you graduated?

When I graduated, I thought, ‘I am a mechanical engineer, I’ll be working on mechanical things’. I didn’t realize that I’d also be working with architects to learn what an effective building envelope is, structural engineers to learn about load carrying, and even acoustic engineers. Not to mention that I work closely with our in-house electrical engineering group. I find that, because I am working with so many different disciplines, I have learned quite a bit about each segment of the industry such that I can hold a conversation with each party and understand their scope. That was a big surprise. 

What are some of the things that you like about HH Angus apart from the work itself?

I really like the company culture and how open people are. As someone who learns best verbally, I often walk over to someone’s desk and ask a question. I find that my colleagues will always take the time to sit down with me and go into an in-depth analysis so that I understand. I love that I’m comfortable doing that, which I think is unique and probably one of the things that is of the most of value. Everyone knows that the company has to put its best foot forward and one of the ways we do that is by senior team members helping junior ones.  

What is your proudest moment here?

I have two answers. One is fun: I’m super-proud that I won the HH Angus Limerick Contest this year! I’ve been trying to win for years. I’ve submitted an entry every year and I’ve always run them by my colleagues for a laugh. As nerdy as it is (and the limericks are always nerdy), I think they’re great! But this year I won and I was very proud.

My serious answer is that I am most proud that I can gain people’s respect at a meeting, despite being both young and female. I’m often the only woman in the room. When I first started, I found that the older contractors with a lot of experience would ask me a question and if I couldn’t immediately answer, I didn’t gain their respect. This would quickly become evident when they would later go over my head to someone more senior. So, I’m proud that in the meetings now I have people’s respect from the start, they come to me immediately and trust my judgment.

How did you get to that point?

It happened when I was able to demonstrate in-depth technical knowledge about my drawings. I find that when I’m meeting a contractor for the first time, they will always fire questions at me and if I can answer each one and they’re satisfied, I gain their respect for the duration of the project. So, it’s having complete knowledge of the drawings and being able to communicate that effectively. With clients, I’m good at taking something that is highly technical and explaining it in a way that people without technical training can understand. That was learned on the job… although it is a trait I also developed through tutoring in high school and university. 

Can you recall a time when a senior staff member helped you, maybe early in your career?

I have a vivid memory of being in a client meeting with my manager when he unknowingly taught me something important just by example. We knew going in that it was going to be a difficult meeting and there was some tension on both sides. My manager led the meeting and every time it started to get out of hand, he immediately deflated the situation and you could feel the tension de-escalate. I remember thinking, ‘wow, look at how he handled a difficult client so well’. Now, when I am in a meeting on my own and find myself in a similar situation, I think, ‘okay, well what would he do?’ and it helps my judgment.

Jessica, first from left with her colleagues

Jessica, at left with colleagues

When you’re with friends who are not in the industry, what’s the first thing you tell them about HH Angus?

That we have a lot of fun! For example, I started a staff softball team with my colleagues. Or I tell them about our annual Golf Day - I’m horrible at golf, but it is always a memorable day. The office has a relaxed environment and the entire staff gets along well. I think that is largely because the company genuinely cares about their employees and work/life balance.

What inspires you?

I’m inspired by seeing other females thrive in engineering. One of our young female managers in my division really inspires me, and I am happy to see a decreasing gender gap in the industry. I have been helping my mother, who is an elementary school teacher, expose her female students to things like building robots and coding. I guess, it’s just bringing more women into this field.

What are some of the trends and tech that excite you?

I love the 3D scanner and the fact that you can put goggles on and walk around a site virtually. And I love the developing field of being able to take a 3D scan and, by clicking a button, have it to go into AutoCAD or Revit. We are not quite there yet, but the technology is going that way and that’s really exciting for our industry.

Do you have any secret talents?

I love to bake bread! And being at home during the pandemic, I am experimenting with sourdough starter and making sourdough bread. I think I have made 12 loaves so far!

September 26, 2017. Photo by Brett Gundlock

Akira Jones joined HH Angus in 2012.

What do you like most about working at HH Angus?

It’s the people, which I say to anyone who works elsewhere! This company has done a great job of bringing on people who are friendly and open, and this supports a very social environment. I’m happy to come to work every day, and I genuinely like the people I work with. When people ask me in social situations about my work, I always say, “It’s a great place to work!” And then my wife jumps in with, “oh, he loves his job so much!” I spend more time here then I do anywhere else, so it is really important to me that it’s a good place to work, it’s comfortable, management is great, it is open door everywhere – it’s the best!

How do you contribute to the design and construction of the built environment?

I joined HH Angus as a Revit specialist on the massive CHUM hospital project in Montreal (Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal), where I supported our team by troubleshooting issues and managing the Revit and BIM aspects of the project. Then I transitioned into project engineering, because that’s my background, and I did project engineering on CHUM and a variety of other projects, including BMO Field, which was a very enjoyable project. Then, I began doing purely BIM work and now serve as the BIM manager. My team supports all HH Angus projects on the BIM-related aspects of our projects – hardware, software, troubleshooting, process, providing interface with other consultants regarding BIM issues, etc.

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Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal

BMO Field

How has HH Angus helped you grow in your career?

The company has always provided me with a lot of latitude to try new things and explore new technology. They provide all the support and training I need to do that. Being able to try new ideas allows staff to own their own growth, with the support of formal training and mentorship. I’ve had great mentorship from senior managers here, who provided so much insight and support early in my career to help me continue to progress.  When you’re starting out, getting that kind of knowledge transfer from somebody who has a lot more experience, and who is willing to take the time to pass it on and guide you through your career, that makes a big impact on all of us here.

Why did you want to become an engineer?   

As a kid, I really liked building stuff. I loved Lego and toys like that. My family also has a history of DIY renovations around the house, so I was always learning how to do things. Also, I was good at math and science and I assumed engineering would be the best option. How I got into consulting? I think it was pure luck; it could have been anything. But, I am very happy where I ended up, because now I get to do work that I am passionate about.

The company has always provided me with a lot of latitude to try new things and explore new technology. They provide all the support and training I need to do that.

What have been some significant projects for you?

CHUM, obviously – it’s probably the biggest project that I’ll ever work on! It had so many different moving parts, so many great teams. I gained so much experience – technical, project management, project administration, and so on. I came onto the project as a Revit expert and came out of it knowing even more, which is great. We had the opportunity to try many different approaches, software-wise and technology-wise, on CHUM and we were able to push the boundaries of BIM, which I thought was great.

Another significant project was BMO Field – it was a great project with an amazing team. It was a special because BMO Field is a landmark in Toronto, and we were able to contribute to making it a world-class soccer facility for professionals. That was pretty cool – a great learning experience.

Describe a typical day for you.

Much of my role is keeping my team moving, helping them with issues they need answers to. It doesn’t mean that I always know the answer, but I sometimes will offer a suggestion and say ‘try this and see if it works out’. I connect with clients; I have active projects, so I deal with issues on those projects; I work a lot on the technical and knowledge management aspects of our projects. A lot of my work is answering questions, solving challenges, and helping people to do the work they are trying to deliver – that’s a big part of being a manager.

What are some of the things you like about HH Angus, outside the technical work?

I love the social events - the Stampede Breakfast, Golf Day, the Christmas Luncheon. I love that we have a formal dinner dance for the entire staff every couple of years to celebrate our long-time employees. It really shows what is great about this company - you can see when we are all together in a social setting that everybody is smiling, everybody is having a good time, everybody is happy. That says a lot.

What are some accomplishments you’re proud of?

There are a couple of things, actually.  One is the Matterport scanner – I introduced it to the company and now it’s constantly in use. The employees enjoy it, the clients enjoy the benefits – that’s a great tool.

Another proud moment was finishing BMO Field. It was an extremely fast-paced, two-phase project that had to be delivered in time for the start of the soccer season. There was a very aggressive schedule. Everybody involved really had to step up. So, when both phases were completed, it was a very proud moment for me on behalf of HH Angus because, as a team, we came together and made that work.

How do you explain your job to someone outside the engineering industry?

I think most engineers experience this: somebody spots the engineer’s ring and says, “oh, you’re an engineer, so you must know how to do this or that.” Most people have only a vague idea about what engineers do and don’t really appreciate that we specialize across such a wide variety of engineering fields. So when I tell people what I do, I say that I use technology to facilitate the engineering work that we do, and keep it very simple so people’s eyes don’t glaze over. Because it’s somewhat complicated when you get into BIM and database-driven design, Revit models and databases and 3D visualization

Akira with his team

Akira with his team

What are trends in engineering that excite you?

Engineering is changing. There are so many different aspects to data and Big Data, and you can already see the impact of analytics. Large construction companies are using analytics to increase their abilities, and to manage and gain information about the project; for example, safety information or construction scheduling.

We are also able to make better decisions based on the information we have. It is not only to being able to automate some of the work that we do, but also to use technology; for example, generative design.  It is not necessarily that we do the work faster, but we can do exponentially more tasks faster. A computer can generate a thousand good options on how a building could be oriented, versus engineers using our judgment and experience and saying, “well, based on my years of experience - this is the best”. Now, the computer will give you a thousand options that are better than you could ballpark.

The ability to make really good decisions about creating efficient designs is important, because a big part of what we should be thinking about is sustainability. We have a huge part to play in creating buildings that approach Net Zero, and technology can help us make better decisions sooner, so we can create those designs. I think that’s interesting. We hear a lot about AI machines, etc.  I think that’s coming, but it may be a bit further away for consulting engineers specifically; but, we certainly can automate the work that is repetitive and labour intensive.

Is artificial intelligence going to affect the human element of our industry?

It will. Every time there is a paradigm shift in how we work, people fear that - “what are the people who do this work going to do?” But, the reality is that new technology makes the pie bigger and provides opportunities for new types of work that employ more people. This means that there will be more work that is fruitful and less work that is repetitive and unstimulating. There are so many examples: people thought ATMs were going to end tellers’ jobs. However, ATMs allowed banks to open more branches, serve more customers, and actually employ more tellers. That’s a great example of how this works. So we are going to see shifts like that.    

What skills or traits have helped you advance in your career?

Persistence! Never give up, that’s the thing - you have to keep going. Never lose the will to learn something new. We are living in a time of change – you have to be able to change how you do things at any age, you have to be able to learn something new every day and never lose the urge to try something different. Also, be kind to the people around you – HH Angus is a great example of that. This place always keeps itself moving, but it is also important to take time to help somebody, because you never know when you are going to need help. 

What would people be surprised to know about you?

I really like cooking! Maybe people will be surprised to know that.  And I really like taking back-country canoe trips. That’s something my wife and I have done a lot in the past and one of our favorite things to do. I also like to play Frisbee.

In the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare facilities are looking more closely at options for safe  and fast conversions/retrofits of hospital infrastructure to increase their numbers of patient beds that can serve as airborne infection isolation rooms, as well as ensuring the safety of their operating rooms for performing surgical procedures on confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients. Recently, HH Angus’ Nick Stark, Vice President, and Jessica Fullerton, Construction Lead – Infection Prevention and Control at The Ottawa Hospital, presented a webinar organized by the Canadian Healthcare Engineering Society, in which they discussed some of the critical design aspects of isolation rooms in healthcare facilities. Nick is Chair of CSA Z317.2, Special requirements for HVAC systems in healthcare facilities. Jessica is Chair of CSA Z317.13, Infection control during construction, renovation or maintenance of health care facilities.

With recent serious outbreaks such as SARS, MERS and now COVID-19, the design of healthcare facilities should take into consideration how these buildings can better address infectious disease control during pandemic crisis situations such as we are currently experiencing. Isolation rooms are one tool that hospitals can utilize as part of their overall approach to safely dealing with certain types of infectious diseases.

Key takeaways from the webinar and our firm’s experience with building systems serving infectious disease control procedures include:

Isolation Room Types

Isolation rooms are grouped under ‘Special Precautions Rooms’. They are sometimes confused with other types of isolation, such as segregation or seclusion rooms; for the purposes of this communication, the term refers to rooms that provide airborne isolation vs contact precautions.

The three main types of isolation room are:

  1. Airborne Isolation Room (AIR) or Airborne Infection Isolation Room (AIIR) — designed, constructed, and ventilated to limit the spread of airborne micro-organisms from an infected occupant to the surrounding areas of the healthcare facility. AIRs are designed to maintain negative pressurization relative to adjacent areas. The AIR room category also includes exam/treatment rooms, which require anterooms. ERs require an internal washroom, and these are recommended for Ambulatory Care areas.

     

  2. Protective Environment Room (PER) — designed, constructed, and ventilated to limit introduction of airborne micro-organisms from the surrounding areas to an immuno-compromised or immuno-suppressed occupant. PERs are designed to maintain positive pressurization relative to adjacent areas.

     

  3. Combination Airborne Isolation and Protective Environment Room (AIR/PER) — designed to protect immunocompromised patients who are also infectious.

Operating Rooms for Infectious Patients

These should be treated like a combination airborne isolation room/protective environment room (AIR/PER), and include operating rooms (OR) for infectious patients, along with the OR anteroom that serves as an airlock for stretchers.

The OR anteroom would be negatively pressurized relative to the both OR and corridor.

The OR air handling unit (AHU) requires 100% outdoor air.  Method of Procedure issues must also be addressed; for example, the movement of sterile supplies, identifying a site for intubation, and transportation of the patient to avoid cross contamination. 

Air Handling Unit (AHU)

Isolation Room Design Criteria

Key room design factors include high level air separation (7.5 Pa of negative or positive pressure, 12 air changes per hour and directional airflow, with non-aspirating diffusers and low-level exhaust near the head of the patient bed.) Also required: a higher level of airtightness to maintain pressure, and consideration of pressure testing during construction to verify effectiveness.

An important tip: during construction, ensure contractors clearly understand what the room will be used for, why sealing is so critical, and why it is vital that there be no leakage.

Regarding ‘grandfathering’ of existing rooms - these require a risk assessment to identify any deficiencies that must be addressed in order to meet the revised standard. Some common leakage sources include lighting fixtures, conduits, sliding doors and uneven floors.

Redundancy

Isolation rooms are designated as a Type 1 space under CSA HVAC standards, requiring uninterrupted operation for airflow, pressurization, temperature, exhaust systems for AIRs, and supply systems for PERs. AHUs require redundancy with parallel, interconnected systems with automated controls and emergency power.

Filtration

AIR supply air requires two-stage filtration. PER and combination AIR/PER supply air requires three-stage filtration, with HEPA filters downstream of MERV 8 and MERV 14 filtration. HEPA filters can be AHU mounted, duct mounted or terminal. All require accessible means of testing.  On the exhaust side, AIR and AIR/PER exhaust air is treated as contaminated exhaust, and must comply with CSA Z317.2 requirements.  Additionally, recent design improvements for contaminated exhaust include bag-in/bag-out HEPA filters on the exhaust system, in order to reduce the potential for outdoor wind, building wake zones and surrounding buildings to disperse contaminated air.

Anterooms

Anterooms are now required for all AIRs, per Z8000-18, to offer additional controls against unwanted air movement, and for the donning and removal of PPE, among other considerations. Air flow should be negative relative to the corridor and positive relative to the isolation room. Also required – dedicated exhaust from both patient room and anteroom, with the adjacent washroom connected to the dedicated exhaust.

Studies provide strong evidence supporting the use of anterooms, due to the re-emergence of infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis. The CSA has completed a research study of pressure differentials, which interested readers may benefit from consulting: “Pressure Differential in Health Care Facility Airborne Isolation Rooms”. The study, a comprehensive examination of available literature, is helping to inform CSA standards, as well as zoning for pandemic requirements. For example, one finding is that anterooms provide significantly improved containment of particles at pressure differentials above 2.5 Pa, especially during healthcare provider movement through doors. Other systems proven effective in augmenting traditional cleaning are ultraviolet germicidal irradiation systems (UVGI).

Pandemic Planning and Catastrophic Event Management

Designing for planning and management of pandemic and catastrophic events requires consideration of zoning, and how healthcare facilities can isolate entire areas of a healthcare facility. As well, the facility will need the ability to switch between 100% outdoor air to 100% recirculated air, depending on where contaminants originate.  Negative pressure ‘pods’ for ERs and ICUs are also a design consideration, providing the ability to lock down larger areas of a hospital. 

Outbreak Control Zone

These zones have already been in place in British Columbia for the past 12 years, primarily in inpatient areas and ICUs. To create an isolation pod, a typical 16-bed unit is identified and planned as an outbreak control zone. It is designed as a standard patient care unit, but one that can be self-contained. Within the walls of the unit, allowances have been made for clean and soiled holding areas in order to reduce traffic in and out of the control zone. In addition, the area design should provide for a relatively simple procedure to convert it to negative pressure. Also required are defined space for an anteroom that meets the standards for whole unit isolation with all air being exhausted, as well as pressure monitoring and alarms. In addition, controls must be programmed into the Building Management System at the required isolation unit settings, in order to provide single command implementation. These systems are then commissioned, balanced and demonstrated to the facility as part of the verification process.

Operations and Maintenance

CSA Z8001 Commissioning and CSA Z8002 Operation and Maintenance (O&M) standards both offer useful information for O&M processes. Some design considerations to facilitate O&M are: including accommodations for testing and precautions for those who will need to provide O&M for isolation rooms; accessible locations for safely changing bag-in/bag-out HEPA filters; servicing for ductwork inspection and cleaning (annually for CSA and semi-annually for MOL). 

Of special note:  isolation rooms tend to lose pressure over time. For HVAC performance, this stems from degradation of doors and frames, wall openings for maintenance work that were subsequently not properly sealed, damage to walls, and poor sealing of services penetrating walls above ceilings.

Reactivation, Conversion and Retrofits

During the current COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals are seeking to better protect healthcare workers from getting sick, as well as looking at options for safe and fast reactivation of medical and surgical beds to respond to increased demand, including conversions/retrofits of hospital infrastructure to enable this reactivation.

Other options for some healthcare facilities may involve identifying beds/units that were initially designed to serve as AIRs, but were since repurposed. These would require detailed inspection and testing, along with any attendant servicing to ensure the rooms/units meet all relevant codes and standards for patient and staff safety.  

In identifying potential conversion space, hospitals should look for an existing patient area where access to the area can be controlled to minimize interaction between COVID-19 patients and healthcare staff/other patients. The space should also have the ability to be converted to outside air/exhaust that can enable a slightly negative pressure condition relative to the adjacent space which helps in controlling the spread of infectious germs from patients throughout the area. Alternatively, consider modifying an existing private room(s) with individual ductless units which do not circulate through ductwork into a central HVAC system.

For any AIR, the key is to control airflow to manage all contaminants, whether gases or droplets. The air handling strategy utilized (mixed ventilation, displacement ventilation or other) will depend on the size of the room, layout and other factors.

Because speed of construction and becoming operational is critical, effective collaboration and trust between hospital administrators, engineers, designers and contractors is essential. The entire team has to get these rooms designed, approved, built and operating quickly.  

Guidance Documents

Canadian Standards Authority guidance documents dealing with standards for isolation rooms include:
CSA Z8000 Canadian health care facilities | latest issue 2018

CSA Z317.2 Special requirements for HVAC systems in health care facilities

CSA Z317.1 Plumbing

CSA Z317.13 Infection Control

CSA Z317.12 Cleaning and Disinfection – coming soon

Cancer Care Ontario Position Statement – Hospital isolation practices for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

CSA Study Executive Summary:
Pressure Differential in Health Care Facility Airborne Isolation Rooms
Advisory Panel members include HH Angus’ Nick Stark and Rita Patel

If you would like to discuss any aspect of the design of your facility’s isolation rooms or plans, please contact:

Nick Stark portrait

Nick Stark, P.Eng., CED, LEED® AP, ICD.D
Principal | VP Knowledge Management
nick.stark@hhangus.com

Kim Spencer

Kim Spencer, P.Eng., LEED AP
Principal | Division Director, Health
kim.spencer@hhangus.com

High Oxygen Demand

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the high oxygen demand by ventilators and related equipment can create high flow rate demands on a bulk liquid oxygen system, in excess of flow rates for which they were designed. This situation has been reported overseas where increases in flow have in cases exceeded 1000% of design capacity.

Bulk oxygen systems are owned by the medical gas supplier. They consist of a storage tank, a vaporizer, and a gas pressure regulator station as well as a reserve supply.

Illustration of oxygen tank

Bulk oxygen is stored as a cryogenic liquid at approximately -183°C, and then is vaporized to a gas by use of ambient air vaporizer(s), which uses ambient atmospheric heat. Due to the cold liquid temperature, ice does form on the vaporizer (from condensation of atmospheric humidity onto the cold vaporizer surfaces) irrespective of the outdoor conditions. 

The photo on the left illustrates a partially covered surface of a vaporizer; the photo the right shows a vaporizer fully encapsulated with ice (in the middle of the photo). Both photos were taken at different hospitals in southern Ontario during the week of 30 March 2020, when outdoor temperatures were above freezing.   

As ice build-up increases on the vaporizer, the ice acts as an insulator, thereby reducing the available heat transfer surface area; this reduction in surface area reduces the capacity of the system to deliver gaseous oxygen. Vaporizers are sized to allow for certain accumulation and still supply 100% design flow with some degree of safety but, past this flowrate, ice can incrementally accumulate. 

During periods of unusually high oxygen demand, with reduced heat transfer capacity, this can reduce the production rate of gaseous oxygen and can also cause liquid cryogenic oxygen to be introduced into the distribution pipeline downstream of the gas pressure regulators. When this liquid evaporates in the pipeline, the very large change in volume from a liquid to a gas can create significant pressure fluctuations in the pipeline oxygen pressure. 

Removal of Ice from Vaporizers

At all times, but especially at times of unusually high oxygen demand, it is important to keep vaporizers clear of ice. Contact your bulk supplier who will recommend and oversee specialist cleaning companies to perform this maintenance procedure.

Current High Oxygen Demand During COVID-19

It is recommended that a supplemental management plan during this COVID-19 event be established to monitor ice formation on the vaporizer and for ice removal, and to plan for additional high flow rate demand contingencies: 

  • Discuss with your medical oxygen bulk supplier if the LOX tank is being monitored daily by the supplier; if not, monitor the liquid level gauge at least two to three times a day
  • Discuss with your medical oxygen bulk supplier any necessary requirements to deal with a sudden significant step change in flow demand (e.g. keep clear access to the pad for extra deliveries, be ready to support emergency technical service access, etc.) 
  • Discuss with your medical oxygen bulk supplier how much of the surface area can be covered with ice before the evaporator needs to be cleaned; establish response times from the supplier to have a representative on site when the vaporizer(s) need to be cleaned 
  • Do not attempt to remove ice. Contact your bulk supplier who will recommend and oversee specialist cleaning companies to perform this maintenance procedure 
  • Establish daily monitoring of ice build-up; initiate cleaning response as necessary
  • Maintain the area around the evaporator clear of obstructions to airflow, for approximately 3 m if possible
  • Frequently monitor the medical gas pipeline pressure for significant and unusual pressure fluctuations; this may be indicating liquid gas being injected into the pipeline, meaning inadequate vaporizer performance
  • Locate (where provided) the facility emergency oxygen inlet station on the facility façade and verify the shut-off valve is operational.  While the outdoor air temperature is warming, the amount of moisture in the air is also increasing, which can still pose an ice build-up problem over the next few months.

If you would like to learn more about this topic feel free to reach out to:

Ed Hood, P.Eng.,B.Eng.
Mechanical Technical Leader
edward.hood@hhangus.com

Kim Spencer, P.Eng., LEED AP
Principal | Division Director, Health
kim.spencer@hhangus.com

Voir ci-dessous pour des informations en français

In light of the increasing number of cases of COVID-19 in North America and the announcement by the World Health Organization declaring COVID-19 as a pandemic, HH Angus is taking reasonable precautions to ensure the safety and security of our employees, clients, vendors and guests across all our office locations while maintaining a consistent level of client service. We are executing our Business Continuity Plan that covers maintaining office operations, remote working for all our staff, and delivering service to our clients during weather, natural disasters, and other emergency situations where our offices are shut down for extended periods of time. Our Senior Management Team is meeting daily to respond promptly to the latest conditions and to ensure that we continue as best we can to deliver on our commitments to our clients.

Highlights of our plan include:

Remote Working

We have been closely monitoring this situation and have made the decision to instruct our staff to work remotely beginning March 16, 2020 until further notice. We have technology implemented that enables our employees to provide service remotely for all our clients and projects if they are unable to be in our office physically or report to the project site. This includes access to our design software, network, email, audio and video conferencing, and other communications technologies. Our remote working protocols and equipment are being implemented to enable our employees to continue to deliver service to our clients. All our communication channels related to on-going projects remain unchanged. If you have any questions or concerns about a project we are working with you on, please reach out to your HH Angus contact. We will coordinate with you to make arrangements specific to your project including replacing, where possible, in-person meetings with tele/video conferences. If you require information but do not have an existing contact at HH Angus, please email info@hhangus.com, or reach out to one of the key HH Angus contacts listed at the end of this announcement.

Travel
HH Angus has suspended all international and all non-essential domestic travel until further notice. Personal travel is discouraged and any staff returning from travel outside of Canada must self-isolate for 14 days.

Meetings
We have encouraged our employees to not participate in large gatherings such as conferences or networking events and, where possible, to utilize video/teleconferencing or similar communications technologies for external and internal meetings. Our technical staff will continue to visit project sites but will contact the client in advance to ensure that the site is still open and inquire as to health and safety precautions that are in place to ensure that there are no restrictions preventing their visit. We will assess each site meeting on a case-by-case basis to assess compliance with our firm’s existing protocols to protect the health and safety of both HH Angus staff and client staff.

Office Environment
We have intensified cleaning standards for our offices. We have installed hand-washing signage based on best practices in all washrooms and have increased hand sanitizer stations, where products are available, across our properties in order to help minimize the spread infectious agents.

As mentioned previously, we have asked our staff to work remotely as of March 16, 2020. However, certain staff will be on office premises to facilitate deliveries and perform network maintenance. If you require coming to our Toronto office in person, please speak with Reception by telephone (416-443-8200) in advance. Our Vancouver, Montreal, Dallas and Chicago staff will not be available in their respective offices. Please get in touch with your contact in each region for any inquiries, or call Toronto Reception (416-443-8200).

Reporting procedures
We have established a reporting protocol with our employees, should anyone be exposed to coronavirus directly or indirectly, or is feeling unwell for any reason. Any employee travelling out of the country for any reason is required to self-isolate for 14 days upon return to Canada. We will continue to monitor the situation closely, and adjust our response as required.

For more information, we encourage you to review the following resources:

Health Canada
World Health Organization

We will update this information page as the situation evolves. We are committed to helping our staff, clients and communities manage through this crisis to the best of our ability.

Key HH Angus Contacts:

Paul Keenan, President – paul.keenan@hhangus.com | 416 209 4374

Tom Halpenny, Vice President Operations & General Manager – tom.halpenny@hhangus.com | 416 580 0811

Sameer Dhargalkar, Vice President, Marketing & Business Development –sameer.dhargalkar@hhangus.com | 416 904 4592


COVID-19 - Réponse de HH Angus

Compte tenu du nombre croissant de cas de COVID-19 en Amérique du Nord et de l’annonce de l'Organisation mondiale de la santé déclarant la pandémie mondiale de COVID-19, HH Angus prend des précautions raisonnables pour assurer la sûreté et la sécurité de nos employés, clients, fournisseurs et invités dans tous nos bureaux tout en maintenant un niveau de service constant pour nos clients. Nous mettons en œuvre notre Plan de maintien des activités, qui assure le maintien des activités de bureau, le télétravail pour l’ensemble du personnel et la prestation de service à nos clients en cas de désastres météorologiques ou naturels, ou de tout autre situation d’urgence, dans les endroits où nos bureaux sont fermés pour des périodes prolongées. Notre équipe de direction se réunit quotidiennement pour répondre rapidement aux dernières conditions et pour s'assurer que nous continuons du mieux que nous pouvons à respecter nos engagements envers nos clients.

Les points saillants de notre plan comprennent: 

Travail à distance 

Nous suivons de près cette situation et avons pris la décision de charger notre personnel de travailler à distance à partir du 16 mars 2020 jusqu'à nouvel ordre. Nous avons mis en œuvre la technologie qui permet à nos employés de fournir un service à distance pour tous nos clients et projets s'ils ne peuvent pas être physiquement dans nos bureaux ou se présenter sur le site du projet. Cette technologie donne accès à notre logiciel de conception, aux lecteurs réseaux, aux courriels, aux conférence audio-vidéo, de même que d’autres technologies de communication. Nos protocoles et équipements de travail à distance sont mis en œuvre pour permettre à nos employés de continuer à fournir des services à nos clients. Toutes les voies de communication relatives aux projets en cours demeurent les mêmes. Si vous avez des questions ou des préoccupations concernant un projet sur lequel nous travaillons avec vous, veuillez contacter votre contact HH Angus. Nous vous aiderons à prendre les dispositions propres à votre projet, notamment le remplacement, si cela est possible, des réunions en personne par des conférences audio-vidéo. Si vous avez besoin d'informations mais n'avez pas de contact existant chez HH Angus, veuillez envoyer un courriel à info@hhangus.com, ou communiquer avec la personne-ressource de HH Angus donnée à la fin de ce communiqué.

Voyages
HH Angus a suspendu tous les voyages internationaux et nationaux non essentiels jusqu'à nouvel ordre. Les voyages personnels sont déconseillés et tout membre du personnel qui revient de l’Étranger doit s’isoler pendant 14 jours.

Réunions
Nous avons encouragé nos employés à ne pas participer à de grands rassemblements tels que des conférences ou des événements de réseautage et, dans la mesure du possible, à utiliser la vidéo / téléconférence ou des technologies de communication similaires pour les réunions internes ou externes. Notre personnel technique continue de visiter les sites de projet, mais doit d’abord communiquer avec le client pour s’assurer que le chantier est toujours ouvert et s’informer des mesures de prévention mise en place pour la santé et la sécurité afin de s’assurer que rien n’empêche la visite. Nous évaluerons chaque chantier au cas par cas afin de vérifier la conformité aux protocoles existants de notre firme en matière de protection de la santé et de la sécurité du personnel de HH Angus et du client.

Environnement de bureau
Nous avons intensifié les normes de nettoyage de nos bureaux. Nous avons installé une signalisation de lavage des mains basée sur les meilleures pratiques dans toutes les toilettes et avons augmenté les postes de désinfectant pour les mains, où les produits sont disponibles, sur nos propriétés afin de minimiser la propagation d'agents infectieux.

Comme mentionné précédemment, nous avons demandé à notre personnel de travailler à distance à partir du 16 mars 2020. Cependant, certains membres du personnel seront dans le bureau pour faciliter la réception des livraisons et l’entretien du réseau informatique. Si vous avez besoin de venir à notre bureau de Toronto en personne, veuillez parler à la réception par téléphone (416-443-8200) à l'avance. Nos employés de Vancouver, Montréal, Dallas et Chicago ne seront pas disponibles dans leurs bureaux respectifs. Veuillez communiquer avec votre contact dans chaque région pour toute demande de renseignements ou la réception de Toronto (416-443-8200).

Procédures de signalement
Nous avons établi un protocole de signalement avec nos employés, si quelqu'un est exposé directement ou indirectement au coronavirus, ou se sent mal pour une raison quelconque. Tout employé voyageant à l'extérieur du pays pour n’importe quelle raison que ce soit est tenu de s'isoler pendant 14 jours à son retour au Canada. Nous continuerons de surveiller la situation de près et d'ajuster notre réponse au besoin.

Pour plus d'informations, nous vous encourageons à consulter les ressources suivantes :

Santé Canada
Organisation mondiale de la Santé

Nous mettrons à jour cette page d'information à mesure que la situation évolue. Nous sommes engagés à aider notre personnel, nos clients et les collectivités à traverser cette crise au meilleur de nos capacités.

Personne-ressource de HH Angus :

Mohamed Kamel, Directeur du projet – mohamed.kamel@hhangus.com | C 514 863 9202