Re: exhaust odor

[Judi Wilson <jwils@netgate.net>]

>I am looking for any information from programs where your hospital has had
>to deal with aircraft exhaust odor as it enters your building via the air
>handlers/ventilation system.  Certain areas of our hospital are affected
>with employees generating complaints about their working conditions and our
>Administration is taking these complaints very seriously.  Our Plant
>Engineering department has made modifications to the air handling system
>which has somewhat improved the situation but the problem persists.  Our
>program is committed to this aircraft for eight more years and moving our
>pad is not an option.  I am optimistic that someone can share information
>that will help solve our dilemma.
>
>Mark Hanson
>Program Director
>Med Flight
>University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics
>

This is a very familiar story for us.

We had the same problems, with employees complaining bitterly and some very
vocal ones among them citing dangers to health and well being, particularly
in the.
Our hospital did extensive studies, with the Enivormental Health and Safety
folks collecting odor/fume samples in the primary complaint areas as the
aircraft took off and landed.

We compiled data as to time of day/day of the week the complaints rolled in.

We put a small wind/weather sensing station on the roof, and completely
modified the way we approach, depart and where we land aircraft on our
three pads according to which way the wind blew, forcing fumes into the
culprit vents. We identified which vents served those areas, and avoided
them when possible.

EH&S made a vent controller system, controllable by a timer switch in the
dispatch center, which shut off the vents on engine start ups and on
landings so the OR wouldn't get gassed out.

Overall its made a remarkable drop in complaints. Aided in no small part by
the fact that El Nino, the weather system responsible for royally messing
up prevailing weather patterns on the west coast, quit messing with us
after about 18 months of mischief. The weather gods are now with us again,
and we rarely get complaints these days.

I wish you well. We failed to find any cheap and easy fixes.

Judi

Judi Wilson, RN
Acting Program Director
Stanford Life Flight/Medical Transport/Transfer Center

jwils@netgate.net
helojudi@aol.com




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