Thursday, March 03, 2005
Green Guide for Health Care
Link: Green Guide for HealthcareA new document, Green Guide for Health Care, has been published that focuses on environmental building in the health care industry. This document details information for both new construction and renovations. It is similar to LEED but is different in that it takes into account the special obstacles faced in health care buildings. For example, it specifically outlines how to design for building operations. The teams for this include clinicians, administrators, plant operations/engineering staff, support services and housekeeping and work together throughout each project. It also includes recommendations to help fight infections, to design for round-the-clock occupancy, and to allow for better meals and meal prep areas. Another major difference in this and LEED is that LEED does not address water usage in other buildings besides office buildings. The GGHC does address this and gives credit for water conservation measures in laundry and sterilization procedures.