How often should the airway be disinfected?

Disinfection of air ducts in the ventilation system is an important regular event, thanks to which it is possible to create a healthy microclimate in the room. Disinfection is carried out either after mechanical cleaning of the line, or independently, regardless of previous manipulations with the ventilation system. The latter is especially true for medical institutions, laboratories, food industries, etc.

The need and frequency of disinfection

During operation of the exhaust ventilation system, plaque forms on its inner walls (soot, grease, dirt, and sometimes a humid environment). Together, they form a favorable environment for the reproduction of pathogenic flora. Fungi, infections and other bacteria can exist on the inner sections of the ventilation line. With the air supplied through the supply grilles, they enter the premises, into the respiratory tract of a person. This leads to serious health problems ranging from allergic reactions to cancer. Therefore, the disinfection of ventilation systems must be carried out regularly.

Disinfection of ventilation systems according to SanPiN is done at a certain frequency, the frequency of which is regulated by the type of room:

• For medical institutions, catering establishments - once a quarter (3-4 months).
• Preschool and school institutions - the norm is 2 times a year.
• Production shops and enterprises - 2 times a year.
• Shopping centers, office and commercial premises - standard indicator once a year.

Specialists of organizations for disinfection of ventilation ducts recommend that owners of apartments and private houses clean and disinfect the mains at least once every two years.

Types of dirt on the inner walls of the ventilation

Depending on the room in which the ventilation system is located, various types of dirt can form on its inner walls.

• Dust. These are dry suspensions in the form of flakes, which are located on filters, walls of an air duct or air conditioning system. Dust is considered the most flammable. Light flakes ignite quickly from the slightest spark. The flame can spread throughout the ventilation system to several rooms at once.
• Mold and fungal growth. Most often, they are formed under conditions of high humidity in the room, or if condensation regularly forms on the walls of the line due to temperature changes. It is mold and mildew, entering the rooms through the ventilation grilles, that cause the development of complex allergic reactions.
• Rust. Also formed due to high humidity or condensation inside the ventilation system. Sooner or later, rust breaks the tightness of the line, which reduces the efficiency of the entire communication.
• Fat and fatty soot. As a rule, they are formed in the ventilation lines of public catering or food production buildings. Therefore, the disinfection of ventilation must be especially careful here. Due to the high accumulation of fatty soot, the performance of the line decreases. The ventilation system cannot cope with the flow of air masses. There are smells of soot and burning in the room. They are unpleasant in themselves and poison the human body with fumes.In addition, fatty soot destroys axial fans and grease traps. In the event of a fire, it is extremely difficult to extinguish such deposits. Therefore, cleansing the system is especially important.
• Chemical and reagent deposits. Formed in the ventilation ducts of laboratories, chemistry and physics rooms. If such deposits are not removed from the inner walls of the line in time, they threaten human health.
• Dirt after a fire or flood. These situations are force majeure. The maximum amount of soot, smoke and water accumulates on the walls of the ventilation shaft. Even after a major overhaul, in the absence of cleaning, they remain there, through the ventilation grilles they again enter the room. They poison a person, provoke the settling of mold and mildew on the walls.

Any kind of dirt must be removed before mechanical disinfection.

Checking ventilation ducts for the need for disinfection

Despite the fact that the disinfection of ventilation systems is carried out according to SanPiN with a certain frequency, it is possible to independently determine the degree of contamination of the mine and the need for urgent cleaning.

• Visually inspect the mine.
• Take a wash from the inner walls for laboratory analysis. Samples must be taken from several different sections of the mine.

Often, to determine the effectiveness of the disinfectant solution, samples are taken before cleaning and after a small amount of the composition has been applied to the walls of the ventilation ducts.

As a rule, ventilation systems are cleaned and disinfected using solutions that do not require further flushing. Over time, they simply break down into water and carbon dioxide.

Disinfectants

To eliminate pathogenic flora from the inner walls of the ventilation shaft, aggressive alkaline compounds are used. The entire procedure is performed only in protective clothing, a mask and glasses, in accordance with the requirements of sanitary standards. After disinfection, the room must be ventilated, the entire system is run in a test mode.

The concentration and type of disinfectant solution is selected according to the result of a previously conducted laboratory analysis with a flush. The most common chemicals for disinfection of ventilation in medical institutions and other facilities:

• Biopag-D;
• Aquaminol-Forte;
• Freesept.

Before disinfection in residential buildings, it is important to notify the neighbors about the upcoming event, otherwise vapors of chemical compounds can get into neighboring rooms and harm a person.

Frequent mistakes and their consequences

When performing work, mistakes are often made. The most common ones are:

• Self-cleaning and disinfection of highways. In this case, only a small part of the dirt is removed - which is visible. The bulk of soot, grease and rust is often hidden from the eyes of the common man. Special equipment is needed here. Therefore, self-cleaning is ineffective. Moreover, it can cause even more harm, as the accumulated grease and soot move from place to place. They subsequently enter the filters and ventilation grilles with air masses.
• Ignoring filter change. If filters and grease traps are not changed after disinfection and cleaning, the ventilation system runs at risk to human health. Throws particles of pathogenic flora accumulated on the filters into the room.
• Cleaning the system without further disinfection. Even if all the dirt is removed from the inner walls of the three shafts, pathogenic flora, fungus, bacteria still live in the cracks and joints of the highway. Therefore, disinfection is mandatory.

It is considered a dangerous mistake to invite non-professionals to clean and disinfect the ventilation shaft. Such specialists take money for work that they do illiterately. And this is the best case. At worst, they disable the ventilation system.

Disinfection of ventilation ducts in a medical facility

Each medical facility has a disinfection log. It is filled in by employees of the company that performs the cleaning and treatment of ventilation shafts. The following data is entered in the log:

• type of work performed;
• date of completed activities;
• the name of the chemicals used;
• the signature of the responsible persons.

The ventilation system is processed in two stages:

• All elements, parts and internal walls of the shaft are mechanically cleaned. For this, industrial vacuum cleaners, compressed air installations, high pressure washers or steam cleaners are used. It all depends on the type of dirt accumulated inside.
• Specialists from the inside irrigate the walls of the mine.

All work is performed through inspection hatches under the control of a video camera.

After completing work in the premises, general cleaning is carried out with sanitization of all surfaces and tools.

Cleaning and disinfection of ventilation shafts in medical institutions is carried out strictly on schedule.