Sick buildings a thing of the past as Australia greens its hospitals

Sick buildings can now be a thing of the past, says the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) as it launches the new Green Star - Healthcare v1 environmental rating tool.

The Green Star - Healthcare v1 environmental rating tool for buildings will help owners and operators of healthcare facilities around Australia to reduce the environmental impact of their buildings, improve patient health outcomes and staff productivity, as well as achieve real cost savings and added value.

According to Robin Mellon, the GBCA's Green Star Executive Director, the move towards green and healthy buildings is consistent with a growing body of research which suggests that green healthcare facilities improve patient outcomes and reduce health risks to staff.

"International studies include a case study at the Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre in Canada, which found that depressed patients in sunny rooms recovered 15 per cent faster than those in darker rooms," Mr Mellon says.

"Another study at Bronson Methodist Hospital in Michigan found that applying green design principles such as increased daylight, rooms with external views, more fresh air and better quality ventilation systems, and an increased use of natural materials with fewer pollutants in its redevelopment project led to an 11 per cent reduction in secondary infections and a decrease in nursing turnover rates to below 7 per cent.

"With an emphasis on resource efficiency, green building practices also reduce operating costs and significantly influence a hospital's tight bottom line. Green buildings routinely save 20-30 per cent on energy costs, use significantly less water, have superior waste management capabilities and lower maintenance costs over their lifetime. What's more, green buildings are flexible and durable spaces that are 'future proofed' against changes to government regulation or building standards," Mr Mellon says.

The Green Star - Healthcare v1 rating tool evaluates the environmental potential and integrated fitout of health and aged care facilities. It also assesses major refurbishments of existing facilities.

Projects are awarded a Green Star rating based on accumulating credit points in nine categories. 'Sector-specific credits' are also included in the Healthcare v1 tool, to pick up some of the key opportunities which medical facilities might offer, including:

• Placement and maintenance of air distribution systems
• Patient and staff access to clean and healthy outdoor areas away from outside air inlets and smoking zones
• Energy efficiency of medical equipment
• Efficiency of portable water systems used for cooling laboratory equipment
• Disposal and reduction of toxic trade wastes
• Reduction of airborne emissions, especially from laboratory exhaust systems

According to Mr Mellon, governments around Australia are already recognising the importance of greening their healthcare facilities.

"The Victorian Government, for instance, is investing $7.2 million to upgrade hospitals and aged care facilities to save more energy and water, and green standards will be used in the construction of new health care facilities.

"We're confident that the Green Star - Healthcare v1 tool will help owners and operators of healthcare facilities to diagnose many of the causes of sick buildings and prescribe strategies to build healthy alternatives," Mr Mellon concludes.

The Green Star - Healthcare v1 rating tool is freely available for download from the GBCA website, as well as for independent third party accredited assessment.

Contact:
Karen Jamal
Communications Manager
Green Building Council of Australia
Phone: 0412 179 135
Email: karen.jamal@gbca.org.au