Healthcare ventilation service

Microbiological Monitoring

IOM provides specialist microbiological monitoring to assess airborne contamination and confirm whether ventilation and clinical procedures are protecting critical environments.

Service overview

Evidence for ultra-clean environments

Ventilation measurements alone may not provide all the evidence needed to assess contamination control in ultra-clean operating environments.

Our specialists monitor airborne microorganisms to assess how effectively the ventilation system and clinical procedures work together. We explain the findings clearly and help you identify any action needed to protect patients and maintain safe clinical conditions.

Practical support

Monitoring during clinical procedures

Health Technical Memorandum 03-01 includes microbiological monitoring at the wound site beneath an Ultra-Clean Ventilation canopy following validation.

Our specialists can:

  • Carry out wound-site monitoring during surgery
  • Monitor other locations beneath the canopy
  • Collect airborne microbiological samples
  • Incubate and analyse sampling plates
  • Measure and report colony-forming units
  • Explain the results and their significance

A colony-forming unit is a measure used to estimate the number of viable bacteria or fungal cells in a sample.

From evidence to action

Evidence to support infection control

Monitoring can provide assurance about the performance of the ultra-clean ventilation canopy and the effectiveness of clinical procedures. It can also identify results that need further investigation.

Our microbiologists provide clear findings to support infection-control, theatre and estates teams in deciding whether further action is needed.

Need microbiological evidence from an ultra-clean theatre? Talk to our specialist monitoring team.

What the service includes

Carry out monitoring beneath an ultra-clean ventilation canopy during surgery.
Collect, incubate and analyse microbiological sampling plates.
Measure and report colony-forming units.
Explain the significance of the findings to infection-control, theatre and estates teams.

What you receive

Clear evidence and usable next steps

  • Independent technical findings
  • Clear explanation of the risks or performance issues
  • Prioritised practical recommendations
  • Evidence to support governance, planning and assurance

Get practical advice for your organisation.

Discuss your requirements

Tell us what you need to achieve and your enquiry will be directed to the most appropriate team.

Speak to an expert