Published: June 12, 2025  Updated: June 06, 2025

The Ultimate Guide to Hospital Facility Maintenance & PM

When discussing industries that need maintenance, one may overlook hospitals. A well-maintained hospital environment contributes to patient safety, staff efficiency, and overall operational success.

This guide to hospital facility maintenance will highlight:

⮚ Key Areas That Require Hospital Maintenance/p>

⮚ Managing Hospital Assets to Improve Facility Efficiency

⮚ Preventative Maintenance (PM) for Hospitals: Why It Matters

⮚ Examples of Preventative Maintenance Tasks in Hospitals

⮚ How CMMS Software Enhances Hospital Facility Maintenance

Key Areas That Require Hospital Maintenance

A hospital contains numerous areas demanding meticulous upkeep. High-traffic zones such as lobbies, waiting rooms, and corridors require frequent cleaning, floor maintenance, and lighting checks.

Patient rooms, the heart of the hospital, necessitate rigorous cleaning protocols, equipment sterilization, and regular inspections for safety hazards. Surgical suites demand the highest level of cleanliness and sterilization, along with stringent maintenance of specialized equipment.

Beyond patient care areas, you'll have support functions like kitchens, laundries, and engineering rooms. These areas house essential equipment requiring regular servicing to ensure uninterrupted operations.

For instance, kitchen appliances must undergo routine cleaning and maintenance to prevent contamination risks. Laundry equipment needs consistent care to maintain efficiency and hygiene. The engineering department, responsible for the hospital's infrastructure, relies on proactive maintenance to prevent system failures.

Managing Hospital Assets to Improve Facility Efficiency

Hospitals possess a vast array of assets, each demanding specific maintenance attention. Medical equipment, from life-saving ventilators to diagnostic imaging machines. These require regular calibration, cleaning, and software updates.

Building systems, including HVAC, plumbing, and electrical systems, need consistent monitoring and inspection. Infrastructure elements like roofs, elevators, and fire safety systems demand periodic inspections and repairs to guarantee safety and functionality.

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Preventative Maintenance (PM) for Hospitals: Why It Matters

Many companies have a reactive mindset. This means they pay attention to assets only when they fail or break down. Hospitals can't afford this thinking. They must use a proactive strategy.

PMs involve scheduled inspections, cleaning, and repairs to equipment and systems before they fail. The benefits include reducing breakdowns, extending asset lifespan, and minimizing costly emergency repairs.

What PM practices do you need? Tailor them to the specific needs of each asset. For instance, medical equipment undergoes regular calibration to ensure accurate results. HVAC systems receive filter replacements and component inspections to maintain optimal air quality and efficiency.

Elevators undergo periodic safety checks and component replacements to prevent malfunctions. By adhering to a comprehensive PM program, hospitals can create a safer and more reliable environment for patients and staff.

Now that we've highlighted assets and preventive measures, let's go into more detail on each, looking at specifics of hospital facility maintenance.

Examples of Preventative Maintenance Tasks in Hospitals

• Ventilators - Daily inspection of tubing, filters, and alarms; weekly cleaning and disinfection; monthly calibration of pressure and flow parameters; and annual overhaul.
• Infusion pumps - Cleaning and disinfection; calibration of flow rates; battery testing; and inspection of tubing and alarms.
• Diagnostic imaging equipment (X-ray, MRI, CT) - Daily equipment checks, monthly calibration of image quality parameters, annual safety inspections, and regular software updates.

Building Systems:

• HVAC systems - Filter replacement, coil cleaning, fan belt inspections, and calibration of temperature controls.
• Plumbing systems - Annual water quality testing, regular inspection of pipes and fixtures for leaks, and preventive maintenance of water heaters and boilers.
• Electrical systems - Inspection of wiring and outlets, testing of emergency power systems, and maintenance of lighting fixtures.

Kitchen Equipment:

• Ovens and stoves - Daily cleaning, weekly deep cleaning, and annual inspection of burners and heating elements.
• Refrigerators and freezers - Regular temperature monitoring, defrosting, and cleaning of coils and gaskets.
• Dishwashers - Daily cleaning and sanitizing, weekly inspection of filters and detergent dispensers, and annual maintenance of pumps and heating elements.

For more information on medical equipment PMs read an article from Heartland Medical.

Discover how streamlined maintenance processes can elevate production. Learn more.

Coordinating Hospital Facility Maintenance Across Departments

Effective hospital operations require seamless collaboration between facility maintenance and other departments.

Infection Prevention and Control (IPC)

• Joint development of cleaning and disinfection protocols - Facility maintenance and IPC should work together to create standardized cleaning procedures for all areas of the hospital.
• Collaboration on outbreak management - Facility maintenance plays a crucial role in containing outbreaks by providing timely cleaning and disinfection of affected areas.
• Shared responsibility for equipment decontamination - Both departments should collaborate to ensure that medical equipment is properly cleaned and decontaminated between uses.

Environmental Services

• Coordination of cleaning schedules - Facility maintenance and environmental services must share cleaning tasks.
• Shared responsibility for waste management - Both departments should collaborate on waste disposal procedures to minimize environmental impact and reduce infection risks.

Engineering

• Infrastructure maintenance - Facility maintenance and engineering must work together to ensure the proper upkeep of building systems, such as HVAC, plumbing, and electrical systems.
• Collaboration on energy efficiency - Both departments can discuss opportunities for energy conservation and implement energy-saving measures.

By fostering strong relationships with these and other departments, facility maintenance can contribute significantly to the overall success of the hospital.

By integrating these specific PM tasks and fostering collaboration between departments, hospitals can enhance patient safety, improve operational efficiency, and extend the lifespan of their assets.

How CMMS Software Enhances Hospital Facility Maintenance

CMMS software helps organize existing maintenance programs. This software centralizes asset information, work orders, maintenance history, and inventory management. By digitizing maintenance processes, a CMMS enhances efficiency, improves communication, and generates valuable data for informed decision-making.

Let's look at some key elements of a CMMS.

Optimized Work Order (WO) Management - CMMS enables efficient scheduling and tracking of maintenance tasks. You can process work requests and standardize work orders. Through WO creation, you have all the relevant details. You can add checklists and attach safety measures.

Asset Management – The CMMS goes beyond helping you create comprehensive records of assets. You have all the information you need. It will track equipment readings to further assist your PM policies.

Furthermore, you have key performance indicator reports to run to keep track of several asset metrics.

Improved Inventory Control – Assets need maintenance and that in turn means a stockroom for parts and supplies. A CMMS tracks your inventory, auto-adjusts quantities, and can even generate a purchase request when those quantities reach a minimum threshold. This way, you avoid stockouts.

Compliance Management - CMMS helps hospitals adhere to regulatory requirements by tracking inspections, certifications, and maintenance records.

Improving Hospital Facility Maintenance with CMMS

You need a guide to hospital facility maintenance. That guide shapes your PM program. It demands meticulous attention to detail. By focusing on critical areas, diligently maintaining assets, implementing robust PM programs, and harnessing the power of a CMMS, hospitals can create a safe, efficient, and patient-centered environment.

For a world-class CMMS, look to Mapcon Technologies. 800-922-4336 Call today for a free demonstration and see how this powerful and easy-to-use system helps hospitals…and numerous other industries.