In the middle of a Michigan winter, the Henry Ford Dialysis Unit experienced a catastrophic water loss caused by a rooftop HVAC unit failure. With vulnerable patients requiring uninterrupted dialysis treatment, the Henry Ford Health System turned to PuroClean National Response Team for rapid mitigation and full-scale reconstruction under the most stringent infection control standards. Within five hours of the initial call, the PuroClean team mobilized on-site to contain the loss, implement temporary heat, and establish an infection-controlled environment that allowed critical healthcare operations to continue with minimal disruption.
The incident originated from a rooftop HVAC unit failure, which caused significant water intrusion into the active dialysis suite. Given the unit’s sensitive nature, every minute of delay posed potential risk to sterile medical equipment, patient safety, and the facility’s operational continuity. Compounding the challenge, the loss occurred during subfreezing temperatures, creating an immediate need to restore heat and maintain controlled humidity levels to prevent secondary damage and microbial growth.
PuroClean National Response Team deployed emergency mitigation crews the same day as the incident. Within five hours, the following critical measures were completed: water extraction and structural drying, installation of temporary heating systems, erection of temporary 6-mil poly containment walls, and microbial testing under ICRA Level 5 parameters. Once stabilized, the temporary 6-mil barrier was replaced with a hard-surface temporary wall system, allowing reconstruction to proceed without compromising sterile operations.
As this project involved direct adjacency to an active dialysis treatment space, the ICRA Level 5 infection control standard governed all phases of work. Key controls included negative air pressure containment zones, HEPA-filtered air scrubbers, dedicated clean and dirty pathways, full PPE enforcement, and continuous environmental monitoring. An action plan was developed collaboratively with Henry Ford engineers and infection prevention specialists to ensure compliance and expedite reconstruction safely and efficiently.
This project demanded high-level collaboration across multiple disciplines. PuroClean National Response Team coordinated daily and weekly meetings with Henry Ford engineers, physicians, and regional leadership, along with subcontractors and specialty vendors. Through open communication and joint oversight, all stakeholders maintained a unified focus on protecting patient health, maintaining compliance, and restoring full functionality without delay.
PuroClean National Response Team stabilized the environment within hours, prevented contamination of dialysis lines, completed reconstruction on schedule, and met or exceeded all ICRA Level 5 standards. Henry Ford Health System leadership commended the professionalism, precision, and speed of execution demonstrated throughout this project.
