Acknowledgement to Great American
A mechanical contractor was hired to perform HVAC repairs at a hospital. No medical procedures were performed during the actual renovation activities and proper measures were taken to ensure proper encapsulation. Despite the controls, one year after completion of the project, the contractor was notified that several aspergillus (a type of mold species) infections had occurred several months after valve replacement surgeries. Internal and government investigations identified the source as the hospital operating room shortly after the renovations. The hospital was sued by several of the patients sustaining secondary infections. The hospital and the contractor contributed to settle the claims.