As a hospital facility manager, your role during renovations extends far beyond timelines and logistics. You’re responsible for protecting patients from unnecessary risk, maintaining compliance with infection control standards, and minimizing disruption in active care areas.
When construction begins, that responsibility becomes even more urgent. Dust, debris, and airborne contaminants don’t just disrupt workflows—they can increase the risk of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), lead to compliance issues, and compromise the safety of vulnerable patients.
To meet these challenges, you need a containment solution built for healthcare that is not retrofitted from another industry. Temporary hard wall barriers deliver the durability and performance healthcare construction demands. They create a sealed environment that contains contaminants, controls noise, and maintains a professional appearance throughout the project.
You already know that even minor renovation work can release dust and particulates into the air. What often gets overlooked is how quickly those contaminants can move—and how severe the consequences can be in a clinical environment.
Without effective containment, airborne particles can move through HVAC systems, settle on surfaces, and reach patient care areas, raising the risk of HAIs, particularly for vulnerable patients. It also puts your facility at risk of falling out of compliance with ICRA protocols.
However, infection control isn’t just a matter of compliance. It directly affects how staff, patients, and leadership view the safety of your facility. If containment fails, it can lead to workflow disruptions, delayed construction timelines, and concerns from clinical teams—all of which land on your plate.
As a facility manager, your infection control strategy isn’t just about checking boxes. It’s how you maintain trust across departments, protect your hospital’s reputation, and keep projects moving without compromising care.
Plastic sheeting, polycarbonate panels, and even temporary drywall have been common go-to solutions for years, not necessarily because they’re the best, but because they’re readily available, inexpensive up front, or simply what the team has always used.
If you’re working with limited resources, tight timelines, or outside contractors who bring their materials, it’s easy to default to containment methods that feel “good enough.” However, these stopgaps often create more problems than they solve.
Plastic sheeting tears easily and shifts out of place, especially in high-traffic areas. It’s also noisy, difficult to keep sealed, and doesn’t meet higher-level ICRA requirements.
Polycarbonate panels might offer better durability, but they’re not designed for reuse and rarely provide a professional appearance.
Temporary drywall creates unnecessary mess, adds labor hours, and has to be demolished after the project ends, resulting in more disruption and higher costs.
Facility managers are shifting toward solutions that align with their infection control goals—systems that install quickly, meet regulatory standards, and hold up across multiple projects.
That’s why more hospitals are moving to temporary hard wall barriers. They deliver the reliability, control, and cost-efficiency that traditional methods can’t match, especially in active care environments where safety and compliance aren’t negotiable.
When you're working in an active healthcare environment, containment isn't just about blocking off a space—it's about maintaining a safe, stable, and compliant environment from start to finish.
Temporary hard wall barriers help you do that by forming an airtight, reusable barrier that holds up under pressure. Unlike short-term fixes that fail over time, hard wall systems create a consistent containment zone that supports the entire lifecycle of a project, without constant repairs, replacements, or manual adjustments.
They’re also designed to adapt to your facility’s needs. Whether you’re managing work in a high-traffic corridor, a sensitive patient unit, or a public-facing space, hard wall systems can be reconfigured to match the layout without shutting down critical areas or interrupting care.
This flexibility is key when you're balancing construction schedules with day-to-day hospital operations. It allows you to maintain infection control protocols without adding extra strain to your team or clinical staff.
Hard wall barriers go beyond physical containment—they reinforce the infection control strategy you already manage, helping you protect patients, support your teams, and keep work on track.
Every renovation project brings a different set of challenges, but the right containment system should always support your infection control goals, minimize disruption, and hold up under pressure. As you evaluate your options, consider these questions:
Renovations rarely happen in the same type of space twice. From tight corridors to patient care areas and administrative zones, your containment system should adapt without custom fabrication or workarounds. A modular design gives you more flexibility across projects.
When you're balancing tight timelines and limited labor, speed matters. Can the system be set up quickly, without pulling staff away from essential duties? Many hard wall systems are installed with just two people, allowing you to move fast without added disruption.
Does the system provide a reliable, airtight seal? Will it support the ICRA class you’re working under? The right system should align with your infection control plan and help you stay ahead of regulatory expectations, not just meet the minimum requirements.
Appearance matters—especially when construction happens near patient rooms, visitor areas, or staff workspaces. Is the system easy to disinfect? Does it reflect the professionalism and safety that your team works hard to maintain?
You’re not just looking for something that works today—you’re looking for a solution that pays off project after project. Will the system reduce recurring costs? Can it be reused without compromising performance or safety?
Once you’ve answered those questions, it becomes easier to identify which solution fits your priorities. And if you’re looking for options that check all the boxes—performance, flexibility, speed, and value—there are proven systems designed with healthcare environments in mind.
To help you make that decision, here’s a closer look at two trusted systems built for the demands of healthcare construction.
When you need a containment system that works as hard as your team does, STARC® offers two trusted solutions — both purpose-built for healthcare renovation and maintenance work.
The RealWall™ is ideal for high-visibility, high-sensitivity areas where appearance and performance both matter. It delivers the durability needed for critical care settings with an airtight seal that supports infection control. It also reduces renovation noise by up to 50% and features high-gloss aluminum panels that are easy to disinfect and built for repeated use, making it a reliable, long-term solution for high-risk areas..
The LiteBarrier™ offers the same airtight containment without sound attenuation, making it well-suited for budget-conscious projects or areas where noise isn’t a major concern. It’s lightweight, fast to install, and easy to maneuver — perfect for short-term work or lower-risk areas that still require dependable containment.
Both systems are reusable, ICRA-compliant, and designed to help you manage risk, avoid delays, and maintain operational flow during construction.
Renovations are part of hospital life, but infection risk doesn’t have to be. A gold-standard infection control strategy starts with the right containment system—one that’s built for healthcare, supports compliance, and minimizes disruption.
Temporary hard wall barriers give you more control during construction. They help you maintain cleaner work zones, reduce noise in patient care areas, and ensure your containment strategy performs as well on day ten as it does on day one.
As you evaluate your infection control strategy from every angle, including air quality, choosing the right filtration system matters too.
Download the HEPA vs. ULPA Guide to strengthen your infection control strategy with the right filtration system.