GUIDANCE FOR

FUNGUS
AVOIDANCE
Engineering Services Division
Ministry of Health in healthcare facilities
Level 3-7, Block E3, Parcel E, Precint 1
Federal Government Administrative Centre
62590 Putrajaya

ENGINEERING SERVICES DIVISION

MINISTRY OF HEALTH MALAYSIA
OCTOBER 2017
 Guidance for Fungus Avoidance in Healthcare Facilities

FOREWORD
THE DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING
SERVICES DIVISiON

W ell designed, constructed and maintained building envelopes are critical to the
prevention and control of excess moisture and mould growth. Management
of moisture requires proper control of temperature and ventilation to avoid high
humidity, condensation on surfaces and excess water on materials.

One thing is certain about healthcare facilities in Malaysia, fungus most often grows
in buildings due to condensation that combine indoor air conditioning spaces
and non air conditioning spaces. This is because the cool surfaces created by air
conditioning absorb and accumulate moisture from the humid air that leaks into
air conditioning space through construction joints, walls and ceiling. A building
requires various barriers or insulation to water intrusion and proper control of
condensation to prevent the trapping of moisture within the building assembly.

This guidelines aims to provide an approach to reduce baseline fungal risk to

architectural and civil design where any space equipped with air conditioning
system shall be air tight with respect to all non-air conditioning space. This guidelines
also provides information on the responsibility of air conditioning designer in
healthcare building to make sure the air conditioning system helps avoid moisture
accumulation rather than adding to it.

I hope this guideline will be an important tool for healthcare provider in designing
healthcare facilities and I would like to thank the people involved in developing this
guidelines especially Mr. Lewis G. Harriman, International Fellow of ASHRAE, USA
for sharing his expertise and knowledge in preparing this guideline.

Haji. Md. Jalal bin Bongkik

Director of Engineering Services Division
Ministry of Health, Malaysia

iv
 GUIDANCE FOR
FUNGUS
AVOIDANCE
Engineering Services Division
Ministry of Health in healthcare facilities
Level 3-7, Block E3, Parcel E, Precint 1
Federal Government Administrative Centre
62590 Putrajaya

ENGINEERING SERVICES DIVISION

MINISTRY OF HEALTH MALAYSIA
OCTOBER 2017