These questions have been on the minds of many commercial contractors, but particularly those who work on systems for the health care industry. Fred Willson of Entek, Longview, Wash., has been studying the problem lately for a variety of reasons. He most recently was looking at protection for his own employees if they provided HVAC maintenance at an AIDS hospice, but the contractor has been actively looking at ways to protect employees in all settings.
"We're very jealous and watchful of our field help," Willson said. "We're also trying to convince a second-generation of workers that this is a great place to work. You've got people out there who are rightfully concerned about their work environment."