Author
Sarah Peake
Flooring
Wall Coating
Healthcare
Article
Architect
Infection prevention and control is of utmost importance in hospitals and other healthcare facilities. Building owners, facilities managers, healthcare architects and all others involved in healthcare design decisions need to consider how the materials used within a building contribute to this issue.
Healthcare Facilities Should Ensure Clean and Safe Environment
In the UK, for example, the National Health Service (NHS) Constitution mandates that all healthcare organizations should, “ensure that services are provided in a clean and safe environment that is fit for purpose, based on national best practice.” First published by the Department of Health in 2011, Health Building Note (HBN) 00-10 provides best practice guidance in the UK, outlining the policy and performance requirements that must be considered when constructing or refurbishing a healthcare facility.
HBN: 00-10 states,“Healthcare facilities should provide a therapeutic environment in which the overall design of the building contributes to the process of healing and reduces the risk of healthcare-associated infections rather than simply being a place where treatment takes place.” These facilities must be safe, accessible and inviting for all, including patients, doctors, staff and visitors.
The key requirements for every floor, wall and coating system used in a healthcare environment can be divided into two main performance themes – cleanability and life-cycle maintenance. Both are intrinsically linked to infection prevention and control.
Infection Prevention Thanks to Hygienic Floors, Walls and Ceilings with no Cracks and Joints
The majority of people being treated in healthcare facilities are immunocompromised, making infection prevention and control vital. Because weakened immune systems and other afflictions make patients more susceptible to infections, healthcare providers have a responsibility to minimize the potential risk of these patients acquiring a HealthCare-Associated Infection (HCAI).
HCAIs affect an estimated 6.4 percent of hospital patients each year. Therefore, floors, walls and ceilings must be carefully designed to enable effective cleaning, and all coatings and finishes should be chosen with this in mind. If a floor or wall finish is incompatible with cleaning agents, this may cause changes to the physical properties or quality of the finish, leading to softening or hardening, reduced flexibility, cracking, flaking or discoloring. This looks unsightly and can affect the efficacy of the cleaning regime.
When specifying wall, ceiling and floor finishes in healthcare facilities, it is imperative to consider the expected level of traffic for each area of use. If a finish can’t stand up to the use intensity in situ, cracks, tears and other defects can occur. Left uncorrected or repaired inadequately, these imperfections can negatively impact the cleaning regime, creating protected niches for microbial growth and biofilm formation and resulting in potential sources of infection.
Because healthcare facilities are subject to a range of hazardous substances, including bodily fluids, all floors, walls and ceilings should be smooth, nonporous, hard and seamless. Surfaces that are free of fissures, open joints and crevices are unable to retain or permit dirt and moisture passage, and they will not become breeding grounds for diseaseinducing microorganisms.
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