Because of infection control in hospital, the most important feature of flooring is its hygiene. Bacteria are usually placed on the surface of the flooring, and due to the presence of pathogenic contamination in hospitals, the risks caused by the presence of bacteria on the surface of the flooring are higher in these places than in other places. The risk of infection and disease transmission in hospitals where floor cleaning is not done well is twofold. Bacteria don't penetrate non-porous surfaces, and alcohol-based cleaners work better on them against dust. On these surfaces, the remaining stains from detergent solutions containing iodine can be removed more easily. Also, the possibility of bacteria accumulation in seamless and integrated flooring (such as resin flooring including epoxy flooring, polyurethane flooring, and PMMA FloorCoatings) where the joint between the floor and the wall does not have a 90-degree angle is minimized.
Hospital Flooring Specifications
Halls and corridors are the most populated areas in a hospital or healthcare facility, so the flooring chosen for these places must have very high wear resistance.
In addition, the flooring should not be slippery to prevent injuries of patients and hospital staff. The purpose of using flooring is to create a beautiful and clean surface that has sufficient strength against the loads applied to the surface. The strength of hospital flooring depends on the type of flooring used. The mentioned surface, while resisting slipping and maintaining the safety of personnel and patients, should provide the possibility of easy movement of wheeled vehicles (such as stretchers, wheelchairs, etc.).
In addition, for infection control in hospital the flooring should be resistant to washing and there should be no possibility of water penetration to the surface below it. Because the infiltration of water under the flooring can not only lead to the delamination and peeling of the flooring due to the dissolution of its glue (like what happens in roll and tile PVC flooring), It will also provide a place prone to the growth of fungus under the PVC flooring.
The most suitable type of materials used for hospital floors are floors that have non-porous surfaces and do not allow microorganisms to penetrate them, so cleaning the surface using disinfectants will be successful in these cases and would prevent infection transmission such as epoxy flooring. Due to the presence of seams and joints, if ceramic, mosaic, and stone are used, there will be a possibility of microorganisms penetrating the seams and their development in these places, which will not be eliminated by simply washing the surface with disinfectants.
also read about: Operating Room Flooring
Click on the picture to see BASA Polymer's Types of Hospital Flooring projects.
According to what was said, among the most important features required from the flooring of hospitals and medical and health centers are:
1- The Integrity of the hospital flooring:
The integrity of the hospital floor and the lack of seams and gaps reduce the possibility of dust and pollution accumulation.
2- Non-Absorbent Surface:
One of the important Types of Hospital Flooring specifications is, The surface of the hospital flooring should not be porous, the surface should be completely waterproof, oil and other substances should not be spread on its surface, it should be resistant to all chemicals and it should not stain due to contact.
3- Accessibility:
In hospitals, it is very common to use wheelchairs and stretchers and walk patients with crutches. As a result, the flooring of the hospital specifications should be safe for the patients and provide comfortable movement.
4- Easy to Clean:
In health places such as hospitals and medical centers, the floor is cleaned several times a day. As a result, the flooring should be easy to clean. It should also be resistant to disinfectants because the flooring must be disinfected in these places.
Click here to read the epoxy floor cleaning and maintenance guide.
5- High Strength and Suitable Mechanical Resistance:
The floor of the hospital should not be damaged due to commuting and the movement of equipment on its surface.
6- Not Using Glue in the Installation of Flooring:
Floor coverings that are glued to the surface (like roll and tile PVC floor coverings) are at risk of delamination and peeling from the floor due to the dissolution or degradation of the adhesive used. Also, in the case of using local glue, there will be the accumulation of pollution and pathogens.
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