FEATURE HEAT WITH PURPOSE
Specifying radiators for healthcare environments demands a heightened focus on safety and reliability. Here, Richard Lister, National Sales Manager at Clyde Radiators, outlines how to make informed choices that keep people safe while maintaining essential comfort and efficiency.
In hospital environments, where patient wellbeing is paramount, it is crucial that the safety of building services, such as heat emitters is also prioritised. Radiators, though essential for ensuring comfortable temperatures, can pose risks if not properly specified. One of the most fundamental considerations to take into account is managing surface temperature to prevent injury. As healthcare facilities continue to modernise, understanding and implementing best practices for radiator safety is more important than ever.
PROMOTING SAFETY
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) document Managing the Risks from Hot Water and Surfaces in Health and Social Care, which NHS guidance points to, states that the surface temperature of heat emitters in healthcare settings must not exceed 43C. This reduces the risk of burns if a patient was to fall against the emitter and was unable to reposition themselves.
Although this can be achieved by fitting low surface temperature covers onto standard radiators to prevent direct contact with the hot surface, this significantly impacts the performance of the radiator, reducing the heat emitted by as much as 60%. Additionally, this will not only impact the efficiency of the system, but it will also increase the energy used, making an alternative solution the most advisable choice.
ALTERNATIVES
A suitable alternative to standard heating solutions is low surface temperature (LST) emitters, which are designed to not exceed the 43C surface temperature. These work on the same water- based (hydronic) heating system as traditional radiators but use a convector to heat the space. As it does not rely on radiant heat, the convector can be safely housed within a casing without a
loss of efficiency, which means the surface remains below the required 43C.
From an energy efficiency and comfort perspective, LST radiators also offer more control. With a lower water content compared to a steel radiator, the LST can heat up quicker and be more responsive. Alongside this, the fins that make up the convector body have been engineered for a maximised surface area, this will increase the efficiency, reducing the energy needed to heat a space. To prevent overheating, which can cause serious issues in a healthcare environment, it is advised to also install thermostatic radiator valves (TRV) to automatically control the output of each emitter based on the temperature of the room. Some LST emitters also feature pencil-proof grilles that allow optimum airflow whilst preventing residents from accidently coming into direct contact with the convector.
COMPATIBILITY
For hospital environments, it is important to consider how new heat emitters will be integrated with existing systems. This can be a difficulty as many hospitals were constructed decades ago. However, LST heat emitters can be easily retrofitted to an existing water-based heating system and designs from manufacturers such as Clyde are available in a range of different sizes and models to suit spaces of any dimensions.
Finding the balance between effective and efficient heating whilst ensuring the safety of hospital patients can be difficult. However, LST emitters can offer a safe solution that meets the NHS and HSE guidelines with no alterations to the system needed where they are retrofitted into an existing installation.
www.clyderadiators.co.uk
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www.tomorrowscare.co.uk
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