PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE
Microbes can have a detrimental impact on internal fixtures and fittings.
Antimicrobial technology supports the stringent cleaning practices that are in place to keep hospitals, health centres, and clinics hygienically clean. For example, the number of microbes on a plastic surface protected with our technology can be reduced by up to 86 per cent in just 15 minutes, and by up to 99.99 per cent in a 24-hour period. For protected paints and coatings, the number of microbes is again reduced by up to 86 per cent in just 15 minutes, and by up to 99.5 per cent in just two hours. Our technology is effective against a broad spectrum of bacteria, including E. coli, MRSA, Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Listeria, as well as mould, fungi, and some viruses, including influenza A H1N1, and also reduces a strain of feline coronavirus (Munich) by 90 per cent in two hours. The protection is continuous, and will last for the expected life of the product, paint, or coating; it cannot wear out or wash off.
Certified by food science body In addition, BioCote is the world’s only antimicrobial additive supplier certified by leading food science organisation, Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point International. Our antimicrobial technology, and the quality processes around it, have been formally verified as ‘fit for purpose’ and safe for manufacture into food contact surfaces. Demand for antimicrobial products, paints, and coatings, is increasing, particularly for hygiene-critical environments such as hospitals. In fact, according to a report from Grand View Research, the healthcare end-use segment led the global antimicrobial plastics market, and accounted for more than 31 per cent share of the global revenue, in 2020. Our technology is utilised in many
products fitted and used in healthcare facilities – either being directly manufactured into products, or applied as a paint or coating. Examples include wall paint, wall cladding, resin flooring, wooden panels, traps, connectors, and waste pipes, lighting and light switches, buttons, door
40 Health Estate Journal April 2022
Antimicrobial technology might be used on an entire item, or key touchpoints – such as side guards, buttons, and levers.
handles, beds, furniture, examination tables, trolleys, patient stretchers, bathroom fittings, hand dryers, and toilet partitions. Such surfaces can potentially harbour bacteria and other microbes for long periods; the H1N1 genome survives on surfaces for up to 24 hours, and MRSA and E. coli can survive on hard surfaces for several months. We also work with manufacturers of antimicrobial medical devices, such as ventilators, breathing circuits, catheters, and endoscopes. Antimicrobial technology might be used on an entire item, or just on key touchpoints – such as side guards, buttons, and levers, on a patient stretcher.
Stringent cleaning must continue Despite the benefits of antimicrobial technology, we cannot stress strongly enough that it is designed to work alongside stringent cleaning procedures to achieve higher standards of hygiene; it is not a substitute for these practices. Microbial contamination can adversely affect the long-term performance of healthcare facilities, and the services offered in them. Meanwhile, microbes can detrimentally impact on internal fixtures and fittings, products, and equipment, causing early material degradation, odours, and staining. Manufacturers supplying products to the healthcare sector are increasingly integrating antimicrobial additives into their products. Protecting against the growth of microbes, antimicrobial technology helps to extend a product’s usable life, and works around the clock to support cleaning regimes, helping to keep healthcare environments hygienically clean.
Further reading n Concrete – Designing Buildings – The Construction Wiki. https://www.
designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Concrete
n Wei S, Jiang Z, Liu H, Zhou D, Sanchez- Silva M. Microbiologically induced deterioration of concrete – A Review (nih. gov). Braz J Micobiol 2013 Dec; 44 (4): 1001-1007.
n When the ravages of time gnaw on
reinforced concrete. European Coatings online, 8 August 2017. https://tinyurl. com/ye9k3nxr
n Antimicrobial Plastics Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product (Commodity, Engineering, High Performance), By End Use (Building & Construction, Automotive & Transportation), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2021 – 2028, June 2021. Report ID: GVR-4-68038-858-9.
https://tinyurl.com/ym8dryyj
David Hall
David Hall is the managing director at BioCote. Before ‘taking BioCote onto an exciting journey of continued growth and expansion’, he worked for LyondellBasell, one of the largest plastics, chemicals, and refining companies in the world. Alongside having over three decades of global sales experience, he has in-depth knowledge of supplying chemicals, engineering thermoplastics, masterbatches, and additives, into multiple market sectors. These include the building and construction, electrical and electronics, printing, oil and gas, automotive, flexible and rigid food packaging, hygiene and sanitary, and industrial sectors, spanning over 40 countries.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68
