Feature


Improving Building Hygiene – Where Does Door Hardware Fit In?


Daniel May, Director at Consort Architectural Hardware, discusses the role door hardware plays in improving hygiene within public building environments.


Health and hygiene are delicate themes, particularly in today’s settings. Both our homes and public building environments can have a huge impact on our wellbeing, and over the past few years, this fact has only been exemplified.


and every 30 minutes, the average person is said to touch surfaces that expose them to 840,000 germs2 These germs are


prevalent in


Eighty percent of common infections are spread by touch1


. buildings too, where


touchpoints are areas or items that are used by several individuals. Within workplace environments for example, door handles are the most touched surface3


and can be associated with cross-contamination and health risks.


At present, the need to improve hygiene within our building environments, understandably, carries a greater significance than it maybe once did. But in truth, when it comes to building design, the process of protecting occupants and visitors against infection - especially those most vulnerable - should never be overlooked.


Design For Bacteria Control


Over the past two years, we’ve seen building environments closed, reopened and the process repeated. The idea of reducing footfall in facilities was key in fighting the rising infection rates associated with the coronavirus. But now, that footfall has returned.


26 fmuk


Once again, those critical touchpoints such as door handles are harbouring germs. In fact, research has shown that the coronavirus can survive on surfaces for hours4


same can be said for the common flu5


In response, we’ve seen government campaigns promoting hand washing6


, sanitising and distance-making


in the wake of a return to public facilities. Undoubtedly, infection control methods such as hand washing and systematic cleaning are the most guaranteed way of controlling cross-contamination - yet, still these methods can become redundant when faced with human error or relaxed conventions within public buildings.


Building design can play an important role here. Daniel May, Director at Consort explains: “We’re at a point where decision makers are under pressure to keep building hygiene standards as high as ever before. And outside of the clear-cut hygiene measures, it’s understood that more can be done throughout the building design process, with architectural hardware selection at the core of decisions.


“Door hardware is the first touchpoint when entering, exiting or navigating a building, and can be one of the most bacteria-ridden. Yet, the latest in hardware advancements


, and even days on metal door handles - and the .


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