care sector – flooring
Exploring the increasing use of resin flooring to help reduce slips, trips and falls in care homes
Reducing the impact I
t’s not the sole responsibility of care home staff to ensure the safety of residents.
The design of buildings, and the
products fitted within them, can also play a part.
And flooring is particularly key as it can help to reduce instances of slips, trips and falls and encourage greater independence among residents.
Increasing risk By 2050 it is predicted that hip fractures will impact more than 4.5milion people worldwide every year, with the elderly and infirm among the most likely to suffer a hip fracture following a fall. This injury increases the likelihood of mortality within a year by 10-20% in women.
And over a third of those who sustain a hip fracture will endure a major decline in independence. This problem has shifted the focus onto flooring solutions in care homes; often the first line of defence against slips, trips and falls.
Sam McNaughton, technical services advisor at Sika Flooring, explains: “Some care home residents will be in wheelchairs, others will be walking
around using frames, and some will be able to walk unaided. Therefore, flooring needs to cater for people of all physical abilities.
“Ensuring the floor is seamless, level, and easy to clean is paramount to preventing trips, slips and falls. “The more joints there are; the higher the chance a resident will trip – even when walking with a frame – as their feet could be impeded by a joint.”
Clearer air Slippery, wet floors are another contributing factor. Therefore, care homes are
increasingly looking to specify specialist resin flooring solutions.
But, says McNaughton, it is important to understand the different type of floor installation areas in order to put forward a system that meets Health Service Executive (HSE) slip-resistant guidelines. “Many suppliers now manufacture seamless systems which can be finished with anti-slip agents, such as Sika’s ComfortFloor range, which is being installed in care homes across the UK,” she said.
“But, while resin flooring is increasing in popularity, so are the restrictions on the chemicals used within them. This is predominantly part of a bigger concern facing the construction industry in general, namely the focus on sustainability. “In terms of resin flooring, this is mainly tackled by reducing Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) that can be released during the application of the resin, and sometimes for a period after. “It results in air quality during
application and within the general environment being kept at the highest- possible level. “In turn, this increased air quality is better for people within the environment during application, reducing any potential complaints with regards to odours, etc.”
Targeting bacteria Moreover, this push has also led to the reduction of health warnings required on packaging, as manufacturers develop ever-cleaner alternatives. The ecological impact here is that packaging can be treated as normal, rather than special, waste. And, as resin flooring is more widely specified, seamless systems are being constantly improved.
McNaughton said: “This has two advantages. Firstly, the seams are the weakest point where any sheet system is likely to initially fail. “Secondly, floor seams harbour bacteria, which is clearly a massive issue in a health or care environment. “We expect this will continue to drive
care home flooring specification in the coming years.”
www.gbr.sika.com
healthcaredm.co.uk 23
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