infection control
Clean floors lower risks
Exploring how modern flooring products and cleaning regimes are helping to control the spread of infection in healthcare environments
D
espite routine cleaning, floors in healthcare facilities can harbour disease-causing germs.
As such, controlling contamination at floor level is fundamental; with cross infection one of the greatest threats to patients and staff. “In healthcare facilities, sweeping floors with a broom is not recommended as particles become airborne; while traditional wet mopping increases the risk of dirt and contaminants spreading to other areas”, explains James Taylor of Berry Global, parent company of infection control product specialist, Chicopee. “To maintain hygiene integrity, then, floors should be cleaned using a disposable dry mopping system.” Research shows that wet mopping stimulates the multiplication of micro- organisms, including MRSA. It also shows that where dry mopping precedes wet mopping, MRSA infestation rates are low. This is because this approach allows for dust, dirt, and other pathogens to be picked up without the need for chemicals or water. “Incidentally, it also leaves floors dry, avoiding the risk of slips, trips and falls,” said Taylor. In healthcare facilities, the use of disposable materials is preferred as
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single-use products ensure contaminants are not spread from one area to another.
Cross infection
The risk of contaminant retention and cross contamination as a result of ineffective laundering is also eliminated. For this reason, products such as Chicopee’s Stretch ’n Dust Light floor mops are becoming more and more popular. With their oil impregnation and 3D structure, they capture dust, dirt and pathogens and, as they are designed for single use, there is no risk of cross contamination. Diversey is also leading the way in flooring decontamination. Offering advice on specification and cleaning regimes, a spokesman told hdm: “Innovations in flooring continue to widen the choice of materials and finishes available. This makes the correct specification and use of floorcare products and equipment more complex because there is more to consider.”
He added: “In the healthcare sector
there there is a clear trend towards the specification of vinyl floors with a thin wear layer that requires no polish and, hence, has no shine. These are perceived to present a reduced risk of
slips and are also generally easier to maintain because they require no intermittent stripping and sealing.” Floors with wear layers can normally be cleaned using modern floorcare pads such as Twister by Diversey. Also in healthcare, there is an ongoing use of products containing chlorine as the active ingredient as part of infection prevention efforts.
Make your choice But these products can cause long-term degradation of the floor if not used correctly.
“One way to alleviate such concerns is to use a scrubber drier with effective dilution control which always applies the correct amount of solution to the floor and then removes it to leave the floor dry and ready to use,” said the spokesman.
He concludes: “The variety of floor type and the choice of equipment and products can present a bewildering set of choices.
“Nevertheless, by taking advice from expert suppliers, cleaning teams can introduce processes that improve results while being effective, productive and sustainable.”
www.diversey.com
www.chicopee.com
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