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infection control


and a rigorous infection control regime while preventing potentially-life- changing injuries such as scalding? HTM 04-01 recognises the benefits of


thermostatic mixing valves (TMVs) because of their value in accurately controlling temperature. TMVs guarantee water pressure between hot and cold water supplies is maintained, even if there are water pressure or temperature fluctuations. Digital TMVs are the latest innovation


in this area, offering precise temperature control, the ability to set flow times, and a range of hygiene flushing options, such as duty flushing and thermal disinfection. As it is not possible to determine


which taps and showers will require duty flushing; the default for most hospitals is to manually duty flush all taps and showers and, importantly, to manually log this. This can introduce the possibility of


disinfection of hot and cold water services will also be necessary when an outlet is not being frequently used, when control measures have not been effective, or when there is microbial contamination of the water system as a result of an outbreak, or suspected outbreak, of Legionella. Further, HTM 04-01 recommends that


duty flushing ‘should form part of the daily cleaning process’ and that the ‘procedure for such practice should be fully documented and covered by written instructions’. This is, of course, good practice and


important, but detailed record keeping, in particular, introduces additional cost and resource implications.


temperatures. Thermal disinfection requires raising


water temperature to above 60°C and flushing each affected outlet for at least five minutes at that maintained temperature. In some water systems, where


temperature is difficult to maintain for example, additional chemical and physical methods may be required. Cleaning, duty flushing, and


Advances in technology Since Legionella is widespread in the environment, it’s almost impossible to prevent it from entering water systems. The risk of an outbreak developing


can be reduced by storing water at a temperature of at least 60°C. But, while an effective control method, this does present a scalding risk to users and this is on the Department of Health’s ‘never events’ list. So, we’re faced with the question: how can you maintain patient safety


Monitoring data from different outlets allows close comparison of water usage across a facility, for example, and staff can adjust flow times, temperatures and duty flush schedules appropriately.


inadvertent human error and can often mean many high-use outlets are flushed unnecessarily as there is no way to tell which outlets are used regularly and which are not. Digital valves not only allow the duty


flushing to be automatically programmed according to the specific requirements; they are also capable of recording the event and creating a digital log.


Connectivity Arguably the most-significant advancements with digital controls have concerned the ability to network taps and showers. This is an exciting prospect for a healthcare facility. In simple terms it means


temperatures, flow times, and essential control measures can be set, managed and logged remotely. With this information available on


demand, estates and facility managers are able take informed action much more quickly than at present. Monitoring data from different


outlets allows close comparison of water usage across a facility, for example, and staff can adjust flow times, temperatures and duty flush schedules appropriately. This allows hospitals to adopt a


more-sustainable water management programme while achieving a greater level of precision and accuracy. Maintaining a safe and compliant


hospital water system is understandably a complex challenge. However, the good news is we already have the technology at our fingertips to provide a more-effective and efficient way of water management in healthcare facilities.


www.radacontrols.com healthcaredm.co.uk 49


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