Giving washrooms a clean bill of health

Paul Mulready, marketing manager of Northwood Hygiene Products Ltd, discusses the importance of the washroom in healthcare settings.

Healthcare associated infections (HAIs) are not just a severe risk for patients, staff and visitors - they are costly to the NHS too. A recent global report from the World Health Organisation (WHO) on infection prevention and control (IPC) revealed that 70% of HAIs could be prevented by improved hygiene protocols. The report also stated that good hand and environmental hygiene in healthcare settings could more than halve the risk of dying as a result of infection and reduce long term health complications by 40%.

So how can the washroom help deliver hygiene, whilst also being sustainable?

Controlling use

With more pressure on washrooms than ever, we need to manage the consumption of disposable products. Preventing over usage is vital, so providers should look for high-capacity, controlled-use dispensers that restrict the use of consumables.

Sustainable choices

We must minimise global transportation by buying British-made products where possible and we should always ensure that paper products are made only from raw materials that have been sustainably sourced - either from recycled materials or from sustainably managed forests.

Northwood Hygiene, for instance, uses Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper within its UK manufactured Raphael range, as well as offering 100% recycled paper options. Our Raphael proprietary washroom system helps washrooms to provide superior hygiene, whilst offering strong environmental benefits. Widely used in healthcare settings, including the Galway Clinic and practices in Harley Street, Raphael delivers cost-in-use, performance and sustainability. The high-capacity Raphael collection comprises four hand towel and two toilet tissue dispensers, along with a soap dispenser.

Infection buster

Designed to optimise hygiene in the highest traffic washrooms, Raphael’s soap dispensers deliver a generous shot to encourage single, efficient use.

The Raphael hand drying dispensers provide contactless dispensing and the toilet tissue dispenser incorporates BioKleen technology to inhibit the growth or spread of bacteria. Made from a single-piece shell, the dispensers are easy to wipe clean and all towels and rolls are fully enclosed for added hygiene.

The TwinJumbo high-capacity proprietary toilet roll dispenser holds up to 800m of roll to minimise the need for frequent replenishment, whilst an infinity paper system allows users to replenish one roll at a time to eliminate waste and deliver cost savings.

The roll towel dispensers hold up to 250 sheets each, providing around 500 dries, with some offering stub-roll transfer to ensure zero waste. The hand drying systems dispense one at a time flat sheets to avoid overuse and the folded towel dispenser has a 1000-sheet capacity. The dispensers do not free roll, helping to reduce over usage.

Washrooms are essential in the fight against infection in the hospital and healthcare sector and, with the right choice of products, they can also make a valuable contribution to sustainability too.

WWW.NORTHWOOD.CO.UK

UK based resin specialist, Resient Labs has launched an antimicrobial floor polish that is claimed to combat harmful microbes like E.coli, MRSA and Salmonella for the lifetime of the polish.

In addition to the unique antimicrobial properties, Resient has formulated the polish to be low in VOCs and completely eliminated the need for additives that lead to the release of chemicals such as formaldehyde. Resient’s product is also free of alkylphenol ethoxylates, commonly found in floor polishes, which degrade to form phenols. Alongside the antimicrobial floor polish, Resient has developed a cleaner/ maintainer which is free of phosphates and harmful actives, continuing the company’s drive to provide safer products without compromising on performance.

WWW.RESIENTLABS.COM

A management software to improve the workflow of the UK workforce has arrived in the UK. The software, called CleanManager, is developed by the same named company, and originates from Denmark, where it has been on the market for almost 12 years. CleanManager first started exporting to Germany and has now finally entered the British market.

The co-owner of CleanManager, Frantz Furrer, said:

“The UK market is very similar to the Danish cleaning industry, and has even more similarities compared to Germany, eg types of cleaning tasks. Our software is already translated to English, and both our support and sales teams are ready to help our British customers.” CleanManager was founded by Frantz Furrer and Jakob Witte Larsen. Both studied informatics and while Furrer worked a side job as a cleaning assistant, he noticed how much time was wasted planning tasks manually. The two students decided to develop a software solution and founded the company CleanManager, which today has more than 8000 active users.

WWW.CLEANMANAGER.UK

KIMBERLY-Clark Professional is introducing 100% bio-based and recyclable core plugs in its Scott and Kleenex hand towel ranges across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The plastic-free core plugs are made primarily from starch and fibre, replacing plastic core plugs currently in use. It is estimated to reduce plastic by over 30 tons every year - the equivalent weight of 1.5 million plastic bottles.

“I am proud that we are designing innovative products with circularity in mind and taking this step to eliminate unnecessary plastic in our hand towel range with this game-changing solution,” said Olena Neznal, vice president of Kimberly-Clark Professional in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. “In doing so, we are reducing plastic waste, helping our customers improve their recycling rates, and saving cleaning professionals’ time.”

WWW.KCPROFESSIONAL.COM

CENTREGO, the manufacturer of Toucan Eco cleaning and disinfection systems, has completed the first carbon footprint audit for its Toucan Eco Active Plus system.

The business, which manufactures Toucan Eco systems distributed in the UK by Robert Scott, commissioned international environmental consultancy Force Technology to complete an independent carbon footprint audit of its Toucan Eco Active Plus system to evidence its environmental impact throughout its expected lifespan.

Toucan Eco audit reveals low CO2 emissions

The Toucan Eco Active Plus system is designed to generate cleaning and disinfection solutions on-site using only water, salt and electrolysis. The carbon emissions footprint was calculated by analysing two areas of the system. The first was the amount of CO2 emitted from the manufacturing of the systems, and the second was the amount of CO2 emitted from the production of one litre of activated, ready-to-use, solution.

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Tony Crinion

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Steve Diprose

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Paul Michael

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The results of the independent audit indicate that the CO2 emissions to manufacture and install one Toucan Eco Active Plus system is 263 kg CO2 equivalent. The CO2 emissions to produce one litre of activated ready-to-use solution is 3.07 g CO2 equivalent. To put this into context, running a laptop for an hour would produce the same CO2 emissions as generating 8.8 litres of activated, ready-to-use, Toucan Eco solution, and boiling a kettle once would produce the same CO2 emissions as generating five litres of activated, ready-to-use, solution.

Robin Turner, founder and director of Centrego, said: “Our aim for commissioning an independent carbon footprint audit was to provide our customers with accurate analysis into the environmental impact of our products for use as part of their own environmental due diligence and as a way to effectively compare cleaning and disinfection products across the market. The audit clearly demonstrates that our systems are not carbon zero – energy is used to manufacture, transport and install the system. However, the carbon emissions and environmental impact of adopting and using the systems to generate cleaning and disinfection solutions are extremely low when compared to the production and distribution of synthetic chemicals, and the disposal of single-use plastic containers and other packaging. By quantifying our own product’s environmental impact, we aim to provide a benchmark against which other alternatives can be assessed.”

WWW.TOUCANECO.CO.UK

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