Why Gradus full system solutions are the gold standard for healthcare interiors
In healthcare environments, getting the right balance between hygiene, safety, durability and aesthetics is crucial.
At Gradus, alongside our parent company Gerflor, we provide an entire solution for walls, floors and accessories, to ensure every surface, junction and detail meets stringent NHS safety standards to keep patients and healthcare professionals safe.
In this blog, we’ll discuss the options available from Gradus and Gerflor, and how these solutions can help you to build safe and healthy healthcare environments.
How can Gradus Wall Protection improve hygiene and safety in buildings?
Corridors and circulation areas are some of the busiest parts of a hospital building. Often welcoming thousands of people every day, the walls in these spaces are the first to become damaged from trolleys, foot traffic and equipment. Because so many people pass through these areas continuously, it’s important to ensure the walls are protected and free from damage, not just for aesthetic reasons, but also to make sure that harmful bacteria isn’t lurking in the surface.
Our SureProtect Endure wall cladding is specifically designed for these busy spaces. Available in 35 colours to suit most interior design schemes, SureProtect Endure offers a durable layer to protect walls underneath. Its textured finish helps to conceal the effects of abrasion, while reducing the need for costly maintenance in the long run.
In addition, all of the colours in the SureProtect Endure range are accredited by the Dementia Services Development Centre (DSDC), so you can confidently specify these in dementia-inclusive environments.
In hygiene critical areas, such as operating theatres or clean rooms, our SureProtect Pure wall cladding is the perfect solution to help achieve sterility. Its smooth surface removes the need for grouting, which can often harbour bacteria, and makes it much easier to clean. Available in 35 colours, SureProtect Pure provides the perfect wall protection solution that balances hygiene and aesthetics. As well as this, the 24 satin finish SureProtect Pure colours are accredited by the Dementia Services Development Centre (DSDC), and are suitable for use in dementia care environments.
Both SureProtect Endure and SureProtect Pure comply with the National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness as set out by the NHS, so specifiers can confidently choose our products knowing that they meet best practice guidelines.
At the Broad Street Community Diagnostic Centre in Halifax, the team selected a suite of our wall protection solutions to protect surfaces across the facility. SureProtect Endure was installed in circulation areas, while SureProtect Pure was fitted in the staff kitchen as a splashback. Read the full case study to find out more about how a full system of wall protection enhanced aesthetics while providing high levels of cleanliness.
How do corner guards and handrails improve patient safety in healthcare buildings?
In very high circulation areas, such as corridors and waiting rooms, specifying additional wall protection is a must. On top of selecting one of our high-performance wall cladding options, we would also recommend a wall protection profile, such as corner guards, hand rails or bumper rails.
These often overlooked, but crucial elements, not only protect vulnerable areas of a wall but also aid wayfinding for visitors.
Our PVC-u Corner Guards protect one of the most vulnerable areas of a building, often targeted by wheeled traffic. Installing PVC-u Corner Guards in these spaces can help to protect wall corners while reducing long-term maintenance costs.
Elsewhere in circulation areas, hand rails should be installed, not just to add to the surface protection, but also to help visitors with wayfinding and to create more accessible spaces. Multiple profiles are available depending on the types and levels of pedestrian traffic.
Capping and coving are arguably the most important aspects to consider when choosing wall protection for a healthcare setting. The spaces where the floor joins the wall can be a breeding ground for bacteria and dirt, and is often hard to reach and clean by mechanical cleaning tools.
Installing Cove Formers is a great way to eliminate these red zones. Cove Formers provide a neat transition between a wall and the floor, eliminating dirt traps and making for easier cleaning processes. These are often combined with Capping Seals, which offer a decorative finish.
Corners of a building are notorious for harbouring dirt. They’re not easy to clean with mechanical aids and for this reason, they’re often missed. That’s why we introduced the Clean Corner System, designed to make these areas easier to clean while reducing infection risks.
The patented solution makes coving easier in internal and external corners when installing vinyl floor coverings, creating a watertight seal with less welding.
Implementing these additional wall protection measures can also help buildings comply with Approved Document M of Building Regulations.
How can Gradus Wall Protection help implement biophilic design to improve health and wellbeing?
Clinical spaces don’t have to feel sterile. Many patients could be going through a difficult time, and walking into a sterile space can heighten anxiety further.
Our SureProtect Artworx wall cladding offers the perfect solution. With the samehygienic qualities as the rest of our wall protection range, SureProtect Artworx allows any image to be printed onto the surface, with many healthcare providers opting for nature-based imagery. This is called biophilic design, a principle which integrates nature to promote wellbeing and productivity while reducing stress and increasing mental clarity.
Available in a single sheet, or multiple sheets so a design can stretch out across a large wall, specifying SureProtect Artworx in waiting rooms or paediatric units is a great way of promoting positivity while protecting the walls underneath from damage.
At the Evelina London Children’s Day Treatment Centre, the team selected SureProtect Artworx in a bespoke, space-themed design to create a calming atmosphere for young patients, who are often receiving treatments for rare or complex conditions. Read the case study to find out more about how the project came together.
Why is installing stair edgings essential in healthcare settings?
It’s not just the walls that need additional levels of protection in a healthcare setting. Improper stair edgings can cause slips, trips and falls, so it’s important to ensure a correctly specified stair edging is in place to prevent this.
Our XT Stair Edgings provide superior slip resistance, and the selection of inserts available offer the right visual contrast to meet BS8300 and Building Regulations for accessibility.
Available in bronze, aluminium and PVC-u profiles with a choice of inserts depending on the interior conditions, XT Stair Edgings are crucial to any multi-level healthcare space to prevent falls and protect visitors and staff.
At the Caudwell International Children’s Centre in Newcastle-under-Lyme, their team selected XT Aluminium stair edgings with an Interior insert, ideal for use in dry conditions. By choosing this combination, users of the building benefit from the unique design which wraps around the entire leading edge of the step, ensuring contact is always made with the slip-resistant element of the stair edging.
How can entrance matting help reduce slips and trips in healthcare environments?
Stopping dirt and moisture from entering the building is the first step in infection control.
We offer a range of entrance matting which traps moisture, dirt and debris at the door, preventing it from being trodden into the building. By encapsulating the dirt before people step foot into the building, internal floor coverings are protected from damage and cleaning costs can be significantly reduced
A layered approach to entrance matting should be considered in particularly busy healthcare spaces:
- Install primary barrier matting, such as our Esplanade range, at exterior entrances removes dirt before visitors step foot in the building.
- Add a mix of primary matting and hybrid barrier matting, such as Mat-in-a-Box, at interior entrances to remove and retain any excess dirt.
- Finally, install secondary barrier matting, like our Boulevard range, in internal circulation areas, to ensure all dirt is removed.
The Laura Mitchell Health & Wellbeing Centre in Halifax provides Tier 3 Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) to children and young people in the Calderdale region. They selected our Boulevard entrance matting for two entrances to help keep floors clean and free of dirt. Read the full case study to find out more about the benefits.
How do floor coverings from Gerflor enhance aesthetics and hygiene?
In busy healthcare environments, it’s also important to consider the floor coverings used throughout the building.
Our parent company Gerflor offer a range of floor coverings suited to many different areas of a healthcare space, which not only offer high levels of hygiene, but also enhance aesthetics.
Mipolam Symbioz™ and Mipolam Affinity are homogeneous sheet floor coverings that are ideal for heavy use areas that are likely to experience high levels of wheeled traffic, such as in wards, operating theatres and corridors. Treated with Evercare™, a revolutionary surface treatment, plus anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties, these compacted floorings are easy to clean and maintain, and stains can be safely and hygienically removed using minimal water or detergent. Available in a wide range of colours, there’s a Mipolam flooring solution to suit every healthcare design scheme.
For reception areas and treatment rooms, a Gerflor’s Taralay Impression collection is a unique, durable and long lasting floorcovering. Available in Compact, Acoustic and HOP formats, Taralay Impression is available in 96 contemporary finishes, and is treated with Protecsol® for easy cleaning and maintenance. Taralay Impression Acoustic delivers outstanding acoustic 19dB performance, helping to create a quieter and more comfortable environment for patients and staff. Taralay Impression HOP is an innovative loose lay collection, ideal for fast renovations where quick and easy refurbishments are required with minimal downtime on site.
The Tarasafe family of safety floor coverings offer a comprehensive suite of decors, with enhanced slip resistant properties and are suitable for most areas of a healthcare building: Tarasafe H2O for bathrooms and wet rooms, , Tarasafe Standard, Tarasafe Ultra and Tarasafe Impression for corridors and wards, and Tarasafe Super for kitchen areas. Note Tarasafe Ultra is also available in a HOP Loose lay format for fast renovation works. The Tarasafe ranges provide specifiers with a wide choice of high-quality, high performance, slip resistant floorings that also meet Health and Safey Executive (HSE) guidelines.
In waiting areas and treatment rooms, it’s important to consider the colour palettes used, to create calming and restful places for patients. Gerflor’s DLW Marmorette and Colorette collections are perfectly suited for these spaces and are available in bright and neutral tones, designs are inspired by nature and the landscape. DLW Linoleum floorings deliver exceptional scratch and stain resistance, thanks to the innovative Neocare™ surface treatment, making them easy to clean and maintain and with no need to compromise on their performance.
Why should you choose a full system from one manufacturer?
Adopting a full system approach to specification in healthcare environments has many benefits.
By selecting products from a single manufacturer, you receive direct support from experts who know the system inside and out, and you’ll be assured that all the products are designed to work together seamlessly, from wall protection to stair edgings.
Healthcare interiors are complex and demanding – there are lots of different aspects to consider, from safety and durability to hygiene and design. But when you choose to work with Gradus, you’ll unlock access to a partner who understands exactly what these spaces require. Our solutions can help you create safe, hygienic spaces which not just look good, but perform too.
Explore our full range of healthcare solutions on our website: www.gradus.com