Tag: NHS

2016 Blogs

Why Has Anti-Microbial Technology Become So Popular?

Post author By Rap Industries
Post date June 19, 2016

The slogan; “kills 99.9% of bacteria” has been thrown around for quite a few years now, often with the response being, “but what about the 0.1%”? Traditionally these have been integrated with ad campaigns for soaps and cleaning products, but you can now start to see them seeping into furniture and far more permanent products. We’ve previously explored how anti-microbial technology is being used to make cleaner and healthier environments, but this doesn’t explain why companies are looking to integrate it more and more. Who knows, they’re even trying to add it to water to create clean water supplies, but let’s be a bit realistic…

Creating Healthy Environments:

For all the extravagant phrasing, there is an element of truth behind these fluffy sentences. The technology behind anti-microbial surfaces has been proven to reduce the spread of bacteria. Killing it is certainly a bit extreme, however the silver ions which are added to the protective coating discourage bacteria from growing and spreading. In simple terms, the silver interrupts the chemical reactions required for bacteria to survive, and by damaging this, the surface no longer provides the basis for the bacteria to survive.

While this does not mean it is time to abandon basic personal hygiene, it does mean that illness and disease is deterred from spreading, therefore safeguarding busy environments against what can become ideal conditions for aggressive bacteria. This is particularly the case in hospitals where different bacteria can be carried in from multiple patients, and subsequently spreading them is far more common. Even if you consider your office to be fairly safe, it’s fairly common in most businesses that batches of staff will be affected by the winter flu or the common cold, and anti-microbial technology is a crucial component in preventing that from spreading.

Integrated Design:

By integrating silver ions into powder coating, anti-microbial technology can now be applied to a wide range of products. From notice boards to partition screens, you can find the technology being applied to a host of products which you can commonly find in the workplace. What makes this ideal is that the technology does not have to look out of place and it can be added to pre-existing designs in order to retain the existing aesthetic of the environment.

Furthermore, with a growing selection on offer, if it is your goal to produce a healthier and more productive environment, then there is the option to work with a manufacturer to design and develop the products to adapt seamlessly with your environment. This allows you to pick sizes, colours and more so you can create the ideal healthy spaces.

Fear Factor:

Certainly, one of the factors which has boosted the popularity of anti-bacterial technology has been the emergence of media reports citing ‘anti-biotic resistant bacteria’, and this presents the challenge that our environments need to continue to develop in order to be successful. While design has noticeably changed over the past decade, this has meant a growth in smart devices designed to create healthier work spaces. However, it is only now that the fear factor is growing and with it, anti-microbial technology is really gaining traction.

While there is some basis to the reports, it is interesting to note that the silver ions are increasingly being researched due to their innate ability of being able to prevent the spread of bacteria. If bacteria truly are becoming more resistant to traditional soaps and cleaning products, then introducing anti-microbial technology will at least be able to help prevent the spread at the source.

For information on our Safeguard Medical Screens which incorporate the anti-microbial technology and how they can benefit your environment, please call 01733 394941 or send an e-mail to sales@rapind.com.

Tags HealthierEnvironment, MedicalScreens, NHS

2016 Blogs

Why Anti-Bacterial Screens Have Become An Important Addition in Medical Environments…

Post author By Rap Industries
Post date June 7, 2016

You’ve probably seen the warning signs in the media, speculating on antibiotic resistant bacteria that will leave humans exposed. In which case, it can be easy to get carried away with the headlines while ignoring the facts. While, it is true, in the sense that bacteria are adapting to the drugs that we use, but it is also true that we are adapting to the way that bacteria develop. In fact, there is a material which has been around for thousands of years which is more effective at fighting off the miniscule microbes. We’ve explored how Anti-Bacterial Material Prevent the Spread of Bacteria and Diseases? Silver is a key component in products boasting “kills 99.9% of bacteria”, and now it is possible to integrate this into furniture and more to stop bacteria before it even has a chance to spread.

How Are They Composed?

Safeguard Medical Screens are designed to integrate and improve upon traditional screens that you can expect to see in hospitals and clinics. While initially planned to provide privacy, medical screens have seen significant improvement over the years to further enhance the environments that surround them. Now, they are composed of a lightweight core, which first and foremost makes them easy to use, so it is simple to make the most of the space available and adjust areas if required.

Within the panel, silver ions are integrated into the lining as well as coated across the panel, and as we explored before, this helps to weaken the bacteria, making it vulnerable to cleaning products and more. The anti-bacterial fabric is available in a range of vibrant colours, which aids in brightening up medical environments and veering away from the whitewashed approach.

Which Medical Environments Are They Best Suited to:

Hospitals are the obvious beneficiaries of what Safeguard Medical Screens have to offer. A major advantage is that they can be tailor made to adapt to the environment, in short, if they are required for privacy, then the size can be adjusted. If you plan to use them in waiting rooms then the width can be changed. The addition of the anti-bacterial technology can assist in reducing the spread of illness and infection and help to keep those visiting hospitals healthy from other afflictions.

This kind of benefit can be easily transferred to clinics and other small locations which operate under the same circumstances. In these environments in particular, making the most of the space available can be very valuable. So, with medical screens which are easy to move, your space can be used to full effectiveness and utilised for multiple purposes. As a result, you can preserve a significant chunk of your budget, simply by installing temporary screens rather than having a permanent wall built.

How Can They Help You?

Safeguard Medical Screens are not restricted to just medical environments however. Illness is a common factor in reducing productivity and introducing anti-bacterial screens in order to reduce this can only help to boost the health and wellbeing of staff. While there has been plenty said regarding the mental wellbeing of employees, it is equally important to strive to have a healthy workforce who are in the right state both physically and mentally to perform to the best of their ability.

This is particularly prevalent in medical environments where it is imperative to reduce the spread of bacteria, especially when visitors are those who can be most susceptible and at risk of even the common cold. It is true that anti-bacterial materials are not the ultimate answer to this, but when combined with other preventative measures, they can go a long way to reducing the spread of illness and infections.

If you would like to find out more about the Safeguard Medical Screens and how they can integrate into your environment, then please call us on 01733 394941 or send an e-mail to sales@rapind.com.

Tags AntiBacterialScreens, MedicalScreens, NHS, ReduceInfection

2016 Blogs

How Can Anti-Bacterial Material Prevent the Spread of Bacteria and Diseases?

Post author By Rap Industries
Post date June 5, 2016

Considering how miniscule and uncontrollable bacteria is, it’s quite remarkable that there is a material which can wipe it out almost entirely. While it feels like we’ve only recently started seeing the phrase anti-bacterial being sprayed around recently, even ancient civilisations had found out about the amazing properties of silver. The Phoenicians (around where is now modern day Lebanon and Syria) used to store water, wine and vinegar in silver containers which killed bacteria and helped to preserve the contents. This quite incredible ability has seen silver being widely used in medical instruments to prevent infection and even encourage natural cell growth.

How Does It Work?

Even Hippocrates, one of the most outstanding figures in the history of medicine, had used silver to treat ulcers and wounds, but for thousands of years, we have been unable to uncover quite how the metal compound does it. While interest in it has waned with the advent of anti-biotics, the obsession over silver is growing once again due to the threat of antibiotic resistance of bacterial cells.

Without getting too technical, silver works by interrupting iron and sulphur cells within the bacteria, which as a result leads to severe damage to the cell and leaves them more susceptible to conventional anti-biotics. By integrating silver into dissolved ions, this means this can be applied to many surfaces to weaken bacteria, and then another layer is added which is capable of killing off the cells.

The possibilities of this were discovered if inadvertently thousands of years ago and have saved the lives of many, especially during World War 1, where bandages included silver which helped to protect wounds and to encourage the growth of new cells. Not only did this safeguard against infection, but it also helped wounds to heal quickly and more effectively.

Where Else Can It Be Used?

This property makes silver an outstanding compound to be used with various pieces of medical equipment including; surgical tools, furniture and even door handles in order to prevent the spread of diseases in highly volatile environments. Especially with the growth of so called ‘superbugs’ such as MRSA, the potential for a metal to weaken its defences poses a promising solution to stop an outbreak.

However, it is not just hospitals and medical environments where anti-bacterial silver can be highly beneficial. Its ability to fight off infection and diseases makes it a unique but practical solution in schools or in workplaces where the spread of disease can be high. At Rap Industries, the Safeguard Medical Screen incorporates this technology to create a surface which kills 99.9% of bacteria and helps to divide as well as protect busy working environments from debilitating illnesses.

Elsewhere, you can start to find glass which is beginning to incorporate silver, meanwhile food packaging increasingly has it included so that the contents can remain fresher for longer. There has even been the suggestion that silver could be added to water in order to purify it. What makes silver so beneficial in this space is that, unlike other metals which can kill bacteria, silver is non-toxic to humans.

What Does the Future Hold?

The potential for an anti-bacterial compound provides the opportunity for substantial research into how it can be effectively utilised. From purifying water to fighting off increasingly anti-biotic resistant bacteria, the potential of minimising it down to the size of ions could make it incredibly effective in a variety of environments. Integrating it into workplaces and schools increases protection against illness and as a result, can boost productivity and learning.

For more information on the Safeguard Medical Screens and how effective they could be in your environment, then please give us a call on 01733 394941 or send an e-mail to sales@rapind.com and our advisors would be more than happy to help.

Tags AntiBacterial, NHS, SafeGuard