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Hospitals & Healthcare
Hospitals & Healthcare · Scandinavia
Decontamination in Hospitals and Healthcare Facilities is a must.
Different types of contamination can affect hospital/laboratory and other healthcare facilities at any time.
In many cases, healthcare facilities and associated laboratories consist of a work environment that is constantly being adapted to adjust for any physical, chemical and/or biological agents that are being worked with.
As the work is not as straight forward as a general 9-5 workday shift, there are potentially serious risks for exposure to contamination in various forms, and significant challenges for a large range of personnel responsible to ensure the health and safety of the workers/ staff, patients, and visitors.
The Physical Forms
The physical forms of contamination may involve matter in a number of states. Including gases, vapours, liquids, solids (particulates) and/or combinations of states, such as aerosols and liquids in gas dusts such as mists and solid in gas dust, such as foams.
Matter that compromises decontamination, summarises the states of a multiphase system which effects particulates, bubbles and aerosol contamination in hospital and healthcare facilities.
The Hazards of Physical Agents
There are many additional factors impacting on the need to control contamination within the healthcare setting.
Healthcare facilities and associated laboratories often utilise physical agents (which may pose a health and/or safety hazard, and a contamination consideration),
These include lasers and radiofrequency energy including electric and/or magnetic field components; lower frequency fields, such as those associated with such equipment as video display terminals; and extremely low frequency (ELF) fields, such as those associated with power transmission.
Dycem Decontamination Mats combat this because they are naturally dissipative and can protect areas subject to potential electrostatic activity.
It should also be said that performing certain procedures/operations within hospital and healthcare settings can generate especially large amounts of contamination.
Exposure to multiple chemicals, single or multiple physical agents, and single or multiple biological agents can occur in the healthcare setting. Various combinations and permutations of chemicals, physical agents, and biological contamination are possible.
While occupational (and in many cases, environmental) exposure standards exist for humans for many chemicals, for most physical agents, and for some biological agents, the assumption that is generally made is that the individual contamination exists alone, and is not in combination with other agents. In other words, standards generally do not exist for exposure to multiple agents.
Contamination issues also relates to contaminated laundry, which is usually laundry which has been soiled with blood or other potentially infectious materials, or may contain sharps.
This could be hazardous to anyone who comes into contact or any product that might be contaminated by sharps.
The Chemical Forms
Exposure to chemicals may involve the pure chemical, mixtures of chemicals, chemicals in solution, It also might involve the chemical as an airborne contaminant, as a byproduct of a chemical reaction, as an impurity, and as an aqueous solution, etc.
Contamination may include: toxic, corrosive, infectious, radioactive, flammable, chemically reactive/explosive, extremely volatile (thereby producing rapid cooling of the skin, should contact occur), and/or quite possibly, odiferous/smelly, or otherwise hazardous materials.
These concerns involve not only the starting chemicals and materials in use within the healthcare facilities and associated laboratories, but also the generation of new chemicals and materials, or byproducts; chemicals and materials in storage; and chemicals and materials released during the performance of acts such as: waste handling and disposal; compacting; composting; incineration; the performance of certain custodial, repair, updating, and/or maintenance procedures; some training procedures; and emergency operations, etc.
Also, contamination may include infectious organisms, including bacteria, their spores, fungi, viruses, yeasts, etc. (i.e., microbiological materials, called biological contamination or biocontamination).
In addition, contamination exists in possible exposures to various parasites (including various worms, ticks, lice, fleas, etc.), and even to “critters” like leeches (yes, they are still used medically for certain procedures); and some botanicals (such as molds, plant spores, and pollens).
Biocontamination may consist of infectious solid particulate in air, infectious liquid droplets in air (sometimes called “droplet nuclei”), infectious material in water, or coated on surfaces (such as on countertops or on medical devices), etc.
Within the healthcare setting, special concern should be given to contact with blood (plasma, serum, and cells) or other potentially infectious materials, including body fluids. It is essential fluids do not all represent the same degree of risk.
Dycem Flooring has been helping specialist blood banks and healthcare facilities with specialties in this field, to combat contamination for many years, and continues to give optimum support when it comes to ensuring all concerns are listened to when it comes to contamination of blood and its components.
Spread of such biological material and organisms can produce illness, infection, or death, especially in susceptible individuals, so it essential that an effective Decontamination systems are set up in order to prevent the spread of said materials and organisms.
Control of your contamination using Dycem Decontamination Mats significantly assists in reducing the transmission of pathogenic (disease-causing) organisms.
Particular Matter Decontamination
Particular matter can produce complications in the repair and/or healing processes following certain surgical procedures.
Patients with certain ailments can experience their condition being severely aggravated, as a result of contaminated air.
Dycem Mats have been scientifically tested and proven reduce airborne contamination by up to 75%
Disinfection of Reusable items in Devices
The removal of microbiological contamination on instruments and equipment being disinfected and sterilised is added essential.
These devices need to follow rigorous protocols which have been developed, tested and validated to ensure their safety and effectiveness is optimal.
Reprocessing operations is a difficult and specialist task to get right. Certification of competency of those who perform, supervise, and manage such reprocessing is required alongside the imposition of rigorous biosafety techniques, procedures, and controls within the healthcare workplace.
Controlling and Reducing the Risk of Contamination with Dycem.
Areas of Hospital and Healthcare Facilities Dycem Work With:
Dycem Decontamination mats work in a variety of areas including:
- Asceptic
- Pathology
- Haemotology
- Blood Banks
- Cleanrooms
- Hospital Pharmacies
- Laboratories
- Sterile Areas
- Mortuaries
- Sterile rooms
- IVF Areas
- Anaesthetics
- Microbiology
- Hospitals Theatres
HOSPITAL AND HEALTHCARE THAT USE DYCEM
CASE STUDIES
NHS Singleton Hospital
The Singleton Hospital’s pharmaceutical manufacturing and production unit insists on all aspects of Good
Manufacturing Practice (GMP) to enhance its high standards of quality assurance.
The pharmaceutical Industry operates in a global market place where its activities are highly complex with intensive governance and regulation. The health and safety of patients is paramount as is the integrity of all its drug manufacturing.
The risk of contamination and cross-contamination in such manufacture is so important that Singleton uses the Dycem to stop, trap. Hold and retain any particulate which might affect the work they do. The location of the Dycem and the size of the area covered is all important to ensure the complete success of this Decontamination practice.
