SUSTAINABLE HOSPITAL FLOORS

How the Choice of Surfaces Can Influence Maintenance Costs on Long Term

15./02.2017 in Stockholm Martin Duske

nora systems GmbH, Weinheim

1

New Hospital Flooring Free of PVC - an Alternative?

2

• PVC to be phased out…

• Risk of toxic smoke when PVC burns…

• Plasticizers considered a health risk…

• Adhesives may react with floors and create cross reactions…

….but many facilities are used to this floor?

…Why should they change?

Looking for an Alternative to PVC?

3

• Is it a risk to go for a new product in a hospital?

• Just environmentally ok, but what about the practice?

• Cleaning and hygiene are vital for a hospital. How does a sustainable product behave?

• Could it be a cost trap?

Cleaning of Hospital Floors - A Cost Trap?

4

• Over a life time of 15 years cleaning and maintenance costs of the floors make about 80 - 90 % of the total costs of the floor

• Regular cleaning alone only makes 50% of these costs • The remaining costs are made up by costs for

• coatings • repair of surface protections (PU etc.) • downtime costs

Life Cycle Calculation Floorcoverings

0

100

200

300

400

Lino acryl Lino PU PVC PU

InvestmentRegular maintenanceRenewal of surface or repair

1500 m²Total ownership costs over 15 years

Values in Thousand Euro

5

6

PVC and Linoleum require regular stripping and coating

Typical disadvantages: • path forming • yellowing of the coating • problems with the elimination of

the coating (chemical load)

Advantage: Easy regular cleaning

Regular Stripping and Coating

7

PVC and Linoleum require regular stripping and coating

Typical disadvantages: • path forming • yellowing of the coating • problems with the elimination of

the coating (chemical load)

Advantage: Easy regular cleaning

Regular Stripping and Coating

Typical Damage with Linoleum

8

Linoleum with UV-hardened PU surface protectionUsable life 3 - 5 years according to intensity of use sensitive to scratches and sensitive to mechanical charges

Limited Life time of Surface Finishes

9

Linoleum Surface Finishrequires regular maintenance and renewal

regular re-coating and stripping with aggressive cleaning chemicals

Limited Life Time of Coating

10

Rubber floor with PU coatingdelaminates from the surface after exposure to UV light

Requires cost-intensive repair measures

Limited Life Time of Coating

11

New PVC-free plastic floorSurface finish exposes mechanical scratches and can’t be repaired

(Source AKH Linz, Austria)

White Stains on Coatings

12

• Hand disinfectants may cause white stains on coatings

• Many coatings do not resist against alcohol

Surfaces of resilient floorcoverings

13

Linoleum, untreated surface 1:500

PVC, untreated surface 1:500

Source: Dr. Jürgen Schmiegel, Piepenbrock (Facility Management), Germany, April 2011

rubber, untreatedsurface 1 : 500

Thin surface protection with PU coating

14

Querschnitt nora Kautschuk ohne Beschichtung

Querschnitt PVC mit PU Lackierung

Long-term use of nora rubber floor in LKH Linz

Report about the combined Manual and machine cleaning with diamond pads over 10 months on 3550 m²: noraplan:

„…reduce the use of cleaning chemicals by about 50 % in total“

15

„…reduce the use of cleaning chemicals by about 50 % in total“

16

The Cleaning System with special Diamond Pads

Condition: The floorcovering has to have a dense, closed and staple surface that is not covered by any additional coating ==> long serviceable lifetime

Cleaning pads especially adapted for nora® rubber floors

17

Repair of old rubber floors with diamond pads

Site: Hôpital de Riaz, Suisse, noraplan floor, 12 years without stripping

18

Cleaning the operating theatre(Klinikum Darmstadt, Germany)19

Stains and light damages are removed with mit nora® pads

20

nora® (Diamant) Pads: Cleaning with Water only

21

After cleaning with nora® pads (2 hours later - just as new!)22

nora Rubber Flooring - an Alternative offering Cost Savings

23

• Certified acc. to international requirements

• long term experience and references all over the world

• very long lifetime and no coating on the surface

• very low life-cycle costs

Cost comparison over 15 years - model calculation

0

100

200

300

400

Kautschuk m. pad Kautschuk Lino acryl Lino PU PVC PU

investmentregular cleaning and maintenanceSurface maintenance or repair

1500 m²ownership costsover 15 years

Werte in Tsd Euro

24

25

Parkland-Clinic, USA

Bronovo Hospital Den Haag, Netherlands

26

Evelina Children Hospital, London

27

Charité Berlin, Germany

28

29