What to Consider When Choosing Healthcare Flooring
Sustainable Flooring Solutions: How Green Flooring Benefits the Healthcare Industry
May 21, 2015
Hotel Design: Today’s Popular Hospitality Flooring Trends
July 29, 2015
The top priorities in any healthcare setting are patient care and successful clinical outcomes. Secondary considerations are regulatory compliance, patient/employee satisfaction and financial viability.
A lack of performance in any of one of these will adversely affect the results in the others. All purchasing decisions, including the choice of healthcare flooring, should be measured against these criteria to ensure all organizational goals are achieved.
The choice of healthcare flooring should support all of the stated goals of the organization. The following are some examples of how the right business flooring can affect operational success:
Safety
Successful patient care and clinical outcomes depend upon preventing further injury to patients. Many falls can be prevented by employing a non-skid surface. Gritty or textured flooring surfaces also reduce the risk of falls. Shiny flooring may look nice, but it is not appropriate in patient care areas, especially where water is present. Bathrooms and shower rooms are prime examples where shiny flooring should not be used.
Infection Control
Hospital flooring is covered with germs, regardless of how much they are cleaned and sanitized. Persistent contaminants such as multi-drug resistant bacteria live on floors and spread disease. Non-porous floors inhibit bacterial growth, reducing the spread of infection from person to person. Flooring without gaps or seams eliminates those dark moist crevices where germs love to hide and thrive.
Comfort
Working long hours is the norm in a healthcare setting. Standing and walking for 12 hours takes a toll on the legs in the absolute best of circumstances. Flooring with a cushiony feel alleviates discomfort and prevents injury for healthcare workers as they work long shifts. A rubber floor is comfortable to stand on and reduces muscle fatigue and back aches. Equipment and patients are more easily moved on this type of flooring reducing physical strain.
Durability
Commercial flooring can cost a lot of money and should last a long time. Flooring is expected to wear appropriately and not be replaced prematurely. Knowing the amount of foot traffic, rolling load and point load will aid in making the best choice to ensure longevity of the surface.
Aesthetics
Our modern healthcare environment is moving away from the look of sterility and towards warmer, homier interiors. Healthcare flooring plays a big role in this transformation from stark white to cozy comfort. Patients feel more at home when their surroundings are soothing and peaceful.
Maintenance
Flooring that requires the least amount of care is most desirable in this setting. Treatment time and revenues are lost when areas are taken out of service for floor maintenance. The most desirable healthcare flooring requires only dust mopping and gentle cleansers that are non-toxic and do not have an odor. The lengthy process of stripping and waxing floors is not a viable option in today’s fast paced environment.
To make the best possible healthcare flooring decision, please do not hesitate to contact the flooring professionals at Commercial Flooring & Interior Concepts. Our professionals specialize in hospital flooring, healthcare flooring and business flooring for a wide variety of industries. Take the guess work out of what flooring surface will meet your commercial needs while being the most cost effective choice and staying within your budget. Our experienced staff will ask all the right questions to arrive at all the right answers.
To learn more about the best options for healthcare flooring, contact us!
