Blog, Medical and healthcare
Getting effective hand washing to the point of need
Jan
Video screen ensures hand washing compliance
It is impossible to understate the challenge that has been undertaken by the NHS, from the early days of isolation Covid-19 cases to tackling the number of infections in ICUs as well as keeping other wards open and functioning.
Teal, a regular NHS supplier, were involved in providing portable sink units for the Covid-19 isolation units and throughout this period as the demand grew for support facilities in hospitals, including the Birmingham Nightingale Hospital operation.
The Teal portable hand washing sinks are stand-alone and can be placed where needed, totally independent of any plumbing that exists in the building or room. They are supplied with their own water containers and separate waste containers that are housed inside the unit.
The sink that has been used effectively for the hospitals is the medical-specific product, ‘Mediwash’ (above) one of the most popular sinks supplied. It includes an automatic sensor, that starts a pre-programmed hand wash cycle, supported by onscreen instructions that direct the user to follow the 20 second hand washing cycle for effective hand washing.
Hands free operation
With an infection outbreak or under conditions of a pandemic there are significant advantages of having activation by the sensor as it means the user only needs to pass a hand in front of it to activate it. For heavy traffic areas it is much safer to use as no taps are needed, and the warm water shuts off automatically after the cycle has completed. As the sinks dispense warm water at controlled temperatures, within the HSE guidelines, they remove the risk of scalding.
Setting up the sinks is also straightforward; they can be plugged into a normal 13-amp socket and the unit produces a carefully controlled 10-second flow of warm water, the perfect amount for a high-quality hand wash without any wastage.
Frugal energy and water use
Energy use is low; the built-in water heaters use less than 20 per cent of the energy needed for any other type of system with the water being heated to a comfortable temperature. No heat is wasted by having to mix hot and cold water and there is no heat loss from storage tanks, pipe work, taps or fittings.
This flexibility means that a remote or new location away from main buildings, without existing plumbing in place, can be supported easily with a dedicated portable sink.
The sinks have been used throughout the UK to support individual isolation wards during infection outbreaks and when planned or unplanned maintenance was carried out and existing sink areas were not functioning.
Backup handwash units
Even prior to the Covid-19 outbreak, a number of sites recognised that the sinks are a vital part of the backup services for the operation of the buildings. Sink units can be ordered, kept in storage and then ‘switched-on’ when and where needed.
The pandemic has meant a huge uplift in orders for the sinks to allow for ward expansion and the add further isolation and care rooms.
More about portable handwash stations for medical facilities »
Teal portable handwash stations
Teal produces a comprehensive range of mobile sinks and portable basins for every type of hand washing situation for use by anyone who needs to wash their hands effectively, whether they’re in an office environment, temporary accommodation or out in the field on a daily basis.
The range of portable handwash units for medical facilities »
There are vehicle mounted, wall mounted, mains powered and free standing hand wash stations as well as mobile sinks for use with pre-heated hot water.
The Teal range of mobile sinks includes the MediWash, Hygienius and Hygienius ProWash, BigSynk, Super Stallette, TEALwash, Handeman Xtra, Compact Classic and WashStand and the new HandSpa.