Rubber floor coverings are safe and environmentally compatible

For years, the hygiene departments of clinics and other health care facilities have been occupied with the control of infections caused by multiresistant microbes. In addition to extensive preventive and hygiene measures for patients and medical personnel, also the choice of suitable building materials can contribute to the prevention of these infections. At the focus of special attention is the floor covering, which takes up a large area in every building.

In Germany, half a million patients at clinics still become infected with hospital microbes, and according to the Robert Koch Institute 20,000 of them die of these so called nosocomial infections. Particularly serious are still the consequences of infection with the Gram positive Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which is resistant to most antibiotics.

Yet also the spread of Gram negative rod shaped bacteria ESBL (extended spectrum beta lactamases) has increased greatly over the past years. This bacterial group, which also includes klebsiellae, enterobacteria, and salmonellae, occurs in the intestine where it produces an enzyme that makes many conventional antibiotics ineffective. The consequences are serious infections of the bladder, wounds, and the respiratory tract. Between 2003 and 2008, infections with this dangerous bacterial group grew fourfold.

In the fight against these multiresistant pathogens, the building materials are becoming the focus of every greater attention because they have a considerable effect on the hygiene standards in clinics and other medical institutes. Particular importance is attached here to the type of floor covering.

Dangerous microbes in the coatings

Floor coverings made of linoleum or PVC can also have hygienic deficits because the coating is only a few micrometers thick and prone to wearing out quickly, not just as the result of mechanical strain, but from normal cleaning as well. Germs quickly colonise worn out patches.

An alternative for perfect hygiene is provided here by rubber floor coatings from nora systems. Owing to their extremely tight surface and their UV polymerisation, they need neither a coating nor varnish. The danger of viruses or bacteria penetrating the floor covering is therefore eliminated.

Hygiene through gap free installation

Unlike other flexible floor coverings, nora rubber coverings do not present gaps that must be sealed – and that therefore provide a further niche for microbes. Even after thorough cleaning, the gaps in floor coverings can still offer pathogens a place where they can settle and multiply.
nora rubber coverings do not contain plasticisers (phthalates), so they cannot shrink, for instance like PVC floor coverings, when these substances volatilise over time. Rubber floor coverings retain their dimensions even after decades. Yet their gap free installation minimises not only the danger of microbial invasion. There is also no time consuming and costly sealing maintenance, so nora floor coverings are also the most economical solution for clinics over the long term.
Moreover, a floor covering’s disinfectant properties are also very important for an extensive hygiene concept at hospitals. nora rubber floor coverings are resistant to surface disinfectants and stains and are bacterio- and fungistatic. Also the short term action of solvents or diluted acids or alkalis leave no permanent marks. Even substances containing iodine like skin disinfectants can be removed with ease.
A study by the Hygiene Institute of Heidelberg University in 2004 confirmed that floors fitted free of gaps with nora rubber coatings can be fully disinfected.

Permanent solution for good indoor air

Yet rubber floor coverings not only present convincing hygiene aspects. Especially hospitals and health care facilities attach great importance to the quality of indoor air. All nora floor coverings have been free of harmful plasticisers throughout their history. With its certificated installation system nora system blue, the company is taking yet another step ahead on the path to a healthy living environment for patients and staff.

nora system blue is a low emission system that applies not only to the rubber covering itself, but also to all of the installation materials, which are installed by qualified personnel only. Every single constituent of this system solution complies with the indoor air health guidelines issued by the Federal Environmental Office and has been approved for the “Blue Angel” eco label.

A further advantage of nora system blue is the close collaboration during installation. The developer, installation company, and experts for nora system applications share their ideas and experience at regular intervals and can therefore respond together to the most diverse requirements on site. Also, every phase of the installation is documented meticulously – ensuring transparency and safety for both developers and users.

The sealed and uncoated surface of nora rubber floor coverings also makes unnecessary the use of aggressive cleaning agents – and this too helps to minimise emissions to indoor air. *

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