Based on its findings, the hospital selected rubber floors and installed them in a variety of areas, including general corridors, the emergency department, operating rooms, diagnostic imaging, exam rooms, radiology, labs, and pharmacy areas. The floor’s slip-resistant properties made operating rooms safer, while its resiliency helped minimize foot, leg, and back pain experienced by nurses who work long shifts constantly on their feet and on the move. The floor’s dense, nonporous surface means spills and stains are easily cleaned up and removed, which is also a frequent concern in the healthcare environment.
Additionally, the hospital appreciated the floor’s simple cleaning regimen, which eliminates the need for sealants, waxes, and harsh cleaning chemicals. This ensures the hospital can continue to run without any downtime or air quality issues from cleaning.
“Having a simplified maintenance routine positively impacts patients and staff. Because the smell of floor finish can be quite strong, you have to clear out a room completely. With rubber, you entirely eliminate that. It makes a significant difference in down time,” said John Schram, housekeeping supervisor at Woodstock Hospital.
Patients can benefit because they are not exposed to the harmful fumes of cleaning and do not need to be moved during the cleaning process. They can remain in their rooms and continue to recover without disruption, while staff can continue to perform their jobs uninterrupted.
The absence of fumes associated with harsh cleaning products, waxes, and sealants contributes to improved IAQ, as does the absence of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), plasticizers (e.g. phthalates), or halogens (e.g. chlorine) in the flooring. In addition, some rubber floorcoverings have earned IAQ certifications, like GREENGUARD Gold, that ensure low volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. Patients and staff benefit from an environment that safeguards their health and promotes healing.
Less noise, more healing
The acoustic properties of rubber flooring further enhance healing and recovery by contributing to a quieter environment. Noise generated by footsteps, conversations, equipment, and doors closing is reduced and far less distracting.
While most building materials simply transfer noise throughout the space, rubber flooring’s acoustic properties reduce the amount of sound being generated and contribute to a quieter environment. The structure of rubber flooring also enables it to absorb sound, rather than just reflect it. For patients, improved acoustics encourage the rest and sleep important for recovery. For nurses and other workers, it means the ability to better concentrate, retain information, and respond to patients—increasing productivity in the process.
A hospital’s rubber floors can help diminish the noise of rolling carts and footsteps by absorbing the impact of footfalls, and increasing the traction of wheels to the floor surface. This type of floorcovering also absorbs shock and eliminates the resultant noises.
Easy on the legs
Nurses typically work long shifts—12 hours or more—and walk great distances—as much as 8 km (5 mi)—in the course of a day or night. Proper footwear can help reduce some of the harmful effects of prolonged standing and walking, but resilient rubber flooring can also assist in the battle against fatigue, aching backs, legs, and feet. The resilient structure of rubber absorbs the pressure of footsteps and eases the stress of walking and standing. It actually helps prevent foot and leg fatigue as it ensures comfort underfoot and allows staff to concentrate on the work at hand rather than the pain in their feet.
Resilient rubber floorcoverings also provides extra traction to help prevent hazardous slips and trips for staff, patients, and visitors.
“The rubber floor does offer better traction when it is wet compared to some of the other surfaces we have such as vinyl composition tile (VCT), where it’s been waxed and gets slippery when you walk on it,” said David Cantrell, director of engineering/facilities at Children’s Hospital of Alabama.
Rubber flooring’s slip-resistant properties are enhanced by its natural density. The floor does not absorb liquids and spills, and can be cleaned up quickly and effectively—minimizing the likelihood of slip hazards. When falls do occur, the resiliency and elasticity of rubber flooring provide a more cushioned landing to reduce the likelihood of possible serious injury.
As healthcare facilities enjoy the many performance benefits of rubber flooring, administrators will quickly appreciate the durability the floor delivers. An extended lifecycle—as long as 30 years—reduces the need for frequent removal and disposal. When combined with lower maintenance costs, this extended lifecycle makes the floorcovering an attractive, less expensive choice over time than other options available to healthcare facilities.
Performance and appearance that go hand-in-hand
Available in a variety of colours, textures, and patterns, the floor easily supports a building design, incorporating colourful accents and inlays to provide important wayfinding or teaching tools. Additionally, the floor’s versatility in performance and design promotes transition from one area of a building to another for a co-ordinated and cohesive look. This minimizes a building owner’s investment in multiple flooring products and the different and sometimes conflicting maintenance requirements, performance features, and longevity claims that come with them.
Knowing what floorcovering to specify for a healthcare facility begins with an understanding of the performance requirements attached to the flooring—what features are necessary to ensure an environment conducive to healing and what properties help create a safe, comfortable workplace fostering efficiency and productivity.
Tasha Hughes is a public relations and marketing specialist for nora systems, an international rubber flooring manufacturer dedicated to developing premium flooring solutions for a variety of commercial markets, including healthcare, education, industry, life science labs, and public buildings. She can be reached at tasha.hughes@nora.com.
