Keep clean water flowing

Waterborne infection outbreaks, such as legionella and pseudomonas, continue to cause havoc in healthcare establishments which is why TEAL Patents – the UK’s leading manufacturer of portable hand wash units – has developed a specific range for hospitals. 

TEAL Patents' MD Manty Stanley says: "It’s hard to imagine that water for human use, delivered through taps and showers in what we all hope is a very hygienic environment can contain harmful pathogens. But water distribution systems can be a hotbed for hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) and waterborne outbreaks are being reported at an increasingly alarming rate. 

"In many cases, portable hand washing units are the answer. TEAL has been working closely with infection control departments for over 15 years to develop units which comply with NHS guidelines and are the ideal alternative to secured sinks as they can be placed directly at the point of need in order to reduce disruption to the facility."

TEAL units are self-contained and free-standing. Suitable for use by staff, patients and visitors, each unit is sited and fully set-up by the TEAL Task Force within 24 hours and comes complete with soap, paper towels and a waste paper container.

The TEAL Stop n’Wash has been designed to educate and encourage the correct hand washing procedures. With a synchronised display, it takes users through an automatic on-screen visual program incorporating the seven rubbing actions as laid down by NHS guidelines – this provides a 35-second, hot water, hand wash cycle which resets itself in 10 seconds.

Being touch-free and fully automatic, the device has no levers or taps to re-infect hands. Pathogen-safe, the TEAL Stop n’Wash has a simple hygiene cycle using a solution of 500ppm chlorine solution to purge the system every 24 hours.