Hygienic drainage for healthcare

The average hospital contains a maze of pipework and drainage systems, and the pressure is on healthcare providers to ensure the installation of products that not only provide the highest possible level of hygiene, but also get the most from tight budgets – by offering a long lifespan with minimal demands on maintenance. The failure of a drainage system can be inconvenient and costly in any workplace, but in a hospital it can also put patients’ health at risk. In recent years, the leading designers and engineers of pipework and drainage systems have been highly successful in tackling the challenges presented by hygiene-critical environments, and one key development has been the rise of stainless steel drainage products. Historically, much of the pipework in hospitals has been manufactured from cast or ductile iron, materials that were introduced as more robust alternatives to vitrified clay, but which can be susceptible to a range of problems, and especially corrosion and fracture. Internal cast iron pipe faces can easily become furred and scaled, impeding the flow rate of drainage systems, while the reduced internal bore size allows waste to snag and block pipes. Clogged drains can cause contaminated waste water to back up into hygienecritical areas, or force the air from the drains to flow into it. It is vitally important, therefore, that any developing blockage is addressed immediately. However, while de-scaling using high pressure water jetting has been the typical maintenance option, this process can go beyond removing the scaling in plastic pipework to blow a hole in the pipe itself. A longer, more labour-intensive cleaning process can, of course, yield better results, but long periods of maintenance are undesirable in all industries, not least healthcare. More to the point, considering that the consequences can present such a significant threat to hygiene and sanitation, such blockages and damage to pipework should not be allowed to occur in the first place.

Stainless steel systems

These are just some of the reasons why cast, ductile iron, and plastic pipework, fall short of the demands imposed by hygiene-critical environments. In contrast, modern stainless steel pipework and drainage systems represent a powerful opportunity for specifiers to supply and install products that provide long and reliable service within healthcare institutions. Stainless steel lends itself readily to hygienic environments across the hospital, from patient bathing areas to hidden pipework systems. It does so for many reasons, but its strong resistance to corrosion is of particular importance. Stainless steel is naturally corrosion-resistant, due to a tough 2 mm to 5 mm thick chromium-rich oxide film (CrO), and its resilience is enhanced by spontaneous ‘self-healing’ properties where oxygen is present. In healthcare environments, resistance to corrosion is not a luxury, but a necessity. Alternatives to stainless steel are available, in terms not only of the aforementioned cast and ductile iron products, but also plastics. However, when service life needs to be long, stainless steel is by far the strongest option.