Minimising infection– from floor to ceiling

In the healthcare sector, infection prevention and control is of utmost importance, and building owners, facilities managers, and the occupants themselves, need to consider how the various materials used within a building contribute. All healthcare organisations must, by law, of course, as per the NHS Constitution, ‘ensure that services are provided in a clean and safe environment that is fit for purpose, based on national best practice’.

If healthcare facilities are to make patient well-being their first priority, the flooring and wall coating systems incorporated within them must be ‘safe, accessible, and inviting for all’. With pressure for healthcare facilities to be safer and cleaner than ever before – both inside and out – clear guidelines for the design, specification, construction, and maintenance, of the ‘fabric’ of healthcare buildings are vital.

First published by the Department of Health in 2011, Health Building Note (HBN) 00-10 sets out best practice, outlining the policy and performance requirements that need to be considered when constructing or refurbishing a healthcare facility. The document is a set of essential standards of quality and safety divided into four distinct sections – Part A for flooring, Part B for walls and ceilings, and Parts C and D for sanitary assemblies and windows. Accompanying documents include HBN 00-01: General design guidance for healthcare buildings, and HBN 00-09: Infection control in the built environment.