Door Industry Journal - Summer 2018

117 THE door industry journal summer 2018 Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk Locks & Building Hardware Feature clinical trial was undertaken at Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham under the control of Professor Tom Elliott and supported by the Copper Development Association which discovered that copper had strong antimicrobial effects within the busy ward. The experiment revealed that copper-containing surfaces had 90% less bacterial absorption than surfaces containing conventional materials. Furthermore, in the US, various hospitals carried out similar tests and concluded that all intensive care units containing copper surfaces had an approximate 58% reduction in the risk of developing hospital- based infections. Stainless steel ironmongery is widely used in clinical buildings today, as it is easy-to- clean, non-porous and is seen as an attractive solution for modern interiors, but it does not contain the antimicrobial benefits of copper that stop the spread of bacteria. Conversely, from a design perspective, architects and specifiers might be keen to avoid the red and orange hues of copper, as it does not have the same sanitary and sterile exterior look of stainless steel. However, this can be easily overcome as a number of manufacturers offer specific ranges that appear identical to stainless steel, but have the antimicrobial benefits of copper. For instance, Allgood’s Contego range of antimicrobial copper ironmongery has a satin finish with the appearance of stainless steel. The Contego range is made from a copper alloy registered in accordance with the Copper Development Association stewardship scheme, and bears the Antimicrobial Copper brand’s Cu+ mark - this determines the product’s level of quality, and indicates that it is manufactured from approved copper alloys. Antimicrobial copper ironmongery products are certainly worth the investment. The antimicrobial properties never run out retaining their effectiveness for the lifetime of the fitting. What’s more, Professor Tom Elliott who led the research in Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham, stated that “the one- off cost of fitting out the trial ward was equivalent to the cost of just one-and-a-half infections”. When specifying architectural ironmongery for healthcare environments such as hospitals, care homes and clinics, copper is a clear and informed choice. A cost effective and durable alternative to stainless steel, it can provide the same external aesthetics while crucially reducing the spread of HCAI due to its antimicrobial properties. For more information, please visit www.allgood.co.uk .