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Plasform® combines exceptional design capabilities with outstanding performance characteristics for the healthcare environment, one of the most difficult areas for the construction industry with fast moving technologies, new procurement methods and rapid changes in building types. Plasform® gives specifiers and designers flexibility across a wide range of applications along with tremendous scope to demonstrate flair by creating colourful or simple, contemporary environments. Postformed edges create a soft but functional effect and signs and graphics can be incorporated into the actual door design. The use of colour coding (including doorsets) is a particularly useful means of helping visitors or patients and giving identity to different areas or floors.

Various NHS guidelines identify specific areas where conspicuous warning signs are required including X-ray film stores, bio-hazard laboratories and stores containing flammable material or particular types of equipment. The Plasform® Cleanglaze® range offers the opportunity to incorporate signs and other graphic devices directly onto the door face while maintaining the highest hygiene capabilities.

In certain healthcare situations, it may be desirable for vision panels in doors to be obscurable. Intelliglass is an intelligent glazing system which uses liquid crystal glass technology to provide the ideal solution where privacy may be required. The Plasform® range can incorporate Intelliglass® vision panels which can be changed from clear to frosted at the flick of a switch. As there is no protruding operating equipment required for this system, dust and dirt build-up is minimised, making it an easy-to-clean option ideal for locations where hygiene is of prime importance. Vision panels can also be supplied with specialised glass which will block lasers of specified frequencies.

Combating Healthcare Associated Infections (HAI) is now regarded as the most important performance requirement in many healthcare applications. Leaderflush Shapland is committed to developing products which help to raise standards of hygiene and control the spread of infections and has incorporated Hygienilac®, a leading-edge antibacterial product, into various products to achieve these important objectives.

Hygienilac® is a biocidally proactive additive that kills most harmful species of bacteria by preventing cells from having access to nutrients and so starving and killing the bacteria. It is effective against a wide range of bacteria including C.diff, MRSA, Salmonella and E.coli remaining effective for years because of its inherently low water solubility. It is solventfree, non-carcinogenic, non-mutagenic, non-skin sensitising, completely UV stable, and does not use silver technology.

Leaderflush Shapland has been using Hygienilac® as a standard finish for its veneered doorsets for some time and has now extended this to the PVC facing used for Plasform® creating a new product called Hygieniform.

With Hygieniform, Hygienilac® is incorporated into the PVC at the time of manufacture and is homogenously distributed through the extrusion and is locked into the resin matrix so that it never wears off, unlike many other surface treatments. Hygienilac® antibacterial properties are therefore inherent throughout the whole of the PVC facing; this means that even if the surface is scratched, the PVC maintains its antibacterial properties. Hygieniform also overcomes issues with bacteria build up that can ordinarily occur on the surface of textured, high impact PVC.