Is It Safe?

In a hectic medical facility, nothing matters more than safety.

But, staff and visitors often have more immediate and pressing concerns. Imagine the fallout of these common situations:

• A nurse rushes to relieve her co-worker and loses his/her footing on a back stairway.
• A patient is bringing themselves to the emergency room. Their vision blurred, they are unable to find something to hold on to. They crumple to the floor.
• A visitor heads to the lobby. They have received devastating news. They twist their ankle on an unexpected stair.

A typical medical facility is nonstop activity. Extra safety precautions are a must.

CuVerro® handrails provide extra security and safety. And EPA-registered CuVerro copper alloy kills 99.9% of bacteria it comes in contact with. Bacteria such as e. coli, and superbugs MRSA and VRE.

The high-traffic environment of a busy medical facility makes it subject to accidental injury. But it also presents another frightening, yet invisible danger. The spread of contagion.

In spaces where people contact shared surfaces, dangerous bacteria may exist. The risk of transmission is ever present. The very place intended to heal might become an unintentional zone of contamination.

As hundreds of people pass through common spaces, surfaces become contaminated with unwanted bacteria. This contamination can spread like wildfire throughout a facility. Per the CDC, one in twenty-five hospital patients daily has a healthcare-associated infection. And this does not include the number of visitors and staff who also affected.

Busy areas call for germ protection. Wagner offers the perfect solution. A handrail system with surfaces fortified with antimicrobial protection by CuVerro.

Consider these spaces where these safety systems come into play:

• Patient Rooms:

  Visitors, patients, and staff come in and out of patient rooms all day long.

  • A clinical study was published in the American Journal of Infection Control. It noted that when copper touch surfaces were added to patient rooms, these surfaces kept them 88% cleaner. When there were no copper touch surfaces, that percentage was only 45%.

• In the Lobby:

  Patients struggling to catch their breath might need something to lean on. Provide them with a safe place to rest.

  • Antimicrobial copper grab bars and handrails by CuVerro will slow the spread of germs from sneezes and unclean hands.

• In the Back Stairwell:

  Doctors, nurses, and staff often have little time to spare. Often, they don’t have time to wait for an elevator. They instead opt for the stairs.

  • Those stairs must meet code requirements. CuVerro handrails will provide enhanced safety on stairs when properly specified and installed. And CuVerro will kill germs too.
  • Need some focused illumination? Consider Lumenrail® LED lighting railing.

• In the Parking Garage:

  As pedestrians move from the facility to the parking garage, they might rush down ramps, or skip over steps. Darkened areas present a potential for injury. Consider Lumenrail to improve safety and visibility for pedestrians. Additionally, these handrails create enhanced illumination for security cameras.

Note about building codes: Handrails are only required on stairs. However, medical facilities often add handrails in corridors and patient rooms. Be aware that while these are non-required handrails, building inspectors will expect that these handrails meet the building requirements. This includes graspability and structural requirements.

Medical facilities play an essential role in patients’ health. Lighted handrails with antimicrobial protection make them a safer place to be. Contact Wagner for more information.

Note: CuVerro is a registered trademark of GBC metals, LLC and is used with permission (W-0002-1209). Visit www. www.CuVerro.com for additional details.