![[Translate to English:] Patienten und Pflegekräfte in einem Krankenhaus.](/fileadmin/user_upload/blog/2024/Healthcare/Patienten_und_Pflegekra__fte_in_einem_Krankenhaus__SCHELL_Armaturen_Header.jpg "[Translate to English:] Patienten und Pflegekräfte in einem Krankenhaus.")
Made in Olpe, respected worldwide – and in the hospital sector: For over 90 years, products and solutions from SCHELL have set standards for sanitary facilities on semi-public and public premises. As explained in the first part of this series, the number of patients requiring care continues to rise, for demographic reasons. By 2030, the number of people needing care in the health sector – including clinics and hospitals – will rise to five million. Hospital sector managers should therefore already be planning to handle a growing number of nursing care patients. Innovative sanitary equipment solutions from SCHELL help hospital managers on many different levels. The programme not only includes fittings for the very diverse requirements resulting from the use of individual rooms in a hospital but also has solutions that support the maintenance of drinking water quality across all relevant tapping points, help to save water and increase the operating efficiency of a drinking water installation. The rest of the article introduces these fittings and the ways in which these solutions can help hospital managers.
Supporting user hygiene with low-contact and contactless fittings from SCHELL
Adding anti-scalding protection with SCHELL wash basin and shower fittings
Water management with the innovative SWS Water Management System
Implementing an integrated sanitary equipment model on all relevant premises
According to the WHO, some 80 percent of all germs are passed on via the hands. Thanks to fittings with low‑contact or contactless operation, skin contact with the tap can either be minimised or – with hands–free operation – avoided entirely while washing hands at the basin. This minimises the risk of contact infections. The use of contactless SCHELL fittings also offers another advantage for facility operators: compared with conventional single-lever mixers, low-contact self-closing taps can cut water consumption by up to 55 percent, while contactless taps can save as much as 70 percent. This is because water only flows when it is truly needed. Regulating angle valves from SCHELL also provide support for cutting water consumption. An optimally adjusted angle valve can cut water usage by up to 40 percent. See this article for more information about saving water with fittings from SCHELL, as well as a water consumption calculator for working out potential savings on water and energy costs with SCHELL fittings.
The German Association for Hospital Hygiene (DGKH) recommends installing or retrofitting anti-scalding protection in rooms used for direct patient care where there is an increased risk of scalding for the affected patients. The ThermoProtect technology developed by SCHELL provides reliable anti-scalding protection in fittings equipped with this feature. The temperature of the water flowing out can be limited and the water temperature is kept constant, even with pressure fluctuations in the system. The flow of water is stopped entirely if the cold water supply fails. This makes SCHELL fittings with anti-scalding protection ideally suited for sanitary facilities that are used by patients unable to respond quickly to dangerous situations. With the aid of the SCHELL angle valve thermostat, anti-scalding protection can also be retrofitted to wash basins with standard taps.
Fittings with integrated anti-scalding protection are an especially good choice in patient shower cubicles. If water is too hot and patients attempt to get out of the way, this can quickly result in falls and other injuries, especially on wet floors. One fitting that is especially suitable here, for example, is the VITUS VD-C-T exposed shower fitting, which is available with the outlet at the top or the bottom. The fitting is triggered by its intelligent CVD touch electronics, and the flow of water stops after the preconfigured period of time. Thanks to the start-stop function, the shower fitting offers excellent water and energy efficiency – the flow of water can be stopped ahead of time by tapping the shower fitting again. Customised flow times, diagnostics and programming can be configured on a PC.
Planners, building operators and tradespersons can find out more about SCHELL products with anti-scalding protection in the first article in this three-part series.
The SCHELL SWS Water Management System helps facility managers maintain drinking water quality according to German VDI 6023 in their drinking water installation – hospitals included. SWS can be used to network and control electronic fittings and other products from SCHELL. In hospitals, where most users can be considered high‑risk, it is especially important to prevent Legionella building up in the piping. SWS helps to keep operations compliant by automating stagnation flushes and their associated record‑keeping, for example. SWS supports the simulation of specified normal operation by assigning fittings to groups for simultaneous flushing. Fitting parameters and stagnation flushes can be adjusted as required – including individually for single fittings. Angle valves with temperature sensors can be used to monitor the PWC/PWH lines, with temperature‑controlled stagnation flushes triggering automatically in the event of hygiene‑critical deviations from required temperatures. As products can be networked using wired and/or wireless connections, SWS is suitable for both existing properties and new developments. SWS can be integrated into the central building control system. Further advantages are offered by using the encrypted SMART.SWS online service, which offers remote access from any device. –
Planners, building operators and tradespersons can find out more about the SCHELL SWS Water Management System in the first article in this three-part series.
The broad‑based SCHELL portfolio includes solutions for sanitary facilities on public, semi-public and commercial premises. Hospitals are home to a wide variety of facility spaces that not only fulfil (and are designed to support) many different purposes but are also used by groups of individuals with very diverse needs. SCHELL offers the right solutions for any installation scenario and requirements. The appealing design of SCHELL fittings also helps to create an environment that promotes the ‘healing architecture’ principle of supportive well-being that works to accelerate patient convalescence.
In patient rooms, professional fittings from SCHELL meet the highest requirements for functionality and durability. With the CELIS series, SCHELL offers a range of wash basin taps to meet the diverse fit‑out requirements found in hospital patient rooms. A compact fitting height and timeless design characterise the taps in this series. User hygiene is also promoted by their contactless operation via an IR sensor. Anti-scalding protection can be retrofitted with a SCHELL angle valve thermostat.
In single or twin‑bed private rooms, patients not only expect high standards of treatment but also modern fixtures and fittings with a stylish ambience and level of comfort. With the XERIS series, SCHELL offers high‑quality, versatile wash basin taps to meet the most exacting requirements. This versatility makes both the XERIS taps and XERIS E-Thermostat – a design award‑winner – the perfect choice for use in hospital rooms for private patients. XERIS E-T comes with integrated anti-scalding protection: thanks to this feature, the tap is an excellent choice for use by patients who may have slower reaction times.
The low-contact concealed shower fittings in the LINUS series are available as SC models or with CVD touch electronics. Some models also feature integrated anti-scalding protection. The fittings can be combined with a COMFORT Flex shower head or a reduced‑aerosol shower head: their modern, linear style helps to enhance the inviting ambience of the accessible bathroom in a private patient room.
Theatres and consultation rooms are functional areas whose sanitary equipment needs to be of the very highest quality. For the fit‑out of wash basins (in rows or individual units) and sink units in operating theatres and consultation rooms, SCHELL offers fittings that are made to measure to match healthcare requirements. Over 70 different models are available for fittings in the VITUS series.
As one example, the VITUS VW-AH-T exposed wash basin tap features an ergonomic medical elbow action lever plus a reduced‑aerosol ‘Care’ laminar flow regulator. The VITUS VW-E-T exposed wash basin tap offers contactless operation, for optimum hygiene thanks to hands‑free use of the fitting.
SCHELL’s resident hygiene expert Dr Peter Arens has provided more information about intelligent SCHELL solutions for drinking water hygiene hotspots in hospitals in his multi-part article.
When it comes to staff areas, water‑saving fittings from SCHELL help to cut down on avoidable costs that result from water being left running unnecessarily. This is because hospital personnel may be hurrying to deal with an emergency, for example, and therefore forget to shut off a tap or fitting properly after use. With contactless taps, water only flows during handwashing while a hand is kept in the tap’s sensor range. With self‑closing taps, the flow of water stops after a preconfigured period of time. In kitchenettes and staff common rooms, the SCHELL GRANDIS E kitchen tap gives users a choice. The single-lever mixer offers a familiar level of user comfort, with manually adjustable water flow and temperature, while the IR sensor also enables contactless operation. This keeps operation of the GRANDIS E both hygienic and convenient.
In visitor areas, the professional fittings used by hospital guests must be especially robust and durable. Not only because the fittings are used by a very diverse group of people, but also because they may also be used in a rush or even carelessly by people with other things on their mind. When it comes to fittings for sanitary facilities used by the general public, robust and vandal‑resistant models, like SCHELL’s PURIS E, are a good choice. Thanks to its contactless operation, this tap also helps to improve user hygiene while saving water and energy. Anti-scalding protection can be retrofitted with an angle valve thermostat.
Technical and utility rooms, where water may be drawn off by cleaning teams, for example, should also not be overlooked when it comes to drinking water hygiene. Utility sinks are often installed in these kinds of rooms. A suitable model here would be the electronic and contactless WALIS E exposed wash basin tap from SCHELL. Available in three outlet lengths, this tap is battery-operated and so it does not need a separate power supply. A mounting bracket for exposed piping is another flexible option if piping is routed over brickwork. The adapter compensates for the extra 40 mm that is needed here.
The MONTUS Flow and MONTUS Flow H WC cistern modules are designed for use in accessible bathrooms, and are also reliable workhorses for the sanitary facilities in clinics and hospitals. Both modules are compatible with the SCHELL SWS Water Management System. MONTUS Flow and MONTUS Flow H can be combined with any SCHELL MONTUS operating panel – such as the MONTUS FIELD H, for example, with its contactless operating panel triggered by an infrared sensor.
With contactless operation, the EDITION E concealed urinal control ensures optimum user hygiene in any sanitary facility. This hands-free operation also ensures economical operation and optimum user hygiene: the infrared sensor detects the user’s presence and releases the pre-set flush volume once the user has left the sensor’s detection range without any contact being needed. The EDITION E urinal control can also be networked with SWS.
The SCHELL sampling angle valve meets the requirements for systematic testing in sanitary facilities and, as with all SCHELL angle valves, is straightforward to install. As water flows constantly through the angle valve to the draw-off tap, this allows conclusions to be drawn about water quality within the drinking water installation. In this way, facility managers can fulfil their testing obligations.
Reduced‑aerosol flow regulators and vandal-resistant, reduced‑aerosol shower heads from SCHELL are tailor‑made for use within a healthcare environment. These fittings do not mix air with water and therefore significantly reduce the formation of aerosols. This is especially important in healthcare facilities, so as to effectively minimise the health risks from the viruses and bacteria present in aerosols.
A comprehensive renovation project at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin focused on improving patient care and staff facilities. Operating theatres on the Benjamin Franklin Campus were refurbished to meet stringent hygiene standards. Hospital management picked healthcare solutions from SCHELL. To provide optimum support for maintaining drinking water hygiene, the SCHELL SWS Water Management System was also installed.
Project data:
• One of Europe’s largest university hospitals
• Project scope: Renovations, 10 new theatres
Challenges at the hospital:
• Operating theatres located in terminal area of drinking water installation, piping system with large dimensions
• Logging and analysis required for washroom usage, stagnation flushes and water temperatures
• Automatic execution of stagnation flushes at fixed times and when critical temperatures exceeded
Solutions from SCHELL:
• Contactless VITUS E-T and WALIS E wash basin taps, COMFORT PT angle valves with PT 1000 temperature sensor
• SCHELL SWS Water Management System enables automated stagnation flushes, temperature monitoring, diagnostics and predictive maintenance planning for all networked SCHELL fittings
To find out more about the use of SCHELL solutions at Charité Berlin, please see the case study.
SCHELL Healthcare solutions are designed to be the perfect match for modern medical technology, and meet a growing need for efficiency and cost‑effectiveness in the health sector. More than 90 years of experience and continuous efforts at innovation make SCHELL into a reliable partner for healthcare practitioners. The highly diversified SCHELL portfolio includes low-contact and contactless wash basin taps, a wide range of professional fittings for sanitary facilities and the intelligent SWS Water Management System. The use of SCHELL products in prestigious institutions such as Charité Berlin demonstrates how decisive a role they play in the sanitary fit-out for healthcare facilities. By meeting the needs of hospital management, staff and patients alike, SCHELL solutions are more than just sanitary equipment – they form an integral part of a forward-looking, patient-focused approach to healthcare that also prioritises efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Have questions about SCHELL Healthcare? Go here to find the right contact person and identify the solutions that are the best fit for your needs. Our experts will be happy to advise you!
Wash basin taps - Water management - Angle valve thermostat - SWS - Planning aids - Drinking water hygiene
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