Plumbing Compliance and Standards in Healthcare

Healthcare buildings need to be equipped with the correct plumbing in order to ensure total compliance with legal standards and requirements. In these buildings, the focus is on preventing bacterial growth, cross-contamination and preventing scalding. 

Why plumbing compliance is important in healthcare

Whilst plumbing compliance is necessary for a number of commercial and residential building types, it’s especially important in healthcare settings where botched installations, or failure to follow guidelines, could be the difference between life and death. 

Unique sinks (hospital pattern sinks), basins and sanitaryware must be installed to prevent overflow, and facilitate clinical handwashing. These are often installed behind integrated plumbing systems, to prevent dirt traps and difficult to clean surfaces.

Essentially, healthcare facilities need compliance more than any other building type due to the likelihood of high risk individuals, and the necessity that systems stay up and running so care can be given at all times. 

Healthcare plumbing necessitates highly trained plumbers with a depth of knowledge about the standards they need to maintain. For highly specialised healthcare plumbing solutions, contact Lacey Plumbing and Heating.

The challenges of healthcare plumbing

Healthcare plumbing includes a variety of unique challenges, spanning from maintaining water pressure requirements, to preventing the spread of diseases such as legionnaires disease:

Plumbing compliance and standards in healthcare settings

The Health Technical Memorandum 04-01 (HTM 04-01) gives legal guidance regarding design, application, installation and maintenance of plumbing systems in all types of healthcare facilities. 

It mandates that hot and cold water must be stored at appropriate temperatures to avoid the growth of legionella and other bacteria. It also includes the installation of TMVs to prevent water from exceeding certain temperatures to prevent scalding for individuals with limited mobility or other health concerns, as well as managing dead legs to prevent stagnation. 

Also, the Health Building Note (HBN) 00-10 Part C outlines required fittings and fixtures for clinical and non-clinical areas. This includes clinical handwashing sinks, non-touch taps/faucets and laminar flows, which often need to be fitted close to the point of patient care. 

Contamination prevention is a vital aspect of compliance in healthcare settings, and plumbing plays its part in this. Backflow protection must be installed to prevent contaminated water flowing back into potable water supplies, and elbow operated taps are commonly required to prevent bacterial spread. 

Optimising plumbing systems for health and safety settings

Optimising plumbing systems for health and safety settings includes following legal regulations, and ensuring that systems meet a certain number of standards. This is most easily achieved through a professional plumbing team who have experience in following legislations to a tee, and delivering bespoke solutions to all healthcare buildings. 

When it comes to preventing the spread of disease, maximising hygiene, increasing accessibility, as well as following all legal and recommended guidelines, Lacey Plumbing and Heating can help you with all your plumbing needs for a healthcare building.

Whether this is a GP surgery, a clinic, hospital setting or practitioners office, get in touch to find out more.