Pioneering microbiological research by leading LST radiator specialists, Contour Casings, is beginning to shed light on the levels of potentially harmful bacteria that could be present inside radiator guards located in a healthcare environment.

In a comparative study at an NHS Trust Hospital in the South of England, it was discovered that there could potentially be 682,000 bacteria colonies present inside a single radiator guard which has no internal access for cleaning or antimicrobial protection.

Numerous swabs were taken from various guard locations; this figure was then extrapolated out to reflect an average-sized radiator guard.

Based on this study, an average Hospital ward or corridor containing 40 traditional fixed radiator guards could contain in excess of 5 Million potentially harmful bacteria colonies.

The diversity of the bacteria discovered was also a revealing insight, with over 10,450 different bacteria types identified.
When the results of the traditional radiator guard were compared with the same number of swabs taken from a range of modern LST radiator guards, in this case the Trionic DeepClean guard from Contour Casings, which has full internal access for cleaning and inherent antimicrobial technology – the difference was striking.

The DeepClean guard from Contour Casings contained 96% fewer bacterial colonies overall than the traditional guard, there were also 74% fewer different bacteria types.

Leading radiator guard designs such as those developed by Contour Casings, now feature a pioneering full-access front door, which allows one cleaning operative fast and simple access to every internal surface – without assistance from estates. Innovations such as this also improve daily efficiencies, enable audits to be met and reduce operating costs.

The DeepClean guard from Contour includes BioCote® antimicrobial technology in its paintwork, reducing levels of harmful bacteria such as MRSA and E.coli by up to 99.99% in less than two hours.

Specialist healthcare–focused LST radiators are now a central component of a multi-dimensional infection prevention strategy. By embracing the latest technological advancements, cleaner and safer facilities evolve, benefitting both service user – and service provider.