Flooring for healthcare facilities

Healthcare flooring

Whether it is a hospital, medical clinic, care centre or specialised care centre – let us help you find a flooring solution for your needs.

Flooring for healthcare

Flooring solutions for healthcare

In healthcare environments, one of the most essential things to consider when it comes to flooring for hospitals and health care facilities is safety. The flooring needs to be safe for patients, visitors, and staff. It also needs to be hygienic and easy to clean, as floor coverings in healthcare environments are often exposed to a wide variety of spills from a wide range of chemicals.

It is important that a floor can withstand the impact of the day to day traffic of heavy equipment, hospital beds, wheelchairs, and heavy foot traffic. Forbo Flooring Systems has a flooring solution for every space within healthcare facilities. A total flooring solution, offered by one supplier.

Creating healing environments

When choosing floor coverings for a healthcare facility, the type of floor, the way it looks and feels, its performance, as well as functional aspects.

Important factors to take into account when choosing a floor covering for healthcare facilities:

■ Easy to clean and maintain
■ Won’t harbour bacteria for infection control
■ Durable enough to withstand heavy foot traffic
■ Complies with relevant standards
■ Non-toxic and low in emissions
■ Withstand a wide variety of spills and potential staining

DIFFERENT TYPES OF FLOORING TO MEET SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS

There are many types of flooring materials that can be used in healthcare environments. The type of material will depend on the space that requires to meet specific requirements.

Marmoleum, our linoleum brand

Our Marmoleum floors are proven to inhibit the growth and spread of infections such as MRSA, Norovirus and C Difficile, helping to contribute to a healthier and more hygienic environment in any area of a hospital.

✔ Anti-viral, bacteriostatic and allergy-proof
✔ CO2 neutral (cradle to gate), without offsetting
✔ Endless possibilities in colours & designs
✔ Stain & scratch resistant
✔ Easy to clean & maintain
✔ Low cost of ownership
DISCOVER MARMOLEUM FLOOR COVERINGS

Sphera homogeneous vinyl

Vinyl floors are very popular because of their durability, low maintenance and versatility. Homogeneous vinyl is made of one single layer that offers vibrancy and depth of colour. It is incredibly durable and stain-resistant, which makes it a great flooring choice for heavy traffic areas.

✔ High resistance to chemicals, scratches, and stains
✔ Low in VOC and phthalate free
✔ Easy to clean externally tested
✔ Premium homogeneous vinyl with Type 1 binder
✔ Tested on selected healthcare specific stains
Discover Sphera homogeneous vinyl floors

Glan Clwyd Hospital UK: Hospital grade vinyl flooring

Eternal general purpose vinyl

Our Eternal collection is our most trust general purpose heterogeneous vinyl flooring in healthcare. Offering authentic visuals with a unique identity and a natural feel. Its high-tech PVC wear layer and PUR Pearl finish are key to the collection's ability to keep its as-new appearance even after years of intensive use.

✔ Long history of use in healthcare facilities in Australia
✔ PUR Pearl for easy floor care
✔ Ability to custom print and flooring design
✔ Assists with infection control
✔ Good resistance to chemicals
Discover Eternal general purpose vinyl floors

Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital: Eternal vinyl flooring for hospital rooms

Step safety flooring

In healthcare facilities, slip resistance is of paramount consideration in areas where water or spillages could affect safety underfoot. For patients and staff, using bathroom facilities without worrying about slipping will provide peace of mind. Our Step range significantly reduces the risk of slips in wet areas whilst still creating a modern, fresh interior.

✔ One collection that covers all slip ratings from R10 to R12
✔ Sustainable slip resistance
✔ Low VOC and phthalate free
✔ Tested against AS 4586 slip test method standard
Discover Step safety floor coverings

Step 176312_26504_26514 safety flooring for healthcare facilities

Colorex static control flooring

Our Colorex range of conductive floor coverings has a pore-free surface, ensuring the highest hygiene properties whilst complying with all electrostatic discharge and cleanroom standards. It prevents electrostatic discharges that can cause malfunctions in highly sensitive medical equipment found in operating rooms.

✔ Complies with electrostatic discharge control standards
✔ Can be repaired
✔ Superb resistance to heavy loads
✔ Low in VOC
Discover Colorex static dissipative homogeneous floor coverings

conductive flooring for hospital operating rooms: Colorex EC

Healthcare projects case studies

Fiona Stanley Hospital

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Fiona Stanley Hospital
Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital - Short Stay Unit

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Grow Medical Clinic
Bacchus Marsh Hospital

Bacchus Marsh Hospital - Case Study

Bacchus Marsh Hospital theatres were built by Hutchinson Builders and using the newest state-of-the-art operating equipment.

Forbo’s Sphera homogeneous vinyl flooring was chosen thanks to its SMART PUR finish providing excellent performance, high scratch resistance, chemical, and stain resistance providing easy floor care. Sphera is phthalate-free, emitting very low emissions and is certified by Green Tag along with achieving best practice PVC requirements, makes Sphera the ideal flooring choice for healthcare facilities.

Healthcare flooring ideas 15 Items

Bacchus Marsh Hospital Theatres_Sphera homogeneous flooring 50037_50000_51243

Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital - eternal nSir Charles Gairdner Hospital WA- eternal

Supporting Australian Private Hospitals

Forbo is a proud supporter of the Australian Private Hospital Association and private hospitals throughout Australia. We take pride in adding real value to the private sector through our joint commitment to provide excellence in patient care.

APHA is an organisation committed to ensuring Australians have access to the highest, most professional and advanced health care services.

Australian Private Hospitals Association proud supporter

Health facility guidelines

Australasian health facility guidelines (HFG)

The AusHFG is an initiative of the Australasian Health Infrastructure Alliance (AHIA). Allows designers of health facilities throughout Australasia to use a common set of guidelines and specifications for the base elements of health facilities.

Australasian best-practice approach to health facility planning; stakeholders are AHIA representatives from all Australian states and territories and New Zealand industry including health planners, architects, and engineers along with clinical experts and also patient consumer groups.

The guidelines apply to public and private health care providers, including day surgeries and clinics.
Healthcare Facility Guidelines

Forbo’s resilient floor coverings meets the Australasian Health Facility Guidelines for infection prevention and control which states: 'Clinical areas where patient care and treatments are undertaken should not be carpeted and surfaces should be easy to clean'.

BCA/NCC flooring specifications

All of Forbo products meet the requirements of the Australian National construction code. These code cover fire compliance and slip rating for stairs and ramps.

✔ Tested against AS 4586:2012 slip test method
✔ Complies with the HB 198 guide to slip-resistant surfaces
✔ Tested against ISO 9239.1 - Reaction to fire for flooring test method
✔ Complies with BCA/NCC C1.10 fire guidelines
✔ Complies with Low VOC Green Building Council of Australia standard

To learn more about the slip requirements for different areas;
Forbo Flooring Slip Guide

Neurodiversity

The influence of floor coverings on people with autism

Around 1% of the world's population has autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which translates to over 75,000,000 people. As a flooring company, we recognize the importance of creating spaces that cater to the needs of everyone, including those on the autism spectrum. In our digital magazine, "The influence of floor coverings on people with Autism," we provide information on topics such as floor colour and pattern, light reflectance value (LRV), lighting, and acoustics, all of which can have a significant impact on the well-being and comfort of individuals on the spectrum.

By considering these factors, we can create healthcare environments that promote neurodiversity and improve the overall quality of life for people with ASD. Click the link to our digital magazine to learn more about how we can make a positive impact on the lives of those with autism.
READ OUR DIGITAL MAGAZINE ON FLOOR DESIGN FOR PEOPLE WITH ASD

Dementia friendly floors

Designing for dementia

Flooring is a key factor in designing a dementia environment as it has significant impact on safety and orientation, giving patients confidence, security and independence.

Forbo are committed to contributing towards a safe and pleasurable environment, and providing a sense of well-being, for residents of special care and dementia institutions. That's why we've partnered with Dementia Services Development Centre (DSDC), an international centre that draws on 25 years of global research and practice, to identify which of our products can contribute to improving quality of life for people with dementia.

DSDC paternship

Our work with the Dementia Services Development Centre (DSDC) is an essential part of our commitment to helping specifiers choose dementia friendly floors.

Based on the centre's 25 years of global research and best practice, more than 1,000 of our products have been DSDC accredited.

These flooring solutions have been since used to provide safe, comfortable, healthy and attractive spaces for a diverse range of sectors including healthcare and aged care environments.

Dementia friendly flooring selection

There is no exact science to designing for dementia. What is ‘good and acceptable’ in one country may well be considered ‘questionable or not accepted’ in another.

In a dementia environment, no single design element stands alone. The floor is an integral part of the design, together with the wall colouring, doors, furniture, sanitary fitting and lighting schemes. Contrast in lightness between various objects is important, as is providing harmony within the individual objects.

Let our product finder help you choose from our

DSDC accredited flooring offer ➔

Light reflectance values (LRV)

Light reflectance Values (LRV) are a measure of the percentage of visible and usable light that is reflected from a surface when illuminated by a light source.

It's an essential design tools for dementia environments. As LRVs are a universal measurement for all materials, the LRV of wall covering or furniture can be measured against the colours chosen for the floor.

In our set-up you can see the light reflection values of all products grouped together, which allows you to make an informed choice within a certain LRV range – or decide to go beyond that.

In this way, the LRV guide of the dementia flooring selection is a practical tool for designers of dementia environments.

DSDC Accredited Products Brochure

More information

Do you need more information?

Interested in our products, want to know more about installation, need to get hold of technical data sheets? Or maybe you want to contact our National Healthcare Segment Manager to discuss different possibilities?

Please contact us to request a presentation or more information by clicking on one of the links below!

Making spaces into healing places

Healthcare design guide

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