Whilst the number of fatalities caused by MRSA has fallen over the last couple of years, outbreaks of hospital acquired infections are still rife and never far from the media headlines. At a time when every health trust is waging a war against Superbugs and other harmful micro-organisms, Crown Trade is enhancing its Steracryl range with a new range of high performance anti bacterial coatings that could provide a very useful weapon in their armoury, and at the same extend redecoration cycles. Brand Manager Debbie Orr reports....   

The prevalence of MRSA, C-Difficile, Streptococcus, Klebsiella and other illness-causing bacteria in hospital environments has been widely publicised in recent times.  With infection control at the top of their agenda, healthcare providers are proactively seeking more effective ways to keep their patients, staff and visitors safe.

Studies have demonstrated that organisms such as MRSA will survive on dry surfaces for several months, providing a compelling argument for the use of anti-bacterial decorative coatings in hospitals and other healthcare environments.

As part of its extended Steracryl health and hygiene coatings range, Crown Trade has introduced two anti bacterial coatings based on an established silver ion technology that is widely used throughout the hospital environment, providing anti bacterial protection in mattresses, textiles, wall cladding panels, furniture surfaces, flooring, curtains, door handles, bandages and surgical equipment.

Crown Trade Steracryl Anti Bacterial Scrubbable Matt and Durable Acrylic Eggshell both incorporate SteriTouch® antimicrobial additives which employ the natural sterilising properties of silver. Recognised for centuries as an effective means of reducing the growth of harmful organisms including bacteria, mould and fungi, silver ion additives provide excellent levels of protection while remaining safe for even the most sensitive applications. All SteriTouch® additives have comprehensive approvals, including FDA and EFSA for food contact. They do not contain controversial biocides such as Triclosan.

All variants of the Steracryl Anti Bacterial range have been independently tested for anti bacterial efficacy using the internationally recognised JIS Z 2801:2000/ISO 22196:2007 method. Crown Trade has undertaken field trials at NHS facilities to test the durability, scrubbability and appearance retention of these products in a variety of healthcare settings. Both the Scrubbable Matt and Durable Acrylic Eggshell products have been proven to extend redecoration cycles, enabling cash-strapped health trusts to stretch their maintenance budgets further.

Like Crown Trade Clean Extreme Scrubbable Matt, the new Steracryl Anti Bacterial Scrubbable Matt and Durable Acrylic Eggshell coatings are intrinsically stain resistant and boast a Class 1 Scrub rating. Indeed when ‘scrub tested’ according to ISO 11998, Steracryl Anti Bacterial Scrubbable Matt lost less than 5 microns of film thickness after 200 cycles, representing a 400% increase in resistance to wet scrubbing compared to conventional vinyl matt.

These two new hygienic coatings will be available for use in healthcare environments from May 2010. Their anti bacterial properties and tough and durable finishes also make them ideally suited for use in all sorts of food preparation areas where hygiene is a top priority and regular and rigorous cleaning of surfaces is required.   

Both coatings will be initially launched in a White and Pastel colour range in a 5 litre pack size. Completing the new Steracryl range will be an additional finish in the existing Mould Inhibiting range: Mould Inhibiting Durable Acrylic Eggshell which has been specifically formulated for use on all broadwall and wooden trim areas that are subject to disfiguration by mould.