Health bosses are recognising that No Touch Decontamination systems are an essential tool in fighting the spread of infections in hospitals and other healthcare locations. It has been estimated that more than 300,000 people suffer from an infection every year as a result of NHS care – and traditional methods of cleaning are no longer being seen as sufficient to stop this figure rising.

Tecomak Environmental Services, who offer high-quality biological decontamination services to hospitals, research labs and the pharmaceutical industry, look at the advantages No Touch Decontamination (NTD) systems offer over manual disinfection regimes.

Their Wide Reach

NTD systems have proved effective against a host of viral and bacterial strains, including so-called superbugs such as MRSA. NTD devices which use ionised hydrogen peroxide also deliver a six-log reduction of viruses akin to coronavirus.

They Produce More Uniform Results

Using a No Touch Decontamination system means there’s no variation in overall performance, which isn’t the case if humans are involved. If cleaning staff or healthcare professionals are employed to disinfect the same surface, you will never get precisely the same results.  For instance, some people may be more conscientious about following the manufacturers’ instructions than others. A recent study commissioned by the University of Nottingham showed that almost half the surfaces in patient isolation rooms in 23 different hospitals had not been properly disinfected.

With an NTD system, the equipment automatically delivers the correct level and proportion of chemicals to produce the desired decontamination results.

They Don’t Expose Operators to Risk

With a hydrogen peroxide No Touch Decontamination system there is far less need to expose cleaning staff or healthcare professionals to any sort of risk. This is not the case with more traditional methods of cleaning which involve potentially hazardous chemicals like formaldehyde. The NTD method is also fully programmable and can be operated remotely without the need for the operator to be present.

NTD systems which use UV light or hydrogen peroxide don’t leave any harmful products behind once the cleaning cycle has been completed.

Devea Phileas® Products from Tecomak Environmental Services

Tecomak Environmental Services use ionised hydrogen peroxide as part of our biological decontamination services. UV light No Touch Decontamination systems, which use UV rays from a special lamp to disrupt the DNA of harmful micro-organisms, are not as effective when the room has not been adequately lit. This means pathogens can ‘hide’ in certain nooks and crannies in a room. Staff also need to be present throughout its cleaning cycle.

However, the Devea Phileas® products used by Tecomak reach every part of a target room, whether it’s a patient isolation area, an operating theatre, a maternity unit or a high dependency unit. The Phileas® Genius, pictured, is particularly effective at disinfecting smaller, hard to reach areas and individual items of equipment. There are a number of different models – the 25, 75 and 250 – which are suited to larger rooms or areas.

The Phileas® disinfection units work by diffusing hydrogen peroxide vapour in a fine mist. Once the process has been completed the only substances which are left are harmless oxygen molecules and water.

If you would like to know more about any of our Phileas® products, call us on 01732 852250 or click on this link and fill in the online form.