Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) has become a conventional material in the healthcare industry. From flexible tubing to device components, PVC has found its way into various applications. While some view the material as beneficial to the industry, it does not come without controversy. One major pain point rests with the fact there is no known safe way to produce or dispose of PVC products. Even worse, when PVC is broken down, hydrogen chloride gas and dioxin are released, both of which are hazardous chemicals.
Being aware of non-PVC options should be a priority for planners and purchasers as they design and gather equipment and supplies for projects. Building a sustainable and eco-friendly institution starts with setting a solid foundation, and companies are now offering PVC-free versions of popular products, including upholstery and furnishing elements.
Eco-Friendly Furnishings
Clinton uses materials that meet specific manufacturing and government standards for environmental safety, knowing that the environment should be important to everyone. Because there are varying opinions on the safety of vinyl upholstery, Clinton has developed product lines that offer different base materials, but center around PVC-free upholstery options.
Clinton wood products also strive to be conscious of environmentally devastating chemicals. Clinton uses CARB I and CARB II compliant plywood with no added urea-formaldehyde for all wood products, adding water-based or UV-cured topcoats and assembled with low VOC glues.
All Clinton metal products strive for a 100% recyclable metal table frame, protected by an eco-friendly, VOC-free, water-based powder-coating. Furthermore, they carry this initiative through to their laminate products, again utilizing CARB I and CARB II compliant laminated materials with no added urea-formaldehyde.
Other furnishing options include an expansive line of green products from Hausmann. This line contains eco-friendly treatment tables, carts, and medical furniture. These products use environmentally safer alternatives to traditional materials for improved indoor air quality and healthier patients.
The Hausmann Green-Line has no added urea-formaldehyde to their wood products and exceeds standards established by the California Air Resource Board. All of the companies Green-Line construction is also PVC-Free.
PVC-Free Upholstery
Just as Hausmann takes concern with their products impact on air quality, Clinton's PVC-free upholstery also strives to make a difference to the interior air quality of your facility. A more environmentally-friendly option, the material is soft to the touch and absent of the chemical smell that accompanies PVC applications.
But what about the look and feel of leather?
Midmark acknowledges that while there is nothing quite like the richness of leather, it's challenging to clean and is not necessarily a practical material for a clinical environment. With their line of UltraFree upholstery, you can have the look and feel of leather, but through PVC-free materials. Midmark uses a seamless application, making it even easier to clean and disinfect these products, and offers the line in the familiar and most popular colors chosen by healthcare facilities.
How CME Can Help
It is forward thinking companies like all those mentioned in this article that will push our industry into an eco-friendly and responsible design, and CME is your gateway to finding all the right solutions for your project.
We are experts at working with all your new construction team members including in-house staff, construction and design teams, outsourced equipment planners, architects, project managers and general contractors. Every project is different, and we are flexible enough to work with everyone involved in your project within your guidelines.
CME pledges to get your completely functional facility open on time and ready business. Let us be a part of your new construction team. You will not be disappointed.
Check out two of our resources Building a Better Hospital and 9 Ways CME Can Support Your Next Healthcare Construction Project. For more information about any of our services or products, call us at 800-338-2372 and let us quote your next healthcare project!
About CME: CME Corp is the nation’s premier source for healthcare equipment, turnkey logistics, and biomedical services, representing 2 million+ products from more than 2,000 manufacturers.
With two corporate offices and 35+ service centers, our mission is to help healthcare facilities nationwide reduce the cost of the equipment they purchase, make their equipment specification, delivery, installation, and maintenance processes more efficient, and help them seamlessly launch, renovate and expand on schedule.