Contactless hygiene in the Gutshaus Joint Medical Practice, Vienna

4-minute read

For obvious reasons, hygiene is a key priority in the healthcare sector. This is why Gutshaus Joint Medical Practice decided to install contactless, electronic fittings from SCHELL in its sanitary facilities and for the hand wash basins in its consulting rooms.

A better quality of life – rather than just fixing aches and pains – is the declared vision of the Gutshaus Joint Medical Practice in Vienna. Practice founder Philip van Haentjens was unhappy with traditional methods that focus solely on symptomatic treatment and accordingly decided to adopt a more holistic approach at the end of the 1990s. Osteopath Haentjens now heads a heterogeneous team of kinesiologists, physiotherapists, homoeopaths and nutritionists working side by side in the eight generously sized consulting rooms offered by the 300 sqm of this practice.

Contactless operation for better hygiene

In the consulting rooms and sanitary facilities at the joint medical practice, everything is kept hygienic by infrared-controlled, electronic SCHELL fittings. The team at the Viennese joint medical practice decided to retrofit the existing wash basins and facilities with a total of 13 contactless MODUS E fittings from SCHELL. Protecting the health of employees and patients at the practice is of immense importance. Fittings that offer contactless operation help to combat contact infections because, as the WHO says, 80 percent of all germs are passed on via the hands. Since the flow of water from these kinds of taps is activated without physical contact and stops automatically after a preconfigured time, this significantly reduces the risk of contracting a bacterial or viral infection. As a result, the MODUS E fittings make a real difference to hygiene in this doctor’s practice. At the same time, however, the convenience of contactless operation and its potential to save water should not be underestimated. In the case of the thorough handwashing needed before and after patient contact – which involves plenty of soaping-up – this means that water only flows when it’s actually needed.

MODUS E – the inexpensive alternative for modernisations

The MODUS E family from SCHELL is the ideal alternative for modernisation projects on a tight budget. With these fittings, capital spending can remain moderate while still enjoying the benefits of an electronic tap for both user and drinking water hygiene. Battery-operated models also avoid the need to install new sockets – a time-consuming and expensive process – since the fittings are independent of mains power. The vandal-proof design of the MODUS E, with its robust metal body and mechanism to prevent obstruction of the infrared sensor, also ensures a long service life.

Stagnation flushes for drinking water hygiene

Drinking water hygiene is also another key aspect of user safety. All MODUS E taps support regular stagnation flushes to maintain water quality and the specified normal operation of a drinking water installation according to the German VDI 6023 standard. This is especially important over long weekends or during practice holidays when regular usage can no longer be counted on. With the new taps in place, no-one from the Gutshaus practice team needs to visit the facilities out of hours in order to flush the taps manually. No later than 24 hours after the last use, a stagnation flush happens automatically. A benefit for drinking water hygiene and therefore the practice itself.

More background on the Gutshaus project and the benefits of the MODUS E family can be found here.