Rada Press Office

Rada the right medicine for infection control

2010-09-29T15:05:00.002+01:00

Birmingham City Hospital has turned to Rada to help target improved efficiencies in infection control after detecting higher than expected rates of C. difficile in one of its former Nightingale wards. The ward, which had been an acute ward for the elderly, was deemed a hospital ‘hot spot’ with more occurrences of the infection than other areas.

The decision to close and refurbish the ward allowed a total rethink in terms of infection control and prevention, as well as improved ergonomics, patient comfort and privacy. The hospital’s infection control team worked with its capital projects department to put infection control at the top of the agenda for the new ward’s design, which saw 30 of Rada’s Acu non-touch digital thermostatic mixing valves installed, replacing 13 conventional taps. Rada Sense was chosen for the ward’s shower areas.

While the remit was to specifically bring effective non-touch controlled hand-washing and showering facilities to the new ward, water management and maintenance was also seen as important. Paul Scott of the capital projects team said:” The estates department wanted a move away from old style elbow taps because of the labour intensive aspect of having to flush each tap manually.

With Rada’s T-LogicTM digital intelligence controlling both the Acu and Sense products, it allows them to operate, communicate and exchange information with the mixing valves to ensure that high degrees of safety, hygiene and control are maintained.” Testimony to the effectiveness of the revamped ward has come from the nursing staff, many of whom worked in the original ward, and whose feedback has been very positive. Dr Beryl Oppenheim, a specialist in infection control, said:” From the outset we wanted to put infection control at the very heart of the day to day running of the new ward. From our point of view the ward in its new guise has certainly raised the bar in this respect.”

In addition to the Rada Acu and Sense installations, the refurbished 25-bed unit also features floor signs in front of each hand basin with the words ‘Wash your hands’ and hand washing facilities outside the ward door.

Simpler specification with Rada’s selector

2010-09-07T19:41:00.002+01:00

Rada has just published its Product Selector, a guide to the UK’s widest range of showering, washroom controls, fittings and systems designed for commercial applications. This intuitive guide is grouped by application and colour-coded for ease of use, presenting each product complete with key features and benefits, best practice applications, approvals and, where relevant, plumbing schematics.

In a handy, pocket-size four-colour format; the 148-page selector includes sector icons for the different products as a guide to their application suitability – healthcare, education, sports/leisure, defence, prison, washroom and industrial.

The product pages also use icons that show product characteristics and approvals, such as WRAS approval or features to aid legionella management or reduce water consumption. They also provide web links where further information may be downloaded.

Highlights in the edition include Rada’s digital washroom controls which sport advanced features such as non-touch activation and temperature adjustment. The range also enables thermal disinfection and automatic duty flushing, both of which aid the control of Legionella bacteria and the maintenance of high standards of hygiene.

Make Contact with Rada for water consumption cuts

2010-09-07T19:37:00.001+01:00

The new Contact from Rada is a stylish touch-activated tap with a smart minimalist design, intended for commercial premises such as hotels and leisure centres. Apart from delivering a high contemporary aesthetic, it is also easy to clean and its simple operation requires no pressure to activate; making it ideal for children and the elderly to use.

The Contact tap assists in reducing water consumption through delivering flow for pre-programmed periods. It is supplied with a factory set flow of eight seconds, but it can be programmed for flows of up to a minute. Minimum flow rate – with flow regulator fitted – is 6 litres/min at 3 bar. The robust, brass-bodied valve also operates at a wide range of supply pressures from 0.5 to 8 bar, although optimum performance is achieved at 1 bar and above.

It also incorporates a factory-set hygiene flush which is executed every 72 hours without use. Hygiene flushing is an important tool in helping reduce the possibility of legionella colonization. Automatically operating the valve after a set period of inactivity aids the prevention of the build-up of bacteria in ‘dead legs’ of water in pipework. Valve operation is powered by an externally mounted IP67 battery pack, comprising six 1.5V AA alkaline cells.

The Contact tap can be either deck or basin mounted and can be installed with either cold or pre-mixed supply, when ideally the tap should be installed in conjunction with a thermostatic under basin mixing valve – limiting hot water supply to between 38 and 43°C – for enhanced user safety. Contact is WRAS Approved and is designed, manufactured and supported in accordance with accredited BS EN ISO9001:2000 and BS EN ISO14001:2004.

Rada is the right treatment for Newcastle Hospital PFI projects

2010-02-12T17:51:00.002Z

The £270 million pound rationalisation of healthcare in Newcastle-upon-Tyne has incorporated a suite of products from Rada, the commercial division of Kohler Mira, that are now an integral part of two leading UK specialist hospitals. The Newcastle Hospitals PFI involves the rationalisation of the city’s clinical services, which are currently fragmented and duplicated across three sites. Newcastle General Hospital is to be closed and its services transferred to the Royal Victoria Infirmary and Freeman Hospital.

These are two of the most prominent specialist hospitals in the UK. The Freeman Hospital is renowned for its success in transplant and cancer treatment while the Royal Victoria Infirmary will become the northern equivalent of Great Ormond Street Hospital in London because of its expertise in paediatrics.

The extensive range of products installed include Rada thermostatic mixing valves for hand washing and showering – Rada Sense Washbasin Kit T3, Unatherm, Thermotap and V8/3 – all accredited to NHS Model Engineering Specification D08.

The contractor in charge of the project, Laing O’Rourke/Crown House Technologies, chose these products both because they offer value for money and are proven in the demanding hospital environment.

Project Engineer Darrin McKenny says: “These are all good and proven products in the healthcare sector and were specified by the Primary Care Trust. They’ve made a bit of a name for themselves.”

The Rada Meynell V8/3 L thermostatic mixer is equipped with a long lever control, specifically to assist those people with impaired use of their hands, or who would simply benefit from additional leverage. For those with special needs, the Meynell V8/3 L valve can be fitted with accessories from the Mira special needs range which includes longer (2m) hoses and a 1.5m slide bar.

Rada Sense is the UK’s first infra-red, non-touch control panel for both water flow and temperature control designed to help reduce instances of cross infection in healthcare establishments. It also reduces the potential for legionella to breed in pipework ‘dead legs’. The mixing unit is supplied factory-set to comply with TMV3 safe temperature settings for hospitals to prevent scalding where users are vulnerable or where there is a duty of care to the young, infirm or less able.

Sense offers a unique combination of safety, hygiene and absolute thermal control using groundbreaking technology, entirely UK designed to the demanding IEC61508 internationally recognised standard for electrical and electronic equipment that is used to provide a safety function.

The Unatherm-3 combined thermostatic mixing valve and surgical tap aids surgical basin tap maintenance by being mounted in front of the panel, so that it is fully serviceable from above the basin. This feature aids surgical basin tap maintenance and contributes to improved safety and hygiene on hospital wards and in scrub-up areas.

The Rada Thermotap-3 combined basin tap and thermostatic mixing valve is operated via a lever control for ease of use, and there is also an additional longer lever option available.

Because mixing occurs within the thermostat assembly in the Thermotap-3, water delivery is both instantaneous and at a safe hand washing temperature. It also offers significant benefits to the installer as it is much easier and quicker to install than a standard pillar tap and separate mixing valve combination.

Rada grows two heads with Dual Shower T3

2010-01-25T13:09:00.003Z

Rada has enhanced its market-leading Sense range of digital water control systems with the introduction of the Sense Dual Shower T3.

Designed specifically with children or the less able in mind, the Dual Shower T3 control and valve is suitable for all commercial and public sector showering facilities which need to meet the demands of Part M of the Building Regulations, while addressing the needs of the young and other potential users.

The Sense Dual Shower T3 basically combines a diverter shower – one with both a fixed and variable showerhead – with the company’s intelligent digital thermostatic mixing valve technology.

In leisure, public sector and hospitality applications there is a need to offer flexibility to users where a standard fixed head causes problems for those – like children – for whom the spray is too high or simply want a ‘body wash’ without full deluge. Being able to remove the handset allows all users to wash more thoroughly; while offering the full shower experience to those who want it. Similarly, the variable head provides accessible showering to the less able and as required by Part M.

Its non-touch operation means the controls are easy to operate for users with limited dexterity and/or disabilities who may struggle with buttons or levers; and it guarantees safe thermostatic control when switching between outlets. Sense offers a unique combination of safety, hygiene and absolute thermal control and features an inbuilt thermal disinfection cycle – with secure activation – to help reduce the risks of infection from water borne bacteria, like legionella.

There is also an automatic duty flush function, the frequency of which can be increased or reduced to suit individual site requirements. Its concealed electronic mixing unit allows the building manager to pre-set flow and temperature parameters to suit a particular application need as required.

Hot water safety – obviating the possibility of scalding injuries – is core to all Rada products; and the mixing unit is supplied factory-set to comply with TMV3* safe temperature settings. BuildCert TMV3 approval guarantees conformity with NHS Estates Model Engineering Specification D08, the benchmark standard for delivering safe hot water.

The Rada Sense Dual Shower T3 allows leisure facilities to provide customers with a varied shower experience and provide family room showers that are suitable for children and parents. It also meets the requirements of Part M of the Building Regulations in environments where flexibility and ultimate safety are paramount.

It’s time for a spell in the shower at Potter’s place!

2010-01-12T20:34:00.003Z

Rada Sense digital showers are often specified in special places but nowhere can be more magical than the latest installation at Royal Connaught Park, near Watford. The luxury redevelopment, by the Comer Homes Group, of the former Royal Masonic School for Boys, is better known for playing host to film and TV companies as a location set.

Its most notable scenes are probably from the Harry Potter franchise, where the main hall has witnessed many a wizard moment as the Hogwarts refectory! Today lying directly beneath the hall is the private swimming pool, part of the site’s health and leisure centre, which features all the latest facilities, treatments and luxury changing rooms complete with Rada Sense showers.

With their chrome plated control panels and high quality fittings, Rada Sense brings a very modern look to complement the contemporary and stylish feel of the changing rooms. Aesthetics and showering performance aside, with its T-logic digital intelligence, Rada Sense is also smarter, safer and more hygienic than any other shower control on the market, making it the ideal choice for a leisure facility that will be used by children and adults alike.

“Rada Sense offered the necessary combination of looking good and providing a first-rate shower experience for users of the club. Its ‘intelligence’ also gives us peace of mind, knowing that shower temperatures are regulated and monitored”, explained Barry Comer, Managing Director of the Comer Homes Group.