Tarkett, a provider of innovative flooring and sports surface solutions, joined the Clean Hospitals network to contribute to improve hospital hygiene and to promote effective, sustainable and evidence-based cleaning guidelines.

With millions of patients affected by nosocomial infections worldwide each year, many of which are avoidable, Clean Hospitals aims to increase patient safety and raise awareness on the importance of hospital environmental hygiene.

Led by Professor Didier Pittet, World Health Organization Expert from the Faculty of Medicine of  Geneva University Hospitals in Switzerland, Clean Hospitals is a not-for profit association which brings together the industry, members of academia, hospitals, governmental bodies, and key stakeholders from various countries.

“Our collaboration with the organization will keep all Tarkett divisions informed of the most up-to-date science and technology for keeping our facilities and communities safe,” said Margaret Bartholomew, healthcare segment manager, Tarkett North America. “Tarkett is committed to pursuing only the healthiest materials and solutions for its products, and this partnership is another important step in that spirit.”

Tarkett has more than 70 years of experience developing flooring solutions for healthcare environments. The company estimates projects in the U.S. acute healthcare market this year to be about $4 billion. Through this partnership, Tarkett will share its longstanding expertise on flooring with Clean Hospitals’ working groups and will contribute to advance research on cleaning and infection control protocols on flooring.

“Healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial resistance are two key issues in healthcare facilities, which have been exacerbated by the Covid-19 crisis. Joining the Clean Hospitals network is an important step to support the healthcare community,” said Tarkett CEO Fabrice Barthélemy. “We will contribute to accelerate the adoption of the best hospital floor cleaning protocols that respect people’s health and the environment. The collaborative and scientific approach of Clean Hospitals with a strong focus on patients’ lives and healthcare workers’ safety fully meets Tarkett human-conscious design commitment.”

“The great achievement of Clean Hospitals is to be able to make people work together to make the best and most appropriate decisions,” said Pittet. “This sharing of experience and knowledge is unique and is key. Working together with our stakeholders allows us to react as a network when there is an identified need to create awareness, look at research, new innovations, methods and support training and education. This initiative commits to make healthcare facilities safer through strengthening and streamlining healthcare environmental hygiene. Clean Hospitals is happy to welcome Tarkett. This collaboration will bring a different expertise area within the group and we know that the difference is a wealth.”

Supporting the healthcare community through Tarkett Human-Conscious Design™

For decades, Tarkett has been committed to developing innovative flooring solutions with people in mind: patients, medical staff, and cleaners. 

In 2013, Tarkett made the decision to move away from using antimicrobials on its floors and instead to promote high standards of cleaning and infection control procedures with an appropriate use of disinfectants. This pioneering move was based on the risk inherent with the overuse of antimicrobials, potentially leading to antimicrobial resistance.

Through the partnership, Tarkett’s goal is to develop and deploy the best cleaning and disinfection protocols with the minimum impact on human health, the environment and biodiversity by limiting the overuse of biocides and disinfectants.

Clean Hospitals and Tarkett: a collaborative approach to raise standards

The Covid-19 crisis has provided strong evidence of the important role of cleaners in healthcare facilities to stringently follow cleaning protocols. Clean Hospitals' goal is to raise industry standards and increase the visibility of environmental hygiene in patient care through an evidence-based approach. Ultimately, these improvements in environmental hygiene are expected to benefit public health by lowering rates of healthcare-associated infections and reducing antimicrobial resistance.

For more information about Tarkett and the company’s comprehensive range of flooring solutions and accessories, visit www.tarkettna.com