Healthy Environment, Simple Materials

A functional and purpose-built floor is key to a safe and hygienic production environment in food and beverage facilities. Floors that are hygienic, non-slip, easy to clean, and durable provide a safe and attractive place to work. Choosing and installing the right floor are critical to every work environment. This article looks at getting it right the first time — achieving satisfactory and long-term flooring in a food processing environment.

Infection prevention and control is of utmost importance in hospitals and other healthcare facilities. Building owners, facilities managers, healthcare architects and all others involved in healthcare design decisions need to consider how the materials used within a building contribute to this issue.

Many urban and suburban areas have higher temperatures than their rural surroundings. This temperature difference indicates that they are urban heat islands. The annual mean air temperature in a city of a million or more people can easily be 1 to 4°C warmer than in the rural surroundings. On a clear, calm night the difference can measure even 12°C or more. The main cause of urban heat island effect is the modification of the land surface in cities. Natural vegetation is replaced by the built environment. Most surfaces of new structures are characterized by low solar reflectance and high impermeability. Additionally, they are often built with high-density materials which absorb great amounts of thermal energy and release it as heat.