Unsurprisingly, Covid-19 heightened awareness around infection control, but in truth, it’s always been a primary concern for healthcare professionals. The pandemic simply served to intensify attention on the calibre of handwashing and surface cleansing.

If thorough handwashing is the first line of defence in order to minimise the spread of illness-causing germs and bacteria, it is essential that facilities are up to standard.

The best way to ensure this? Investing in medical wash troughs.

Here, the ONVO team takes a closer look at medical wash troughs and their place in effective infection control.

What is a medical wash trough?

Medical wash troughs are specially designed basins intended for fast and efficient communal handwashing.

Called to an emergency? Worried about leaving taps running? A wash trough is one long sink (trough) that allows multiple users to wash their hands at the same time. It differs from a standard sink in that it isn’t designed to hold water and won’t fill up – it therefore can’t flood. With no plug, water drains straight out, preventing any flooding mishaps.

Typically made from stainless steel, at ONVO, we craft medical wash troughs from Corian. This highly durable, solid, and non-porous surface is easy to keep clean. With certified hygienic properties that exceed European standard DIN EN ISO 846 for stability against bacteria and fungi, a medical wash trough made from Corian is ideal for demanding healthcare environments.

How do medical wash troughs boost hygiene standards?

  • Faster and more efficient cleaning

As one continuous basin, wash troughs are easy to keep clean.

Corian is a highly durable material that won’t easily damage and is non-porous – acting as a natural barrier to dirt and bacteria and preventing germs from becoming trapped under the surface.

The continuous, seam-free design of a wash trough reduces areas where germs and bacteria can hide, making the troughs easy to clean – and keep clean!

  • Increased efficiency

Haven’t got time to wait around or queue to wash your hands? Designed to allow multiple people to wash their hands at the same time, there’s no neglecting hand washing with a medical wash trough.

Thanks to water being fed to the trough through mixer taps in a controlled manner, there’s also no reliance on manual turn-off. The ideal amount of water, at the optimum temperature for hand cleaning, is automatically dispensed.

  • Savings

Budgets are more stretched than ever across the healthcare sector. Worried hygiene standards will slip as a result? Medical wash troughs can help.

Offering a space-saving and cost-effective alternative to individual handwashing basins, they not only make cleaning faster and more efficient, but water waste is also avoided with automatic taps – as is the expense of a hot tap being left running!

The narrow, streamlined design of a wash trough is ideal for making effective use of space. Our medical wash troughs are available in a number of stock lengths – from 1200mm with space for 2 users to 3600m designed for 6 users. Bespoke lengths are also possible, allowing you to incorporate maximum hand washing facilities into the space you have available – while only paying for exactly what you need.

What other features can help support infection control?

If you need to improve your facilities, but hand washing for multiple users at the same time isn’t required, it’s worth taking a look at the Cliniwash.

As a single sink, this seamless handwashing unit is the first of its kind, actively increasing cleanliness and boosting hygiene levels.

For thorough hand cleaning, antibacterial soap is essential. It’s worth fitting your medical wash trough with soap dispensers conveniently situated by each tap.

Providing the means for washing hands is essential, but so is educating users – not just on the importance, but also on how to effectively perform hand hygiene. This can be done through staff training and strategically placed information posters reinforcing cleaning techniques.

Wet hands spread germs more easily than dry hands. Ensuring hands are properly dry after washing is therefore another key element in effective infection control. Providing working hand dryers or well-stocked paper towel dispensers is essential.

Finally, it’s crucial for hand washing stations to be used for just that – hand washing! In accordance with NHS clinical wash hand basin protocol, do not dispose of drinks, IV fluids, drugs, cleaning fluids (other than soap), or bodily fluids, or wash any patient equipment at hand stations. Using clear signage to inform people that sinks are for hand washing only is highly recommended.

Strengthen your defences today

From medical wash troughs to the pioneering Cliniwash, at ONVO, we have a range of medical sinks available designed to promote superior levels of hygiene and cleanliness and reduce the risk of infection.

Take a closer look at our wash trough sinks or the Cliniwash now. Alternatively, if you’d like to talk in more detail with a member of the team call 0161 302 5340, or fill in our enquiry form and we’ll be back in touch soon.