MK brings anti-bacterial solutions to cable management
An anti-bacterial cable-management system from MK Electric can be integrated with its Logic Plus wiring devices to realise an installation that will meet the requirements of an anti-bacterial specification. It uses a silver-based additive embodied in the PVU-u material of exposed parts of Prestige 3D Antibac Blue to kill bacteria rather than just restricting growth. The additive is homogenous with the PVC-u compound, so there is no loss of effectiveness when trunking is cut to length on site or if the surface becomes scuffed of scratched.
The results of independent tests over 24 hours showed kill rates for MRSA of over 99.9% and for Klebsiella pneumoniae of over 98.9%
The additive is registered with the Environmental Protection Agency and compliant with the European Biocidal Products Directive. It is effective against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.
The integrity of an installation can be tested with a small UV light. A patent-pending fluorescent additive glows bright blue, whereas standard PVC-u glows dull purple.
There are likely to have been over 31 000 healthcare-associated infections in 2008. Each case is likely to require 11 days longer in hospital, equivalent to an additional £3000 per case — plus compensation if negligence is shown.
