Rada Sense, a new, highly innovative digital water control system developed by Rada, the commercial shower and washroom division of Kohler Mira, has a range of features that offer a unique combination of safety, hygiene and absolute thermal control.
Additionally, Rada Sense features an inbuilt disinfection cycle to ensure that risks of infection and contamination from water borne bacteria are minimised.
In hospitals and other establishments that offer public showering and bathing facilities, the disinfection feature has particular relevance in contributing to an establishment's risk assessment policy. Inadequate precautions towards the prevention of legionella in the hot and cold water systems can break the law and lead to prosecution.
In hospitals and other establishments that offer public showering and bathing facilities the disinfection feature has particular relevance in contributing to an establishment's risk assessment policy.
In most establishments it is the responsibility of the 'duty holder' - the owner, manager or facilities manager - to ensure that a risk assessment is carried out on any water system that serves the public.
Legionella is a potentially fatal form of pneumonia and there are around 200 reported cases every year in the UK. The 'Health and Safety at Work' act and the 'Management of the Health and Safety Regulations' require risk assessments to be undertaken and require establishment owners (and employers) to establish procedures to be followed if situations presenting serious and imminent danger were to arise.
But, as with most bacteria related problems the old adage of prevention being better than cure holds true.
Roy Minett is Commercial Marketing Manager of Kohler Mira and as he explains, the Rada Sense development positively addresses a number of health and safety issues that can adversely affect hospitals and care establishments and their safe storage and delivery of hot water for washing and showering.
"In such establishments it is important to adopt best practice with regard to legionella. It is a well-known fact that the risk of legionella breeding rises when peripheral outlets are not in regular use and where 'dead legs' occur. The Health and Safety Commission's 'Approved Code of Practice L8' advises that flushing through these outlets for several minutes can significantly reduce the numbers of legionella discharged from the outlet.
"The Rada Sense duty flushing facility can be programmed to automatically perform regular flushing on peripherally located baths, showers or basins at hourly, daily or weekly intervals, whichever is appropriate.
Rada Sense offers a unique combination of safety, hygiene and absolute thermal control.
"The Health and Safety Commission's 'AcoP L8' also recommends routine thermal disinfection as a means of preventing or controlling legionella," he adds. "This can be achieved by activating the Sense thermal disinfection facility that - under supervision - allows hot water at a temperature of at least 60°C to be flushed through the electronic mixing valve and all outlet pipe-work. Of course, this is simply not possible where conventional TMV's are fitted," Roy Minett explains.
Rada Sense brings a whole new look to washrooms, showers and bathrooms with its aesthetically pleasing chrome plated no-touch control panel, supported by a range of high quality fittings, ensuring it looks as much at home in a new, state-of-the-art hospital as in a hotel, sports club or leisure centre.
Entirely UK designed, at the heart of Rada Sense is its concealed electronic mixing unit, which uses Rada's unique T-logicŪ technology and custom-developed software. This offers the facility manager the capability of adjusting pre-set water flow and temperature parameters to suit a particular application need as required. The mixing unit is supplied factory-set to comply with TMV3 safe temperature settings for hospitals.
This promotes safety in areas where users are vulnerable or where there is a duty of care to the young, infirm or less able.
Rada Sense uses groundbreaking technology that exceeds TMV3 performance levels and satisfies the demanding IEC61508 standard. IEC61508 is an internationally recognised standard for electrical and electronic equipment that is used to provide a safety function. Finally, as Roy Minett adds, the day-to-day needs of the facilities operator have been an important part of the Rada Sense development.
"As with all of its new generation of thermostatic products, at Rada we strive to make life easier for the installer and operator," he explains. "As such, any adjustment to the Rada Sense settings and routine maintenance checks are undertaken from the front of the installation using a hand-held computer.
"Using the computer, the operator can also activate the thermal disinfection cycle and read out data logging information to ensure the highest standards are met and maintained," he concludes.
For further information on this exciting new range of products have a look at www.radasense.com
To contact Kohler Mira call (01242) 282527 or fax (01242) 282404. e-mail: Rada_Technical@mirashowers.com
ENDS
