Selectaglaze Secondary Glazing for Healthcare

Controlling the environment within hospitals to stop the spread of disease and infection is very important. Selectaglaze secondary glazing creates an excellent barrier to help prevent this and has a wide range of healthcare products; from switchable glass, anti-ligature furniture and units that are Secured by Design accredited.

Many hospital buildings of traditional construction have ill-fitting windows which are not only draughty and poorly insulating but admit dirt and dust from outside leading to problems of cleanliness and discomfort.

Secondary glazing with high performance seals can block the dirt and draughts and when glazed with a thermally efficient low emissivity glass will reduce U-values across the window to less than 1.9, a reduction of up to 65% against a single glazed metal window. This will create cleaner, warmer surroundings for recuperation, as well as help reduce energy consumption.

Selectaglaze secondary glazing not only creates a warmer environment but achieves very high levels of sound insulation. The speed of patient rehabilitation is important, with sleep playing a major part in the healing process. Selectaglaze secondary glazing systems can reduce noise levels by 42-45dB with standard glass and even higher levels achieved with thicker glass.

Besides environmental improvements, Selectaglaze secondary glazing also helps with secure environments such as mental health units where there is a need to protect patients from self-harm. Also, pharmacies and laboratories where sensitive or dangerous materials are stored and used can benefit from secondary glazing, as well as data centres where patient information is kept. A range of products tested to PAS 24 and Loss Prevention Standard LPS1175 are available.

St. Mary’s Hospital, Paddington part of the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust London, developed a state-of-the-art 16-bed Critical Care Unit which is dedicated to the hospital’s most severely ill adult patients. It is predicted that the standard of facilities and technological advances developed at Imperial, one of the biggest Trusts within this field, will become the required level for future ‘Intelligent’ Critical Care Units throughout the UK

Selectaglaze was called upon by main contractors, Howard Electrical, to design and install secondary units which, in conjunction with the primary windows would help provide the required sterile and controllable environment. This specification included the ability to vary the internal pressure of individual rooms (negative or positive), an important part of combating the spread of infectious diseases, the eradication of dust incursion and the significant reduction of unwanted noise from the busy London environment.

Selectaglaze answered the brief with the installation of its Series 45 side hung casements featuring 6mm toughened glass and fitted with special removable key handles, to prevent unauthorised opening of the windows. A total of 62 secondary glazed units were installed.

During a 10 year ambitious plan, Barts Hospital has seen the refurbishment of many buildings bringing them back to their eighteenth century glory. Others have been demolished to make way for new state-of-the-art facilities. 

Working closely with main contractor Skanska, the initial task for Selectaglaze was to provide acoustic insulation to eradicate external site noise and prevent ingress of dust from the demolition works into the remaining buildings. The Wards provided the greatest challenge as they had to remain fully functional at all times, so Series 46 fixed glazed panels were installed.

The second phase of the involvement was providing secondary glazing in ten of the operating theatres, ensuring they maintained the highest standards of sterility and controlled conditions. Series 41 side hung casements were installed allowing the complex combination of specially developed power roller ‘privacy’ binds, together with ‘blackout’ blinds, which were deemed essential in order to contain lasers used within the theatres.

With fifty years of experience working within hospitals and healthcare establishments Selectaglaze is the leading secondary glazing specialist and tailors its windows to each individual client’s needs.

Established in 1966 and Royal Warrant Holder since 2004, Selectaglaze has a wealth of knowledge from working on all building types from new to Listed. The company offers a wide range of tested products covering acoustic and thermal performance as well as protection against intruder and blast mitigation. A free technical advisory service is offered and RIBA approved CPDs are available to architects and designers.

For further information, please contact Selectaglaze on 01727 837271 e mail: enquiries@selectaglaze.co.uk or visit: www.selectaglaze.co.uk