Altro Whiterock White, a PVCu hygienic wall sheet product from Altro Flooring and Walling was specified for the refurbishment of a leading hospital in Melbourne. Altro Whiterock met the hygiene and ease of cleaning objectives prioritised by the hospital for their operating rooms.

Healthcare environments have evolved over the years with a corresponding change observed in the requirements sought by hospitals for sensitive areas such as operating rooms. These areas demand superior levels of hygiene, infection control, patient safety and efficiency.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) states that hundreds of millions of patients are affected by healthcare-associated infections globally, with seven percent of patients in developed countries acquiring at least one. In high-income countries, approximately 30 per cent of patients in intensive care units are affected by at least one healthcare-associated infection, risking the well-being of the patient, increasing hospital stays and causing financial losses for health systems.

While a high proportion of healthcare-associated infections is attributed to the use of invasive devices, high-risk and sophisticated procedures as well as insufficient application of standard and isolation precautions are also cited as reasons.

Altro Whiterock

Altro Whiterock PVCu hygienic wall sheets provide a decorative, practical and hygienic protection solution. Featuring a watertight, impervious surface, Altro Whiterock prevents water ingress, thereby discouraging bacterial growth and avoiding structural damage.

This product innovation from Altro can be hygienically finished around fixtures and fittings, eliminating the need for grout and dramatically reducing the risk of contamination. The fully bonded system includes thermoformed pencil rounded corners that give bacteria no room to hide while also simplifying the cleaning and disinfection process.

Altro Whiterock’s internal and external angles are thermoformed on site, avoiding the need for unsightly corner trims, which are potential dirt traps and difficult to clean. Thermoformed corners and angles provide a much more hygienic surface than the grouted joints associated with tiles, which require an aggressive cleaning regimen. Thermoformed corners maintain the same level of impact resistance as the standard product, which is important as corners tend to receive most knocks, especially in healthcare environments.