Architecture and Design

With the frequent publicity about the dangers of hospital-acquired MRSA infection it's not surprising that extra measures are being taken by the Government to tackle the problem.

That's good news, but concern about the spread of bacterial infection isn't just confined to hospitals and catering establishments. Offices are also fair game for bacteria to flourish and spread, causing sickness and loss in productivity. Leisure centres and gyms are not immune either.

So anything that can help in the fight against bacteria has to be a help, even among people who are fit and healthy.

Up to now there hasn't been a way to protect wood surfaces such as furniture, doors, reception desks, handrails and floors from antibiotic resistant bacteria. But that's now changed with the introduction of a new biocidal wood lacquer called Hygienilac.

Hygienilac is the only product of its kind that can provide long term protection against antibiotic resistant bacteria, including MRSA, for the lifetime of the lacquer - which could be as long as 10 years.

Developed by Kettering based Premier Finishes, a specialist coatings company, Hygienilac is believed to be the first biocidially proactive lacquer to be produced in the UK and it has been independently certified by one of the most respected microbiological labs in the UK, Bodycote Lawlabs in Birmingham.

So when planning or refurbishing building interiors - whether hospitals and clinics, hotels, bars and restaurants or office buildings, you can now recommend a new wood lacquer to your clients which will give the added benefit of close to permanent protection of surfaces against bacterial infection. They will appreciate the benefits, and so will their employees.