A floor access cover in a hospital must provide safe access to pipes, cables, valves and other services beneath the floor without creating level differences, difficult-to-clean joints or obstacles for beds, wheelchairs and trolleys.
Healthcare buildings and public premises place high demands on hygiene, cleaning, accessibility and durability. The choice of floor access cover should therefore be adapted to both the floor finish and the load it will be exposed to.
Visedge is a made-to-measure floor access cover for flexible floor finishes such as vinyl, linoleum, rubber and certain types of textile flooring. Classic is instead designed for finishes such as timber, tiles, stone or concrete.
Both ranges provide permanent access to services while allowing the cover to be discreetly integrated into the surrounding floor.
What is required of a floor access cover in a hospital?
Floors in hospitals, healthcare centres and other care environments are exposed to intensive traffic and frequent cleaning every day.
A floor access cover must therefore work safely alongside:
- hospital beds,
- wheelchairs,
- patient lifts,
- cleaning machines,
- service and transport trolleys,
- frequent cleaning and disinfection.
Raised fittings, uneven edges or noticeable level differences can make it more difficult to move wheeled equipment and may create areas where dirt or moisture can collect.
It is therefore important to plan the cover, frame, floor finish and floor construction as one complete solution.
Access to services without removing the floor
Large healthcare buildings and public premises often contain extensive services beneath the floor. These must remain accessible for both planned maintenance and urgent repairs.
A made-to-measure floor access cover can provide access to:
- pipes and valves,
- electrical installations,
- cable routes,
- drainage systems,
- surface water drainage,
- technical ducts,
- other equipment beneath the floor.
Visedge and Classic are opened using dedicated lifting keys inserted into recessed lifting points. When the cover is closed, there are no large raised fittings to obstruct the floor surface.
This allows servicing to be carried out without removing the floor finish or closing off large areas of the building.
Choose the floor access cover based on the floor finish
The most suitable floor access cover depends partly on the type of floor finish being used.
Visedge for flexible floor finishes
Visedge is designed for finishes including:
- vinyl,
- linoleum,
- rubber,
- certain types of textile flooring.
The floor finish is installed into the top of the cover, allowing it to blend into the surrounding floor. The result is a discreet access cover that does not need to visually interrupt the floor surface.
Classic for hard floor finishes
Classic is designed for finishes such as:
- timber,
- tiles,
- stone,
- concrete.
The cover is made to measure and filled with the same or a similar material as the surrounding floor. This allows it to be discreetly integrated into areas with hard and heavier floor finishes.
Hygienic and easy-to-clean connection
In hospitals and healthcare environments, the connection between the floor access cover and the floor finish is particularly important.
Visedge can be supplied with a weldable PVC edge. The floor finish can then be welded to the frame, creating a smooth transition between the cover and the surrounding floor.
This helps to reduce:
- the accumulation of dirt,
- moisture ingress,
- difficult-to-clean joints,
- the risk of the floor finish lifting at the edge.
For projects with particularly demanding requirements, the cover can also be supplied with additional sealing. The type of seal should be selected according to the environment, cleaning routines and project requirements.
When using Classic, the connection should instead be planned around the selected finish, its thickness and how it will be installed within the cover and around the frame.
A level floor surface for beds and wheeled equipment
A floor access cover in a hospital must function as part of the building’s daily transport routes.
The cover should therefore sit level with the surrounding floor and remain stable during use. This is especially important in corridors, patient rooms, treatment areas and other spaces where beds, wheelchairs and trolleys regularly pass.
Visedge is designed as standard for pedestrian traffic and lighter wheeled equipment.
The Classic range is available in several versions for different load requirements and may be suitable for areas where greater durability and load capacity are required.
The expected loading should always be specified at the enquiry stage so that the correct model and configuration can be selected.
Applications outside healthcare
The same requirements for discreet access, easy cleaning and a level floor surface also apply in many other public and commercial buildings.
Visedge and Classic may therefore be suitable for:
- schools and universities,
- offices,
- hotels,
- shops and shopping centres,
- airports and terminals,
- cultural buildings,
- laboratories,
- other public premises.
What these environments have in common is that services must remain accessible while the floor is exposed to high footfall, wheeled equipment and regular maintenance.
Made-to-measure floor access covers for different services
Services beneath the floor rarely follow standard dimensions. Both Visedge and Classic are therefore manufactured to suit the dimensions specified for each project.
Depending on the model and project, the solution can be designed as:
- a single floor access cover,
- several connected covers,
- a longer service run,
- a channel or duct solution,
- a multi-part system with several openings.
This makes it possible to provide access to anything from individual valves to larger technical installations. Available dimensions, load capacities and configurations should always be verified for the specific project.
What information is needed during specification?
To select the correct floor access cover for a hospital or another public environment, the following information should be established:
- required clear opening,
- number of covers,
- type of floor finish,
- thickness of the floor finish,
- floor construction build-up,
- available installation depth,
- services requiring access,
- expected pedestrian and wheeled traffic,
- load requirements,
- hygiene and sealing requirements,
- need for a weldable PVC edge,
- whether the solution should be single or multi-part,
- how frequently the cover is expected to be opened.
There must also be sufficient space to open and handle the cover safely.
Benefits of Visedge and Classic
Visedge and Classic are designed for environments where access to services must not compromise the function or appearance of the floor.
Key benefits include:
- made-to-measure manufacture,
- level and discreet integration into the floor,
- permanent access to services beneath the floor,
- configuration to suit the selected floor finish,
- single or multi-part solutions,
- robust and corrosion-resistant construction,
- several load and specification options.
Visedge is particularly suitable for flexible floor finishes and can be supplied with a weldable PVC edge. Classic is designed for harder finishes such as timber, tiles, stone and concrete and is available in versions for both lighter and heavier loads.
Discreet floor access covers for healthcare and public environments
A well-planned floor access cover makes it possible to maintain a building’s technical services without creating unnecessary obstacles or compromising the function of the floor.
Visedge is particularly suitable for healthcare environments with flexible floor finishes and high requirements for hygiene, cleaning and accessibility.
Classic is a suitable alternative when the cover is to be integrated into finishes such as timber, tiles, stone or concrete, or where the project has higher requirements for loading and durability.
Elkington can assist in selecting the right model, size, configuration and specification based on the floor finish, available installation space and expected loading.
Contact us early in the project to discuss a made-to-measure floor access cover for hospitals, healthcare environments and other public premises.
