Sinks are supposed to make things cleaner… but in hospitals, they can do the exact opposite.
Waste traps, splash zones, and biofilm contamination are forcing some NHS wards to rethink how handwashing is done.
In specific departments, basins are being obliterated in favour of sanitiser-only hand hygiene.
This isn’t about lazy cleaning or cost-cutting.
It’s about resistant bacteria living in U-bends, spreading through invisible droplets whenever someone turns on the tap.
There’s even a new trap invented by a hospital microbiologist that tries to fix the problem — but retrofitting it nationally could be a nightmare for plumbers and installers.
For those working around hospital waste pipes, this raises an uncomfortable question: if clinicians need PPE to deal with airborne pathogens, what about plumbers who open the system up?
• Resistant bacteria living inside waste traps
• Splash contamination from running taps
• Sanitiser-only wards replacing sinks
• A hospital-designed trap that plumbers haven’t seen yet
• Hidden occupational risks for plumbers and maintenance teams
Have you ever serviced hospital plumbing, medical sinks or dental lines? What PPE do you use?
Drop your experience in the comments — the industry needs to hear it.
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