DELABIE and the Jules Bordet Institute, a collaboration which benefits hygiene and patients
The Jules Bordet Institute will soon be moving to a brand new building in Anderlecht. Providing screening, clinical care, research and teaching activities, this public university hospital is a European pioneer in the fight against cancer. Here, more than in any other healthcare facility, greater attention has been paid to hygiene, especially for the water system. DELABIE has supplied products and solutions which guarantee a high degree of safety in this area.
Housed in the same facility for 70 years, the Jules Bordet Institute will soon be moving to a brand new building. "Our current buildings are totally unsuitable" admits Frédéric Coteur, Directeur of infrastructure and project manager for the new location. "This new building will allow us to develop our objectives for research, teaching and patient reception, using all the latest available technology, to provide the best possible care."
Patient and staff well-being
The new Jules Bordet Institute is a 9-storey parallelepiped building, spanning 80,000m², structured around a central axis which serves all movement between each floor. Frédéric Coteur states: "Patient care at Bordet is comprehensive and multi-disciplinary. The configuration and layout of this building reflects our desire to work in an integrated way rather than separating out the specialist services. When building a hospital, the patient is, of course, the focus of attention, but the well-being of the patient is linked to having teams with the right tools, that are happy to work there."
The layout of the premises optimises the care routes of patients and nursing staff (the famous "number of nursing steps"). The clean lines of the building's architecture, plus the materials used, contribute to the calm and peaceful atmosphere of the building.
Increased importance of hygiene
The new building, of course, must meet all the criteria and all the qualitative standards, particularly for patient health and safety. “This makes sense here,” says Frédéric Coteur, “since we specialise in haematology where the patients receive transplants of haematopoietic cells, a treatment which weakens their immune defences.
We have specialist rooms with positive air pressure and controlled levels of particles in the air, classified areas, and ISO 5 cleanrooms. But, one element is often less controlled: the water system. We talk about legionellosis, but this is not the only danger. The water system is incorporated into the building: intervening in the event of a problem is very complex and remedial action can be restricted and difficult to implement."
A proactive collaboration
"The water system must be a specific consideration at the design stage of the building", continues the Director of infrastructure.
DELABIE won the public contract for the Institute's water controls (mixers, thermostatic showers and WC flush valves). The collaboration between DELABIE and the Bordet Institute has developed over time, and is one that Frédéric Coteur is entirely happy with: "An exchange of expertise and knowledge takes place regularly between us and allows us to pay attention to the details which aren't immediately obvious to a hospital manager, but which Delabie can highlight."
"I still hear certain people within the construction industry say that a hospital is a bit like a hotel and so the sanitary fittings that can be installed there are similar." adds Thomas Bottemanne, Business Development Manager at Delabie. "This is completely wrong and, fortunately, the real professionals in the healthcare sector know it. Delabie was selected for this project because we were able to meet all the requirements requested by the client, the architects and the design office in relation to the challenges of hygiene, safety, ease of maintenance and servicing the tapware, the accessories and the WC flush mechanisms.
It is also important to remember the installer, who finds it reassuring to work with a company that is active in the Belgian market.
Finally, we make it a point of principle that we are present throughout the entire project, to provide technical support during product installation and also once the building has been handed over, to ensure the warranty."
Products that are fit for purpose
More than 500 TEMPOFIX 3 frame systems with TEMPOFLUX 2 dual control time flow direct flush WC valves were installed in Anderlecht. Thomas Bottemanne says: "WCs with cisterns are not suitable for intensive use and are a source of recurring problems in healthcare facilities. They are sensitive to scale, they promote bacterial development and they constitute a permanent risk of leaks in public and commercial buildings. The many advantages of the direct flush WC system very quickly make the product more economical. They have been specifically developed for public buildings and the direct flush WC valve provides the best quality/durability/price ratio for this type of environment.".
DELABIE also supplied 740 SECURITHERM BIOSAFE mechanical basin mixers, the first basin mixer with no spout which meets all the needs of the residents in healthcare facilities and retirement homes: comfort, total safety, hygiene and infection control. For Thomas Bottemanne "The unique design of this mixer reduces the water volume in the mixer body by up to 85% and, therefore, reduces bacterial proliferation. This, combined with the reduced water passage, allows the water to flow more quickly through the body, helping to control biofilm. In addition, it has no spout: the biosafe outlet is integrated directly into the mixer body. Made from Hostaform®, the outlet's smooth surface provides nowhere for scale or impurities to adhere, reducing the appearance and spread of waterborne bacteria and germs."
Finally, for the showers, 157 SECURITHERM SECURITOUCH thermostatic mixers were installed, featuring Securitouch thermal insulation to prevent burns and also a double temperature limiter (the first set at 38°C, the second set at 41°C) - ideal for hospitals.
DELABIE, therefore, offers a wide range of product solutions which are ideal for the different departments in a healthcare facility: public washrooms for visitors, bathrooms for the patients, clinical wash stations for healthcare professionals or operating theatres. In every department at the Bordet Institute there are installations where Delabie has the ideal solution.
Discover the video interview with Frédéric Coteur
Director of Infrastructure at the Jules Bordet Institute
