Standards of Finishes in Healthcare
Standards of Finishes in Healthcare
Making Sense of Sustainability
Healthcare is the largest and fastest-growing industry in the U.S. as well as globally. Between 2020 and 2030, employment for healthcare occupations is expected to grow by at least 16%! Contributing to this growth is the large ‘Baby Boomer’ population (those born after World War II, between 1946-1964), which continues to remain active, living long into their ‘golden years.’ For those with the healthcare sector as their design focus, this is great news!
Along with this growth, however, have come ever-changing standards and guidelines for material selection that can make the process of finding healthy, sustainable products a bit overwhelming. HPD’s? Red-List Free? Mindful Materials? Let's examine a few commonly used terms, and how they relate to selecting the right materials for your projects.
Aggregators, Declarations, and Certifications - Oh my!
Aggregators (a website or program that collects related items of content and displays them or links to them), such as Mindful MATERIALS (mM) offers free online sustainability information for design professionals and manufacturers.
To be eligible for their products to appear in the ‘mM Library,’ manufacturers must disclose information on standards for at least one of 6 categories; VOC’s, material ingredients, environmental profile, material sourcing, social responsibility, or other transparency information. In other words, where a material is from, what’s ‘in’ it, how it was produced (ethically, using sustainable practices, etc).
Red-List Index (A list of the most harmful and polluting material in the building industry), helps to identify and eliminate pollutants and substances that are harmful to construction and factory workers. A complete list is available on-line and includes substances such as PVC, CFC’s HCFC’s formaldehyde and chloroprene.
Living Building Challenge (LBC) Regardless of the size or location of the project, the Living Building Challenge provides a framework for design, construction and the symbiotic relationship between people, our community, and nature. The Living Building Challenge requires that qualifying projects not contain any Red List Chemicals.
Health Product Declaration (HPD’s) The Health Product Declaration Collaborative is an industry-leading platform that promotes transparency in building materials. The HPD Open Standard™ requires manufacturers to disclose potential health impacts associated with product ingredients.
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) This is a report that follows a standardized format to communicate information about a product’s impact upon the environment, such as global warming potential, smog creation and water pollution. This report can contribute to LEED v4.1 credits. Available through your local product rep/manufacturer.
Healthier Hospitals (HH) was a campaign created to encourage healthcare organizations across the country to source more sustainable products and challenge them to address the health and environmental impacts of their sector. Products listed as ‘HHI compliant’ avoid the use of flame retardants, formaldehyde, perfluorinated compounds, antimicrobial agents, or PVC. HH has now been migrated into Practice Greenhealth, a membership and networking organization for sustainable healthcare, providing environmental solutions to hospitals and health systems across the United States.
The New Standard…. PFAS-Free
What are PFAS Chemicals? Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), often referred to as fluorocarbons, are a large, complex group of manufactured chemicals used to produce a wide array of consumer goods (non-stick pans, clothing, packaging), and due to their persistence in the environment have become known as ‘Forever Chemicals.’
The chemistry behind PFAS, a carbon ‘chain’ of chemicals, (C-8, then C-3) is being eliminated and upholstery textiles are now being produced in a different way, eliminating the ‘chain’ as well as stain repellent finishes that traditionally used fluorocarbon chemistry. The good news is that PFAS-free alternatives are using safe, state of the art finishing that doesn’t sacrifice performance for the sake of sustainability.
The new ‘Safer States Bill’ (already passed in September of 2022, with Maine, Massachusetts, and Minnesota not far behind) calls for C-0 chemistry. Completion of Phase 2 of this bill, which will eventually prohibit sales of all textiles or furniture with PFAS, will be fully implemented by January 1, 2030.
As we approach sunnier days, and a robust future in the healthcare sector, understanding and accessing materials with healthy attributes and manufacturing transparency is not only ‘making sense of sustainability’, it is making the world a better place.
‘Preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known’ – Carl Sagan
Interested in reading more about mindful MATERIALS? Read their 2023-2025 Strategic Plan here!
Designer Monologues the Podcast from IIDA New England with your host Katie Corcoran Garcia is officially LIVE!! On this show, we’ll share the stories behind the design of repurposing, developing and reshaping our communities. Incubated from the minds and skills of New England’s talented design community, you’ll hear how visual inspiration can come from nature, our history, current trends and more as we take you on a story-telling journey behind design.
Check out our latest episode here.
Stay tuned for the next President’s Message!
Check out the list of IIDA New England Emerging Leaders Network (ELN) Class of 2022 and the Leadership Exploration & Development (LEAD) Class of 2022!
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Company Name: Matter Surfaces
Company Establishment Date: 1971
Company Description: Matter Surfaces was founded in 1971 as Mats Inc., a family-owned company selling entrance mats throughout the Greater Boston area. Founders Bob and Catherine Schiffmann spent the next decade building a vast portfolio of entrance solutions and strong vendor and client relationships. As the company continued to grow, Bob and Catherine’s 3 sons joined the business. Together, John, Richard and Paul opened additional warehouses and expanded the sales team across the country while diversifying their product portfolio. In the early 90s, they introduced contract flooring products – known today as the Formative Collection. Throughout the 80s and 90s, the company focused on building the world-class service organization and unmatched global planning and logistics team for which they’re known today. In 2004, they partnered with award-winning, European design house Bolon; in 2014, with PURLINE; and in 2021, with Parador Modular ONE.
Company Mission Statement: We are Matter Surfaces – an old friend with a new name. We’re your partner for design flooring and entrance systems. We believe in the power of Good Design. Thoughtful Good Design beautifies the world, enhances our health, and protects the environment.
Company Products / Services: Matter Surfaces provides the North American market with exclusive design, entryway, fitness, and resilient flooring solutions:
Our Brands
Bolon woven design flooring (www.bolon.com)
Parador Modular ONE super natural flooring (https://mattersurfaces.com/parador-modular-one)
PURLINE bio-polyurethane based flooring (https://mattersurfaces.com/purline)
Our Collections
Arrival Collection entrance systems and matting (https://mattersurfaces.com/collections/arrival-collection)
Formative Collection resilient flooring (https://mattersurfaces.com/collections/formative-collection)
Play Collection sports and fitness flooring (https://mattersurfaces.com/collections/play-collection)
New England Locations: 179 Campanelli Parkway, Stoughton, MA 02072 (Matter Surfaces Corporate Headquarters)
New England Contacts: David Cassady, Regional Sales Manager, Architectural Solutions, dcassady@mattersurfaces.com
What is the best part of being an IIDA NE Chapter Sponsor? Being a part of the New England chapter of IIDA as a Chapter Sponsor has allowed Matter Surfaces to be a part of something great- forming connections with the Boston and surrounding area design community, fostering friendships with design elite, and impacting change in our industry. The New England Chapter was one of the first groups to know about our rebrand from Mats Inc. to Matter Surfaces and helped us spread the word that, while our name may have changed, we are still a familiar face with the same design flooring solutions you have come to rely on.
Follow IIDA New England on social media and visit our website to keep up with the latest and greatest!
