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The goal of the Healthier Hospitals Healthy Interiors initiative is to ensure that 30% of the annual volume of furniture and furniture purchases eliminate the use of formaldehyde, perfluorinated compounds, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), antimicrobials, and all flame retardants. In its effort to help provide a healthy and safe environment for all healthcare providers, patients and guests, NBF supports HH Healthy Interiors in a few different ways.

 

NBF Specifically Selects Healthcare Furniture to Meet HHI Requirements

In compliance with Healthier Hospital's Safer Chemicals Initiative, our furniture experts have worked hard to incorporate healthcare furniture into our product offering that is free from chemical additives such as antimicrobials, flame retardants and more. Furniture made using these types of chemicals may be hazardous to consumers and communities via prolonged exposure, making them especially harmful in a healthcare setting wherein users are more susceptible to the negative effects of certain chemicals. Some chemicals in furnishings known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can vaporize into the air, allowing them to be inhaled by humans. These compounds can be toxic to people and are believed to play a role in the increase in conditions such as birth defects, asthma, cancer and more. To learn more about the negative effects of chemical additives, read the Healthier Hospitals Healthy Interiors fact sheet.

 

We Work with Our Manufacturers to Produce Furniture That is Safe and Free From Offgassing

In order to offer healthcare furniture that meets these strict requirements, we work closely with our manufacturers to ensure materials are produced in a safe manner that prevents harmful offgassing. We offer HHI compliant healthcare furniture from the following partners:

 

Haworth

KI

La-Z-Boy

National

Stance

Allseating

Hon

 

We Offer HHI Compliant Versions of All Furniture Listed as "Anti-Microbial"

See healthcare furniture on our website but notice that it has antimicrobial properties? Not to worry. We offer non-antimicrobial versions of every piece of antimicrobial furniture offered on www.nbf.com. If you would like to purchase non-antimicrobial versions of any of these furnishings, please call our furniture experts at (800) 558-1010 and we'll be happy to handle your request.

 

Learn more about the Healthier Hospital Initiative and call NBF for assistance finding HHI compliant furniture for your healthcare facility.

Healthcare

More From NBF

The Complete Guide to Healthcare Seating Textiles

Whether you’re furnishing a new healthcare facility or replacing old furniture in a hospital or private practice, knowing your textiles is crucial to the well-being of staff and patients alike. To help make your purchasing experience as easy as possible, we’re breaking down the pros and cons of commonly used seating textiles. This list is ranked from worst to best in terms of appropriateness for a healthcare setting.

Fabric

Fabric is a woven textile that is not considered appropriate for healthcare settings. The major benefit of fabric is aesthetic: it comes in many color and pattern options. 

Although the appearance of fabric creates a welcoming, homey aesthetic that most medical facilities seek, the good far outweighs the bad in the case of this material. Because fabric is woven, it is porous—fluids can seep into the chair easily and become nearly impossible to remove. This creates an infection control nightmare as fabric will likely harbor bacteria and bedbugs. 

In addition to the health hazards associated with this textile, fabric is not durable enough to withstand regular use in a busy healthcare facility.

Benefits

  • Unlimited color and pattern choices

  • Welcoming, homelike aesthetic

Challenges

  • Porous

  • Not very cleanable or durable

  • Harbors bedbugs and bacteria

Crypton Fabric

Crypton fabric is specially manufactured with a fluid-resistant backing that makes it more like vinyl than the fabrics it so closely resembles. This textile has the same large range of color and pattern options as fabrics, but it’s much more acceptable for a healthcare setting as fluids cannot seep into the chair as they can with fabric. However, this material is still semipermeable and can hold unwanted odors. 

Crypton requires specific cleaners for regular maintenance, as it can degrade quickly if cleaned improperly, so staff must be well-trained on the correct cleaner to use on this material. This textile can also be expensive and is not the most durable option. Due to this, Crypton is often used on the backs of chairs in low-abuse settings such as private practices and senior living centers.

Benefits

 

  • Same range of color and pattern options as fabric

  • Fluid-resistant backing is healthier than fabric options

  • Good choice for chair backrests that receive less wear

Challenges

  • Semipermeable

  • Requires special cleaners and can degrade quickly if cleaned improperly

  • Expensive

  • Can hold odors

PVC-Free Vinyl

PVC-free vinyl is an impermeable and eco-friendly textile ideal for inpatient and acute care facilities. Because it’s PVC-free, this material emits no off-gas, making it a great choice where indoor air quality is a concern. In addition, this textile has a soft, comfortable feel. Unfortunately, the color palette is limited. Though relatively easy to clean, PVC-free vinyl is fragile and can degrade quickly and pucker if not maintained correctly.

Benefits

  • Impermeable

  • Emits no off-gas and is great for indoor air quality

  • Soft, comfortable feel

Challenges

  • Fragile and will degrade quickly if not properly cared for

  • Can pucker

  • Limited aesthetically—only solid colors are available

Vinyl

Like PVC-free vinyl, regular vinyl is commonly used in inpatient and acute care facilities, including typical hospital settings. Vinyl is also impermeable and Greenguard Certified for better indoor air quality, but this material is much more durable and easy to maintain. 

You should note that over-bleaching can lead to the breakdown of plasticizers (the additive used to make vinyl soft and pliable), and the stripping of plasticizers can lead to cracking and ripping that The Joint Commission will quickly write up as a violation. On the plus side, vinyl is available in a much wider range of colors and patterns than PVC-free vinyl. Bedbugs and bacteria contamination are less of a concern with this textile, though these may still thrive in the seams of the material.

Benefits

  • Impermeable

  • Greenguard Certified for better indoor air quality

  • Many patterns and colors available

  • Durable with good light resistance

  • Easy to clean (though this varies depending on manufacturer)

Challenges

  • Can degrade if over-bleached

  • Seams can harbor bedbugs and bacteria

IC+

Ideal for emergency departments, IC+ is the top-of-the-line choice for high-traffic hospitals that require the very best in durability and cleanliness. Healthcentric is the only company that manufactures IC+. The treatment is applied via a spraying technique rather than sewn. As a result, IC+ has no seams for bacteria and bedbugs to thrive in, making it the best choice to prevent the spread of infection. 

This material is also 10 times stronger than vinyl, completely impermeable, does not degrade, and has a very high abuse rate, making it ideal for busy emergency rooms that see patients with a vast range of ailments. Not only will this material not rip or crack, but it’s also safe to clean even with harsh bleaches. 

IC+ is truly the best option available for healthcare facilities, but it is worth noting that color options are limited, and this material is not the most comfortable for patients due to its durable build.

Benefits

  • 10 times stronger than vinyl

  • Does not degrade

  • Seamless design does not harbor bedbugs or bacteria

  • Highest abuse rate

  • Easy to clean

Challenges

  • Not the most comfortable

  • Very limited color palette

The Complete Guide to Healthcare Recliners

If your medical facility is looking to purchase new recliners, you may be overwhelmed by the options. How are you supposed to know the difference from one to the next? This guide is a great starting point.

Treatment Recliners

Treatment recliners have a simple, functional design and are meant to be used for short periods during exams or clinical use. This type of chair is often used for dialysis, oncology, and geriatric situations where the patient will not need to be seated in the chair for more than a couple of hours. Treatment recliners are the most basic form of healthcare recliner and are designed for function above style.

Senior Living and Long-Term Care Recliners

Long-term care recliners are designed for senior living and nursing homes. They feature a more residential look than treatment recliners and usually include rocking or gliding functionality. These seating options are typically smaller than most healthcare recliners, making it easier for senior citizens to get out of the seat. These recliners typically have limited customizable features, so what you see is what you get.

 

Patient Room Recliners

Patient room recliners are made with commercial-grade durability and are heavy-duty for continuous use. Most include replaceable parts so that if a backrest, seat, or other portion of the chair breaks or tears, you can simply replace that one part rather than having to purchase a completely new recliner.

 

When it comes to customization, patient room recliners have plenty to choose from. You can choose how you want the chair to recline, how mobile you want it to be, and what accessories you need. Common recliner accessories include footrests and IV holders. There are even patient room recliners with heated seats. Drop and fold-down transfer arm options are also available for patients who need to be transferred from a wheelchair. 

When it comes to transportation of the unit, you can choose from small wheels that are good simply for moving the unit out of the way for cleaning or bigger wheels for actually moving patients from place to place in the recliners.

Specialty Recliners

Specialty recliners come in a wide variety and are designed for very specific purposes.

 

Trendelenburg recliners are used when a patient’s position needs to be moved to a negative recline as quickly as possible. For example, if a patient were to pass out while in the recliner, the Trendelenburg tilt allows caregivers to tilt the bed backward to keep the patient’s feet higher than the head.

Bariatric recliners can support 750 pounds or more. Ideal for larger patients, these recliners have much wider seats than standard options and limited recline for the safety of both the user and caregivers.

Pediatric recliners are designed to accommodate children comfortably. As you might expect, this type of recliner is typically built smaller than average for use in the children’s wing. Many options are equipped to support gaming systems so that the patient can stay busy during what may otherwise be an uncomfortable or even frightening visit to the doctor.

 

The Complete Guide to Healthcare Sleepers

Most hospitals provide an area in each patient room specifically designated as a family zone, wherein family members and friends are permitted to stay, whether it be for a few hours or overnight. The family zone of a patient room is located farthest away from the door and usually includes comfortable furniture to keep guests content when they need to be in the room for long periods. Sleeper chairs are often supplied so that friends and family can rest at the hospital when watching over their loved ones.

Types of Sleeper Chairs

Several styles of sleeper chairs and sofas are available. 

Pull-Out Sleepers

Pull-out sleeper chairs look similar to club chairs and have a seat that pulls forward to extend into a bed. The benefit to this type of sleeping chair is that it has a small initial footprint and is usually portable for easy cleaning. However, be sure your patient rooms have enough space for this type of sleeper to pull out all the way without impeding caregivers while they work. Because the clearance for these convertible chairs is much greater extended than when it’s closed up, you’ll need to make sure that healthcare providers can move around the sleeper while it’s pulled out in bed form.

Side-Opening Sleepers 

Side-opening sofa beds look similar to loveseats and contain a mattress that pulls out from the side, hence the name. Like pull-out sleepers in chair form, side-opening loveseat sleepers have a small initial footprint, but the room must accommodate the larger footprint that the unit takes up when used as a bed.

Daybed Sleepers 

Daybed sleepers look like sofas. This type of sleeper couch takes up no additional space in a room when used as a bed because it works via a flip-down back that is folded on top of the seat and then laid on.

Double Sleepers 

Most commonly used in pediatric hospitals, double sleepers are provided for parents who want to stay in the hospital with their child. This type of hospital sofa bed is usually pull-out style but twice the size of the average sleeper.

Questions to Ask Before Selecting Sleeper Sofas and Chairs

What will the room truly accommodate? Be honest about how much space you have to work in your patient rooms. You may prefer a pull-out sleeper, but if there isn’t enough clearance between the wall and the patient bed, a daybed sleeper could be a better option.

Are the walls protected? Many people don’t account for wall protection when selecting new furniture. Because they’re used for long hours at a time by hospital guests, sleepers can get moved around in a rough manner. To prevent scuffs on your patient room walls, opt for a sleeper with a wall-saver backrest design.

How will it be cleaned? When it comes to furniture, there are few things in a healthcare facility that are more important than cleanliness. Most sleeper couches are upholstered in healthcare-grade vinyl, which is antimicrobial and a breeze to keep clean. You may also want to look for a unit with a lot of replaceable parts, as these can be disassembled for more thorough cleaning. Make sure that the space where guests sit is separate from the space where guests will rest their heads to sleep.

Is storage needed? Caregivers can use storage underneath the sleeper to store pillows and blankets. It can also be a safe space for guests to keep personal belongings. Some patient rooms may already have space for these purposes, but if yours don’t, then choosing sleepers with built-in storage is probably the best option.

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Nicole Groshek

Nicole Groshek is the social media and content coordinator for National Business Furniture. She helps employees discover the true joy in loving what they do, from working in an inspiring office to having a little fun on the job.