Grand Junction Infrared Faucet Final Report

Home Browse Search

tit **"We have a client who can wash his hands with the new faucets. He was not able to do this before. II **"Very helpful. Put in more. II **"We feel they have been very beneficial. Terry gets his own glass and has access to water now. He can run water in the bathroom, too, without waiting for staff to turn on the water. Another client now rinses her hands independently. Handwashing programs can be completed at a faster rate. The only drawback is I put my hands under the faucet at home and it doesn't come on." e There have been some negatives, too. We've had about 10 faucets which did not function well and necessitated extra time on the part of our maintenance department to troubleshoot the problem. It was determined that these faucets had faulty infrared sensors. They have been removed from the faucet and returned to the manufacturer who is replacing them with new sensors. After these are replaced into the faucets, they will once again be functional. Control of the water temperature has been a minor inconvenience. It takes longer to obtain warm water, as the flow rate is lower. On the other hand when water is used for toothbrushing, it is warmer than most of us are used to. Some clients who do handwashing with assistance do not understand the need to hold their hands in front of the sensor to keep the water running. In summary, though, the majority of staff like the faucets, find them very convenient, feel they are beneficial for infection control and wished they had automatic faucets at home. We are grateful to the State Water Conservation Board for the grant which allowed us to install 1 00 automatic infrared faucets. We feel they are something all health care facilities should consider installing. The frequency of handwashing and the need to do whatever is necessary to prevent the spread of infections would save these facilities water, time and money. e 3