Relaxed3 – Reliable

detection of fires

by smoke, heat and CO

COMPETENCEWORLDWI DE

Österreichische Post AGInfo.Mail, postage paid

Customer magazine for Fire Alarm, Communication and Security Systems of Schrack Seconet AG

01 • 2016

SecoPROJECT– e-shelter Vienna with comprehensive

fire alarm and extinguishercontrol panel

– Brightpoint Hospital in Abu Dhabiopts for VISOCALL IP

– LIST cable: Fire detection fromtunnels to the chemical factory

SecoCOVER– Relaxed3 – Reliable

detection of firesby smoke, heat and CO

SecoREPORT– Disinfection is the most cost-

effective form of prevention– Glossary

SecoNEWS– Editorial– New home for

web applications– New hygiene database EICHY:

Disinfect, without damagingequipment

2–3 4–5 10–116–9

Dear customers andbusiness colleagues,

imagine you are enjoying anexciting evening at the theatre.The stage fog starts, the tension

increases – and suddenly the fire alarmgoes off. Unfortunately you now need toleave the building. The dry ice has set offthe alarm in the sensitive fire detectors. Inorder to avoid such false alarms, we havedeveloped intelligently designed multiplesensors and detectors. Read on pages 6-9about how the most modern technologyguarantees that you can enjoy your dramaticevening in the Budapest Cultural Centre,for instance, safely and without disruptions.

Another exciting subject is hygiene inthe health and care industry. Learn moreabout our VISOCALL IP product groupsbeing recorded in the new European materialcompatibility database, and why the searchfor suitable disinfectants is already underwayin the product development stage.

You can rely on products from SchrackSeconet. This was also demonstrated by ourIP applications winning in the fire categoryat the GIT Sicherheit Awards 2016, one ofthe leading German professional journals ofthe same name. The remote access to the firealarm control panel Integral IP proved itselfand won first prize in the category “Fire andExplosion Protection, Industrial Safety”.

And there is even more good news: The“Wirtschaftsblatt” chose Schrack Seconetfrom among “Austria’s Leading Companies2015”! This was based on accounting ratiosand our excellent “Kreditschutzverband”[Austrian credit rating agency] rating forcreditworthiness and security.

I am looking forward to our ongoingpartnership and hope you enjoy reading this!

Yours,

Wolfgang Kern

2

EDITORIAL

COMPETE NC E

IMPRINT: Editor, owner, publisher: SCHRACK SECONETAG, Security and Communication Systems, Eibesbrunnergasse18, A-1120 Vienna • responsible for the contents: SchrackSeconet AG, Rosa Maria Seilerbeck, Tel.: +43 1 81157, Fax:+43 1 81157-222, office@schrack-seconet.com, www.schrack-seconet.com • layout: Atelier Mayer • text: Schrack SeconetAG, kropf kommunikation • production: Bernsteiner PrintCompany GmbH • place of publication: Vienna.

chrack Seconet launched itsPrivate Cloud at the start of2016. Web applications will

now be hosted centrally in the newSecuritas Group computer centre inSwitzerland. Third parties have noaccess to this – from hardware torunning the applications, everythingis in our own hands. Clients cantherefore have confidence in thehighest level of safety.

Smart apps and remote access tosystems open up exciting prospects.However, just as with private photos anddocuments in the cloud, company dataposes legitimate questions: Where arethe contents actually stored and whohas access to it? “We give responsiblehandling of client data the greatestpriority – it is a joint matter in our entiregroup of companies. We have thereforedecided to concentrate data managementin a joint computer centre in Switzerland.By doing this, we combine our strengthsand operate our own Private Cloud, whichwill be operated by a specialised team”,says René Türk, responsible Product

Manager for the Information Systemsdepartment at Schrack Seconet.

Own Private Cloudin Switzerland

The data will be therefore not beleft with any third party providers, butremain within the group of companies.Only authorised persons have access tothe servers and they work free from theexternal influence of other systems. Thenew computer centre started up at thestart of the year, the applications in allbusiness areas of SchrackSeconet are now hostedcentrally there. RenéTürk says: “NeutralSwitzerland is saferthan almost anyother country inthe world and is theright location for ourPrivate Cloud.”

S

New home forweb applications

www

René Türk: “All web applications arenow kept securely in our group’s own jointcomputer centre.”

© K

arl G

rabh

err

�

WORLDWI DE

INF

O

SecoNEWS

3

he online platform EICHYdocuments how products areto be correctly processed in

terms of hygiene. All product groupsfrom VISOCALL IP are alreadylisted in this new European materialcompatibility database. Atotal of eight agentsare recommendedfor use after anextensive test.

Equipmentin hospitals, carehomes and similarfacilities sometimesrespond unfavourably to theuse of disinfectants. Surfacesbecome discoloured or rough placesand stress fractures appear. A newdatabase is a significant help here: Atwww.eichy.eu hygiene officers cannow easily search which disinfectantsare suitable for a particular pieceof equipment or product – for freeand without registering. As the firstcommunications system on the market,VISOCALL IP is already listed on thisonline platform.

Ageing test documentslong-term maintenance

of value

Schrack Seconet chose the highestquality listing procedure: An accreditedlaboratory carried out a detailed analysisof the application of several substances.An ageing test in a heated chamberalso studied the maintenance of valueof equipment after ten years of usinga disinfectant. The practical testdocuments non-hazardous applicationfor four disinfectants and four activeagents – assuming use and dosage is asprescribed.

Only authorised active agents anddisinfectants with market relevance,

T

which are included in the listings of theVAH (Verbund für Angewandte Hygiene[Association of Applied Hygiene]) or theÖGHMP (Österreichische Gesellschaftfür Hygiene, Mikrobiologie undPräventivmedizin [Austrian Society forHygiene, Microbiology and PreventativeMedicine]) were selected for the test.Since products and their compositionare constantly changing, active agentswere also deliberately tested onthem. A fungus-inhibiting surface forVISOCALL IP’s own equipment werealso tested. The test in the laboratoryalso confirmed the effectiveness of theproducts by an independent party.

Read the glossary and the interviewwith Edwin Fisar and Marion Krejci,MAS, on page 10 for more on the newhygiene platform.

New hygiene database EICHY:Disinfect, without damagingequipment

EICHY(European InterdisciplinaryCommittee for Hygiene &Compatibility Testing of MedicalDevices) is a European informationplatform for material compatibilityof disinfectants.

The private sector initiativefrom Austria provides informationabout proper hygienic processingof products and equipmentin health facilities.

The material compatibilitydatabase is available inGerman and English.

he first private gynaecology clinic in Abu Dhabi,the Brightpoint Hospital, cares for expectant mothersand their babies with first-class medicine and the

highest level of comfort. Like almost all the NMC HealthcareGroup’s hospitals in the United Arab Emirates, SchrackSeconet has now equipped Brightpoint with the IP-basedcommunications system VISOCALL IP.

The new Brightpoint Hospital opened its doors in thecentre of Abu Dhabi a few months ago. The 100-bed facilityin the city in the Persian Gulf is a luxurious private clinic runby women for women. Besides the highest level of gynaecologyand obstetrics, Brightpoint, as the only private hospital inAbu Dhabi, offers a neonatology department, which cares forpremature babies from the 26th Week of pregnancy.

The gynaecology clinic is part of the NMC HealthcareGroup, the largest private operator of health facilities in theUnited Arab Emirates. Schrack Seconet has already equipped

most NMC buildings with the modern communicationssystem VISOCALL IP. It was logical to choose the tried andtested solution again in Brightpoint.

Together with a local partner, Schrack Seconet installedthe full IP nursecall systems, including staff terminals,communications terminals in all hospital rooms, as well as100 patient terminals for the extensive use of modern mediaat the highest level.

4

INN

OV

AT

ION

SecoPROJECT

COMPETE NC E

T

few months ago, e-shelter, a German developerand operator of highly available computer

centres, opened its first site in Austria. SchrackSeconet installed a modern fire alarm and extinguishercontrol panel in the new data centre, which is one of thelargest in the entire sales territory.

e-shelter runs a total computer centre area of 90,000 m2, alarge part of which is at the Frankfurt am Main site. Thereare other data centres in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Zürichand, since the summer, in Vienna as well. The new e-shelterin Wienerberg is one of the largest establishments in thefederal capital in three decades. Financial service providers,telecommunications companies and IT providers are profitingfrom the highest standards in infrastructure, energy efficiencyand system stability over an area of 2,800 m2.

Top quality fire safety is guaranteed by the modern fire alarmand extinguisher control panels, Integral IP MX from SchrackSeconet. Controlling the extinguisher system in particular isvery costly, since it comprises twelve separate extinguishingzones with about 130 fire controls and 100 freely programmableinputs. It is therefore one of the largest extinguisher controlpanels which have been installed in the entire Schrack Seconetsales area.

Intelligent control of the argon extinguisher system

Water, foam or powder are not suitable extinguishers shouldfire break out in computer centres. The Integral IP MX controlpanel controls an argon extinguisher system in the e-shelter,which extinguishes possible fires by driving out the oxygen,and in doing so ensures a perfect and purposeful solution to allrelevant sequences of events in the extinguishing area.

A

e-shelter Vienna with comprehensivefire alarm and extinguisher control panel

Brightpoint Hospitalin Abu Dhabiopts for VISOCALL IP

ocalise hazards precisely, even where other fire alarmsystems are difficult to use. The LIST sensor cabledoes this in the most reliable way, and it is not

influenced by many sources of interference. The system hasalready been used successfully in a pilot tunnel for the newA3 motorway in Bulgaria, in a pharmaceutical plant in Indiaand on a bridge construction site in Vienna.

The electronic LIST sensor cable works as precisely as it isreliable: The temperature is measured automatically every tenseconds – an increase of just 0.1 °C is registered. The distancebetween two sensor points can be freely chosen from a minimumdistance of two metres. The outbreak of a fire will thereforenot only be detected immediately, but it will also be pin-pointed.This increases safety significantly in tunnels – the system in thenew A3 in Bulgaria is already protected by the system. The first86 kilometres of the motorway are already completed; newstandards in fire detection have been set for a tunnel one kilometrelong, thanks to the LIST system: “The sensors show the exactposition of a fire. On the basis of this information, detailed firecontrols are then activated and the evacuation is started”, explainsArea Sales Manager Markus Schneller.

An argument for the system was, among other things, itslongevity, which even tunnel washing machines could not add to.The expenses for repairs and maintenance are also low. Thefunctioning of all sensors is checked in the course of normalmeasuring intervals, and there are not any components whichwould require to be calibrated often.

Linear heat detectors in two size variants

It is also practical: The LIST system is offered in two dimensionsaccording to the specific requirements. The SEC 20 cable can belaid for kilometres (e.g. in tunnels), the SEC 15 variant is usedeven in narrow cable lines – such as in the Sun Pharma chemicalfactories in India. The multinational group of companies is thefifth largest manufacturer of generic pharmaceutical productsglobally. In the factory in Ahmednagar, Sun Pharma producesactive pharmaceutical ingredients (API), above all oncologicalmedication.Some of the chemicals used are explosive and flammable.

ATEX standards for hazardous environments

Sun Pharma had already chosen a fire detection system for therefrom Schrack Seconet according to ATEX guidelines. It is nowonce again searching for the safest system for the cable lines andimportant areas on the lot. The risk that a fire spreads lengthwiseis especially high in cable channels. The LIST system also formedthe focus quickly here. On the basis of the sensitive environment,several demo tests were initially carried out, following which there

L

5WORLDWI DE

was an extensive trial on site: “A totalof 400 metres of the LIST cable werelaid around a chemical storage tankand the cable lines there, and testedfor 15 days. The performance of eachindividual sensor was studied with hotwater containers”, explains Area SalesManager Richard Pertschy. After thistest the result was clear: The LISTsystem met all expectations from SunPharma – a further 1200 metres ofcable were then installed with fiveevaluation units in accordance withATEX standards.

A clear advantage of the LISTsystem is its robustness. Heat, smoke,dust or even emissions and strongwinds cannot harm it – speeds of up to 10 m/s are no problem forthe sensor cable, as tests in Austria showed. All of this also spokefor its use in the general renovation of the Prater Bridge in Vienna.With up to 200,000 vehicles every day, it is one of the most usedsections of motorway in Austria. The bridge has been underrenovation since the start of 2015. In order to protect people andthe bridge itself during the renovations, the construction site, theconstruction containers under the bridge and the 400 metre longclosed corridor is monitored by a LIST system.

Fewer false alarmsfrom individual thresholds

“The fire load for some activities on the bridge constructionsite, such as welding, is very high. Should something reallyhappen, a fast alarm is decisive”, says Wolfgang Ernst, theresponsible project manager. The alarm threshold can be setindividually for each section, lowering the number of false alarms.The provisional construction site monitoring system isalso connected directly to the fire service on the basisof the hazard: An alarm is sounded through a TUStransmitter.A total of 1,650 metres of the LIST cablehave been laid in the construction area, the data willbe analysed using six SCU 800 evaluation units untilthe completion of the bridge in 2017.

LIST cable: Fire detectionfrom tunnels to thechemical factory

The new A3 in Bulgaria: The LIST sensor cables precisely localise hazards within the tunnel.�

� Praterbrücke in Vienna: The LIST systemmonitors the construction site during thegeneral overhaul of the bridge.

© A

sfin

ag

6 COMPETE NC E

Relaxed3 – Reliabledetection of fires

by smoke, heat and CO

SP

EC

IAL

SecoCOVER

7WORLDWI DE

eat and smoke arereliable criteria ford e t e c t i n g f i r e s .However, there are

sometimes false alarms when detecting fires.Detecting carbon monoxide (CO) in addition isa viable alternative: CO is produced in every fire,especially at the start if the smoke level is still

H low. This makes it a reliableindicator for f ires . SchrackSeconet’s CMD 533X multiple

sensor and detector can detectcarbon monoxide as well as smoke and heat.This can prevent some false alarms and hazardsare recognised earlier: People and property arebetter protected!

8

hat happens if the steamfrom a large kitchen or the

emissions in a factory overloadstemperature and smoke sensors? With anew generation of detectors, hazards canbe recognised with certainty. SchrackSeconet’s CMD 533X multiple sensor anddetector combines three parameterssimultaneously. Besides heat and smoke,it also responds to an increase in carbonmonoxide.

No false alarmsfrom dust and steam

The CMD 533X responds to CO with anelectro-chemical sensor, which is activatedby low temperatures and incompletecombustion typical of smouldering fires.The detector is also capable of detectingincreased temperatures and smoke. Smokeis detected using the Tyndall effect. To detectheat, the CMD 533X reacts to both a particulartemperature limit being exceeded as well asan above-average increase in temperature.These three detection methods (gas, smokeand heat) give the detector a particularlyhigh protection from false alarms, connectedwith the possibility of reliably detectingsmouldering fires.

What sounds good in theory also worksin practice. This was shown in extensive testsin the Hekatron test laboratory for fire detector

applications (ELBA – “Erprobungslabor fürBrandmelderapplikationen”) in Sulzburg,Germany, among the most modern in Europe.Special tests on the behaviour of carbonmonoxide in fires also demonstrated theeffectiveness of the process: CO is somewhatlighter than air and rises with heat to thetop in the direction of the detector. It cantherefore optimise detection even in verydifferent situations. “If dust or steam oftenset off a false alarm, then a CO multiple sensordetector is very practical, such as in bakeries,laundromats, night clubs or stables andof course also production plants”, explainsProduct Manager Harald Kobermann. Theparameters of CO can moreover be helpful indifficult situations. In a small server room,for example, there were problems with theoptical detectors because of circulating air,and the air-conditioning system was a faultfactor for the temperature sensor. Afterconsulting with the testing centre, the solutionwas to use the CMD 533X as a simple COdetector.

CO: Third criterionfor extra safety

Carbon monoxide is produced early in afire, and is already produced in smoulderingfires. At this stage of the fire there is stilltoo little smoke and the burning temperatureis low – meaning that both smoke andtemperature sensors react comparativelyslowly. Carbon monoxide is a dangerous

respiratory poison and has a toxic effect onthe central nervous system and the heart – inhigh doses it leads to suffocation. Humanscannot detect it, it is odourless and does notirritate, making it particularly malicious.CO detectors can detect it and hazardscan therefore be detected much earlier. Itis precisely where people are limited intheir mobility that this time gained canbe particularly important, such as in carehomes or hospitals. However, in hotels,shopping centres and other places as well,where there are many people, this will savecritical evacuation time.

A detector for all situations

Between the three parameters of carbonmonoxide, smoke and heat, all combinationsare possible with the Schrack Seconet’s COmultiple sensor and detector. It complieswith all relevant product standards and canbe flexibly programmed. A report strategycan also be implemented perfectly withthe CMD 533X: Depending on the area ofuse, the best form of detection is configuredindividually. If there is, for instance, a kitchenon the same floor as an office, only theparameters in the detector installed needto be changed – it is not necessary to changethe device. The CMD 533X can subsequentlyreplace existing X-LINE point type detectorsquickly and easily. The detector bases arecompatible, making a 1:1 switch easier.

COMPETE NC E

W

CMD 533X: Multiple sensors anddetectors for smoke, heat andcarbon monoxide (CO)

• Broad area of application –flexible combination of criteria

• Early protection against choking• No false alarms from disturbances

like dust and steam• Compliance with all product standards:

EN 54-5 (heat detector)EN 54-7 (smoke detector)EN 54-26 (CO sensor for technical alarms)EN 54-29 (combined smoke and heat detector)EN 54-30 (combined CO and heat detector)

• Automatic compensation in case ofdetector pollution

• Reads the exact CO concentration of thesurroundings (e.g. in garages)

• Triggers control processes when aparticular CO concentration is reached

• Low energy consumption

Challenging environmental conditions, suchas steam in a bakery, can make it difficult todetect fires. A possible solution here would becarbon monoxide detectors.

�

SP

EC

IAL

SecoCOVER

9WORLDWI DE

he Palace of Arts in Budapest, Hungary, knownas the Müpa, is an impressive cultural project. Themodern building on the shores of the Danube

accommodates a museum of contemporary art, a largeconcert hall and a festival theatre. Dry ice was creatingfalse alarms in the festival theatre. CO detectors solvedthe problem!

Since the start of 2005, Schrack Seconet has beenresponsible for the cultural centre’s fire detection system.All fire alarm control panels are connected to one anotherthrough the hazard management system SecoLOG IP.RemoteMESSAGE also allows Schrack Seconet employeesto have remote access to the fire detection system. Suchproblems can be resolved straight from a desk. Themaintenance package also includes a 24-hour telephonesupport line – the Müpa staff can call at any time ifthere is a problem, which is very helpful, not least duringevening performances.

Talking about the project: Rudi Palmai, Technical ManagerSchrack Seconet Hungary

F&C: What was the specific problem in fire detection atthe Palace of Arts?

Rudi Palmai: Dry ice is used on many occasions, especially fordance performances. This created a massive problem with falsealarms. Temperature sensors were not an alternative becausethe stage is much too high. With so many levels, installationsand fly towers, the height reaches 20 metres! We thereforeconsidered analysing CO.

F&C: Why did you think that CO detectors would be theright solution here?

Rudi Palmai: On the basis ofthe specific situation, there wasmuch in favour of the use ofCO detectors, but we wantedto be certain, so we carriedout a detailed test! To do thiswe built CO detectors directlyinto the fog machines. We thenevaluated the data on a PC.This is what we saw: It’s a goodsolution, it works.

CO detectorin practice:Fire detectionin Budapestcultural centre

T

F&C: So you had proof that CO detectors are the rightchoice. What happened then? What was the next step?

Rudi Palmai: Yes, the test result was convincing prooffor the client. He therefore ordered these multiple sensordetectors which also evaluate CO. We have installed a totalof 130 detectors in the entire stage area. They now managea new, additional fire alarm control system. It is now theninth in the Palace of Arts.

F&C: How does fire detection work outside performances?

Rudi Palmai: We have programmed a two-phase operation.At the beginning of a performance the stage manager inthe equipment room sets the fire detectors to the heat andCO criteria. After the performance he switches again tothe smoke criterion. This is recognised more quickly by thefire detectors than an increase in temperature – it is thereforepractical to program a detection system with smoke whenperformances are not ongoing. In this way it is guaranteedthat we have the best fire detection at all times.

Rudi Palmai, Technical ManagerSchrack Seconet Hungary “At the Palaceof Arts in Budapest, multiple sensordetectors which also evaluate CO nowavoid false alarms set off by fog – andtherefore also possible unnecessaryevacuations of the auditorium.”

�

Dry ice is often used to check the serviceability of detectors – butin the Palace of Arts in Budapest even this caused significantproblems in fire detection. CO detectors solved the problem!

Product Manager Harald Kobermann:“If dust or steam often set off a falsealarm, then a CO multiple sensordetector is practical and helpful.”

�

© K

arl G

rabh

err

© M

üpa

Edwin Fisar has been Headof Product Management forcommunications systems at SchrackSeconet since 1997. He has beenworking at the company sincethe 1970s after undertaking basicelectrical engineering training atHTL Mödling. Edwin Fisar startedworking within our developmentteam and later moved onto SalesAustria and then Export.

COMPETE NC E

INT

ER

VIE

WSecoREPORT

10

arion Krejci, MAS, ManagingDirector of HYGline, andEdwin Fisar, Head of Product

Management Communications Systemsat Schrack Seconet discuss hygienestandards now and in the past, problemsin disinfecting equipment in healthfacilities and the meaning of foresightedproduct development.

Fire & Care: What value does the subjectof hygiene have in medical facilitiestoday?

Marion Krejci: Awareness of the subject ofhygiene has increased greatly. 20 years agothere was only one person responsible forhygiene at a hospital, but nowadays thereare often up to five. Such a hygiene team paysattention to the correct hygienic processingof medical products and equipmentaccording to the state of the art. But whatdoes such a team do if a manufacturerrecommends cleaning with mild soapsuds? Disinfecting surfaces is enormouslyimportant to kill off pathogens, but it iscertainly not so simple when it comes tothe high-tech equipment in hospitals today.

Edwin Fisar: We also see that hygieneis becoming an increasingly importantsubject. Our concern was therefore to finda selection of effective substances whichare recommended for our equipment.

Fire & Care: What can an offer like thenew hygiene platform EICHY providehere specifically?

Marion Krejci: Our concern is providinginformation for the user: Which disinfectantshave the required microbial effectivenesswhile at the same time maintaining the valueof the equipment? Today we experience a lotof information gaps and many a discussionon guarantees and compensation of damages.For instance, a manufacturer states thata substance is only available in Asia orthe Americas. If a different substance isthen used, neither the manufacturer ofthe equipment nor the producer of thedisinfectant used wants to be accountable.

It is therefore no surprise that hygieneteams want to be involved in the purchasingdecision.

Edwin Fisar: The purchasing departmentin the hospital also often has its ownrequirements. The standard agent whichis already used to disinfect surfaces at thehospital should also be useable for newequipment.

Marion Krejci: Here it also has to be saidthat The wonder weapon for all surfaces andpathogens is just an illusion. It is simply notpossible for the many sensitive pieces ofequipment – and spores require a differentdisinfectant than bacteria, for example. Itis therefore necessary to switch betweenchemical groups. This requires a riskassessment: Where do I use which disinfectant?

Fire & Care: Hospital germs are always inthe news. What can hygiene do aboutthis?

Marion Krejci: Disinfection is the mostcost-effective form of prevention! Hospitalsare unfortunately really a breeding groundfor germs, as seen in the discussion aboutnosocomial infections, in other wordshospital infections. As Paracelsus knewbefore, the dose makes the poison. Thereis no such thing as freedom from germs,but we can reduce the number of dangerouspathogens as much as possible, bydisinfecting surfaces several times a day –and also by thinking about hands, sincethey are the transporters. It is also clear:Pathogens can be killed much more easilyoutside the body than within it. Tonnesof disinfectant are therefore more practicaland effective than expensive treatment withantibiotics – especially since the increasingresistance of microorganisms discouragestheir use.

M

Disinfection is the most cost-effective form of prevention

Tonnes of disinfectantare more practical andcheaper than treatment

with antibiotics.

Marion Krejci, MAS, has beenmanaging director of HYGlineGmbH since September 2013. Thequalified health care professionaland nurse has many years ofexperience as a hygiene professionalin various facilities. Besides thatshe is qualified as a CertifiedRisk Manager from the DanubeUniversity Krems, and has a degreein Business Management from theUniversity of Klagenfurt as well.

© K

arl G

rabh

err

A joint project team involving Schrack Seconet and HYGLine developed the parameters to enable the listing of VISOCALL IP devices inthe material compatibility database, EICHY.�

Fire & Care: That brings us back to the disinfectants onthe EICHY platform: How do equipment or products andthe suitable disinfectants get into the catalogue?

Marion Krejci: The manufacturer of a piece of equipment ora medical product is the initiator for an entry. The supplierscan often state suitable agents themselves, and some alsocarry out their own tests. The most professional form is atest by an external laboratory, since only there can exacttests be made. Schrack Seconet also chose this.

Fire & Care: How broad is the focus of the EICHYplatform?

Marion Krejci: We want to start already during productdevelopment, and not merely when there are problems inlater processing. We therefore investigated the followingissue in the course of a project within the framework ofthe “Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft” {research promotionagency} (FFG): What qualities must a synthetic material orother material have so that there are no problems with thedisinfection chemistry later?

Edwin Fisar: Yes, that is also an important factor for ourproducts. We searched quite selectively for a synthetic materialwhich contains substances which prevent fungal growth – andevery specification in our development programme stipulatesthat it must later be possible to disinfect a piece of equipment.

WORLDWI DE 11

SCHRACK SECONET

athogens, like bacteria,viruses and fungi are

omnipresent. They are passedon through bodily fluids, skincontact or instruments, and cansurvive for months on surfaces.From there the microorganisms arethen transferred by hands or dustto people. Disinfecting surfaces istherefore an important prophylaxisto prevent infection. Besidesconstant disinfection on a day-to-day basis, there is specificdisinfection in the case of contaminations and terminaldisinfection when discharging or transferring a patient.Depending on the type of germ, there are different active

agents available, such as phenols,alcohols, aldehydes, tensides, metalsor halogens. It is important toclean and remove visible dirt beforedisinfecting. The surface is thenwell prepared for the disinfectant,which is applied in the next stage.The active agents alter the structuresof microorganisms containingprotein to make them harmless.It is important to apply thedisinfectant correctly: The surfaceshould be wetted completely.

The application time as well as the correct concentrationand dosage are important when applying.

P

Surface disinfection in health facilities

GLO

SS

AR

Y

HEA

LTH

CA

RE

SecurWATCH

Best protection for disoriented personsThe number of patients with dementia is steadily rising. Caring for these people gets an increasing challenge.

SecurWATCH IP allows patients to be reliably located in real time even when outside of buildings.

SCHRACK SECONET AG, A-1120 Vienna, Eibesbrunnergasse 18, Tel. +43 1 81157, www.schrack-seconet.com.