Resilient flooring is a popular choice for floor covering in healthcare facilities due to its durability, ease of cleaning and routine maintenance, low cost, comfort and the broad range of available designs. Resilient flooring manufacturers use a range of feedstock materials to make their products, from synthetic petrochemical-based polymers to natural materials.
As such, Health Care Without Harm has defined environmental attributes for healthy flooring in healthcare in its recently released Healthy Flooring criteria, a guidance document for flooring manufacturers. The criteria apply to all flooring except carpet, fluid-applied floors and concrete. The criteria do not apply to floor-leveling compounds or underlayment.
Manufacturers interested in developing a list of their products that meet the Healthy Flooring criteria should contact saferchemicals@hcwh.org.
