Hospitals and the healthcare industry are part of the industries that require specialized casters for their daily work requirements. Hospitals generally have a precarious environment. All the equipment needed for a hospital environment is specialized to optimize productivity and ensure that everything in the hospital functions smoothly. So what exactly is it that makes hospital bed casters worth it? Are hospital casters really able to overcome the challenges posed by the different discrepancies in a medical environment? Let’s find out:

What Challenges Do Hospital bed Casters Have To Overcome?

Hospitals are environments that deal with a myriad of emergencies, and there is always something new and unprecedented right around the corner. Naturally, the hospital equipment needs to be optimized to handle these situations, and casters are among the most integral pieces of equipment that need to deal with the fast-paced everyday workload of a hospital.

Some of the issues that hospital casters normally have to deal with include:

Rough And Damaged Floors

We often come across broken and damaged floors in hospitals. Many carts with equipment, wheelchairs, and hospital beds have to quickly be hauled across this type of flooring without being damaged. If the casters get damaged when being dragged across broken tiles and other rough surfaces, they will need to immediately be replaced, or the equipment they are attached to will not be able to function.

Hospital beds, wheelchairs, and carts also have to be dragged across rough terrains in gardens and concrete floors, where they can get damaged and lose the smooth mobility that they originally offered. TO overcome this problem as well, we need to make use of better casters that are optimized for use in a hospital.

Excessive Noise

Hospitals are sensitive environments, and any amount of noise could be a source of disturbance for a doctor trying to diagnose a patient or a patient trying to stay calm during a difficult situation. Many casters that are used industrially are made of un-padded stainless steel, and they create a lot of noise when being dragged across the floor. Hospital casters, on the other hand, should not produce any unnecessary noise when being rolled around the vicinity because they should not disturb the professionals, workers, and patients in times of distress.

Infection Spread

Many casters are also not germ proof and can haul bacteria and viruses from one room in the hospital to another. Infection control is very important in a hospital environment, and anything can cause an infection if proper cleaning and sterilization are not kept in mind. Regular casters will not be able to deal with these hefty requirements and will need to be cleaned over and over again when they are being hauled from one place to another. Excessive cleaning is one of the biggest reasons why casters quickly break down.

Bad Ergonomics

It is essential for the staff in a hospital to be able to roll equipment with casters attached to it with ease rather than exert excessive force. Much of the equipment in hospitals is heavy and needs to be dragged, and the use of excessive force should not be necessary in this regard. This includes hospital beds, which are quite heavy on their own and often have the weight of another person added to them. It is important to be able to push and pull this equipment with ease, a feat that hospital bed casters can easily achieve.

High Maintenance Costs

When proper casters are not used in an environment, the maintenance cost of those casters drives up very high. This is because improper casters break down more easily and need to be replaced more often. This makes it difficult for the casters to keep up and eventually, the only solution is to get proper hospital casters that make it easy and cost-efficient to maintain the equipment.

How Do Hospital Casters Help?

So what exactly are the features that make hospital casters worth it? How do we know that a hospital caster is able to overcome all the challenges put forth by a tough environment? Let us take a look at some of the most common features included in hospital casters:

Shock Absorbing

Hospital casters generally do have some shock-absorbing capacity. This enables the caster to not be jilted when under distress due to cracked or rough floors. The shock-absorbing material absorbs the impact and prevents it from reaching the people or the machinery on the cart.

Noiseless

Hospital bed casters are also made of soft materials such as rubber or PU, which makes the wheels noiseless. When the wheels begin to make some noise due to wear and tear, you can simply lubricate them, and they will quiet down again.

Germ-Proof

Most hospital casters also come with an anti-bacterial coating which prevents cross-infection from one room in the hospital to the other. The germ-proof coating does not require the wheels to be cleaned every time the equipment is hauled from one place to another and helps to keep the environment sterile and prevent infections.

Locking Mechanisms

Most hospital casters also have braking and locking mechanisms in place. Since hospital casters are generally quick and smooth, they can easily be rolled on floors by the smallest of pushes, and need to be kept in place through brakes and locks. These mechanisms help to keep the objects stationery which helps in accurate diagnosis and easy procedures.

Ergonomic

Hospital casters are also known for being ergonomic. Since all the equipment in hospitals has to be moved by people, the equipment needs to be ergonomically optimized to ensure that it does end up injuring a worker. Therefore, medical casters are easy to push and brake since the workers can easily brake and lock with their feet and don’t have to bend constantly.

Conclusion

Hospital casters are a highly critical piece of equipment in any medical environment, and they are easy to overlook as well. However, making use of the incorrect casters will only hinder the workplace and make it difficult for equipment to be moved around easily. 

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