In a nursing home, even a mild outbreak leads to hospital admissions and deaths. Floor drains in washroom facilities are shared among residents — biofilm and dried-out P-traps create a vector that remains invisible until an inspector asks about it.
Residents spend 90 % of their time indoors, share washroom facilities, and have weakened immune systems. Norovirus, C. difficile, and Pseudomonas in drain biofilms are risks that increase with occupant density and building age.
Irish nursing homes and HSE long-stay units run close to full occupancy, so any outbreak that takes a unit out of service is felt immediately. HIQA inspections look for written control of environmental sources, and drains are one of the sources most often overlooked.
Statistical data taken from official Irish and EU sources: Central Statistics Office Ireland (cso.ie), Health Service Executive (hse.ie), Fáilte Ireland (failteireland.ie), Bord Bia (bordbia.ie), IDA Ireland (idaireland.com), Health Products Regulatory Authority (hpra.ie). Regulatory framework: EUR-Lex for EU directives — EU 2017/745 (MDR), EU 178/2002 (food safety), EU 1935/2004 and EU 10/2011 (food contact materials), EU 528/2012 (BPR), EU 2014/34 (ATEX). Standards: EN 1253-1 (floor P-traps, water seal ≥50 mm), EN 1253 Parts 6/7/8 (gullies with a water seal below 50 mm, with mechanical closure, and combined types; 2023 editions), HACCP International RG-04, ASSE 1072-2020, NSF/ANSI 2, HSE SARI guidelines. Revision date: May 2026.
A typical 80–120-bed home has 80–150 drains. One maintenance technician can fit the lot in a working day.
The technician maps all washrooms, kitchens, and auxiliary rooms.
Written offer with the total number of items and specifications.
5 probes in critical drains — 7 days of assessment by the lead technician.
The entire facility — one afternoon. No disruption to home operations.
Irish nursing homes and HSE-regulated long-stay residential units range from converted 1970s buildings (with DN65 traps) up to HIQA-aligned new builds (DN50). Resident rooms with en-suites and shared nursing sanitary units use 2″ traps as standard. Catering blocks follow HSE / HoReCa specification.
Green Drain™ doesn't work alone — for maximum drain control it's combined with GD Uri-Tabs™ (urinals) and GreenSwirl™ (drain unblocking).
Patented silicone seal for washrooms and common areas. Passive protection of immunocompromised residents against H₂S, viruses, and bacterial aerosols.
Bio-enzyme urinal tablets for public washroom facilities. Odour elimination without chemical hazards for elderly staff and residents.
Biofilm cleaning in bedroom and bathroom traps — it shrinks the reservoir of resistant hospital strains in the building's drainage.
We come to the site, map the drains, and provide a written recommendation — no cost, no obligation.