Certainly, that’s necessary, but it isn’t sufficient. Putting out fires and managing emergencies is how you survive, but it isn’t how you thrive. Companies that only focus on the needs of the moment are always eclipsed by the companies that anticipate the problems and solutions of tomorrow. That’s why Muraflex works tirelessly to help our customers and corporate partners prepare for future problems before they happen. We’re busy finding solutions to issues that aren’t even on most people’s radar yet. That’s why we’re so excited about our new Anti-Microbial Coating (AMC).
When the Covid Pandemic hit, Muraflex immediately went to work designing, building, and supplying glass barriers and screens to protect the public and the essential workers who keep society functioning despite countless obstacles. Even as we’re still working to help the world survive this once-in-a-century disaster, we’re also looking ahead to potential future dangers and how to manage them.
One such danger that scientists and infectious disease experts are warning about is the threat of an outbreak of novel or mutated bacterial infections. The Institute of Medicine Forum on Microbial Threats warns that the risk of new human pathogens is both high and rising as new pathogens are discovered each year. With exacerbating factors like continued deforestation for agriculture, intensification of livestock production, globalization, meat trade, and urbanization unlikely to reverse, the threat of new bacterial pathogens continues to rise as well. These dangers, coupled with increased bacterial resistance to medication and treatment, mean that the pandemic of the future could very well be bacterial.
Even if such a pandemic doesn’t happen in the near term, human pathogens already have a massive impact on the health, safety, and productivity of your company. The Harvard Business Review notes that each year, employees getting sick costs companies up to a quarter of a Trillion dollars in the US alone. These illnesses interfere with productivity, deadlines, and the vital human capital and knowledge that drive success. Fortunately, there’s a way to hedge against future disasters while also sustainably and affordably protecting your employees and boosting productivity in the near-term.
How Does It Works?
The Anti-Microbial Coating is a special powder coating now available on Muraflex fixtures and hardware that protects the surface from microbes and human pathogens. Though these bacteria and pathogens proliferate freely on untreated surfaces, the AMC protected surfaces see pathogen life practically zeroed. The AMC treatment has been tested by an independent Japanese laboratory which found that the treatment was 99.99% effective at preventing dangerous pathogens from remaining viable on coated surfaces. But we didn’t stop there. The same lab also simulated a decade of use with heat-stress procedures, then re-tested. The lab found that the coated surfaces maintained the same level of protection as newly treated surfaces.
This technology easily integrates into any workplace as it is available on any of our metal fixtures, in a variety of colors and finishes. As usual, Muraflex doesn’t merely create functional, expertly engineered products. We also understand that the aesthetics of your workplace are critical to how you, your employees, and your clients feel. As with every one of our products and technologies, the peerless Italian design shines through.
The implications for the use of this technology are massive. Not only will AMC fixtures and hardware be extremely valuable in traditional high-risk environments like hospitals and retirement homes, but if 2020 has shown us anything, it’s that everyday places like offices, schools, grocery stores, hotels, and shops can become high-risk places for the spread of diseases that we can’t yet predict. After the severe economic disruption, we have encountered due to a lack of preparation for an eventuality like Covid, the clear lesson is that we should not wait until the next emergency is upon us to prepare.
Your employees’ health matters. As people with families and children, who rely on their health and as investments for our company and shareholders. Keeping high value employees safe and productive is both a moral and financial imperative. If even one important employee doesn’t miss a critical meeting or deadline because the AMC coating on the fixtures in your office kept them from falling ill, your investment in Anti-Microbial Coatings will have more than paid for itself.
This level of protection isn’t expensive, nor does it require any special effort to maintain or clean. You don’t have to do anything extra to maintain it. It’s a background technology that seamlessly and invisibly integrates into your office space, protecting your employees and your bottom line. Much like providing soap in restrooms, Anti-Microbial Coatings will soon become a ubiquitous and obvious part of any workplace or public space. You could wait until the next major health emergency to install them, but why be like everyone else when you could be thriving as your competitors are busy putting out the fires you’ve already anticipated?
To find out more about our AMC finishing, please download our brochure.
