3 Questions to Ask When Considering an Antimicrobial Product Protection on Your Medical Scales

Antimicrobial product protection on medical scales is a recent development that has gained traction as a product of interest by medical professionals. The silver-based additive provides health care systems with a proactive way to reduce the growth of bacteria on treated scales as part of a hospital’s approach to creating a cleaner healthcare environment.

This development is an important one as the typical hospital scale is moved, handled, and used by dozens, perhaps hundreds of people per day. Under the right conditions, microbes on an untreated surface can double every 20 minutes. Antimicrobial protection begins to work as soon as the micro-organism comes into contact with the product surface. It then works continuously to maintain a consistently lower bio-burden than would be expected on a product without the antimicrobial protection. The product protection is built-in during the manufacturing process, will not wash off or wear away, and is engineered to provide continuous antimicrobial product protection for the useful lifetime of the product.

If your health system is considering the use of an antimicrobial additive on your medical scales, here are three questions to ask while researching these products.

1. Exactly which parts of the scale are treated with antimicrobial product protection?
   
   For the best possible results, having comprehensive antimicrobial coverage on as many of the scale’s surfaces ensure that maximum product protection is achieved. For example, SR Scales with antimicrobial product protection, ALL touch surfaces are infused with the antimicrobial technology. This includes the entire base platform, keypad, complete display housing, stanchion, as well as any and all side rails. Buyers of SR Scales with antimicrobial coverage can rest assured that they are getting total antimicrobial product protection on all the touch surfaces of their SR Scales products.
2. How many of a scale manufacturer’s products have total product coverage with antimicrobial product protection?
   
   
   
   SR Scales has fourteen different base scale models that run its entire line up of professional medical scales with complete antimicrobial product protection on all touch surfaces. (The number would jump to 56 scales if SR were to count the all the variations available from KG-only versions, optional models with printers and height bars, as well as AC versions on a number of these scale models.) Product categories include stand-on scales, wheelchair scales, pediatric scales, and wall mount scales. This wide range of products means that hospital systems looking to standardize on SR Scales throughout all their locations, get an all-encompassing line up of professional medical scales to choose from, each with complete antimicrobial product protection, standard at no additional cost.
3. How long is the product warranty?
   
   Beyond antimicrobial product protection, another important consideration is the warranty of the medical scales you are thinking of purchasing.
   
   Product warranties vary between manufacturers. Some offer a traditional one year warranty. Some offer two or three year standard warranty. Other companies want you to spend more money in order to get an extended warranty.
   
   SR Scales provides its customers with an unheard of FOUR YEAR product warranty. In addition, the SR Scales are manufactured in the USA at the company’s Buffalo, NY-area factory.
   
   Now that’s product protection, peace of mind for your investment, and a great ROI for your budget.
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