22. April 2021
// Products & Services
Standard-compliant protection with
mattresses and beds
from a single source
Stiegelmeyer and Burmeier carry out extensive safety tests
Health-promoting mattresses play an important role for us. We offer beds and mattresses from a single source – both for Stiegelmeyer hospital and nursing home beds and for Burmeier home care beds. Bernhard Buchholz, Safety Officer of the Stiegelmeyer-Group, explains why users can rely on maximum safety and comfort.
How do Stiegelmeyer and Burmeier test the safety of their mattresses?
When we launch a new mattress model, we test the samples in our various beds with all available safety side systems. The main question is whether the mattress does not exceed the permissible distances to the safety side at its edges. These distances must be as small as possible so that residents and patients cannot accidentally bury their faces in the gap. The details have been regulated since 2009 by the standard DIN EN 60601-2-52.
How are the distances checked?
To do this, we use a conically shaped test cone that has a diameter of twelve centimetres at its widest point and replicates the head of an adult. The cone weighs five kilos. We push the mattress as far as possible to the raised safety side on the opposite side of the bed. We place the test cone on the small gap that now appears on our side and measure how deep it sinks in. The measurement must be less than six centimetres.
Many mattresses from Stiegelmeyer and Burmeier have reinforced edge zones on the long sides on which users can sit particularly comfortably – for example the Sky-therm® mattress for nursing homes and hospitals. Do these edge zones also contribute to safety?
Yes, because they additionally prevent the user from lying on the edge of the mattress. Since the foam is harder in the outer area than in the centre of the mattress, the resident usually slides gently back to the centre. In addition, the reinforced edge zone prevents the user from sinking deeply into the mattress.
Safety sides protect residents and patients from rolling out of bed. How high must the raised safety side extend above the mattress?
Standard-compliant safety sides must be at least 22 centimetres higher than the uncompressed mattress surface along at least 50 percent of the mattress base. We check this carefully.
What are the advantages of sourcing beds and mattresses from a single source at Stiegelmeyer or Burmeier?
In this case, our customers can rely on tested, standard-compliant safety. If, on the other hand, older mattresses from another manufacturer are reused, we can make no statement either about the conformity to standards or about the condition of the material. In this case, the operator should check the safety of the mattresses himself. Our mattresses are also optimally matched to the functions of our beds and move precisely with the movements of the mattress base, for example, thanks to the wave cut. Residents and patients will enjoy soothing sleep and start the day relaxed and well rested in the morning.
