Hospital and Clinic Curtains: Hygiene, M1 and ERP Type U

The needs of a healthcare facility

A care facility meets constraints that few other places face. Patient confidentiality requires partitions between beds. Rest requires blackout. Hygiene requires textiles that are handled and washed often. And the vulnerability of patients, who cannot always evacuate on their own, explains the reinforced fire regulations. Care homes have similar but distinct needs, which we cover in our article on curtains in care homes.

Confidentiality: bed-separation curtains

In a shared room, the separation curtain surrounds each bed to preserve privacy during care and visits. It must slide easily on a track, cover without gaps, and be operated one-handed by staff. It is the most common textile equipment in a hospital setting.

Blackout of rooms: the patient's rest

Sleep contributes to recovery. A room that genuinely darkens, even during the day, helps the patient rest between treatments. A blackout curtain at the window complements the separation curtains, to manage both light and privacy.

Hygiene and maintenance

In a care setting, curtains are touched continuously and washed regularly. The decisive criterion is therefore washability: a fabric that withstands frequent washing without deteriorating, and a construction that resists handling. The fire classification must also hold over time, which argues for durable flame retardancy rather than a treatment that fades with washing.

Fire classification in type U public-access buildings

Hospitals and clinics are type U public-access buildings, whose rules are stricter than the general regime, due to the vulnerability of patients. For curtains and drapery:

• Fire-resistance class M2 required regardless of the floor area of the room, including in patient rooms, where the general regime imposes nothing under 50 m².
• Fabric surrounds and curtains stretched over the leaves of fire-resistant doors are prohibited.
• Enclosed stairwells M1, exit routes M2, reinforced circulation finishes.

The exact classification is still validated by the safety commission or the inspection office. Our guides fire classification in public-access buildings and M1 and M2 standards detail the framework.

From specifications to a quote

Separation, blackout, washability, fire classification: these curtains are designed project by project, according to your departments and your hygiene constraints. Kurtens produces to specifications, with fire-resistance class M1 available on request. Describe your facility on our professional curtain quote page.

Frequently asked questions

To equip a hospital or clinic, confidentiality, blackout, hygiene and fire classification according to your specifications, request a professional curtain quote.