Saint-Gobain Isover - Isover backs calls for insulating the elderly against heat

Never mind the winter, one of the UK’s leading insulation manufacturers, Saint-Gobain Isover, is backing calls to help reduce the numbers of elderly people who die during heat waves.
New medical research from the French Institute of Public Health Surveillance shows that installing home insulation can help reduce mortality among the elderly during heat waves that are becoming more common due to global warming.
Now, Saint-Gobain Isover is advising architects to consider this when designing new homes, contractors when refurbishing properties, and house owners of the grants available to install or upgrade insulation.
“I think we are all capable of forgetting that you can insulate as much against the heat as the cold,” said Isover marketing manager Gerry Mitchell. “But in this climate of global warming, it should now be a first consideration for all involved in the design and specification of new buildings and those involved in any way with the care of the elderly.
“Although the UK has a relatively temperate climate, we are seeing more and more instances of weather extremes and it is only prudent that as well as insulating against the cold we should also be doing the same for heat. That way, we will have homes and properties that are thermally efficient all year round.”
Researchers investigated the causes of thousands of excess deaths during a severe heat wave that hit France in August 2003. They found 35% of the sample died of heat-related factors and identified a lack of thermal building insulation was a main risk factor associated with that. A recommendation of the report was to provide insulation to older buildings.
In their report, published in the European Journal of Public Health*, the researchers said: "Housing characteristics associated with death were lack of thermal insulation and sleeping on the top floor, right under the roof.”
With predictions of another hot summer in the UK, which may very well be the start of a long-term trend, Mitchell believes we can learn some valuable early lessons from the French experience.
“At Isover, we have introduced a range of high-performance thermal insulants to meet the demands of the new Building Regulations. However, these new Regulations are intended to cater for the long-term health of the planet so it is a satisfying thought that our products will also contribute to the health and well-being of the most vulnerable of our population.”

Email: tracy@tlcpr.co.uk