ROSSENDALE - The rise of superbugs has led to strict infection control policies in hospitals and medical rooms the world over. The use of strong cleaning agents can have a seriously destructive impact on washable materials over time, so there is an obvious need for new hardier materials. This is especially true in radiation protection and the search has prompted one company to introduce a new robust material which, it claims is lighter in weight and its nonwoven outer construction is designed to withstand the potency of cleaning chemicals employed in medical hygiene procedures. Tony Whitfield reports.