Updates from the Leading Association for the Cleaning Industry Worldwide

Everything’s Coming Up Green!

Environmental preferability is the new mantra of the business community, and nowhere is this more apparent than in our industry, where green cleaning has taken firm hold in the marketplace.

Employee and occupant safety and health have also taken center stage as the business community embraces practices and programs designed to promote the well being of those who work or otherwise spend time in the built environment.

Recognizing the importance of these trends, ISSA has been active on both fronts. Below are just some of the ways in which ISSA became involved in 2006.

DEVELOPMENT OF GREEN CLEANING PRODUCTS

1. ISSA/DfE Alliance. ISSA and the EPA’s Design for the Environment (DfE) have entered into a formal alliance that provides ISSA formulators and other association members with information, guidance and other resources that will facilitate the development of environmentally preferable cleaning products.
   
2. CleanGredients^™. ISSA is a proud sponsor of CleanGredients, an online database of cleaning ingredients with preferred environmental, safety and health profiles.
   
3. Safer Detergent Stewardship Initiative. ISSA is working in support of the Safer Detergents Stewardship Initiative (SDSI), a voluntary program under development by the DfE that will foster the development of environmentally preferable cleaning products.
   

RESOURCE/REFERENCE MATERIALS

1. Guide to Green Cleaning Procurement Policies Across the U.S. ISSA has compiled Green Cleaning Product Procurement Policies, Initiatives and Requirements in the U.S., a valuable resource that covers more than 20 state and local jurisdictions that have established green purchasing policies in one form or another as well as six federal programs and initiatives designed to broadly promote green cleaning products and practices. The guide is posted on ISSA’s Web site.
   
2. Cleaning and LEED-EB: What’s the Connection? The U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Existing Buildings (EB) program has helped fuel the demand for environmentally preferable services and products, including the demand for green cleaning. ISSA’s Cleaning and Maintenance and LEED-EB: What’s the Connection? explains the significant role that green cleaning and maintenance activities play in achieving LEED-EB certification. ISSA members can download this document.
   
3. EcoSmart™. EcoSmart was developed by ISSA in conjunction with the industry's leading software designers and green cleaning experts to help evaluate the financial impact that green cleaning will have on a facility’s budget. EcoSmart provides an insightful analysis of the chemical, paper, equipment and training costs associated with green cleaning. Click here for more information.
   

HEALTH AND SAFETY

1. ISSA Safety and Health Portal. ISSA has created a one-of-a-kind Web network dedicated exclusively to the protection of the health and safety of workers in the cleaning industry, the latest step in the association’s ongoing alliance with OSHA. The Web site.
   
2. Cleaning Industry Safety and Health Topics Page. ISSA is the only industry association working with OSHA to develop the Cleaning Industry Safety and Health Topics Page, which is expected to be released by the spring of 2007. This series of Web pages will provide ready access to OSHA standards of particular concern to the cleaning industry, solutions to hazards common in the industry, information on how to develop a comprehensive safety and health program, and other resources.
   
3. OSHA at ISSA/INTERCLEAN. As part of its alliance with ISSA, OSHA exhibited at ISSA/INTERCLEAN^® 2006 and met with over 300 individual attendees. Plans are now underway to secure OSHA’s presence at ISSA/INTERCLEAN 2007 in Orlando, FL.
   

For additional information on any or all of these topics, please contact ISSA Legislative Affairs Director Bill Balek or ISSA Standards Development Manager Dan Wagner at 800-225-4772 (North America) or 847-982-0800.

According to Philip Tierno, author of The Secret Life of Germs, 80 percent of all infectious diseases are spread through direct or indirect cross-contamination, from hand shakes to touching door handles.

Tierno points out that, in addition to its potential impact on the health of building occupants and visitors, cross-contamination costs businesses and schools billions of dollars every year.

No. 1 Culprit
Although the problem exists everywhere, cross-contamination is perhaps most rampant in public restrooms. Proper hand washing remains one of the most effective ways to prevent germ transmission in these areas, but studies continue to show that large numbers of people do not wash their hands after restroom use.

Facility managers can do little to control people’s hand-washing practices, but selecting restroom fixtures that promote hygiene — for instance, touch-free urinals, toilets, faucets and paper towel dispensers — is helping to reduce the problem.

Still, in the majority of situations, the most significant way to limit restroom cross-contamination is through proper and effective cleaning.

Implementing a Program
Performing an audit of all the cleaning products, equipment and systems used to maintain a facility is one of the first steps that can be taken to reduce cross-contamination. Although restrooms may be of primary concern, the audit should look at the overall facility. Questions to ask include:

• Are clean, high-performance matting systems in place at all building entries? These trap and prevent contaminants from entering the facility.
  
  
• Are “greener” vacuum cleaners, extractors and floor machines in use? This equipment helps protect indoor air quality and prevents the growth of mold and mildew.
  
  
• Is the janitorial crew aware of the cross-contamination problem and how serious it can be? Education on the subject as well as the cleaning and health connection should be ongoing.
  
  
• Is the janitorial crew aware of the “hot zones” for cross-contamination in a facility? For instance, just about any restroom surface that’s frequently touched becomes a hot zone for the spread of germs.
  
  
• What type of cleaning products and systems are in place and are they being used effectively? In many situations, cross-contamination remains a persistent problem because the same cleaning systems and products are incorporated even though they are proving to be ineffective.
  

The Science of Cleaning
Once the audit is complete, serious attention should be paid to the facility’s cleaning and maintenance to see where steps can be incorporated not only to reduce cross-contamination, but also to prove that a reduction has been accomplished.

In restrooms, one method is to test for urine on a variety of surfaces, including fixtures, floors, walls and door handles. When urine is present, it indicates how far germs and bacteria can actually spread in a facility. Urine-detection kits made specifically for the cleaning industry are available, easy-to-use and relatively inexpensive. They can also be used to help establish custodial benchmarking and even “proof of service,” indicating the cleanliness of an area should questions arise.

Custodial Training
The importance of training in cross-contamination prevention cannot be overstated. And now that ISSA has developed the Cleaning Industry Management Standard (CIMS), the entire process can be easier. CIMS can help inform and train cleaning professionals on accepted, well-tested management systems and procedures that, when implemented, can help promote well-maintained and healthy facilities.

Angelo Poneris is customer service manager for Valley Supply, Hamilton, Ohio.