Handwashing Stats Indicate Room To Grow

Flu season is underway, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), flu vaccines are again subject to distribution delays and shortages. Given the uncertainty of doses, the CDC suggests priority groups be the only ones to receive vaccines until October 24.

Priority groups include the elderly, the young, pregnant women and healthcare workers. While these groups will be eligible for the vaccines earlier, the rest of the population is encouraged to wash hands thoroughly to help prevent the spread of viruses.

Handwashing is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of colds and flu. But is that fact getting people to wash more often? A recent study says no.

The study, conducted by The Soap and Detergent Association (SDA) and the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), found that not as many adults wash their hands as say they do.

While 91 percent of American adults say they always wash their hands after using the public restroom, only 83 percent actually did so.

The study was conducted in August 2005 and observed the washroom habits of 6,336 adults in four cities — Atlanta (Turner Field), Chicago (Shedd Aquarium and the Museum of Science and Industry), New York (Grand Central Station, Penn Station) and San Fransisco (Ferry Terminal Farmers Market).

Researchers found that 90 percent of women washed their hands while only 75 percent of men lathered up.

Overall, Atlanta washed the least — 26 percent walked away without washing — followed by New York where 22 percent didn’t wash.

Observers in San Fransisco and Chicago found the same percentage of people washing their hands — 88 percent.

While handwashing after using the bathroom is considered common practice, handwashing after sneezing or coughing isn’t done as frequently and respondents are less apt to lie about not washing afterward.

Only 24 percent of men and 39 percent of women wash their hands after coughing or sneezing, according to the SDA.

“We have to do a better job here in stopping the spread of the germs that make us sick,” said SDA’s vice president of communication, Brian Sansoni.

Many wrongly believe that colds and influenza are spread more often by airborne transmission, said Judy Daly, Ph. D, the elected secretary of the Society and Director of the Microbiology Laboratories at the Primary Children’s Medical Center, Salt Lake city, and Professor in the Department of Pathology at the University of Utah School of Medicine.

“We unconsciously touch our mouths, noses and eyes many, many times each day,” said Daly. “These mucous membranes are welcome mats for cold and flu viruses, which are readily transferred from unclean hands.”

NEWS MAKERS

Newell Rubbermaid To Cut 5,000 Jobs
Newell Rubbermaid Inc., Atlanta, plans to cut 5,000 jobs as a part of its “Project Acceleration” plan, a three-year initiative that aims to strengthen the company’s portfolio. The plan includes closing one-third of its 80 manufacturing plants.

Joe DeZarn, director of marketing and communication for Rubbermaid Commercial Products, said the commercial products sector has been identified as a leadership platform, meaning the company plans to invest additional resources in the division to support a “virtuous cycle” business model in which product development will be a focus.

Georgia-Pacific Eliminating More Jobs
Georgia-Pacific Corp., Atlanta, will eliminate 850 jobs in North America, most of them in Green Bay, Wis. It will also cut 250 jobs in Europe.

Since 2001, the company has cut more than 2,250 positions and shut down nine tissue paper machines and 47 converting lines.

It is anticipated that about $100 million will be saved in ongoing costs over the next two years becuase of the company’s job cuts, reorgainzation and machine shutdowns.

Bunzl Distribution Inc., St. Louis, recently acquired A.W. Mendenhall, a redistributor headquartered in Chicago.

With customers located in 10 states, the acquisition of A.W. Mendenall will expand Bunzl’s opportunities in the janitorial and sanitary maintenance markets

U.S. Food Service Inc., Columbia, Md., agreed to sell its SOFCO division, which distributes janitorial supplies and other products, to Bunzl Distribution, Midcentral Inc.

SOFCO, which distributes in the Northeastern United States, had 2004 sales of $175 million.

Two Des Moines, Iowa-based supply companies recently merged. Heartland Specialities, a distributor of packaging and industrial products, has become a division of Iowa-Des Moines Supply. Iowa-Des Moines Supply distributes janitorial supplies, paper products, food-service and hotel supplies.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently awarded a contract to the Environmental Education Foundation (EEF) to form a coalition of members from the building design/construction and property management industry, including insurance and financial institutions. The contract between the groups is intended to promote the EPA’s indoor air quality (IAQ) guidelines and encourage the use of those guidelines in managing environmental quality risks.

Indoor environmental quality has been in the limelight recently with the prevalence of large court settlements and mold-related damage to buildings.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced details of its 2005 site-specific targeting (SST) plan, which will focus on about 4,400 high-hazard worksites for unannounced inspections over the next year. OSHA has conducted the program based on illness and injury data. This year’s program will initially focus on worksites that have reported 12 or more injuries or illnesses resulting in days away from work, restricted work activity or job transfer for every 100 full-time workers.

OSHA will then randomly select and inspect about 400 workplaces with over 75 employees that reported low injury and illness rates to ensure

OSHA requirements are being complied with in low-injury workplaces.

NEWSMAKERS

Dow To Raise Ice Melt Prices
Beginning November 1, The Dow Chemical Co., Ludington, Mich., will increase list and off-list prices for bulk and packaged forms of its calcium chloride products by $10 to $20 per ton depending on the product grade.

The increase is being implemented to allow the company to recover higher production costs driven by escalating natural gas prices, and it reflects the strong demand for calcium chloride across major markets.

It is essential that Dow recover these higher costs to support continued reinvestment to meet growing demand for these products, said Greg MacDonnell, marketing manager for Dow’s dry calcium chloride products.

CRI Supports Green Lodging In Florida
The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) recently announced its partnership with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to help the state’s lodging industry create safer and healthier indoor environments.

The effort is the latest component of DEP’s Green Lodging Initiative, which encourages motels and hotels to adopt cost-saving and green practices that conserve energy, reduce water consumption, protect air quality and reduce waste.

The program, called “Florida’s Green Lodges,” is voluntary, but participating hotels and motels will be recognized by the state when companies and trade shows are seeking eco-friendly lodging and convention buildings.