[ad_1]
Cleaning expert Steve Ashkin previews his 2022 NFMT session: Facility professionals should try to clean to disinfect while keeping employees safe.
Interest in commercial clean-up is at its peak as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Facility managers are now tasked with determining the best cleaning protocols to create a safe and healthy environment. However, some products may cause other health problems that will need to be addressed in the future.
At NFMT, Steve Ashkin, president, The Ashkin Group, will discuss how facility managers can achieve the goal of cleaning to disinfect while keeping employees safe in their session A Deep Dive into Healthy Cleaning Protocols: Why FMs Should Which.
FacilitiesNet: Why is it essential that facility managers make routine cleaning a priority?
Ashkin: Science is clear that indoor environmental quality can directly affect occupant health and performance, and research indicates that occupants expect their buildings to be clean. In addition, cleaning is one of the biggest costs from an operational perspective and therefore it is crucial that routine cleaning is a priority and properly managed to generate the best return on investment.
FN: What are some of the dangers surrounding not having a cleaning protocol?
Ashkin: From a management perspective, without being too dramatic, but the reality is that if we do not follow the proper cleaning protocols with the right commitment of resources, the lives of the occupants are literally at risk of damage and potentially death. This is especially true in high-risk facilities such as health care, long-term care, food production, food service, pharmaceutical manufacturing, prisons, and other types of buildings. . This is also important in other types of buildings if they have restaurants, rest rooms, nursing offices (e.g., in schools) and other areas where pathogens and other contaminants can pass between occupants. And beyond the health issue, cleaning is often required by law or code, and even routine cleaning is one of the areas that if done wrong will cause substantial dissatisfaction and complaints to facility managers for part of the occupants.
FN: How have clean-up strategies changed since the COVID-19 pandemic began?
Ashkin: There are a number of lessons learned from COVID:
- He reminded us how important cleaning is And we need to remember that air pollutants like SARS CoV 2 virus are just one of the pollutants of concern. Remember when we used to worry about mold, lead dust. E. coli, staphylococcus, salmonella and other pollutants, but these other pollutants remain a concern in addition to airborne pathogens.
- The selection of products, such as disinfectants, is important and we have many options, including those “green” products, which are safer for human health and the environment.
- Cleaning and disinfection should be focused on high-touch surfaces, which are those that often touch several people throughout the day (e.g., a door knob or light switch is only considered a surface of great touch if several people touch it during the day).
- Concentrated disinfectants and other products must be properly diluted And dilution control devices must be checked for proper performance.
- Cleaning performance should be measured And we have technology (e.g., ATP counters) that can be used to objectively measure performance.
- Workers need to be properly trained as cleaning is primarily a labor issue and training is incredibly important as we should anticipate short-term labor shortages.
- Occupants are concerned about their health and facility managers should provide them with information explaining what the facility is doing to protect their health.
FN: What are some of the environmental impacts of cleaning products? What should facility managers consider when choosing products?
Ashkin: The professional cleaning industry consumes:
- 6 billion pounds of chemicals each year, many of which are dangerous to human health and the environment and are made from non-renewable natural resources.
- 4.5 billion pounds of toilet paper products (e.g., toilet paper and paper hand towels) that are often made from virgin tree fiber that requires the felling of about 27 million trees that directly affect our ecosystems. forestry and climate change.
- 35 billion garbage bags are used every year, which is 95 million bags a day! Most are made of virgin plastic resins made from natural gas, a non-renewable natural resource.
Today, facility managers have numerous third-party-certified options to reduce adverse health and environmental impacts, work well, and are cost-competitive compared to conventional products.
FN: What will NFMT attendees gain from your session?
Ashkin: Beyond science, this session will offer specific recommendations to facilitate the selection and use of greener cleaning products. The recommendations are not brand-specific, but are based on widely accepted green building programs, such as LEED and WELL, and third-party certifications so that buyers can buy with confidence.
Mackenna Moralez is an assistant editor, facilities group.
Related topics: