FCM Spring 2022

SERVING THE FACILIT Y CLE ANING & MAINTENANCE INDUSTRY

SPRING 2022

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF ISSA CANADA

� 4 STEPS FOR STANDARDS IN PROACTIVE CLEANING � CLEANING IS CARING: IT’S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE � RESPONDING TO INCREASED FOOT TRAFFIC

PA R T O F T H E

FAMILY VALUES PM#40063056

Experience and empathy are key to a successful BSC

P A R T

O F

T H E

� CONTENTS SPRING 2022

INFECTION PREVENTION & CONTROL 16 4 steps for proactive cleaning

The secret to reopening — and staying that way — is a proactive, hands-on approach

by David L. Smith 18 Overcoming seasonal cleaning challenges As winter finally ends, facilities must meet visitors’ cleanliness expectations

by Kurt Kuempel

FACILITIES 20 Responding to increased spring foot traffic As people flock back to facilities, we may see a resurgence of “forgotten” pathogens such as influenza and norovirus

by John Engel

COVER STORY 12 Family values

Scandinavian Building Services President & CEO Russell Hay explains why experience and empathy are key to success for a BSC

by Tom Nightingale

IN EVERY ISSUE 4

Editor’s Letter Moving ahead with diligence

7

ISSA News The show must go on

By Tanja Nowotny

8 Expert Q&A Cleaning is caring: it’s not rocket science

by Tom Nightingale 30 Clean Matters

University of Calgary recognized for environmental stewardship

23 Maintaining pest control standards despite COVID-19 pressures With facilities reopen fully, pests may be emboldened and must be combated

by Alice Sinia

BEST PRACTICES 27 The abuse of disinfection Why zeal can be as harmful as negligence

by Nathalie Thibault 28 In with the old, stick with the new Taking forward the lessons learned during — and before — the pandemic remains critical

by Robert Kravitz

“This is not rocket science. A lot of the basics remain the same, and if your employees recognize and partake in those, that’s half the battle.”

/ editor’s letter /

MOVING AHEAD WITH DILIGENCE

W

hat does the future hold for cleaning? That’s the milliondollar question now, over two years into a pandemic that has left an indelible mark on the industry.

Well, in the immediate term, cleaning and maintenance companies and staff are having to wrestle with yet another new normal – in some areas of the country, a full-capacity reopening with various restrictions such as proof of vaccination or mask mandates lifted.

While we have been there before with reopening at various capacities, the lifting of restrictions has not gone this far earlier in the pandemic. Though there is some concern that COVID-19 is resurging, the hope is for a sustained spring and summer of business as usual – or, at least, as usual as we can get in the first half of 2022.

That will present challenges for the industry, particularly when it comes to high-traffic facilities such as hospitality and retail establishments.

In this issue, we have aimed to alleviate the concerns that many companies and workers may be feeling about the months ahead with some sage advice from well-placed veteran of the industry.

In our Expert Q&A, the American Cleaning Institute’s Brian Sansoni reminds all of us of the importance of getting the basics right and not overcomplicating the approach to disinfection, and experts from around the industry advise on core issues such as dealing with increased foot traffic, proactively cleaning for the future, and ensuring the lessons learned from the last two years stay top of mind.

Meanwhile, our cover story this issue sees us chat in depth with Russell Hay of Scandinavian Building Services about the importance of family values, both literal and figurative, in running a nationwide BSC in today’s world.

We also catch up with ISSA Canada on key developments in the industry since last fall, as well as looking ahead to the return of inperson ISSA Shows later this year. We must also take the time to note that our REMI Show also returns in person in Toronto in June – we can’t wait to be reunited with the industry and catch up after so long of only seeing each other on a screen.

As always, thanks for reading.

TOM NIGHTINGALE tomn@mediaedge.ca

Editor Tom Nightingale tomn@mediaedge.ca Senior Designer Graphic Designer Production Manager

Annette Carlucci Thuy Huynh Rachel Selbie rachels@mediaedge.ca

Sales Sean Foley seanf@mediaedge.ca Contributing Writers

Circulation

John Engels Robert Kravitz Kurt Kuempel Tanja Nowotny Alice Sinia David L. Smith Nathalie Thibault circulation@mediaedge.ca

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CANADA 2022

2022 Theme:

RE-SET for the NEW

CLEAN

Be part of Canada’s leading conference designed for those who keep our facilities clean & healthy For exhibitor/sponsorship opportunities, please contact Mike Nosko, ISSA Canada Executive Director Email: mike@issa-canada.com Office: 905-665-8001 Toll Free: 866-684-8273

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THE 2022 ISSA SHOW CANADA EXHIBITOR & SPONSOR PROGRAM

1

ISSA NEWS RESET FOR THE NEW CLEAN: THE SHOW MUST GO ON

by Tanja Nowotny

It’s been two long years and ISSA Canada is extremely excited to reunite in-person once again with the industry during the 2022 ISSA Show Canada being held June 8-9 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

No longer just a sundry duty, the focus on cleaning and disinfection has transcended industries of all scopes who have the common goal of keeping building occupants and employees safe. To say that ISSA Canada has come closer to its goal of “changing the way the world views cleaning” is perhaps an understatement. The industry has taken huge strides, but the mission carries on as we venture into what has been defined as the new normal.

With the theme of “Reset for the New Clean,” this year’s event will focus on the transformation experienced over the past two years and look forward to the next chapter.

In addition to a sold-out trade show floor, ISSA Show Canada promises an educational itinerary developed by vetted professionals representing all facets of the sanitary maintenance and supply industry.

Where do we go from here? Find out during the show’s kick-off session at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, June 8. Open to representatives from all sectors including facility management, building owners, facility service providers, and more, this session will take a deep dive into the journey beyond COVID-19.

The last two years have certainly been challenging for building service contractors who were required to combat an unseen enemy with depleted workforces and constantly changing cleaning protocols.

But now there are many new obstacles that must be faced. Attracting workers into the industry, managing turnover, providing education and training, understanding the overall perception of what cleaning and disinfection is — all these serious issues will be highlighted and addressed during this session.

Comprised of key representatives from both the BSC and facility management sectors, this panel will delve into the issues as they affect both sides of these parallel sectors. The panelists will provide their professional insight to look for solutions, develop a successful game plan, and determine a solid path forward as we venture into the future.

Another major obstacle facing the industry has been challenges surrounding the supply chain. Also on June 8, Tom Fournier of Shade’s Mills Group will moderate a panel discussion featuring senior management from the distribution, manufacturing and building service contractor sectors. “Valuing the Role of Distribution in the Cleaning Supply Chain” will see these professional panelists examine the trends and talk about the current and future state of distribution.

Indoor Air Quality is another talking point that has come to the forefront as we navigate the pandemic. Since it has been determined that SARS-CoV-2 is indeed an aerosolized virus spread via airborne droplets, good air quality is a main tool to mitigate the risk of spreading the virus. Based on a peer-reviewed paper written by Paul Meechan and session speaker, Dr. Mark Hernandez (on behalf of the Global Biorisk Advisory Council), this session will address several options for improving indoor air quality in non-healthcare settings including schools, restaurants, gyms, and other public spaces. The focus will be on harnessing air quality to make indoor spaces safer not only during a pandemic, but after the current crisis is behind us.

Whatever sector you represent, the 2022 ISSA Show Canada promises to offer something for everyone. Visitors will see the latest product innovations on the trade show floor, learn about the latest trends through free education sessions, and catch-up with peers, face-to-face, during two networking events. Set Toronto as your destination on June 8-9.

Visit www.ISSAShowCanada.com for more details. www.REMInetwork.com / 7

/ expert Q+A /

CLEANING IS CARING: IT’S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE As restrictions lift and foot traffic increases, the American Cleaning Institute’s Brian Sansoni says it’s time to go back to basics

by Tom Nightingale

E

ntering the third year of the pandemic, everyone — from cleaning and janitorial service providers to the general public — could be forgiven for showing signs of mental exhaustion. We’ve had two full years of research, messaging, iteration of protocols and practices, conclusions, lessons learned.

In such a climate, effectively a war of mental attrition, how does the cleaning industry ensure it remains fresh, focused, effective, and exemplary, particularly as we move into spring and a full-capacity reopening for many retail and hospitality facilities?

Though diligence and communication are paramount, it’s largely as simple as practising the basics of hygiene of infection control, says Brian Sansoni of the American Cleaning Institute (ACI), which plays a leading role in helping to advise, define, and shape the cleaning industry in the U.S. and Canada, and whose members include the manufacturers, formulators, suppliers, and distributors of cleaning products used in household, commercial, industrial, and institutional settings.

FC&M spoke to Sansoni about the challenges retail and hospitality facilities face over the coming weeks and months amid higher foot traffic and loosened restrictions, and what service providers, staff, and facility owners and operators must keep in sharp focus to ensure the high standards of the pandemic are retained.

BRIAN SANSONI

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

WHAT DOES CLEANING FOR HEALTH MEAN NOW, IN THE THIRD PANDEMIC YEAR?

“For some time now, we’ve been far beyond cleaning for appearance — it has been, and still is, all about cleaning for the health and safety of your employees, the folks on the front line, and for your customers. For those shops, hotels, restaurants etc. that are now open at full capacity, it’s crucial to re-evaluate their place of business. The basics are that you should be disinfecting high-touch surfaces and objects and high-traffic areas on at least a daily basis, whether that’s elevator buttons, escalators, basket and trolley handles, seats, checkout and payment areas. Continue to promote hygiene and disinfection with your staff — everything from washing hands to handling deliveries with care and hygiene.

Keep safety top of mind.”

HOW DOES THE LIFTING OF RESTRICTIONS IN JURISDICTIONS CHANGE THE NATURE OF THE GAME?

MANY

“There will be a lot of folks who haven’t been comfortable venturing out much, and there will be a pent-up demand for wanting to

8 / FACILITY CLEANING & MAINTENANCE / SPRING 2022

get out and about, whether that is shopping, eating out, travel. From a facility operators’ point of view, if a customer hasn’t been in your store or your facility for a long time, you need to make sure they see that you care. Make sure cleaning processes are visible, sanitizer stations are refilled, your washrooms are clean, you have wipes on offer — instill that confidence in them. The due diligence never stops — this all needs to be happening when the customers aren’t there, too. It’s your next chance to make a great impression. Cleaning and hygiene are still front and centre for millions of consumers and customers and diners and visitors. With restrictions being lifted in a lot of jurisdictions, it’s important that the cleanliness of your store is apparent and that customers can recognize that.”

WHAT ARE THE PARTICULAR CHALLENGES OF MANAGING THE CLEANLINESS OF RETAIL AND HOSPITALITY FACILITIES?

“Sanitation and hygiene are heightened concerns in retail and hospitality because there is so often food involved. There are all kinds of food safety concerns just as a recourse of doing business; in an ongoing pandemic, those are multiplied. So, I think there should

/ expert Q+A /

and will be heightened precautions taken in those businesses. Also, a lot of the problems the industry sees around cleaning products and chemicals stem from improper storage in commercial settings.

Again, that concern is magnified where there’s food involved, like hospitality and retail. Standards have always had to be so, so high, but that need has become more acute.”

MANY INDUSTRIES HAVE STRUGGLED WITH LABOUR CHALLENGES IN RECENT MONTHS. WHAT CAN BE DONE TO MITIGATE THAT AS FOOT TRAFFIC INCREASES?

“Make sure your cleaners — whether they are your in-house staff or a hired third-party cleaning service — are properly and adequately trained in how to handle cleaning products, chemicals, and so forth. You cannot cut corners. We have seen a lot of people in the hospitality and retail sectors realize the staff constraints, and they have primarily adjusted their hours accordingly. Sometimes, you have to make tough decisions because you can’t compromise health and safety and hygiene. You just can’t. Restaurant owners, grocers, etc. will continue to make decisions based on those standards. How many staff are needed to fulfill the health and safety and hygiene brief? How must your processes change to meet the demands of the latest situation? I think it’s inevitable that staffing levels will dictate how you go about these things. Primarily, though, and especially in this labour market, you want to show that you care about your employees and your customers.”

the pandemic, you still see a not insignificant number of people affected by foodborne illness or by hospitality-acquired infections, caused in no small part by insufficient cleaning and disinfection practices. I don’t want to hear that you can clean too much. I think what got lost in some of this ‘too-clean’ stuff is common sense. Of course, you don’t need to clean every five minutes, but you do need to wash your hands numerous times a day, particularly where food its involved. You do need to disinfect high-touch and high-traffic areas numerous times a day. I think the ‘too-clean’ myth is detrimental to the idea of smart cleaning, which is integral to public health. This is not rocket science. A lot of the basics remain the same; have those materials and procedures, and if your employees recognize and partake in those, that’s half the battle. It’s all well and good having the chemicals and the products, but you must use them the right way and store them correctly. This all comes back to that ‘cleaning is caring’ mantra, and that will continue to be a very important platform. Show that in your business. Use the right products in the right way at the right times.” / 22_0351_Fac_Clean_Maint_SPR_CN Mod: January 27, 2022 8:33 AM Print: 02/14/22 11:36:46 AM page 1 v7

π

CLEANIN' UP!

WHAT NEEDS TO BE THE FOCUS NOW, IN THE THIRD PANDEMIC YEAR?

“Our surveys have shown that the attention consumers are paying to how commercial facilities are showcasing cleaning and hygiene practices has remained perfectly high. Hygiene and safety remain key concerns for consumers. Just as the public’s own personal practices and standards have remained high on the agenda, so have their expectations from businesses and facilities. The trauma of the last two years is sticking with people, and it’s sticking with businesses and facilities too. We’d be very unwise to see cleaning and hygiene become a lower priority. These things were taken for granted a lot before the pandemic but now we’ve raised standards and raised awareness, that can’t be allowed to drop. It’s not about being obsessive, it’s just about being smart: reminders of common-sense situations. It’s those smart, targeted practices that are really important in retail settings, hospitality settings, restaurant settings. That’s how to keep customers, visitors, and employees in your workplace safe and how to keep your business and your facility successful. There should be a high level of permanence there.”

FINALLY, ARE THERE ANY MYTHS THAT STILL NEED DISPELLING AROUND CLEANING?

“The too-clean myth still persists in some cases. Even setting aside

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I

n just a few years, cleaning and facility management have undergone big changes. The renewed focus on cleaning and disinfecting for health has raised standards, streamlining cleaning operations and increasing efficiencies are vital, and the ongoing quest to operate sustainably and with environmental responsibility continues.

Marrying all these objectives together can be difficult for facility management and staff.

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To combat the challenges posed by the pandemic and to leverage its proprietary electrotechnology, E2metrix launched OXWELL SOLUTIONS to supply a top-quality hypochlorous acid (HOCl) solution, OXWELLTM Multipurpose Disinfectant.

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While OXWELLTM disinfectant is available in pre-packaged form, OXWELL SOLUTIONS has also made its production capacity available to the market to support your expanding commercial activities, no matter the industry.

This innovative solution, the E2MOXTM STATION, is an onsite, on-demand OXWELLTM production system. The station, with its paradigm-shifting pay-per-use model, is easily usable by in-house facilities management team, staff, and employees as well as designated cleaning service providers and allows for both large-scale facility disinfection and individual employee workspace use.

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Installing the E2MOXTM STATION on-site and utilizing its pay-per-usage model offers clear benefits that lower both financial and environmental costs. Implementing the system allows you to keep up with changing health and sustainability benchmarks and quickly adapt without costly disruption to your existing protocols and workflow.

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For more information, visit www.oxwellsolutions.com.

/ cover story /

BRINGING FAMILY VALUES TO CLEANING

Scandinavian Building Services’ Russell Hay explains why experience and empathy are key to success

by Tom Nightingale

12 / FACILITY CLEANING & MAINTENANCE / SPRING 2022

A

mid everything that’s happened to the world and the cleaning and maintenance industry over the last two years, it should not be forgotten that family values are important in business as well as in the home. Treating employees and customers with familiarity and empathy is a long-heralded approach to conducting operations in good faith and fostering a warm, welcoming, and inclusive environment.

For Scandinavian Building Services, that ethos is rather literal, too.

The company, which started as a small janitorial company in Edmonton in 1956, was purchased by Terry and Wilda Hay in 1982. The Hays quickly set their sights beyond the Alberta city and before long, Scandinavian had established a solid presence across Western Canada, ultimately growing further east.

Today, it is a second-generation familyowned and -operated business run by Terry and Wilda’s son, President and CEO Russell Hay, and his two sisters, VP of procurement

Candace Elford and VP of HR Melanie Brooks. The trio of siblings dedicate their time and their lives to maintaining their parents’ professional values of high work ethic, dedication, and respect for others.

STARTED FROM THE BOTTOM

That is easier said than done, of course.

But Terry and Wilda applied those values to their own children as well as their staff and customers and, as a result, Russell and his sisters have firsthand experience of just what is needed to succeed in this industry at all levels on the ladder.

Growing up, Russell and his sisters spent time working in all roles — maintenance managers, janitorial staff, mechanics — to learn important life skills while better understanding the fundamentals of the business and the industry at large.

Russell started out working with his father when he was in high school during the summers as warehouse help, then becoming an account manager and since holding virtually every operational role until he as-

www.REMInetwork.com / 13

/ cover story /

cended to president. He describes that wide range of experience and exposure as a gift.

“You don’t realize it’s a gift at the time because it’s a hard road and a very difficult business, the janitorial industry,” Russell says. “There are so many facets to it — cleaning, maintenance, accounting, risk management, HR — and you’re only as good as what you did yesterday. There is that expectation for results every single day.

My sisters and I have seen that firsthand — we all went from the ground up, and I think that has really helped us as leaders. It means we can relate and understand each division and each role, and we understand how difficult it is to be a cleaner.”

reopening with little or no restrictions after two years of limited business.

Russell notes that Scandinavian’s clients, particularly large-scale sports or event facilities or educational campuses, provide a range of challenges due to the mixed and varied nature of their operations. “You have hospitality facilities, foodservice, washroom, retail, etc. all on one site,” he says.

“So many different people and businesses and challenges all in one facility. Making sure you’re hearing and listening to and working with all of these various parties takes a lot of time and effort, but it can be done with diligence and dedication.”

A REFOCUSED APPROACH

TACKLING THE CHALLENGES OF RETAIL AND HOSPITALITY

Scandinavian provides a broad range of janitorial and facility maintenance services for a wide variety of markets, including retail, commercial, public sector, construction, and sports and entertainment facilities. The housekeeping services offered run the gamut from disinfection services and sanitization to landscaping, and so much more. Having swept across Canada over the decades, with operations now in every province and territory and in both urban and rural areas, the Hays-led company now has its sights set on opportunities in the northwestern United States.

Among their many clients are some of the biggest names in big-box retail and grocery as well as prominent leaders in the hospitality and events space, although that barely scratches the surface. Each facility poses its own particular challenges, especially in the context of many areas of Canada finally 14 / FACILITY CLEANING & MAINTENANCE / SPRING 2022

COVID-19 has proven to be a huge challenge worldwide for just about everyone.

Certainly, it has specifically impacted the janitorial industry in critical ways that could not have been adequately prepared for, no matter the plans that were in place before the pandemic.

While Scandinavian already had a thorough emergency plan, Russell explains that the company pretty much “tore up” what was “nominally” a pandemic plan. “We knew we had to create a new one for an actual pandemic,” he admits. “We certainly did that; we’re proud of the extensive plan we formed, and we gave that plan to many of our customers.”

Understanding each individual industry was important. Restaurants have a very specific set of needs, as does retail, as does hospitality. Catering to those needs with empathetically and attentively was vital for the company. “It was our job to consider the needs of each industry and what the

pandemic plan needed to look like for them and to fulfill those needs for now and in the future.”

Scandinavian, Russell adds, wanted to make sure it was on the cutting edge, keeping abreast of new innovations and findings or different practices. Naturally, many basic procedures needed to be changed or enhanced. Things like high touchpoint cleaning, electrostatic spraying, and handling, to name a few, needed reinforcing, and health and wellness procedures also became vital for not only Scandinavian’s own staff but contractors, customers, and end users alike. Training was also overhauled, with the company increasing the regularity of its refresher training from monthly to several times a week in some cases.

“Ultimately,” continues Russell, “making sure our plan was a live item and we were communicating those changes to our staff and our customers was vital.” Customers were asking for more visibility of cleaning teams and increased frequency of high touchpoint cleaning to put their consumers’ minds at ease during this pandemic.

That resulted in shifts in scope of work and allocation of hours on a client-by-client basis was seen, and the company’s reporting protocols were amended — for example, QR codes were implemented in various areas of a site to be scanned by cleaners to allow for efficient confirmation and communication of disinfection.

All told, moving forward, businesses will need more visibility of all cleaning procedures and frequencies that are occurring daily on site in order to provide transparency to the customer and accountability from the provider.

MAINTAINING DILIGENCE AND RECOGNITION

Early in spring 2022, there is cautious optimism, with most restrictions lifted and two years of knowledge behind us, that society is relatively stable again. Reopening at full capacity and moving on with life is undoubtedly a good thing at the big-picture level, but continuing the plans made and building on the lessons learned, though, will be invaluable.

Naturally, one of the most defining trends in the cleaning industry today is the increased public concern over health and the transparency and efficacy of cleaning

/ cover story /

“My sisters and I all went from the ground up and that has really helped us as leaders. We understand how difficult it is to be a cleaner.”

RUSSELL HAY PRESIDENT AND CEO

and disinfection. “As the industry’s understanding of viral disease has progressed, so has public perception,” Russell adds.

“Whereas at one time people didn’t want to see cleaning while they are in a building, it’s come 180 degrees now. People appreciate seeing cleaning for their safety. That’s unlikely to change.”

He adds that he believes the basic framework for future progression is simple, built around investment into cleaning and building and maintaining visibility for psychological satisfaction for the public. “This pandemic has affected every human being and every corner of the world. We don’t want to go through that again.”

Even though society is understanding infectious disease much better and how it is spread, it’s certainly true that the cleaning industry is held to higher standards in 2022 than it was in 2019, and heightened recognition of cleaners as the first line of defence has followed. That is perhaps one of the shining positives from such a difficult time for the cleaning industry — that their work is now acknowledged.

Russell believes that recognition will hold “for a very long time to come” and it is a core value of Scandinavian’s business to make sure that the company’s staff, clients, and customers understand and acknowledge that work. It all ties back to that ethos

of promoting family values at work — recognizing and appreciating what it takes to succeed in this industry and what we can do for our peers, and ensuring the respect is mutual and ever-present.

“Cleaners in our country are incredible in what they do every day,” he concludes.

“They are exceptional, and their job can sometimes be thankless if they are not hearing appreciation. Too often in the past, cleaners have only heard the negative side of things; what hasn’t been done. I know what that feels like personally and how hard it is. One great stride the industry has made is highlighting and thanking these workers for what they do every day.” / www.REMInetwork.com / 15

4 STEPS FOR PROACTIVE CLEANING The secret to reopening — and staying that way — is a proactive, hands-on approach

by David L. Smith

T

he pandemic has drastically changed perception around building cleanliness. Now, two years since the beginning of the pandemic, many people continue to feel wary of public spaces — particularly in businesses that serve food and beverages. Over the past two years, facility maintenance professionals have helped businesses to 16 / FACILITY CLEANING & MAINTENANCE / SPRING 2022

not only clean for appearance, but proactively for health and hygiene.

As restaurants, retail, and hospitality facilities continue to reopen, customers need to feel confident in facility cleanliness. Proactive cleaning and hygiene will be critical, and it’s an approach to facility maintenance that can be effectively implemented in any environment with four key steps:

STEP 1:

SET A CLEANING BENCHMARK

What constitutes clean in your facility?

The first step to ensuring your facility meets its cleaning goals is to set a benchmark of the current cleaning program. In hospitality and retail spaces, this should include reviewing cleaning routines to understand what areas are being cleaned, how often, and how ef-

/ infection prevention and control / fectively these cleaning methods are being executed.

This assessment helps to establish the appropriate cleaning protocols for each area of the facility. It serves as the starting point against which cleaning activities will be measured for compliance and allows managers to identify key cleaning areas that need to be addressed with additional cleaning processes. High-touch surfaces, traffic flow, and building occupancy are all key factors to take into consideration for benchmarking.

This established cleaning standard will dictate cleaning tasks, frequency, specific products, and labour needed to successfully keep spaces clean and safe.

STEP 2:

PROACTIVELY RAMP UP CLEANING

Understanding where high touchpoints are is one thing; keeping them safe is another.

With a benchmark in place, the next step for increased infection prevention is to prepare all areas for increased foot traffic.

Here are the top three cleaning areas to focus on when standardizing cleaning routines in hospitality and retail spaces: Promote proper hand hygiene: When promoting proper hand hygiene, communication is key! Seventy-eight per cent of Canadians agree that they would feel safer if businesses clearly communicated which services, tools, or technology they are using to protect their customers. To help build customer confidence, ensure patrons are practicing proper hand hygiene before entering your space.

Clearly communicate hand hygiene practices with posters, signage, and by training frontline team members to encourage hand sanitizer use at entrances.

Ensure adequate product supply: Proper cleaning can’t be achieved without the necessary tools and products. Work with your supplier to ensure access to the supplies best suited to each space’s unique needs, paying special attention to hand hygiene products, disinfectants, and personal proactive equipment (PPE).

Prioritize touchpoint cleaning and disinfecting: More than 84 per cent of Canadians think public spaces have an obligation to improve their disinfection practices for post-pandemic life to protect the health and safety of their customers. While it’s nearly impossible to keep high-touch surfaces completely free from bacteria, regular cleaning and disinfecting is critical to minimizing

pathogens and the risk of disease outbreaks.

Choosing easy-to-use disinfecting methods, such as disinfecting wipes or electrostatic disinfecting, reduces the barrier to completing disinfecting.

STEP 3:

TRAIN YOUR WHOLE TEAM

Proper facility cleaning and disinfecting is a big job that requires a team effort. Customer-facing employees in retail, restaurants, and other hospitality facilities can help lighten the load for already overstretched cleaning teams by taking on light disinfecting tasks. With the right training, customerfacing teams can disinfect high-touch surfaces between customers to help limit the spread of pathogens.

Ongoing workplace training is important in any industry — especially when it relates to the health and safety of others. For cleaning teams, staff training is critical to ensuring that chemicals and tools are used safely, tasks are performed correctly, and key cleaning areas have been addressed. Not sure where to start? Seek out industry cleaning training programs or talk to your cleaning supply specialist to help set staff up for success.

STEP 4:

VERIFY AND VALIDATE CLEANING

It’s time to ask: “how do I know my space

is actually clean?” Having systems in place to verify and validate cleaning effectiveness is key when trying to meet customers’ cleaning expectations. While tracking all cleaning activities in a facility may seem overwhelming, smart cleaning management systems simplify the process by connecting people, devices, and equipment.

These digital systems store cleaning protocols, products and cleaning plans, allowing them to work as a roadmap to guide staff through necessary cleaning tasks.

They also have powerful reporting tools that provide detailed insight into completed cleaning activities. This is especially helpful when keeping track of touchpoint cleaning and disinfecting that needs to be performed multiple times a day.

System features and capabilities vary — some, such as the WandaNEXT™ platform, allow cleaning teams to log cleaning activities by scanning a room’s specific QR code, allowing for touch-free, accurate task logging. It also allows patrons to quickly and easily scan the codes to alert cleaning teams to service issues, elevating their experience and positioning the facility as exceptionally well maintained, clean, and safe. Talk to your cleaning supply provider to learn more about how these innovative tools can be customized to suit your facility’s unique needs. /

David L. Smith is the Cleaning, Hygiene & Sanitation Director at Bunzl Cleaning & Hygiene, Canada’s largest specialist distributor of cleaning and hygiene products and equipment.

www.REMInetwork.com / 17

OVERCOMING SEASONAL CLEANING CHALLENGES IN YOUR FACILITY As winter finally ends, facilities need to be prepared to meet visitors’ cleanliness expectations

by Kurt Kuempel

18 / FACILITY CLEANING & MAINTENANCE / SPRING 2022

/ infection prevention and control /

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inter and spring are typically the more challenging seasons for facility managers and their teams. January to March 2022, shoppers and travelers emerged in droves and there was some increased foot traffic in fitness centres and other facilities. Additionally, some organizations are once again moving forward with a return to office and that is likely to continue through spring 2022.

At the same time, the official end of winter is difficult to predict. Snowstorms can happen in April, while spring showers can also bring added moisture and contaminants inside. These messier precipitation-prone months are often coupled with a rise in illness cases, even in a non-pandemic year.

As cleaning expectations continue to evolve, businesses must clean correctly - and often - to stop the spread of germs and protect building patrons. To keep up with these seasonal challenges, it’s important to review and potentially modify cleaning procedures to continue to maintain a clean, safe facility.

INCREASE DAYTIME CLEANING FOR INFECTION PREVENTION

Cleaning only at night isn’t ideal anymore.

Busy facilities need to be cleaned more often during the day to help stop the spread of germs. Everyday items collect more germs than many realize. In fact, a study revealed that desks can harbour 10 million bacteria — 400 times more than germs found on a toilet seat. And with COVID-19 still a major concern, regular cleaning is crucial.

Increased daytime cleaning allows time for more infection control and prevention, especially on high-touch surfaces. Create a daily schedule that focuses on cleaning and disinfecting common touchpoints such as doorknobs, light switches, elevator buttons, and kitchen areas consistently throughout the day. Review disinfectant instructions and dwell times with staff to ensure products are being used properly to meet virus kill claims.

FOCUS RESOURCES ON FLOORS

The final weeks of winter and the first weeks of spring can be especially challenging with regard to floor care. Shoes can track in a combination of salt, moisture and mud, which can negatively impact

visitors’ perceptions of your business if floors appear visibly dirty.

To protect brand reputation, floor finish and the life of carpet and tile, it’s important to clean floors regularly. Assign staff to monitor entrances to address any messes or pools of water immediately. Installing walk-off indoor and outdoor matting and vacuuming it regularly can also keep floors cleaner and safer by collecting soils and moisture as people enter your facility.

Since cleaning floors is a time-consuming task, consider the use of robotic floor care equipment to help ease the burden. Robotic machines work by cleaning pre-determined routes while avoiding obstacles like people and walls. This helps ease the repetitive motion and strain on employees and frees up time for them to focus on other important cleaning tasks such as infection control. These collaborative robots — often referred to as “cobots” — do not replace the need for human cleaning professionals.

The machines still require supervision and setup for their routes. However, they deliver consistent, reliable results, which can be an advantage for facilities with f loor that requires extra attention.

IMPROVE INDOOR AIR QUALITY

Monitoring indoor air quality (IAQ) is an essential factor to help keep your facility clean and safe. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), indoor air can contain two to five times more concentrations of pollutants than outdoor air. Winter months bring cold, dry air that can more easily spread viruses, while pollination season in spring leads to many allergens in the air that can disrupt breathing.

Cleaning has a huge impact on IAQ in a facility. Untrained cleaning staff may push dust and dirt around, making air quality worse. Revisit proper dust removal procedures with employees to ensure they clean properly from the highest surface and work their way down and implement vacuums with HEPA filters to thoroughly capture air pollutants.

Additionally, consider using sustainable chemicals that won’t release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air. Electrochemically activated solutions (ECAS), which are cleaners and disinfectants created using salt, water, and electricity and an on-site generator, are becoming increasingly popular. This is because facilities can generate their own products using safe ingredients, while eliminating issues with supply shortages.

Other tips to improve IAQ include making sure the HVAC system is bringing in fresh, outdoor air and using vacuums with HEPA filters to capture dust and debris, rather than re-polluting indoor air.

PROVIDE ONGOING TRAINING

Training is essential for professional cleaners year-round to help keep them safe and ensure tasks are completed correctly. Spring is often considered an opportunity to reset, so it is an excellent time to examine procedures and protocol. Even the most seasoned cleaning professionals can benefit from tool, chemical, and procedural reviews.

Hands-on training combined with occasional shadowing ensures that employees follow protocol, and it gives them the confidence required to perform tasks properly and consistently. Empowering and investing in staff creates a positive work atmosphere and helps everyone achieve their goals to provide a safe, clean environment held to the highest cleaning standards.

A SUCCESSFUL TRANSITION INTO SPRING CLEANING

As the more difficult winter cleaning months come to an end and a new season emerges, your facility needs to be prepared to meet visitors’ cleanliness expectations. By proactively updating your cleaning schedule, training staff, and providing advanced technologies, cleaning chemicals and equipment, you will be ready to address any and all cleaning needs with ease. The result is a facility that prioritizes health, safety, and consistent appearance, despite the outdoor weather conditions. /

Kurt Kuempel is the Vice President of GSF USA, a leading provider of cleaning services.

www.REMInetwork.com / 19

/ facilities /

RESPONDING TO INCREASED SPRING FOOT TRAFFIC As people flock back to facilities, we may see a resurgence of “forgotten” pathogens such as influenza and norovirus

by John Engel

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s more people likely return to restaurants, hotels, shops, and other facilities, consumers and employees continue to have heightened expectations of facility cleanliness. The expected increase in facility foot traffic this spring may lead to the spread of “forgotten” pathogens, such as influenza and norovirus, through contaminated surfaces and infected individuals.

Fortunately, facilities can implement cleaning protocols to maintain consumer and staff confidence while helping to reduce the spread of germs in facilities.

FOOT TRAFFIC IS COMING

North Americans travelled less than ever before due to cancelled trips in 2020 and the first half of 2021. As vaccine distribution continues and confidence grows, more people are expected to resume activities such as air travel, visiting restaurants, and staying in hotels. For example, on June 2, 2021, TSA screened nearly 1.6 million people throughout the U.S. compared to 304,436 travellers on the same day in 2020.

Similarly, a new survey found that 92 per cent of Americans are poised to “travel with a vengeance” this year to make up for over a year of lost trips.

Businesses can prepare for a greater resurgence of foot traffic by implementing strong cleaning and hygiene protocols.

Here are six steps to prepare for increased traffic: 1. Address high-touch surfaces. Facility managers may wish to determine priority areas and high-touch surfaces that need more attention than others. This is especially important for addressing flu viruses 20 / FACILITY CLEANING & MAINTENANCE / SPRING 2022

/ facilities /

5. Install touchless dispensers. To increase consumer and staff confidence, businesses may install touch-free soap, sanitizer, and paper towel dispensers to help reduce germs’ spread. Touchless paper towel dispensers are preferable to hot air dryers that spread 60 times more bacteria than warm dryers and 1,300 times more than paper towels. Patrons can grab the door handle with a paper towel when exiting the washroom to avoid spreading germs onto freshly washed hands. Be sure to place trash receptacles near the exit door so users can discard the used paper towels to circumvent leaving trash in the facility.

that can survive on some surface for up to two days.

2. Determine sanitizing and disinfecting procedures. Different areas may call for specific cleaning procedures depending on their location, traffic level, and purpose.

Sanitizers can reduce germs to a safe level and usually do not need a rinse afterwards since the product can air-dry for 30 seconds. On the other hand, a broad-spectrum disinfectant applied with electrostatic sprayers can help provide greater surface coverage. It reduces the amount of time taken to clean and greatly improves the control and spread of viruses. If you’re ever unsure of what to use and where, always remember to check product labels before use.

3. Maintain floors with mats. Floors are the first thing customers notice when they walk in. Poorly maintained floors could result in a negative brand image and require an expensive floor replacement earlier than expected. Strategically placing mats at front entryways and throughout the facility can reduce the spread of dirt and debris. Proper mat maintenance is critical to ensure longlasting effectiveness. Ignoring care lessens their ability to trap dirt and limit odours.

Facility managers who wish to purchase their mats must clean and vacuum them regularly. However, taking mats outside to shake off excess dirt and dust is time-

consuming. Receive clean, high-quality mats consistently by partnering with a qualified service professional that offers a mat rental program. Mats are professionally laundered on a regular basis to prevent an “inkpad” effect from a dirty mat. A qualified service professional provides freshly cleaned replacement mats while cleaning the dirty ones.

4. Perform washroom deep cleaning.

Washrooms are a point of concern for guests and staff, with 90 per cent of U.S. adults believing employers should deep clean workplace washrooms regularly to benefit the health and wellness of employees. Facilities can conduct high-pressure cleaning to remove build-up from floors, toilets, urinals, partitions, and other washroom surfaces.

After the high-pressure cleaning process, use vacuum extraction to remove the contaminants from the washroom, reducing the risk of cross-contamination and the growth of odour-causing bacteria. However, high-pressure equipment can be expensive and deep cleaning is a time-consuming process for employees.

Outsourcing deep washroom cleaning can help employees save time with their daily cleaning tasks.

6. Keep supplies in stock. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions caused many essential items to become unavailable. Businesses needed to maintain a sizable inventory to ensure crucial supplies were always available. Unfortunately, this is not always possible without supplies taking up space or costing too much money. A rental services provider can help alleviate some of the stress and cost because supplies are predictable and delivered through a regularly scheduled maintenance program.

Facility managers and cleaning professionals can focus on high-priority tasks because they don’t have to spend time managing inventory.

Supplies to consider include cleaning chemicals, washroom supplies, disinfecting and sanitizing wipes, hand sanitizer, and PPE. Properly stocked washrooms are fundamental as a lack of washroom supplies is one of the most common customer complaints. Having PPE available can also help assure staff and customers that a business prioritizes health and safety.

PREPARING FOR FULL CAPACITY

If there’s anything the pandemic taught us, it’s that the public’s heightened awareness around cleaning is here to stay. Following best practices and implementing cleaning and hygiene protocols can help businesses prepare for increased visitor foot traffic this spring and summer. /

John Engel is the director of marketing for the Facility Services division of Cintas.

www.REMInetwork.com / 21

22 / FACILITY CLEANING & MAINTENANCE / SPRING 2022

/ facilities /

MAINTAINING PEST CONTROL STANDARDS DESPITE COVID-19 PRESSURES As facilities reopen, pests may be emboldened and must be combated

by Alice Sinia, Ph.D.

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aintaining a pest-free environment can be difficult amid the challenges posed by COVID-19. As foot traffic continues to recover, pests may have newfound comfort and not be afraid to invade a facility further. If staffing at your location has not returned to pre-pandemic levels, there may be fewer people to monitor potential pest activity. Those on the job may be stretched thin to maintain sanitation and structural maintenance over a larger area, which means pests are more likely to invade, infest, and establish themselves indoors easily.

How can hospitality and retail facilities keep pest pressures at bay as the industries navigate closures, capacity restrictions, and future health guidelines? Below we will look at the common areas pests seek out and how you can ensure your building does not become the new rent-free home for pests this spring.

HOSPITALITY

The two biggest areas of concern in hospitality are kitchens and guest rooms.

In the kitchen, pay close attention to your food prep areas, pantry, and garbage room.

Inspect all incoming packages and produce before storage to stop pests from hitchhiking a ride into your facility. Once it’s stored, stock must be regularly inspected and used on a first-in-first-out basis. This prevents stored food supplies from sitting on the shelf for unnecessarily long periods. Pay close attention to fresh produce, especially potatoes, onions, and fruits that cannot be refrigerated. If possible, use fly-proof mesh storage bags to prevent small infestations.

Ensure your staff also properly cleans all food equipment and floors each night at closing to avoid crumbs or cooking grease attracting pests at night. Once a week, schedule deep cleaning of hard-toreach areas in the kitchen, such as under and behind stoves, footings, prep counters, dishwashers, and voids in equipment plus floor drains and the garbage room. Store all foods in airtight containers and keep them at least 20 centimetres from the wall and off the floor. Always have staff empty the trash every night so there is never trash left in these areas overnight. To prevent small flies

from breeding, regularly rinse and dry the bottom of garbage receptacles before lining them to prevent fly breeding. Rinse and empty vegetable and beverage cans prior to recycling. Make sure to put them in tight closing recycling bins or bags, and do not keep for more than seven days.

If your kitchen or food preparation areas are not operating daily or are temporarily closed, it is best to have a staff member check on the space every few days to ensure there is no pest activity. Signs of an infestation include rodent droppings, chew marks on cardboard packages or food items, webbing in pantry, insect trails, flies around sink drains or floor drains, and so on. In guest rooms, ensure your cleaning staff empties all trashcans between each guest and daily during a guest’s stay, if possible.

With buffet-style and community breakfast options limited or closed for safety reasons, guests may dine more in their rooms, so removing food waste quickly is crucial to keep pests from being attracted to guest rooms. Ensure your staff knows the signs of bedbugs and inspect for such signs when cleaning rooms and changing linens. www.REMInetwork.com / 23

/ facilities / RETAIL

While food may not be an issue for some retail spaces, conditions such as shelter and warmth will still attract pests to your location.

In these scenarios, keeping pests out from the beginning is the best defense. Make sure all windows and doors — including your shipping and receiving doors — are properly pest-proofed. They need to have tight and proper seals on them — you should not be able to see any gaps of daylight coming through. If you can, the stripping is not creating a proper seal. Ensure interior and exterior walls are free of cracks and crevices where pests can sneak through or hide.

There should be no openings or damage in the building’s ceiling boards or foundation.

Inspect all incoming goods to ensure no pests are hitchhiking into the store, which means checking shipping containers and boxes for signs of pest activity or damage.

Back storage areas must be free of clutter with items stored away from the wall and, if possible, off the floor. Items such as card boxes provide hiding places for cockroaches and spiders, so make sure to check shelved items regularly for signs of pests. If flying

pests are a problem at your store, consider adding discreet insect light traps.

Finally, although serving food is not a concern for these establishments, ensure washrooms and employee break spaces are free of leftover foods, trash, and debris to help reduce attraction of pests. Ensure you have proper washroom care and odour control systems in place to prevent pest attraction.

Check and fix water leaks from pipes, sinks, or faulty faucets as these can attract pests.

No matter the circumstances, the best way to prevent pests is to remain alert and proactive while maintaining a steady and effective pest management plan.

Educate your staff and remember to regularly check for signs of pest activity.

If you see any, immediately notify your pest management provider so a professional can come out, assess the situation, and develop a solution tailored to your specific issue and facility. /

Alice Sinia, Ph.D. is quality assurance manager of regulatory/lab Services for Orkin Canada, focusing on government regulations pertaining to the pest control industry.

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/ best practices /

THE ABUSE OF DISINFECTION Why zeal can be as harmful as negligence

by Nathalie Thibault

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t the outset, it is important to stress that disinfection is necessary and important. I am a microbiologist and have been developing training courses on hygiene and sanitation for many years, so I am biased in favour of anything that has to do with disinfection. However, I am an advocate of thoughtful disinfection and the judicious use of our battle weapons. There is no need to use a bazooka to kill a fly.

With the continuation of COVID-19, we need to take into consideration the evolving scientific findings, face the facts, and change our preconceptions; surface disinfection has its place, but is not the chief weapon in the fight against the transmission of the virus.

At the very beginning of the pandemic, we firmly believed that COVID-19 was transmitted primarily through surfaces.

It was legitimate and entirely sensible and reasonable, at that time, to adhere to that belief. It was also the most common preventive position in the world to ensure that the transmission of a previously unknown infection was limited.

As the months passed, more and more studies were done on the survival time of COVID-19 on surfaces. Three hours, 12 hours, three days — there were some suggestions it could even last up to 17 days on surfaces. However, the survival time of a germ on a surface does not necessarily mean that it is still infectious.

In more recent pandemic times, it has become apparent and accepted that COVID-19 is generally more likely to be transmitted by droplets, close contact, and even by aerosols that would remain airborne than be surface contacts. Few recent case stud-

ies report probable transmission through a freshly contaminated surface, but this remains difficult to prove definitively as it is impossible to exclude respiratory transmission. But numerous reports show that hand hygiene is a more effective barrier to virus transmission than surface disinfection. That was echoed by the CDC in the US, which clearly stated last year that this virus is very poorly transmitted through surfaces and the risk of contracting COVID-19 on an object and becoming contaminated is very low. They even suggested a one-in-10,000 chance.

Why is surface disinfection so overly promoted?

Surface disinfection is effective and recommended to prevent infection if you live in the same house as someone who has contracted COVID-19, but disinfection of indoor and outdoor public areas does not seem to be as effective.

It is important to note that studies show that the extensive use of disinfectants has already caused a significant increase in respiratory problems, such as asthma, in the population. There are also many more incidents of poisoning from disinfectant chemicals as reported by an increase in calls to poison control centres across the country.

On the other hand, disinfection has a major advantage. By eliminating all other surface-borne infections such as colds, flu, gastroenteritis, and others, it makes it easier to identify people who are infected

with COVID-19 since virtually no other infections are currently circulating. Now so deeply anchored in our habits, disinfection is closely linked to the safety of public environments and will henceforth be required and highly valued by the population. Disinfection must absolutely be maintained as part of a sanitation program, not only for its effects on public health but also for its contribution to alleviating people’s concerns.

In short, without putting a stop to disinfection, the time has come to revisit your disinfection practices, because over-disinfecting can cost you a lot of money. Don’t let your guard down, but ensure you have the right battle weapons. Overzealousness can be as bad as negligence, so the first thing to do is to check whether you are disinfecting too much, too little, or just enough. Assess the risks associated with your environment and adjust your disinfection frequencies accordingly while respecting the standards in effect in your area.

Ultimately, fair and thoughtful disinfection is crucial. Please do not eliminate this step from your protocols, but you should not be afraid to change your protocols, nor should you do what everyone else is doing just to comply. Being adaptable and adjustable does not mean you are influenceable or indecisive, it simply shows you are keeping up with the latest information and making well thought-out decisions. Adapt your disinfection protocols to your own situation. /

Nathalie Thibault is the Training Director of ValkarTech, a Canadian consulting firm that guides, supports, and advises clients on how to optimize their hygiene and sanitation performance.

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/ best practices /

IN WITH THE NEW, STICK WITH THE OLD Taking forward the lessons learned during — and before — the pandemic remains critical

by Robert Kravitz lessons to be learned as old and proven lessons that must be more closely adhered to.

“For instance, cleaning professionals were taught for years to clean surfaces first before disinfecting and follow the manufacturer’s instructions when it comes to dwell time,” says Sawchuk. “But before the pandemic, these instructions were all too often overlooked. Now, they can’t be. If the job of cleaning professionals is to keep people healthy, all the proven lessons we have been taught over the years to ensure effective cleaning and keep building users safe must be followed.”

Some of the other old but proven cleaning and disinfecting lessons Sawchuk says need much more adherence to are: READ THE LABEL

Disinfectant product labels provide a wealth of crucial information, such as how long the disinfectant should dwell on the surface before removing, what pathogens the disinfectant is engineered to kill or eliminate, and whether the disinfectant must be rinsed off surfaces after use.

D

id you know that some experts now recommend that HVAC systems be turned off before cleaning and disinfecting surfaces? We rarely heard of such cleaning protocols being recommended in facilities before COVID-19.

But examined more closely, especially in light of the pandemic, we can see why this is being advised.

When we clean and disinfect surfaces, vapours from the cleaning and disinfecting agents can be released into the air. These vapours can prove harmful if inhaled. But there’s more to it than that. The entire cleaning process can also release potentially health-risking contaminants into the air.

28 / FACILITY CLEANING & MAINTENANCE / SPRING 2022

Remember, one of the critical components of professional cleaning is agitation. We are scrubbing surfaces to loosen and remove soils and contaminants. If the pathogen that causes COVID-19 is on those surfaces, it may become airborne. If so, we may inhale those pathogens, and inhalation is the primary way the virus is spreading from person to person. By turning off the HVAC, cleaning professionals reduce the risk of inhaling harmful fumes and pathogens.

What other cleaning lessons do we need to learn from the pandemic? Mike Sawchuk, a Canadian-based coach who helps facility managers improve their in-house cleaning operations, says there are not so much new

UNDERSTAND THREAT LEVELS

We are often aware of the level of risk that different pathogens present and how this knowledge can impact which disinfectants we should select. But understanding threat levels is much more important now, due to the pandemic.

Ideally, cleaning professionals should generally use a broad-spectrum disinfectant engineered to eliminate most bacteria, viruses (including coronavirus), protozoa, fungi, and other pathogens — ensuring all pathogens of concern are listed on the label. These broad-spectrum disinfectants normally are used when there is a low to medium threat level.

/ best practices /

2.

Help with product, procedure, tools, and equipment verification and validation. Some cleaning solutions and disinfectants have been proven to work more effectively on certain types of surfaces than others. The site evaluation will likely make recommendations.

Observe and evaluate the custodial skills of the cleaning workers. Cleaning workers should be not only welltrained on products, procedures, and cleaning frequencies, but also educated on the key role they play in keeping the facility safe and healthy.

So often, cleaning professionals turn to the SDS after there has been an accident. In an emergency, that can be the worst time to first read the SDS. When a new product is introduced for cleaning and disinfecting surfaces, along with the label, read and understand the SDS. Further, make sure it is readily available at any time.

know, Sawchuk says there is one new lesson that has evolved as a result of COVID-19: conducting a site assessment or site evaluation.

“Essentially, a site evaluation provides a fresh and different perspective,” he explains. “It helps identify high-touch and other surfaces in a facility that need cleaning attention but may be overlooked by facility managers and cleaning professionals working in the facility every day.”

However, Sawchuk adds that a professionally conducted site evaluation goes even further. In addition to identifying hightouch and other surfaces that may need effective cleaning, such an evaluation should:

MIX THINGS UP

1.

Whether in-house staff or cleaning contractors, many cleaning professionals select the same products repeatedly. They may even be encouraged to do this by distributors who may offer price discounts for bulk purchases of the same product.

However, pathogens can become immune to the active ingredients in those products, similarly to antibiotic resistance.

This is when pathogens become immune to antibiotics, and the medicines no longer work. Using different types of disinfectants can prevent this.

Robert Kravitz is a former building service contractor and now president of AlturaSolutions Communications, a jansan thought leadership marketing agency founded in 2002.

However, if there has been an outbreak of disease in a facility or concerns have been elevated, a more powerful, high-level disinfectant may be necessary. Again, be sure the disinfectant’s efficacy against the pathogen(s) of concern is clearly listed.

REVIEW SDS (SAFETY DATA SHEETS)

Suggest cleaning frequencies. Some surfaces may need to be cleaned and disinfected more often than others, or at different times.

3.

“The pandemic has left us no room for error,” concludes Sawchuk. “Professional, well-trained cleaning workers are needed more now than ever before. They help save lives.” /

SURFACE TESTING

ATP (adenosine triphosphate) monitoring and testing systems have been around for years. These systems were first used in facilities within industries concerned about contamination in work and storage areas, including foodservice. They were introduced into the professional cleaning industry nearly two decades ago; however, their use has been sporadic. ATP monitors should be used regularly to test surfaces before and after cleaning as they are a proven scientific system and we must assess cleaning’s effectiveness. The results can be used to provide better training of cleaning workers, evaluate products and procedures used, as well as the tools and equipment used for cleaning.

A NEW LESSON

Although it appears true that we can help ensure effective cleaning and protect the health of building users by simply following cleaning lessons and practices we already www.REMInetwork.com / 29

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UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY RECOGNIZED FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP The university is the 2022 recipient of the ISSA Canada Environmental Stewardship Award

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SSA Canada named the University of Calgary as the 2022 recipient of the ISSA Canada Environmental Stewardship Award, which recognizes and honours organizations committed to environmental management and dedication to the value of clean.

Each year, the association presents up to six regional awards based on nominations submitted by a current ISSA Canada member company. Winners are selected by the association’s executive staff based on their ability to meet four of the six award criteria.

The University of Calgary is a leader in sustainability and safe, environmentally conscious practices, says ISSA Canada. With an Institutional Sustainability Strategy (ISS) in place, the university has a clear vision to become a zero-waste leader amongst post-secondary institutions across Canada, and its goal is to divert 70 per cent of waste by 2025 and 90 per cent by 2030.

In addition to continuous training and engagement with caretaking staff, university faculty and students, the University of Calgary has implemented multiple programs and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that not only illustrate its goal of sustainability, but also a commitment to health and safety.

As well as implementing waste reduction programs such as Standardized Four Stream Waste Stations (to separate trash, refundable beverage containers, mixed recycling, and compostables); a Blue Bucket Program (for safe lab waste collection and disposal); a Washroom Paper Towel Program (to ensure paper products are diverted from waste collection to the composting stream); and a Green Cleaning Program (the use of green-certified, low-VOC products), the University of Calgary has also embraced technology with the use of both robots and efficient machines that require onethird less water and 70 per cent less chemical.

“The University of Calgary is so involved with ISSA, and they have the most knowledgeable staff when it comes to cleaning procedures and environmental practices that I have ever seen,” said ISSA Canada Executive Director, Mike Nosko. The ability of the university to meet the criteria for our prestigious award was simply off the charts. It’s that commitment to healthy and safe facilities, environmental awareness along with the implementation of operational cleaning strategies to reduce carbon footprint that the

30 / FACILITY CLEANING & MAINTENANCE / SPRING 2022

University of Calgary has demonstrated which clearly outlines ISSA’s goal of changing the way the world views cleaning.”

“We’ve worked really hard to not only implement systems but to change a culture, and that’s something that hasn’t been easy,” said University of Calgary Caretaking Director, Michael Love. “It has been an interesting journey that has taken a lot of effort from a lot of people. We are all really proud of where we are today within our department and with what the University is doing as a whole. This award highlights our commitment to sustainability, one of our eight core values… In our work to care for physical spaces, we are always mindful of the impact on the planet and the contribution to the health and safety of the larger campus community, as well as the student learning experience.” /

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Find Out More *SC Johnson Professional has worked with Prof. Sally Bloomfield and the International Forum on Home Hygiene (IFH) to develop the “8 Moments of Hygiene for Public Spaces”. Use biocides safely. Always read the label and instructions before use.

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