by Brianna Crandall — April 18, 2014—In conjunction with National Public Health Week taking place in April, ITW Professional Brands issued facilities maintenance best practices to help protect the health and safety of building employees and guests.
“Community health starts with clean facilities,” said ITW Professional Brands Marketing Director Tim Rasmussen. “Organizations must ensure their spaces meet industry cleaning standards and provide employees with the necessary resources to protect themselves while on the job.”
ITW Professional Brands offers the following tips for maintaining a clean and safe environment:
- Enforce Handwashing: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), proper handwashing is the most effective way to limit the spread of infection. When soap and water is not readily available, supply employees and visitors with disposable hand-sanitizing wipes that have the capability to destroy 99.9 percent of germs and MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). Pre-moistened wipes are designed to offer the correct dilution ratio to successfully remove disease-causing germs and bacteria from skin.
- Clean and Disinfect Frequently: Create a detailed, daily cleaning schedule that designates what will be cleaned, how often, and who will perform the task. Beyond daily cleaning, sanitize germ “hot spots” often throughout the day. This includes frequently touched surfaces such as door handles, faucets, paper towel dispensers, toilets, etc. Pre-moistened disinfectant wipes are designed to be easy-to-use, to increase efficiency, and to reduce the chance of cross-contamination throughout a facility, as well as to eliminate exposure to chemical concentrates. Consider distributing them to all employees to help them keep their personal work spaces clean as well.
- Select a Professional Strength Disinfectant: To thoroughly disinfect hard surfaces, select an EPA-registered, multipurpose cleaner/disinfectant. Choose a solution with a dwell time of 45 seconds or less. This will provide more efficient cleaning and reduce human error. The solution should have the power to clean, disinfect viruses and bacteria, sanitize, kill fungus, deodorize, degrease and remove stains.
- Protect Your Employees: Provide employees with the required cleaning gear such as gloves and goggles to protect them from cleaning solutions. If you have professionals working outdoors, supply sunscreen or sunscreen wipes that can be applied to areas exposed to the sun such as the face, neck and arms quickly and easily. This will help reduce the risk of skin cancer and ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure. If insects are a nuisance, offer insect repellent wipes. One-step wipes can be safer than aerosol and pump sprays to use around the face, to protect against inhaling vapors. Individually packaged, waterproof and greaseless wipes are made so that they won’t interfere with tasks.
- Promote a Safe Work Environment: Address all workplace safety and security issues with employees on a regular basis and encourage them to stay home when ill. Ensure your building is up-to-date with all OSHA laws and regulations. This includes testing your fire and alarm system on a routine basis and maintaining indoor air quality by providing proper ventilation and air filtration.
ITW Professional Brands manufactures Spray Nine, a cleaner/disinfectant that reportedly kills 26 germs and disinfects in only 45 seconds; SCRUBS pre-moistened wipes, and Atlantic Mills disposable food service wipers, along with other products focused on industrial and institutional hygiene markets for the industrial MRO (maintenance, repair and operations), jan/san (janitorial and sanitation) and food service industries.
