Clean The Prairies - Winter 2010
(click here for full magazine in Adobe pdf format)

Misuse of Surface Microbicides
By PROFESSOR JEAN-YVES MAILLARD, Welsh School of Pharmacy, Cardiff University
Microbicides (disinfectants/biocides) play a valuable role in controlling pathogenic micro-organisms on surfaces in a number of settings, for example in the healthcare, home and food environments. The number of antimicrobial containing products commercially available is increasing together with their frequency of use. This is notably due to an increase in public awareness of microbial infection and contamination, and consequently the need for control. However, the potential misuse of these products is real and the consequences for miss-usage can be serious.   Read more...

Hygiene of the Skin: When is Clean Too Clean?
By PROF. ELAINE LARSON, Columbia University School of Nursing
Skin hygiene, particularly of the hands, is a primary mechanism for reducing contact and fecal-oral transmission of infectious agents. Widespread use of antimicrobial products has prompted concern about emergence of resistance to antiseptics and damage to the skin barrier associated with frequent washing. This article reviews evidence for the relationship between skin hygiene and infection, the effects of washing on skin integrity, and recommendations for skin care practices.   Read more...

Bed Bugs: Not Just Confined to Beds Anymore
Know the Signs and Take Steps to Manage an Infestation
By BILL MELVILLE, Quality Assurance Director, Orkin PCO Services
For housekeeping and facility maintenance professionals, there are few problems that can’t be solved with a little elbow grease. Stringent sanitation can prevent the spread of disease, protect the health of staff, and usually, prevent pests. Unfortunately, bed bugs are one critter not intimidated by the sight of mops and brooms.   Read more...

Greenwashing Affects 98 per cent Of Cleaning Products:  Study Finds New Greenwashing Sin – “Worshipping False Labels”
Your eyes aren’t deceiving you, but the labels might be. There are more products claiming to be green these days, however, those ‘all-natural’ and ‘organic’ products are likely committing at least one of the Seven Sins of Greenwashing, by not telling the complete truth. Between 2007 and 2009, the in-store availability of so-called ‘green’ products has increased between 40 and 176 per cent, with 98 per cent of products surveyed still committing at least one Sin of Greenwashing, according to a report on the Seven Sins of Greenwashing recently released by TerraChoice Environmental Marketing.   Read more...

BUILDING a Healthier Environment
By PAUL GOLDIN, Chief Sustainability Officer, Director of Marketing and Technical Services, Avmor Ltd.
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) has undoubtedly become an important occupational health and safety issue. Recent studies have shown that the air inside homes and commercial buildings can be two to 10 times more polluted than outside air(1). As a building owner, operator or a property manager, it is important to assess the Indoor Air Quality in your building(s) and to examine ways in which it can be improved. Everyone, including building occupants and visitors, is encouraged to play a role in improving Indoor Air Quality in his surrounding environment.   Read more...

Continuing To Succeed
By Bill Garland, Senior Partner, Daniels Associates Inc.
There certainly isn’t a lot of good financial news coming out these days and I get the sense that everyone is scared for their future even if they don’t need to be.

In the custodial industry it is important to continually reinforce the industry’s importance and to also recognize how the industry is changing so that we can better improve our position within it. Yes, many of our clients are going through some of the toughest times we have even seen but we need to be there alongside of them, anticipating their needs and responding to them.   Read more...

No Time To Train?
You’re making an Expensive Mistake
Training – an activity leading to skilled behaviour

Training your staff during a recession is one of the most valuable decisions you can make. It brings increased workforce loyalty to the business and its customers and develops skills to help your business thrive.

Back in 2006 I wrote a column in Clean BC titled “Buy Your Umbrella When the Sun is Shining” which advised cleaning managers to “plan for the difficult times ahead, whether they are coming or not.” In this article I suggested that one thing to do was to “invest in your staff by providing training programs or by sending them to off-site training sessions. In a business where labour is the highest cost, it pays to increase the value of your staff by increasing their skill and knowledge. Well, difficult times are here and an efficient and effective trained staff is more important than ever if cleaning organizations are going to deliver excellent service while facing financial pressures to do more with less.   Read more...

We Can’t Cleanse Populations of Antibiotic Resistant Organisms
By JIM HUTCHINSON, MD, FRCPC, Memorial University of Newfoundland
The current infection control mantra advocating actively seeking out the humans harbouring antibiotic resistant bacteria and “decolonizing” them with antibiotics is fabulously flawed and short-sighted. More antibiotics will certainly not be a fix for the complex problem of antibiotic resistance.

There will always be bacteria circulating in human populations. Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes and Strepococcus pneumoniae have been living in and on humans since the inception of humanity. When a new or “re-circulated” type (strain) enters a population, as is happening now with so-called community-associated MRSA (USA type 300 or Canadian type CMRSA10), some people will become ill with relatively minor illness. An unfortunate few will have serious illness. Many more will become immune without illness. The strain will spread widely and over time will appear to be less virulent (able to cause disease) as the immunity of the population increases. It will be transmitted less efficiently as there will be fewer people with overt disease and fewer susceptible individuals. Another strain will emerge that has an advantage and the complex story will write its next chapter.    Read more...