Clean The Prairies - December 2007
(click here for full magazine in Adobe pdf format).

ON THE COVER:  A Safer Future?
By Prof. Peter Curson, Professor of Population and Security,The University of Sydney, Australia

The recently released World Health Organization (WHO) World Health Report 2007 A Safer Future holds some chilling messages for all of us facing life in the 21st Century. According to the WHO, the world faces a new era of infectious disease and, as usual, the culprit is us.

Human behaviour and agency lies at the heart of all the disease threats we face – whether it be how we interact with and transform our natural environment, the growing world trade in wildlife, factory farming of poultry in South Asia, poor food preparation, poor hygiene in our hospitals, or the fact that roughly two billion of us now travel by air all over the globe, often passively transporting new infections around the world.     Read More...

MRSA:  More Common Than Thought
If the estimates are correct, the number of deaths associated with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) – nearly 19,000 in the United States in 2005 – would exceed those attributed to HIV-AIDS, Parkinson’s disease, emphysema and homicide.

A recent study, published in the October 2007 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), suggests that such infections may be twice as common as previously thought. By extrapolating data collected in nine places, the researchers estimated that 94,360 patients developed an invasive infection from the pathogen in 2005, and that nearly one of every five, or 18,650 of them, died. The study points out that it is not always possible to determine whether a death is caused by MRSA or merely accelerated by it.   Read more...

Why The Green Buzz Will Fade
According to officially reported figures, more building service contractors (BSCs) attended the recent ISSA/INTERCLEAN® North America 2007 trade show in Orlando, Fla., than ever attended before. And, this year we saw a continuation of a trend that started about five years ago, where more and more exhibitors are introducing or displaying cleaning products certified by EcoLogo or Green Seal.

In previous years, BSCs reported that although the jansan industry, specifically manufacturers and distributors, was “head over heels” about Green cleaning, much of this excitement had not filtered down to the BSC and end-user level. In fact, many cleaning professionals reported in the past that they got “little call” for Green cleaning.  Read more...

The Green Bellwether
The University of Alberta leads with sustainable programs

George Thomlison once picked up a few samples of microfibre at a tradeshow and took it back to his staff to trial it. He know nothing of the environmental benefits of this new material, he just wanted a product that could replace the current cleaning cloths used on campus. When he went back a few weeks later to see how the staff liked it, they adamantly requested more. It was then that Thomlison replaced all of the cloths throughout the facility with microfibre – and that was 12 years ago.

The Buildings and Grounds Services (BGS) a division of Facilities Management at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alta., is a long-time pioneer in the cleaning industry. They began using “green” processes and techniques long before it became an industry trend. However, George Thomlison, manager of Human Resources and Procurement, and Ray Dumouchel, associate director of Buildings and Grounds Services, prefer to use the word “sustainable” when describing the way they have always approached their operations. So when they rolled out a new program with a focus on health and environmental sustainability, there weren’t many changes that needed to be made to their existing processes and procedures.  Read more.. .

CanClean 2008
“Environmentally Preferred Productivity”
The trade show for the cleaning professional in Canada is scheduled for Apr. 30 and May 1, 2008 at the Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place, Toronto.

In 2008, the focus of the show will be environmentally preferred cleaning and maintenance products that can increase productivity and improve cost management.  Read more...

ISSA Launches New Web Site
ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association, recently launched its newly-designed web site – www.issa.com - at its ISSA/INTERCLEAN® North America convention. The site has experienced a 60 per cent growth in user sessions during the last year, most of which are by distributor and end user personnel.  Read more...

Don’t Invite Pests in for the Winter
Facility Maintenance Tips to Keep Pests Out
By Patrick T. Copps, MS, BCE Technical Services Manager, Orkin Inc.

During the cold winter months, the most popular seat in the house will likely be the one nearest to the fireplace or heater. Just as people prefer to stay indoors when temperatures drop, so do pests. Rodents, German cockroaches and some occasional insect invaders seek shelter from the elements during the winter, and without proper preparation, they may find their way inside your facility. Once inside, pests can cause structural damage, threaten the integrity of your products and even put the health of your employees and customers at risk.   Read more...

REV Sales & Marketing Inc.
Providing Sales Excellence

REV Sales & Marketing Inc. can best be described by three words – “Entrepreneurial, Dedication and Growth.”

Started in December 2004 by Rod Peacock, REV Sales & Marketing has quickly become a leading sales agent in Western Canada – covering territories from Thunder Bay, Ont. through to Victoria, BC.

REV Sales is dedicated to sales growth for its manufacturers by working with distributors who also strive to grow their business.  Read more...

“The Six Sins of Greenwashing”
New Study Finds Misleading Green Claims In 99 Per Cent of Products Surveyed

 Buyers beware – that so-called “Green” product is likely stretching the eco-truth according to the Six Sins of Greenwashing, a study released by TerraChoice Environmental Marketing.

The Six Sins of Greenwashing found that of 1018 common consumer products ranging from toothpaste to caulking to shampoo to printers, randomly surveyed for the study, 99 per cent were guilty of “greenwashing.”   Read more...

New Techniques in Stone Floor Care
Increasingly, I am being asked about using a polishing systems with diamond grit or some other compound to maintain stone and terrazzo floors. These systems are very expensive in the initial phase, however, they are cheaper to maintain in the long run. The big question is if the initial expense is worth it.

Natural stone floors present some of the greatest challenges in hard floor maintenance because if not properly maintained, they can be destroyed for life. However, if properly maintained, they are beautiful, long-lasting and relatively easy to maintain.   Read more...

REV Sales & Marketing Inc.
Is a company dedicated to sales growth for our manufacturers by working with distributors who also strive to grow their business. We look for interesting and progressive manufacturers that understand the future of the Janitorial/Sanitation and Industrial markets. Currently working with company’s like 3M, Gojo, Geerpress, Milwaukee, Kaivac, ProTeam Vacuums, Viper and Henderson Matting. REV Sales works with distributors like Unisource, Fastenal, Wood Wyant, Busy Bee, Wesclean, Acme, Janitors Warehouse, Russell Food Equipment, Sysco, as well as retail outlets such as Princess Auto, Amre Supply and Federated Co-op, just to name a few.  Read more..