Nearly 100,000 people die each year from healthcare associated infections. That’s twice the number of people who die each year in car crashes.
More recently, COVID-19, an infectious disease, has resulted in countless cases and deaths. The virus is primarily spread through people, most often from small droplets produced by coughing, sneezing and talking. People may become infected by touching a contaminated surface and then touching their face.
Until recently and despite the increased global need to increase cleaning protocols, disinfectant processes in the cleaning industry have remained largely unchanged. In fact, studies have shown that less than 50% of environmental surfaces are cleaned effectively.
Evidence strongly suggests that cross contamination of microorganisms from environmental surfaces is directly related to increased infections.
High-touch surfaces have been identified as having the greatest potential for the transmission of pathogens. Cleaning professionals today have a much more important role and responsibility to ensure that facilities are clean, healthy and safe.
Many facility decision makers have started looking for ways to ensure that quality services are provided.
Examples of these approaches focus on:
· cleaning for health,
· adopting approaches that are based on an understanding of the true value of cleaning and its impact on health, the environment, productivity, and
· requiring effective training and certification of cleaning professionals.
Typically, cleaning protocols focused on making sure that facilities looked and smelled good. If no visible soil was noted, and the facility smelled good, it was considered clean and the cleaning job completed. However, cleaning today is about a lot more than making the facility just look good.
The direct correlation between cleaning and health is becoming better understood, and facility decision makers are recognising that effective cleaning and disinfection helps break the chain of pathogen mobility. Cleaning for health ties directly into what most facilities want, is measurable, and has proven to be successful. The truth is that when a facility is “cleaned for health” fewer occupants get sick.
Multiple research studies have shown that focusing on “cleaning for health” versus “cleaning for appearance” can reduce infection rates. This shift better defines your role as a cleaning professional and highlights your responsibility in protecting public health. Therefore, you are considered the “front line of defense” when fighting against the unnecessary spread of sickness and infection.
In light of COVID-19, our program focuses on infection prevention as it relates to the proper cleaning and disinfecting of environmental surfaces. Our certified and trained cleaners have completed courses in which they learnt how to better protect their facilities and occupants with advanced disinfection and sanitisation.