A Brief Analysis of the RNC Norovirus Outbreak

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As you may have read there have been 11 reported cases of what appears to be norovirus among the California delegation at the Republican National Convention. Whether or not it is norovirus this brings into question how situations such as these should be handled. (If you are an impatient reader and already understand what norovirus is then just skip the next few paragraphs so you can see the action plan.)
Before I start I want you to know that there is no reason to be panicked. As of now only the 11 said individuals have been affected. From any reports I can see there is no evidence that the virus has spread to others. This doesn’t mean you should be careless. It is still good practice to frequently wash your hands and when possible limit direct contact with others. I know it is easier said than done, but attempting to do so will limit the ability of the virus, or any pathogen really, to move. For more on why you should not be overly worried check out this article from Cleveland.com.

A crash course on norovirus

First, since norovirus is the virus in question let’s take a look at a few facts about norovirus from the CDC:

  • Norovirus causes 19 to 21 million cases of acute gastroenteritis in the U.S. each year
  • There are many types of norovirus so you can get it more than once
  • Each year, norovirus causes 56,000 to 71,000 hospitalizations and 570 to 800 deaths, mostly in young children and the elderly
  • Norovirus can stay on objects and surfaces and still infect people for days or weeks
  • Norovirus is hard to kill and can survive some disinfectants (such as quats)

It is important to note that as mentioned above one of the best things you can do is wash your hands frequently–remember wash for at least 20 seconds, or in other words sing happy birthday twice. More CDC norovirus info.

Analysis of the Current Problem

Now to the issue at hand. At this point there are individuals who have already been sick, meaning there are potentially a large number of objects and surfaces that may still be harboring the pathogen. This is a big issue and is amplified due to the obvious connection with the RNC. Any spread of pathogens from the Resort outside of the city, where the affected delegates are staying, to the convention would mean all convention attendees are at risk. To further amplify things this isn’t just any convention it is a convention where people have come from all over the world to see who the Republican party selects as their choice to potentially be President of the United States of America.

I hope I have been able to at least partially convey the importance of addressing this issue with a swift and calculated response. I certainly don’t intend to alarm you and also don’t think you have a need to be overly alarmed. There methods available to effectively and efficiently deal with this problem.

Infection Prevention

We are in the business of improving the health of facilities and are very aware of effective ways to handle these problems. Obviously the best thing to do is to have a solid infection prevention process in place. In this case, however, the virus was brought with the affected individuals and great prevention can’t stop a sick person from showing up. Where a good infection prevention process will help is by limiting the ability of the virus to spread once it is introduced into a facility. If you are properly disinfecting to begin with then you can be confident that the virus will be contained.

I don’t know what kind of infection prevention protocol is currently in place, but my guess is that it is nothing very formal. I think this because if there were a solid process in place it would have been already released by the resort or the RNC. Chances are they are being reactive rather than proactive. I am not being critical of them because having a proactive plan for infection prevention is not done by many facilities. They may have a rough, informal process, but a strong protocol allows the facility to ease concerns before they begin.

Potential Solutions

Now let’s look at what can be done. As mentioned in the CDC facts above norovirus can be difficult to kill. Quaternary based disinfectants are ineffective; bleach is, but is nasty to deal with and can cause allergic reactions. I recommend using activated water, or engineered water. This is some newer technology that is now growing in adoption. It is a solution that can be generated at your facility and is probably more effective than what you are using now. The big benefit is that it has none of the negative health side effects associated with the harsh chemicals used in traditional disinfectants. Follow the links for more information on on-site generation and activated water.

The product of choice for me is GenEon. The disinfectant produced by their machines can kill norovirus with only 30 seconds of dwell time when mixed to the proper strength. To give you an idea most disinfectants require anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes of dwell time to achieve their kill claims.

Why is this dwell time important?

In the situation at hand speed is key. If the facility maintenance crew only has to wait 30 seconds vs. 5 minutes they can disinfect significantly faster allowing them to cover more surface area in a given amount of time. This means two things; they can quickly ensure that the virus is eliminated, but also they can increase the frequency with which they disinfect their facility. This means that instead of disinfecting 1, maybe 2, times a day they can now disinfect 3 or 4 or even more. As soon as a surface is touched after being disinfected it is contaminated again so frequent disinfection addresses this reality.

How should this be handled?

They have already quarantined the affected individuals so that will help keep them from spreading the virus. Now they need to address any of the areas where the virus may still exist. Due to the nature of how pathogens move the virus may now be in areas where the affected individuals have never been. So prioritizing is the top priority.

These are the areas that should be treated and the order in which they should be treated.

  • Any transportation from the resort to the convention
    • This obviously is a high risk area due to the fact that it can allow the virus to quickly move 60 miles from the resort to a city full of people.
  • Any high traffic areas with high frequency touch points
    • This would include the lobby, any escalators focusing on handrails, stair cases again focusing on handrails, any common meeting/eating areas, any common areas or corridors accessible only by staff.
  • Lower traffic areas with medium frequency touch points
    • Hallways to rooms with a focus on walls and door knobs, lower frequency exits (staff exits and such), any remaining staff only areas.
  • Anywhere that was not covered above

In this case attempting to disinfect such a large area by having people spray the surface, wait 30 seconds, and wipe will take a long time. That’s why I would recommend a misting applicator and if you can a mister that utilizes electrostatics to ensure better coverage. This will allow personnel to simply mist a room/area and then just leave and let air dry. Using the GenEon product will not leave a residual so there is no reason it must be wiped.

These are just some quick thoughts and our experts can help design a program for you that is tailored to your facility. Follow these links for more information on GenEon and our electrostatic disinfection applicator, E-Mist.



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Do You Properly Disinfect Your Surfaces?

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As a society we smell a strong chemical odor with a hint of lemon and we think the surface has been disinfected. We spray bleach and wipe and we think we have killed germs. Who can blame us? That’s what has been advertised. That’s how, as a society, we have been conditioned to think. Products have even been introduced to clean and disinfect at the same time. Is this possible? The answer is yes and no.

First of all not all cleaners are a disinfectant. That’s an important distinction to make. With that said, cleaning and disinfecting should always be a 2 step process. First we clean spots and stains and dirt and dust, then we go back to the surface for proper disinfecting and the killing of viruses and bacteria and pathogens.

So what’s the key to the latter? Killing of viruses, bacteria and pathogens takes dwell time. If you read the instructions on your product, you will find that there is a specific amount of time the product needs to sit on the surface to be effective in eliminating the virus or bacteria or pathogen. Without the dwell time, you’re not eliminating anything. In fact in all likelihood you’re spreading the viruses and bacteria on your sponge or rag from one surface to another, this is called cross contamination. This holds true for floor mops as well.

The second key to proper surface disinfection is frequency of disinfecting. It’s important to develop a calendar of cleaning and disinfecting based on the usage of the space. What that means is the more a space or surface is touched the more it should be treated. All to often we clean and disinfect for time and appearance and not for health, this is a big mistake. If you adopt the proper disinfecting protocol for your surfaces and space it will actually save you time and labor costs as well as chemical costs, and your space will be healthier.

The next step to properly disinfecting is to touch all the spots! If you miss a spot, you miss a virus or bacteria. It’s important to be consistent in your application of products and to make sure you cover all the space. We can identify touch points by high, medium, and low, for example a door handle or light switch would be high, a table top may be medium, while a clock in a room on the wall may be low. Your disinfecting protocol must identify these touch points and be sure they are consistently treated to have favorable success in your disinfecting.

To achieve the outcomes desired, the delivery system of product is vital to the success of the protocol. First it must be safe to use, protecting the user against irritation and damage to exposed skin . Traditional spray bottles are uncontrolled and inconsistent and therefore poses a greater risk to the user. Foggers can create an airborne condition getting into the ventilation system of the building and create inhalation issues. Touchless Electrostatic Technology has proven to eliminate these risks and to cover 100% of the touch points on the surfaces and space.

In our next blog, we will discuss what Touch Point Healthy Certification means for your surfaces and space, and how Rhiel Innovative Solutions can make your buildings and surfaces safer and healthier through Touch Point Health and Electrostatic Surface Disinfection.


Learn About Our Electrostatic Disinfection System

GenEon TRIO RX and U.S. EPA Registration

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GenEon Technologies (San Antonio, TX) has just announced that their TRIO RX On-Site Generation system is now capable of producing a U.S. EPA Registered Disinfectant. This is a huge step forward for on-site generation (OSG) technology and infection prevention as a whole. Being registered by the EPA now allows GenEon to more effectively combat the spread of infection in schools, healthcare facilities and food service and food prep facilities. It is important to note that solution generated by the GenEon system is chemical-free. The registration number now puts this OSG chemical-free solution at the same level as chemical disinfectants manufactured in factories. Chemical-free cleaning and sustainable maintenance practices have come a long way since they first arrived in the industry and this is perhaps one of the greatest advancements to date.

Who is GenEon?

GenEon is a design-development company that is committed to sustainable, intuitive designs that allow our customers to have healthier, more effective alternatives to chemical disinfectants. – John Shanahan, Vice President GenEon

This quote from the GenEon announcement of their registration number–found here–sums up the big picture view of who GenEon is and what they are trying to accomplish. The company provides several different units that generate the chemical-free solutions. On-site generation is simply the process of generating your cleaning or disinfecting solution at your facility as opposed to buying a chemical or product that is manufactured elsewhere. Currently their systems can produce a glass cleaner/general purpose cleaner, a heavy-duty degreaser, a cleaner/sanitizer and a cleaner/disinfectant. This replaces virtually all of the cleaning chemicals used on a daily basis for facility maintenance. They have a wide range of systems from low volume units for small facilities to high volume units for larger facilities. GenEon is currently at the forefront of the shift toward a sustainable, smarter approach to cleaning/disinfecting. To learn more about GenEon check out their about us page.

What is Chemical-Free Cleaning

Chemical-free cleaning in the the context in which we are using it is a sustainable alternative to using traditional chemical cleaners. There are many names for this technology such as smart water, engineered water, activated water, electrochemical activation (eca), electrolyzed water. For more information on these types of technologies checkout this Sanitary Maintenance article. In recent years this technology has made great strides, the headline of this article being one of them, that are beginning to reshape and reinvent the way the world sees cleaning. Chemical-free cleaning allows front line workers to not be exposed to hazardous chemicals everyday which will be a great benefit to their health, it allows facility occupants to not be exposed to any left over residue and it is a positive benefit to the environment. Facilities of the future will all utilize this technology and pair it with other sustainable practices which will create a better, brighter future for all of us.

The sanitary supplies industry is rapidly moving into the future and changing the way the world views cleaning. Follow our blog to keep current on more

 

Discover more information about GenEon Technologies by visiting their website www.geneontechnologies.com

 

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Are You Properly Caring For Your Carpet?

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Proper carpet care pays dividends. Not only will proper carpet care practices make your facility look great, but proper maintenance will also provide a great return-on-investment and significantly longer carpet life. A central component to good carpet care is using good equipment and beyond that using the right equipment for each job. Join us on February 10th at Austintown Township Park for our Minuteman Carpet Care Seminar. This seminar will be focus the ROI of proper carpet equipment and the value that proper carpet care brings. This seminar involves an educational session and some hands-on time with the equipment. Please follow the link below to find more information about this opportunity and Minuteman carpet equipment.

Dilution Control

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Dilution Control Systems are gaining in popularity every day. And with good cause. Facility managers are becoming more aware that a system which accurately measures and dispenses cleaning chemicals is more preferable. They are much more cost effective than Ready-To-Use products and more efficient than guessing and randomly pouring chemical in a bucket or an automatic scrubber. Accurate measuring assures that you get an end use product that is the most effective and cleans better without waste or misuse. It also assures that you are using a product that is produced the way the manufacturer intended. A product that is not over or under diluted, and will meet all the claims for sanitizing, disinfecting, or general cleaning listed on the chemical manufacturers specification sheets.

WHAT IS DILUTION CONTROL?

Through the use of dilution equipment, chemical concentrates are accurately metered with water and are dispensed as ready-to-use cleaning solution. There are 2 types of dilution control systems. Partial Loop and Closed loop. A partial loop system does not prohibit total chemical exposure when dispensing, replacing or changing out the chemical container. Some of the chemical can splash or drip when changing containers or even when using the dispenser. A closed loop system does provide total containment of the chemical at all points during the replacement and the dispensing process. In a closed loop system the ability to contain the chemical at all points during the replacement and dilution process is critical. This is important because the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has stated that U.S. Institutions spend more than 75 million dollars per year in chemical related injuries and lost wages. The EPA has also said 6 out 100 custodial workers are injured each year by exposure to harsh cleaning chemicals.

Why use dilution control? Lets concentrate on the closed loop systems. Although Partial loop systems are available, closed loop systems are safer. There are 3 main benefits.

1. Safety. Through the use of closed loop systems, end users are never in direct contact with concentrated chemicals reducing potential injuries.

2. Dilution Accuracy. Concentrated cleaning chemicals are designed to work best at their targeted dilution levels. Inaccurate dilutions can lead to ineffective cleaning and infectious disease outbreaks. Accurate dilutions lead to optimum product performance.

3. Waste Reduction. More is not always better. Dilution control reduces cleaning costs by up to 30% by accurately mixing the dilution. Unlike the Pouring Method the correct amount of chemical is dispensed every time.

Without the use of chemical dilution systems you run the risk of improper cleaning solutions. This can result in sticky or slippery floors, unclean surfaces, and improper sanitization or disinfection. You also run the risk of personal injury to the custodial staff. Proper training is required. Closed loop dilution control systems typically come in either a single bottle or 4 bottle units. That is, they hold either 1 or 4 bottles of concentrated cleaning chemical. There are also remote, hand held closed loop systems for those times when a wall mount unit isnt available or convenient. Closed loop systems are even available on some brands of automatic scrubbers. They automatically dispense the correct amount of chemical through the scrubber as you scrub your floors. No pre mixing is necessary. Just fill the automatic scrubber with water and the chemical is automatically dispensed through the system.

The proper installation and connections are crucial to ensuring the system runs properly. When choosing a chemical dilution system, make sure to contact a reputable chemical distributor that offers a complete line of chemicals and can provide the training and education necessary for safe implementation.

Contact us here at The Rhiel Supply Company and we will be able to provide you with the chemicals, dilution control systems, education and training necessary for a reliable and safe program.

 

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A Look At Some Of The Most Germ Ridden Places

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Its fall, and that means more people are going to be coming down with colds, coughs, and the flu. It happens every year. Whats the best way to prevent getting sick? Wash your hands. And if you cant wash your hands or dont have access to water and soap, use hand sanitizer. Did you know that up to 80% of all germs are spread by hand contact alone! We all say we wash our hands, or at least try to. After we use the bathroom, before we eat, and maybe other times during the day. Studies however prove this to not be the truth. Studies actually show that only 20% of us wash our hands, and of those of us who do, only 30% use soap. Is it no wonder then that we spread germs by hand contact? Getting rid of germs on your hands is easy. Wash them frequently. Use hand sanitizer if you dont have soap & water. Make it a habit. If everyone does this consistently colds and the flu will become far less common.

So where do we get these germs? It might surprise you to see where they accumulate the most.

1. Public restrooms: Its not the toilet seat. Far germier places are door handles, sink faucets and light switches. So use paper towels to open the door before you leave.

2. Grocery Stores: There is a 72% chance that your shopping cart may contain fecal matter. Cold & flu virus can be on the handle. Meat and dairy products can transmit salmonella, listeria and E. Coli. if not stored properly. These can contact the conveyor belt. So use hand sanitizer in the store.

3. Public Transportation: Buses, trains, airplanes are one of the easiest ways to come in touch with a virus. Handles, knobs, rails, seats, and its worse if your neighbor is coughing or sneezing creating airborne contaminated particles.

4. Fitness Centers: Exercise equipment, dirty towels, and the humidity factor create a perfect environment for germs. Showers and restrooms add to this to create an environment that germs love.

5. Gas Pumps: This is one of the worst. 71% of all Gas pump handles are shown to be contaminated. As is the credit card pay station. The enter button is the worst.

6. Offices: 90% of people come to work sick. The most contaminated places are computers, keyboards, desks, chairs, telephones, coffee pots, kitchens, sinks and restrooms.

7. Restaurants: The first thing we all touch, and the least cleaned, is the menu. Also other areas of concern may be the condiments, salt, pepper, ketchup bottles, and even the garnish on your plate and the lemon wedge in your glass.

8. Doctors Office. Everyone there is potentially sick. Chairs, tables, reading material, door handles, and everyone seems to be coughing or sneezing.

9. Hotel rooms: The highest bacteria counts are found on the comforter, TV remote, bathroom counter, sink and the toilet. Rooms are cleaned every day but these are high traffic areas with a high risk for the spread of infection.

10. Schools: We all know kids get sick at school. A recent study by ABC news showed the germiest things in school are the water fountain (2335 bacteria), basketballs (13,987 bacteria) and lunch tables and trays (9838 bacteria).

Getting a cold or the flu is all something we contend with every day. The risk can be reduced. The answer is to avoid touching your hands to your face as frequently, washing your hands with soap and water and using hand sanitizer when water is not available.

For more information on hand washing and sanitizing please contact us at the Rhiel Supply Company or click on the button below!


Winter Safety 101: Are You Using The Right Ice Melt?

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Volumes have been written on the scientific data produced to explain how Ice Melters work and which products are best to use. There are seemingly hundreds of products on the market today. I will try to simplify this process of how to select and apply the correct ice melting product for your application. Ice melters come in dry, granulated form or in liquid. Liquids are used to chemically treat granulated product or are applied directly to the surface to prevent ice buildup before it starts to snow. Dry, granulated ice melters are applied after the snow and are used to remove the buildup rather than prevent it. Dry, granulated product is much more common so let’s concentrate on how these work for now.

The way Dry Ice melting products work is really pretty basic. They melt the surface area of the ice where granulated product has been applied. It melts through the ice and creates a brine mixture with the melted water. This brine works its way under the surrounding ice and loosens the bond between the ice and the ground. The ice then continues to melt or is lifted away by mechanical removal, either with a blade or a snow shovel.

There are 4 main types of dry deicing products used on the market today. Sodium Chloride, Magnesium Chloride, Calcium Chloride and Potassium Chloride.

Acetate based products could be classified as a 5th category but they are expensive. They are used as a specialty product for areas where chloride based products may damage steel structures by rust and corrosion. Primarily they are used in parking decks, bridges and airports. The chloride based products are the most common and what most people are used to using.

Sodium Chloride: Rock Salt is the most common of all products used to melt ice. It works effectively down to +18F Degrees but seems to work best in the +20F to +25F degree range. It is readily available and comes from a variety of sources. It is cheap and easy to use. Consider however the damage this product can produce. Over application of Sodium and Chloride can create runoff that can kill vegetation and kill all the fish in your fish pond. So it is best reserved for parking lots and main thoroughfares.

Magnesium Chloride: More expensive than rock salt but it is traditionally easier on the environment. It doesn’t track as much as other products, has lower toxicity, and works at lower temperatures than salt. Magnesium Chloride will melt ice effectively down to -10 to -13 degrees.

Calcium Chloride: This is naturally occurring just like Sodium and Magnesium Chloride and relatively easy to acquire. It is more expensive than Sodium or Magnesium Chloride because of the processing it requires to dry and bag. It is a premium product and will effectively melt ice down to -25 degrees. It works quickly. It’s easy to use more than you need. Because of how fast it works at such low temperatures it can be easily over applied. Over application can lead to tracking which can cause damage to entryways and carpet. At the right application rate, at low temperatures, for the money, nothing works better or faster than Calcium Chloride.

Potassium Chloride: Potassium is one of the principal ingredients in fertilizer. It was once more widely used as an ice melter because of its low environmental impact. It works effectively down to +25 degrees. In recent years the price of fertilizer has driven up the cost of Potassium Chloride to make it cost prohibitive to use as an ice melter.

Sodium Chloride or rock salt is the most common product used to melt ice. But the trend today is to blend the above products and lower the effective melting temperature without raising the price too high. It is common to find sodium chloride based products which are 80% to 95% salt blended with Magnesium, Calcium and Potassium. Manufacturers may also add surfactants to help the melted brine spread more effectively and quickly. Anti-clogging agents are added to reduce clogging in spreaders. Marking agents are used to color the ice melter so it becomes more visible where it has been spread. They don’t affect the melting ability but make it easier to see where it is applied.

To determine which ice meting product is best suited for your facility please contact us. We can provide the answers you need to reduce slip and fall accidents and help clear you parking lots, walkways and other snow & ice covered areas.

30 Second Ice Melt Refresher Course [Infographic]

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We are still enjoying nice weather and sunshine, but winter will be here before you know it. We put together this infograph to get you prepared for the change in seasons. Enjoy and be sure to click the snow flake at the bottom so you can see how we can help you with your ice melting needs!

Paladin Brewing Grand Opening

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The Rhiel Supply Company would like to welcome Paladin Brewing as a new business in the valley! Their Grand Opening is tomorrow (8/22/15) from 12PM to 10PM so make sure you stop by! Click the button below to access their website for more information!

Make Your Customers Love You Through Good Maintenance

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Customer experience is central to any successful business and everyday it is becoming more and more important. Arguably the biggest factor impacting your customers’ experience is the cleanliness of your facility. It is the first thing that people notice when they enter your business. Starting in the parking lot, then moving to entry way and continuing through the facility and possibly your restrooms. This is a large area to maintain and can often be overlooked.

Your customers, however, will notice if your facility is unclean and dirty and it will negatively impact their experience and can overshadow what you want them to see (products, promotions, and any other conversion opportunities). This makes your cleaning and maintenance efforts especially important to your customer retention and upsell opportunities. With this being the case I wanted to do a series of blog posts to address key areas of your facility and provide you with solutions that are effective, work to lower your total cost and improve your customer experience.

I will briefly address each area in the series so you can get an idea of what’s coming. (I will add hyperlinks to each descriptions below the image once that topic has been posted.)

Make sure you don’t miss a post and subscribe to our blog today by filling out the form in the top right!

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EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION

Finding the proper maintenance solutions for your facility will positively impact your employees’ outlook about their working environment. It certainly involves proper cleaning to reduce the spread of sickness, but it also includes employee comfort during the workday; things such as anti-fatigue matting for employees who stand for long periods of time. Ultimately happier employees will make happier customers and improve their experience interacting with your business.

PARKING LOT

Your parking lot is the first thing your customers see when entering your facility. This gives them their first impression of your business and preps them for what they should expect inside. If the parking lot is a mess with unsightly litter, cigarette butts and other debris then the customer will already have a negative attitude about your establishment when entering. The parking lot can be a tough place to get to regularly, but there are cost-effective and efficient solutions to address this problem area.

ENTRY WAY

Your entry way can have a tendency to get dirty quickly, especially when there is bad weather. This makes sense due to it being the highest traffic area in your facility. Also during bad weather it is a significant safety hazard. Without proper maintenance the risk of a customer slipping and falling increases dramatically. Both the safety and the cleanliness will be addressed in this post.

RESTROOM

This is a big factor in whether a customer will return to your business. Dirty, odor-ridden restrooms are a big turn off and will impact your customers’ opinion of your facility. Many solutions exist that can make bathroom maintenance easy and quick and vastly improve you customers’ experience.

COMMON AREAS

These areas include anywhere in your facility that customers can roam (shopping, eating, perusing etc.). The solutions to achieve optimal maintenance here are different depending on what your business does, but have some similarities. These similarities and difference will be discussed in this post and appropriate solutions will be offered.

If you are interested in learning more about “The Value of Clean” please refer to this blog post that has an infographic summarizing the whitepaper put out by ISSA. Also make sure you subscribe to our blog so you can receive each post of this series straight to your inbox.