Tag Archive for: Wellness

It’s Time to Dwell on Disinfectants

True or false? My disinfecting wipes leave my surfaces safe and disinfected immediately after use? …False. In fact, unless you used the wipes to keep the surface visibly wet for somewhere around 5 to 10 minutes then you really haven’t disinfected at all! Let’s dive into this subject a little deeper because the health of your facility depends on it.

Choosing the right disinfectant to use and applying it properly is a critical step in the cleaning process. Important information regarding dwell times and kill claims can be found on the product’s label. These label instructions will provide your staff with explicit information on how to properly use the product. But what are kill claims and dwell times? Helping your staff understand these important key terms will go a long way in assisting them to do their jobs well and ensure proper application of a disinfectant.

A dwell time is the contact time the disinfectant is required to remain on the target surface to effectively kill bacteria and germs. Each disinfectant will have a manufacturer’s recommended dwell time; these times may vary and must be followed closely for the product to perform effectively. These dwell times are established through various 3rd party EPA labs and may differ based on the target pathogen and specific product being tested.

Professionals are less likely to follow the instructed dwell time, especially if they are pressed for time. So, although the stress of janitorial work can be overwhelming, following the requirements of the disinfectant is a crucial part of cleaning for health. If the disinfectant isn’t left on the surface for the suggested contact time, the pathogens on the target surface are less likely to be killed, leaving customers, employees, staff, students, etc.  susceptible to infections and illnesses.

Additionally, disinfectants should only be used when needed. The CDC explains that some microorganisms have an innate resistance to certain disinfectants.  To ensure the safety of your cleaning team, your staff, the environment, and the efficacy of the product, be sure that your team is using these products only when needed and as recommended. Dwell time affects kill claims, kill claims are the key to a successful disinfecting program.


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Kill claims are a list of the microscopic organisms (bacteria, viruses, and fungi) that each disinfectant is effective at eliminating. These lists are provided on the label of every disinfectant on the market.  Additionally, most disinfectants have an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registration number.  This number, in combination with the EPA establishment number, indicates that a disinfectant has been proven effective, with a minimal risk to the user.

Every disinfectant is different and the labels are there to indicate which microscopic organism they can kill. For example, disinfectants can kill TB (tuberculosis) bacterium, H1N1 Influenza A virus, MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), and other pathogens. However, the disinfectant that kills MRSA may not work against the TB bacterium. Although this may not always be the case, it demonstrates the importance of selecting the proper disinfectant that is effective against the particular pathogen you want to kill.

Improperly used disinfectants are ineffective, so it’s important to ensure your staff  understands the label instructions before applying the product to any affected surface.  This will ensure that the job is completed in a safe and effective manner.

For more detailed information about our recommended disinfectants, contact us at Rhiel Innovative Solutions.


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What Should I Be Using to Disinfect?

Last week I answered the question “How often should I disinfect?” This brought up questions such as, “what should I use to disinfect?” I will briefly give you a quick overview of what you should look for to choose the best disinfectant for your facility.

When I am visiting a customer’s facility and we take a look at what is being used to disinfect we find that the disinfectant either doesn’t have the necessary kill claims to achieve the desired results or that the dwell times are so long that the product cannot achieve the claims it already has. This then leads us into a conversation about what they could be using to disinfect in a safer and more effective manner. Here are a few of the main points that are part of our discussion.

Kill Claims

Selection of the appropriate disinfectant or inhibiting agent should best align with a specific touch point environment at any given time. First consider the categories or types of anticipated pathogens. Certain illnesses and infections are transferred through surfaces every day. In these cases, a preventative agent is usually broad spectrum in design and appropriate. Other pathogens are seasonal in behavior and disinfectants may need to be more specific during these times. In some cases, more than one disinfectant application is required to maintain healthy touch points. Areas can also experience outbreak conditions where special disinfectants are needed above preventative disinfection efforts. With the correct systems and disinfectants in use, both preventative and outbreak conditions are managed more effectively. Many cleaning products are used with the expectation of disinfection properties, but remember you must first clean and then you disinfect. Water can be a viable cleaner when the right disinfectant is applied afterwards. Eliminate the step of wiping to disinfect. Additionally, most disinfectants need dwell time on the surface to perform so if that dwell time isn’t achieved then wiping can render the best disinfectants useless.

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Dwell Times

To achieve the best result, source a disinfectant with a fast kill claim ( 30 seconds) without the need to wipe it off. This type of product can be sustainable in nature which makes it friendly to people and the environment which in turn helps maintain a healthy chemical free environment. An onsite generated disinfectant is a great source for this type of product which can achieve a 30 second kill claim and promote the healthy and safety of your staff and the environment.

This is not an exhaustive explanation of how you should choose your next disinfectant, but if you focus on the two main factors mentioned above then you will be well on your way to a healthier facility. If you would like more content like this then scroll to the bottom of the page and subscribe to our blog. Also, be sure to check out our 5 Steps to a Healthier Facility ecourse (it’s free so you have nothing to lose!).


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How Often Should I Disinfect?

A question I often get when discussing disinfection is “how often should I disinfect?” The answer is it depends. If you are disinfecting a room daily that is only used twice per week then you are doing more than you need to. If you disinfect a room once a week that is used everyday then you are not disinfecting enough. Below I will briefly explain how you can determine the frequency at which you should be disinfecting by analyzing the touch points in your facility.

The more a surface is touched, the more often it should be disinfected. A protocol unique and best suited to your environment begins here. Touch points, or touch point surface areas can be categorized three ways. Each will receive the appropriate level of disinfection frequency.

Not all touch points require the same frequency of surface disinfection. For example, door knobs, computer equipment, elevator controls, hand rails, chair arms, table tops and many other surface points are designed to be touched and should be considered high touch points. Touch points surrounding points designed to be touched including doors, door frames, locker surfaces and tabletop bottoms are touched less, and may be categorized as medium touch points.

Low touch points are areas that may include any surface mentioned above, yet touch traffic is limited or infrequent altogether. Examples may be walls that are not around areas of heavy foot traffic or floor boards. By reducing how often you disinfect these low touch points you can focus your time and energy on addressing areas that receive more touches.

A proper surface disinfection protocol will become most effective if aligned to the real activity in your spaces. Document your touch points and begin to map out your frequency of disinfection schedule or best practices accordingly. It is important to disinfect your high touch point as often as possible. Many times we look at the cost of labor and product over the cost of sick people in the space.  Productivity and lost work time is a much higher cost then disinfecting . Its also important to remember you will actually save labor and product by identifying the high touch points from the medium and low so that you can maximize your labor and product by not giving equal time to low and high touch points.


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School Cleanliness: How Dirty is Your Child’s School? [Infographic]

To demonstrate why effective cleaning is so important in schools, ISSA has created a useful and actionable infographic. Having a clean, safe, and healthy school is crucial to the development of young minds. Combining the insights here with ISSA’s new CITS certification is a great way to start this school year and create a healthy, safe environment for our future leaders.

How Dirty Is Your Child's School?
© ISSA

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Do You Properly Disinfect Your Surfaces?

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.


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An Easy Inexpensive Way To Improve Employee Morale and Wellness

Standing for long periods of time hurts. We all know this. There is a solution to help prevent this. Ant-Fatigue Matting. Standing on a concrete floor for long periods of time, say anything over an hour can cause intense pain and discomfort in your feet, legs, knees, hips, back and shoulders. Anti-Fatigue matting can significantly help reduce this effect. Mats can help with this discomfort but can also help prevent other health problems, lingering aches and pains, and circulatory issues.

These are an inexpensive way to promote better health and safety among your employees. Anti-Fatigue matting comes in a variety of materials depending on your applications. It can be used in factory settings where dirt, oil or water may be present or in offices where you can use more decorative versions. No matter where it is used, people standing on quality anti-fatigue mats will experience a much more comfortable work setting. When the stress is removed, worker productivity and efficiency increases.

Some factors to be aware of when purchasing anti-fatigue matting:

Is the area dry or wet? Do you need to contain oil, water, debris or other contaminants from being tracked from one department to another? Does the matting need to be fire retardant or chemically resistant?

Many work areas may require ESD, Electro-Static Discharge Matting. These are designed to be conductive for a rapid discharge to the ground. Used in chemical plants and around the use and manufacture of electrical components. They are burn resistant and self-extinguishing.

Be sure to cover all areas where slip and fall incidents may occur. Matting is a great way to prevent accidents and the liability issues that accompany them.

Be sure the matting you use has beveled edges. It also helps if the edges are marked in a different color. Beveled edges allow rolling carts to easily pass over the mats and to prevent tripping and falling accidents. Coloring the edges adds another level of safety.

Many people may prefer to stand at their desk or work station. Standing burns more calories and may provide a better comfort level for some people. Anti-Fatigue matting has shown to reduce spinal compression and increase circulation. Anti-Fatigue matting comes in a variety of styles and colors to suit these applications.

In some cases anti-microbial matting may be a benefit. These mats have an added component that prevents mold, mildew and bacterial growth.

Determine the size of the area you need to cover. Most standard mats come in sizes ranging from 2’ X 3’ to 4’ X 6’. Runners can also be custom made to cover those larger areas.

For the right matting for your application contact Rhiel Supply. We can have one of our matting experts assist you in determining which matting is best suited for your facility. Click below to get the conversation started!

 

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5 Tips For A Healthier Workplace

Stuffy nose, runny nose, fever, cough, sore throat, fatigue, muscle aches—sound familiar? We have all had the flu and experienced the discomfort of the common cold. With cold and flu season upon us employers need to ensure that the necessary precautions are taken to prevent the spread of these uncomfortable illnesses. Due to the average employee missing 7.7 days per year from sickness an estimated $225.8 billion is lost in our economy. With that being said you can certainly realize the importance of proper cold and flu prevention. So I wanted to take a moment to give some tips to help curb unplanned absences in your workplace or office.

Promote Healthy Hand Washing Habits

While somewhat of a cliché, encouraging proper hand washing habits is a very easy way to prevent an office outbreak. According to the CDC you should first wet your hands and apply soap and then later them with the soap; ensure you thoroughly cover your hands. Next you should scrub your hands for a minimum of 20 seconds. Rinse off the soap and dry your hands.

Have Hand Sanitizer Available

While hand sanitizer is not the first choice, it is useful in situations where running water is not available. It should be noted that hand sanitizer will not kill all types of germs. The CDC recommends applying the directed amount to your palms and then rubbing over all parts of your hands until dry.

Clean Commonly Touched Surfaces

These surfaces include computer mice, keyboards, desk phones, break room sink faucet handles, microwave door handles, refrigerator door handles, water fountain buttons, and vending machine buttons. If you think about how many of these surfaces you touch in a day it should not only help you remember to clean these surfaces, but also to wash your hands.

Encourage Employees to Maintain Healthy Fitness Levels

Part of maintaining overall health is certainly a healthy amount of exercise. Web MD cites aerobic exercise to aid the body in fighting off potential viruses. Consider starting a workplace exercise program and incent good physical health.

Use the Proper Cleaning Chemicals

Ensure you are using a disinfectant that has the ability to kill cold and flu viruses. Some examples would include quaternary ammonia, phenolic, or chlorine based cleaning products. It is also a good idea to have these products available to employees so they can keep their work stations clean and sanitary.

Some may seem so simple, but not enough businesses adhere to these best practices. I hope that you find these tips helpful and can use them to not only to reduce that $225.8 billion, but to create a happy and healthy work environment.