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40 Sanitation Canada - SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2008 Visit us on the Internet at www.sanitationcanada.com YOUR HEALTH IS IN YOUR HANDS: INFECTION CONTROL IN THE WORKPLACE INFECTION CONTROL FOR DUMMIES ® PROVIDES SIMPLE CLEANING AND DISINFECTION STRATEGIES According to Infection Con- trol for Dummies, washing hands for 20 seconds, and pay- ing special attention to finger- tips and nails will help prevent and control infections. Infection Control For Dummies (Wiley 2008) is a free, 48-page, pocket- size handbook that helps envi- ronmental service professionals and consumers identify basic micro-organisms, understand infection transmission, use cleaning techniques to keep in- fection at bay, as well as under- stand labels and product claims. Authored by J. Darrel Hicks, REH, current president of the International Executive House- keepers Association (IEHA), and director of environmental serv- ices, St. Luke's Hospital in Ches- terfield, MO, the booklet pro- vides practical tips for fighting bacteria, viruses, fungi and other microbes. For example: • Cleaning is always the first and best line of defense, since removal of pathogens is better and less toxic than kill- ing them. Also, many disinfect- ants (including bleach) do not work effectively until the surface is mostly free from organic soil – dirt, blood, etc. • Microfibre mops and cloths are among the most ef- fective cleaning weapons against harmful microorganisms because microfibre has in- creased surface area and space to hold micro-soils. • Antibacterial products are not the same as disinfectants. Antibacterial products will kill bacteria but not viruses, which cause colds and flu. Housekeepingchannel.com, a leading resource for cleaning information, partnered with IEHA to help create Infection Control For Dummies. "We are concerned about growing public health issues, such as MRSA in schools and hospitals, and community-ac- quired infections, and wanted to help the more vulnerable seg- ments of the population, the children and the elderly," said Allen Rathey, Housekeeping- channel.com president. "Both organizations saw the need to educate environmental service professionals and consumers about proper cleaning and dis- infecting techniques to prevent the spread of infection." Leading microbiologists, healthcare practitioners and housekeeping experts reviewed, Infection Control For Dummies content for technical accuracy. The publication was made pos- sible by funding from Spartan Chemical Co. Inc., and the sup- port of the IEHA membership. Infection Control For Dum- mies is available free to clean- ing professionals and consum- ers nationwide; a $4.50 (USD) shipping and handling fee per book is required. The publica- tion can be ordered at www.ieha.org/consumers.php or by calling (800) 200-6342. Did you know that every 60 sec- onds, a working adult touches as many as 30 objects which may be contaminated by bacteria or viruses causing infectious disease? Accord- ing to a recent workplace microbial survey "…desk top surfaces, compu- ter keyboards, mouse and telephone receivers are more contaminated than restroom toilet seats." Since our hands are responsible for the spread of 80 per cent of com- mon infectious diseases, effective hand hygiene continues to be uni- versally recognized as the smartest, most cost effective means of infec- tion control in the workplace. According to a Deb Canada spokesperson, "…good hand hy- giene practices can reduce illnesses, absenteeism and associated costs by up to 50 per cent. A preventa- tive intervention for skin disease and infection control consists of a six-step approach to skin care: pro- tection, cleansing, sanitizing, resto- ration, education and auditing of the program." The true cost of this 'invisible' problem to both employers and employees can be significant due to lost time and reduced productiv- ity. Also causing businesses consid- erable expense is the practice of coming to work while ill (presenteeism), which can quickly result in an outbreak among a large number of employees. "With the added problem of people not washing their hands fre- quently or adequately enough, hand washing alone can't be relied upon to prevent the spread of germs," the spokesperson said. Deb Canada recently launched its 'Infection Control in the Workplace' program, a global ini- tiative already practiced in the United States, Europe and Australia. The Deb program, which is a com- bination of highly effective products and support activities, is said to be designed to help employers both implement and maintain effective hand hygiene. A key component of the Infec- tion Control Program is the compa- ny's new InstantFOAM Alcohol Hand Sanitizer. Utilizing Deb's unique foam-based alcohol for- mula, its sanitizing action kills 99.999 per cent of many germs and bacteria that cause common ill- nesses, in just 15 seconds. With no water required, the product can be used anywhere and is available in a range of sizes for use in different working environments. According to the spokesperson, infection control practices and pro- grams do not have to be difficult to implement or manage. "We complement our products and programs with employee edu- cation and awareness to encourage good hand hygiene practices," the spokesperson said. "Additionally we conduct pre- and post- audits to help establish and maintain the ef- fectiveness of the Infection Control program. Our goal is to provide the products and programs that will ef- fectively control the spread of germs and contribute towards a healthier working environment." Deb Canada is a division of Deb Canadian Hygiene Inc. and mem- ber of Deb Group Ltd., a leading away-from-home skin care system company. The company provides dedicated skin care programs for organizations that value their em- ployee and customer well being. Deb programs are based on the Deb Skin Care System, which is com- prised of a complementary range of skin care products and support ac- tivities to help implement and main- tain effective hand hygiene. For more information, contact Deb Canada at www.debcanada.com. Crown Mats and Matting's new Windsor™ wiper/scraper matting system is said to be ideal for high- traffic areas in restaurants, office buildings, hotels, museums, malls and other public facilities. Combining coarse fibres and heavy-duty vinyl, these durable mats have a multi-directional pat- tern that is not only attractive, with a distinctive, contemporary look, but brushes away dirt, grit and moisture. The Windsor is also wear-, fade- and crush-resistant. And, it's avail- able in navy blue, charcoal and brown as well as custom cuts and lengths. For more information, contact Crown Mats at (800) 628-5463 or visit the company's web site at www.crownmats.com. THE WINDSOR™ HAS COMMERCIAL APPEAL