Congress Continues Focus on Immigration
Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers in Congress are pushing bills that crack down on illegal immigration. In the House, conservative Democrats are asking party leaders to support the SAVE (Secure America with Verification and Enforcement) act, which would increase Border Patrol personnel by 8,000, train more state and local police to enforce immigration laws and require that all businesses, within four years, use a government program to verify the legal status of their employees.

Democrats are also looking for a "balanced" measure that deals with the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States. Party leaders are facing a difficult decision on the issue. A strong vote on border security could help some freshman Democrats keep their seats, and therefore, help Democrats retain control of the House, but an enforcement-only bill also could anger liberal Democrats and Hispanics.

According to reports, Republican supporters, meanwhile, are considering a procedural maneuver to force the bill to the floor.

In the Senate, Republicans have reportedly introduced at least 15 immigration enforcement bills: measures to make English the nation's official language; to prevent illegal immigrants from getting driver's licenses; to deport immigrants convicted of drunk driving offenses; and to withhold federal money for cities that have so-called "sanctuary" policies that direct police and local officials not to check the immigration status of residents using city services.

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• "Here at Franciscan University of Steubenville we have done the following to prevent the spread of CA-MRSA:
  1. We complete a two step cleaning process of the restrooms and locker rooms using cleaning chemicals that will kill MRSA.
  2. We have educated our staff concerning MRSA with training videos and education from the Wellness Department.
  3. We have supplied the Athletic Department with the same cleaning chemicals used by the Custodial Staff to be used on gym equipment.
  4. The custodial Staff launders all there microfiber mops and rags in hot water. Then drying them on a high setting.
  I believe that by being proactive we have not had a case of MRSA on our campus."
  — Jeffrey Gilkey, manager of custodial & safety services at Franciscan University of Steubenville, Steubenville, Ohio
  
  
• "First, I got together with the school nurse and the administrators to we identify what MRSA was and how to combat it. At first there was not a lot of information out there to help, so we read statements from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and came up with a plan. I contacted my vendors and requested products with MSDS sheets that were rated to kill MRSA. We then trained the custodial staff on their use and frequency of use. I developed a check-off sheet so the workers could write down when they disinfected the rooms and student desks. Of course, we used products that disinfect the restrooms every day. This has paid dividends in that we have had only one complaint from a parent, but when I showed her the check-off sheet of cleaning frequency and the products we were using, she had no other questions. I believe the key to any situation such as this was the timely manner that we started to do something about the infection and the absolute transparency of the actions."
  — Louis E. Wolford, director of buildings and grounds at, Northern Community Schools of Tipton Co. in Sharpsville, Ind.
  
  
• "We evaluated our cleaning products and procedures and felt that they were appropriate which lead us to take a look at training. Being in a Higher Education setting we felt that our best response was to educate our student customers on the importance of good hygiene, such as hand washing and wound care, since these are important factors that we cannot control through our cleaning. We also reviewed information with our staff on products, cleaning procedures and personal protective equipment to ensure that we are making every effort to reduce exposure through surface contact."
  — Steven L. Mack, M.Ed., director of buildings and grounds services at, Ohio University Facilities Management in Athens, Ohio

The cleaning industry has kept a watchful eye on recent health outbreaks such as Bird Flu, MRSA and the common cold. Although the hype has died down in the national media, the threat is still very real for personnel responsible for disinfecting facilities.

In response to this months "Ask Your Peers…" question, countless readers wrote me regarding the programs they have in place to fight these outbreaks. It is important to make note of their successes and reevaluate your facility to determine the most effective prevention for your needs.

Also look to CleanLink for additional information specifically focusing on MRSA, while touching on other aspects of cleaning for health.

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