News

Facility Managers Get Creative When Cutting Costs

Green Building Set to Grow 146 Percent by 2013

Study: Energy Costs Force Schools To Cut Spending

Disinfectants Cause Some Bacteria to Adapt, Thrive

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Of Note...

EPA Plans to List 'Chemicals of Concern'
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently announced plans to establish a "Chemicals of Concern" list and is beginning a process that may lead to regulations requiring significant risk-reduction measures to protect human health and the environment.

The agency's actions are being undertaken under its authority of the existing Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), recognizing EPA's "strong belief" that the 1976 law is both outdated and in need of reform.

In addition to phthalates, the chemicals EPA is addressing are short-chain chlorinated paraffins, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and perfluorinated chemicals, including PFOA. These chemicals are used in the manufacture of a wide array of products and have raised a range of health and environmental concerns.

EPA also recently announced that three U.S. companies agreed to phase out DecaBDE, a widely used fire retardant chemical that may potentially cause cancer and may impact brain function.

This is the first time EPA has used TSCA's authority to list chemicals that "may present an unreasonable risk of injury to health and the environment." Once listed, chemical companies can provide information to the agency if they want to demonstrate that their chemical does not pose an unreasonable risk.

More information on EPA's legislative reform principles and a fact sheet on the complete set of actions on the four chemicals can be found here.

Ask Your Peers...

Every type of facility, every restroom and every cleaner is different and each has its own set of challenges. What are your top five challenges when it comes to the restroom?

• 1. Odor Control — Probrably use a bacteria enzyme to control odors in the floor drain.
  2. Floor tile appearance — If the grout is bad, wax floors look bad.
  3. Hard water issues.
  4. Simple disinfecting.
  5. Windows — Foaming window cleaner is awesome. It leaves no streaks. 
  —demand251
  
  
• Supplies — Centerpull towels vs. c-fold or multifold vs. hand dryers?  Standard toilet paper vs. jumbo rolls? Foam soap vs. glob soap? Air fresheners, needed or not. These are all dependent on the type of facility and the people that use the restroom.  For example, a daycare vs. an office building.
  Touch points — Unless you have a bathroom attendant on duty 24hrs/day you will always have issues with touch points. This is a major factor when dealing with cross-contamination. These areas need to be cleaned frequently. Nothing bothers me more than seeing fingerprints or smudge marks on touch plates or dispensers.
  —iClean
  
  
• Perception of clean is what drives me crazy! It's MY perception of clean in bathrooms that turns an ordinary 30-minute job into an hour and a half job. I always envision things to look as I would expect to see them in my own home.
  —Tracey Morgan

Click here for the full listing of responses.

Editors Note

Stay Up To Speed on Jan/San Progress
The cleaning industry has seen a lot of changes in the last decade and if the last month is any indication of what 2010 will bring, we can expect to see continued growth and progress in jan/san.

Over the last couple years, in-house facility managers have been forced to adapt to new rules, regulations, laws and requirements periodically. Lately, these have been coming on at rapid-fire pace. Within the last month EcoLogo has revised their green cleaning standard, the Environmental Protection Agency launched the widely anticipated green disinfectant program, new standards have been introduced for slip and falls, and House Democrats introduced an H1N1 emergency sick-leave bill, to name a few.

Keeping up with the changes can be a daunting task, but a necessity for managers who want to stay on top of their game. Visit CleanLink.com for daily news updates and stay current on all that is going on in the jan/san industry. If you see there is something missing from our news page, I encourage you to send it my way. Your contribution could be of great value to all our readers.