Dirty toilets and slapdash cleaning standards are responsible for the rapid spread of novovirus on cruise ships – and the hand sanitisers designed to reduce germs are powerless to prevent contamination, says US medical researchers.

In an attempt to stem the rise in outbreaks, cruise lines now routinely station hand sanitiser gels at restaurant entrances, but this simply does not work says a new study.

“It’s a tough virus,” said lead researcher Dr Philip Carling, pointing out that the pathogen can live on surfaces at room temperature for weeks “ It isn’t killed by alcohol hand rubs. Chlorine bleach is the only thing that works.”

For the study, the researchers tested public lavatories on 56 of the world’s largest cruise ships. Using a solution visible only under ultraviolet light, they marked the doors, toilet seats, flush buttons, hand holds and baby-changing tables in 273 facilities, then monitored them for five to seven days to see if the solution got cleared off.

The results were alarming, showing that only 37% of the public toilets tested were thoroughly cleaned every day, and in 18% of cases they remained uncleaned for more than 24 hours. On three of the ships, the baby changing tables were not cleaned at all during the monitoring period.

Leading cruise line Royal Caribbean International said it takes “numerous proactive steps to prevent, control and eradicate novovirus”, including “special cleaning of all ‘high-touch’ areas on the ship”.

“Those affected by the short lived illness generally respond well to treatment provided on board, and the illness itself usually resolves itself in 24 – 48 hours” said the cruise line.

Fred Olsen, which operates the twice-stricken Balmoral, said its public toilets were cleaned with chlorine based disinfectant on an hourly basis. In addition, it said, “every passenger must use the antimicrobial and cleansing foam sanitiser on entry to any restaurant or eating area”

Chris Haslam Times 22nd November 2009

Many people fail in life, not for their lack of natural ability, intellect or drive but simply because they don’t focus their energies like a laser, on their end goal.

In the contract cleaning industry, whether you’re a Site Manager, Supervisor, Team leader, Contracts Manager or a Surveyor it is too easy to simply become overwhelmed with normal day-to-day activities that all you can do is take one step at a time. Yes, this may help you get through the week but operating at this level will not move you any closer to achieving your BIG over riding goals. You will simply be treading water.

Here are some simple “rules” to ensure that you keep your ultimate objective in mind while at the same time achieving the incremental steps, which take you closer and closer to your goal without losing yourself in the minutiae of day-to-day working life.

First of all never forget that if you fail to plan, you plan to fail! It’s seems an old corny saying but it has a heck of a lot of truth in it.

You must imagine exactly the result or objective you want to achieve. Smell it, imagine it, and touch it. How does it make you feel? What positive outcomes will it have for you and your Team in the long run?

Once you have got your objective firmly fixed in your mind and you know this is what you are aiming for 100% you should then make yourself a road map with key stages or milestones that you know you must achieve. When you have it all thought out in your head put it down in writing! As soon as you commit your thoughts to paper it is as if you have carved it in stone. This way you stop your mind playing tricks on you and allowing you to forget / downgrade the importance / allow self-doubt to creep in and erode your single mindedness.

To further ensure your goals become reality when you commit them to paper, use the SMART acronym. This is a simple tool to use when writing your goals and objectives down.

Specific – Know exactly what your goal is.

Measurable – Know whether you achieved the goal.

Achievable – Speaks for itself.

Relevant – Relates to the big picture.

Timely – When will you reach the goal?

It’s said that only 5% of people actually write down their goals.

If you truly want to see improvement and growth in whatever you do, take the time to create SMART objectives then regularly hold yourself accountable by checking progress against these written down goals. Otherwise you will continue living one day at a time, working hard but not SMART.