• At least 5,000 patients die of complications due to infections they acquired  in hospitals each year.
• 9% of patients in UK hospitals pick up an infection that they did not have before they arrived.
• A hand contaminated with Influenza A virus will contaminate the next 7 surfaces it touches.

These terrifying facts summarise the prolific danger that hospital-acquired infections pose to the NHS and to their patients.  Every year, the NHS spends roughly one billion pounds in an attempt to clean hospitals, in order tp defeat these infections and lower the mortality rate they cause.  Many of these hospital-spread infections have become household names, including MRSA, E. coli, klebsiella pneumoniae which causes pneumonia and clostridium difficile which causes tetanus.  In more recent years, bird flu and swine flu have also threatened to infect British hospitals.

In recent years, evidence has been found that offers some hope; hospitals can stop the spread of these germs and infections through the use of  copper.

Roughly 80% of all infectious diseases are spread by touch; the contact of one surface with another.   In hospitals, certain surfaces are touched hundreds of times a day; push plates, door handles, bed rails, light switches, table tops and counters, dressing trolleys and soap, alcohol and paper towel dispensers are all heavily responsible for the spread of infection.  Research has proven that if these surfaces are replaced by copper, or high-copper alloys like brass, the spread of infectious germs in hospitals can be dramatically reduced.

Why it works
Copper prevents the spread of infectious germs because it is a natural antimicrobial; something which can kill or deactivate microbes.  The microbes that make up the harmful bacteria present on many hospital surfaces can stay alive and active for hours, days or even months if untreated.  If this surface is then touched, the active bacteria can spread, creating the potential for infection.  The antimicrobial quality of copper means that when the same dangerous bacteria lands on its surface, it cannot survive; a copper surfaces kills more than 99.9% of the bacteria that lands on it within two hours, and kills over 99% after repeated contamination.  Copper is proven to deactivate microbes which cause the most dangerous hospital-acquired infections, listed earlier, which once done will reduce their spread throughout the hospital.

Tried and tested
Using copper to fight against the spread of infection was first tested in laboratory research at the University of Southampton, where they tested MRSA’s survival rate on different surfaces.  The results showed that after just 90 minutes on copper, the MRSA bacteria was deactivated; a stark contrast to stainless steel, used in many hospitals, where the bacteria was unaffected.  A  clinical trial then followed in Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham, which discovered that replacing hospital surfaces that get touched every day with copper could reduce hospital-acquired infections by 90-100%.

The tried and tested concept has now started to work its way into hospitals.  St Francis Private Hospital in  County Westmeath in Ireland pioneered the idea, and was the first hospital in the world to change frequently-touched surfaces to copper-based substances.  The concept soon spread and in January 2011, French care home Centre Inter Générationnel Multi Accueil became the first in France to use copper in this way.

There is every argument for hospitals and care homes to replace regularly-touched surfaces with copper and high-copper alloys, as a preventative measure against the spread of disease.  Once installed, the copper fixtures will  quickly and endlessly kill dangerous bacteria, which will without a doubt reduce the spread of infection.  The cost of replacing he surfaces with copper may seem off-putting, but when the battle against hospital-spread infections is costing the NHS a billion pounds each year, this one-off payment is something worth investing in.

“We want residents and visitors to the borough to be able to enjoy their food safe in the knowledge that it has been produced, stored and prepared in a hygienic manner.”

This was spoken to the Government’s News Distribution Service after Mr Chitta R. Das, owner of frozen food company Euroversal International released a statement last week which assured the public that his produce was safe to consume. This came after his factory was exposed for being unhygienic earlier this month. The Food Standards Agency discovered a mouse infestation in the factory and traces of mouse droppings were found inside food packaging, on shelves and in the food itself. The company was charged with six food hygiene offences, fined £5,730 and had their ‘Mithaighar’ yoghurt product recalled.

In areas where food is prepared, packaged and distributed to the public, the hygiene and cleanliness of the building and the staff who work in it must be impeccable.  Any dangerous bacteria must be removed from all surfaces, even if they are not in direct contact with food; harmful bacteria can cause food-related illnesses such as salmonella, listeria and E. coli.

It is the responsibility of business directors who run food factories to adhere to constantly updated rules, regulations and legislations which are monitored by a number of official bodies.  Firstly, the Food Standards Agency, an independent Government department, was set up to monitor food production in the interest of the consumer’s health.  They set guidelines for food preparation, which they monitor and enforce frequently. The BRC, British Retail Consortium also sets a standardised level of hygiene that retailers expect from their suppliers.  They modify the rules frequently and a sixth edition of their regulations is due in 2012.

With all of these pressures on owners of food production factories, it can quickly become impossible for them to keep up. With so many other aspects of running a business to think about, the easiest way to make sure it is done properly, and with minimum fuss, is to get a cleaning contractor to do it for you.

Cleaning contractors are often highly experienced when it comes to working in industry. They are subject to stringent hygiene, safety and cleanliness regulations as part of their job; making it important for them to be knowledgeable in the latest food hygiene and cleanliness laws.

They will have specially-trained teams to set to work, who will be very experienced at working in industrial units.  The contractor will be responsible for staffing issues, including ensuring that staff are up to date will all legislations. The procurement of any specialist equipment and supplies will also become the responsibility of the contractor.

Another issue for owners of food production factories is the time constraints against them; to maximise the company’s productivity they need to be open for business for long periods of time. Some specialist cleaning processes require time and potentially an emptied factory, which could clash with production times. A cleaning contractor will fit in with the company’s schedule and requirements to make it as convenient as possible.

Alongside daily cleaning, there are some special services that a contract cleaning company can offer.  Firstly, there is high level cleaning, which requires experienced staff cleaning hard-to-reach areas, making every surface spotlessly clean. They will also be trained in machinery and process parts cleaning, an essential process that removes the residue of bacteria and it keeps the machines working efficiently; dirty machines break down which makes the factory lose money. Many insurers now also want ventilation and duct cleaning and testing to be undertaken by professional contractors, which they will also be able to help with.

Hiring a cleaning contractor to do your food factory cleaning can therefore ensure that the factory maintains the highest standards, will remove the stresses from a business owner and will undertake regular daily cleaning as well as specialist tasks.

If you would like to know how hiring a contract cleaner can help your business, Newlife Cleaning Systems welcome your enquires on 0800 018 9099, or visit www.newlifecleaning.com.

As the Royal Wedding had done before it, the subsequent event clean-up and more importantly who paid for it, has been subject to press attention.  The ceremony, and the trimmings that came with it, were funded by the bride and groom’s parents.  Conversely, the cleaning costs and security were funded by the council’s budget, and therefore by the taxpayer.

The great majority of the cleaning work was done by Westminster City Council’s cleaning contractor.  The Telegraph stated that official predictions estimated that the additional costs of cleaning Central London’s streets before and after the wedding could reach up to £40,000.  To enable them to do this task, the contractor had to set an extra 100 cleaning staff to work; over the proceedings a total of 130 workers picked up approximately 140 tonnes of litter from London’s streets.

The cleaning of the subways, which was done by criminals convicted of minor offences, did not directly cost the taxpayer.

The additional costs to the taxpayer for the wedding clean-up are not without note, but what about the cleaners undertaking the work?

The cleaners’ hard work to prepare London’s streets for the Royal Wedding and to clean up afterwards, was praised in the press.  Guardian Journalist Jill Insley joined the cleaners on the day, spending the morning working with them.  She acknowledged their hard work in her article, stating; ‘I will never again ignore those who are working so hard to keep my environment clean’.

Unfortunately, recent reports have shown that those who clean up after royalty do not necessarily receive royal benefits.

The cleaning staff at Buckingham Palace for example, are paid £6.45 per hour; above the minimum wage of £5.93 per hour but below the ‘Living Wage’ estimated for London.  The ‘Living Wage’, which is a minimum hourly wage that will enable an individual to provide for their family, was estimated to be £7.85 per hour for 2011.  This means, that although the contracted cleaners worked tiring, additional hours for a global, high-profile event, they do not even earn enough money to support their families.  With the streets of London spotless as two billion sets of eyes were on it, it is unfair that the cleaner’s are not getting all of the financial recognition they deserve, for doing such an important job.

Mark Banks, the waste and receycling manager at Westminster City Council, regarded the procedure as “a little practice run for the Olympics for us.”  If the Olympics are predicted to be an even bigger event than this, with larger cleaning operation then Westminster City Council’s cleaning contractors are to expect a busy few years.  With the attention on the streets of London, and how the streets are prepared before and cleaned after, hopefully the Olympic clean-up will get the cleaners the recognition they deserve; seeing a positive effect in their pay packets as much as their public profiles.

For more information on event clean up, visit: http://www.newlifecleaning.com/

Original articles can be found at:

http://thestandard.org.nz/the-royal-approach-to-who-pays/

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2011/may/07/street-cleaning-royal-wedding,

Desperately excited, grossly indignant or quietly indifferent- everyone had their opinion on the recent Royal Wedding. The luxurious celebration was watched by two billion people, whilst tens of thousands flocked to the mile and a half procession route from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey, to try and catch a glimpse of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

With the world watching the streets of London, it is important to spare a thought for the people who made them look impeccable. The clean-up of London’s streets, both prior to and after the event, was organized and executed with military precision. Here’s how it was done…

The initial clean-up began weeks before London was flooded with visitors from across the globe. The subways leading to and from Westminster tube station were scrubbed vigorously with detergent and wire brushes. This was done by criminals, convicted of minor offences, who chose to volunteer for the duty rather than receiving a prison sentence. This project was organised by Westminster Council through the Community Payback scheme.

The rest of the preparations and post-wedding clean-up were organized by Westminster Council’s waste management & cleaning contractor. They tackled the clean-up with the efficiency you can expect from a contractor; utilizing their resources and staff to get the job done, whilst causing minimal disruption to the public.

A ‘deep cleansing’ of the route was undertaken on the night before the Royal Wedding. This involved using a 15 strong team of cleaners to remove every piece of litter from the procession route. They were assisted by a small Johnston C40 sweeper to do an initial clean, which was then followed by a large Johnston 600 sweeper. After this, they gave the route one final polish with high pressure jets to make sure it was spotless. A statue cleaning team from Westminster City Council worked to rejuvenate the Royal Tank Regiment, Women at War and the Gurkha Soldier statues, which were to be passed by the procession.

On the day of the Royal Wedding, the contract cleaning staff began their work at 2.am; they prepared the procession route by giving it one final sweep. They then laid sand down in places where the horses were likely to slip, and ensured that two gritting machines were placed at strategic intervals on the route. During the royal procession, the contractor’s street cleaners waited until the procession passed by and then immediately entered the area to remove any litter and sand that was left in the wake of the procession, returning it back to it’s spotless state.

Around busy transport stations, they placed an additional 40 sweepers, to keep these densely attended areas neat and tidy. Other cleaners walked amongst the crowd throughout the day, picking up litter left by the public. After the celebrations were over, it didn’t take long for the cleaning team to return the streets of London back to normal.

Regardless of the views on the cost of the Royal Wedding to the public, Westminster Council’s cleaning contractor did an excellent job of preparing for it, and making the city look like it had never happened afterwards. Their exact planning, extra available staff, countless machines and unlimited equipment made the clean-up an unmitigated success.

If you would like to know more about how a contract cleaner can make cleaning up after your event more hassle free, Newlife Cleaning Systems can help you. To make an enquiry telephone 0800 018 9099 or visit www.newlifecleaning.com for more information.

While the streets of London are definitely not paved with gold the pavements the streetscape of most of Britain’s towns and cities including Borisland appear to be suffering from a virulent attack of measles or chicken pox.

Next time you’re in a queue or simply ambling along window shopping cast your eyes downwards and play the game of counting the number of bits of trodden in chewing gum that you can see. Yes all those black or white stains are simply trodden in gum, spat out by Joe Public and there are millions of them out there.

This scourge is increasing exponentially as anti-smoking initiatives drive people to change their habits but older habits die hard and just like ciggie butts used to be discarded without a thought so it is with gum despite the exhortations’ on the packaging.

It has been estimated that the ongoing clean up war against gum costs local authorities – that is you and me the taxpayer, between £150 – £200m a year to remove. Even then the effectiveness of the removal is only visible for a matter of days.

Also this cost doesn’t take into account the disruption caused by the use of steam cleaners, pressure washers and the esoteric range of chemicals used to dissolve the offending staining. There is also the initially unseen damage caused to block paving and the de rigueur expensive pavoirs s by the ‘blowing out’ of the sand between the blocks. This causes the loss of the integral strength of the walkway leading to slumping and movement of the actual blocks themselves which in turn is further exacerbated by the weight and torque of mechanical street cleaning sweepers leading to ruts and potentially expensive ‘slips and trips’ claims.

The answer may be at hand though with the development of a new form of chewing gum polymer which it is claimed does not effect the chewability or ‘mouth texture’ of the gum and which doesn’t require any changes in the actual production process of making the ‘chewie’ This last point is crucial if there is to be any form of take-up by the major international manufacturers who are governed by the bottom line and the need for affordability with such a spur-of-the-moment purchase.

These new polymers, if adopted, will lead to gums which are either easier to remove using simply water and abrasive action or which will degrade within 6 months to a fine powder. These benefits are not restricted solely to hard surfaces but are also effective on clothes, shoes and hair which will delight any mother who has children.

Approved by U.S. food safety authorities and currently going through the final stages of European approval it is hoped that the product could soon be adopted by the big names in the gum world such as Wrigley or Kraft. Alternatively, if the take up requires extra momentum, we could take a leaf out of the 10 year old, successful Singaporean method of addressing the problem and simply make the import and sale of non-medicinal gum illegal and backed up with heavy fines.

Columbus Dixon Jan 2011

Joe Grundy of The Archers was 88 years old this year and for as long as I’ve listened to that melodic dum,di-dum,di-dum,di-da tune, (it’s actually a Maypole dance called Barwick Green) he has moaned and groaned about his Farmers Lung usually through fits of chesty coughing.

Joe may use Farmer’s Lung for the sympathy angle with Clarrie and the rest of the folk in Borsetshire but extrinsic allergic alveolitis as the medical condition is known can strike the susceptible at home work and play.

Just look at its common names: Bird-fancier’s lung, Hot tub lung, Mushroom worker’s lung, Chemical worker’s lung and Malt worker’s lung.

It strikes the air sacks and passageways of the lungs which become inflamed when sensitised by repeatedly breathing in organic antigens (protein molecules) in a carrier such as dust or steam usually associated with a process. This is the common denominator in all those colloquial names, the process source, – dairy or grain dust, animal dander (think of it as animal dandruff) and water reservoir vapours. And it’s not just an adult disease; pigeon-fanciers lung is occasionally present in children.

It shows itself in many forms. In its acute state symptoms can start within hours of exposure and can be recognised by headaches, chills, flu like feelings with aches and pains. Usually the symptoms, depending on the length of exposure, diminish within the day but can lead to respiratory distress and a high fever.

Its intermittent form can be present as recurring pneumonia with repeated acute attacks (Joe Grundy’s version). With the chronic form even removing the source of the antigens by, and this is an extreme example, giving up work, there may only be partial improvement of the symptoms and permanent lung damage can occur leading to pulmonary hypertension and ultimately even a heart attack.

As always prevention is better than cure. Safety procedures are simple to adopt in themselves. The main difficulty arises in the education and raising awareness of the potential dangers with staff and clients. They simply do not realise the dangers inherent in carrying out certain apparently simple cleaning tasks such as guano removal, water tower cleaning, mill high level works, swimming pools and sites with air conditioning equipment.

Prevention techniques include:

H&S measures at work, including wearing appropriate PPE and adequate air filters and ventilation.

Choosing your hobby carefully and if you are going to keep birds and suchlike consider the use of filtered facemasks whenever handling livestock.

Proper care and maintenance programmes for swimming pools, hot tubs, humidifiers and air-conditioning equipment.

Many people especially older ones susceptible to flu and other winter ailments have got into the habit of having a seasonal flu jab as we enter autumn.

Millions of people are regularly vaccinated including the long term sick, people in susceptible job roles and even pregnant women.

This year’s campaign is now under way with a tripartite action against the major virus strains identified as being the most threat this year.

Last years potential swine flu pandemic led to the production of tens of millions of H1N1 doses of vaccines. Whilst most stocks were not used in this country many millions were administered worldwide without any major reported safety issues.

Some patients though refused the H1N1 vaccine last year following concerns about its speed of production as the government geared up for a full scale pandemic and also it’s perceived lack of extensive testing.

This year’s seasonal flu jab contains the vaccine against swine flu as it is one of the three flu strains being targeted. This does not mean that there is the same level of concern about a pandemic of swine flu but simply that major flu viruses often develop into seasonal strains in the years following major outbreaks.

The concern though is that those people who refused the single dose swine flu vaccine last year, for whatever perceived concerns, will now be vaccinated with it unknowingly. That is unless their doctor takes valuable surgery time to help them make an informed decision.

The term feminine hygiene was probably thought up by a man as a seemingly polite conversational phrase or euphemism to cover all personal care products used by menstruating women.

In the context we are discussing today we are solely covering the disposal of used feminine hygiene protective products by users of commercial premises. This could be your office staff or indeed members of the public.

These days the sanitary bin is a ubiquitous product standing guard in the corner of the toilet cubicle but this was not always the case. Indeed it is still common in smaller, old fashioned premises to see brown disposal bags hung up on a hook and a simple flip-top bin for disposal.

This leads to the dangers of drain blockages if the user tries to flush away the used product through embarrassment or leaves the daily cleaner the unpleasant task of emptying the bin and disposing of the contents amongst the general office waste. This is not a service acceptable to many cleaning operatives these days and would not normally be included within an office cleaning contract.

Bridging the gap between this in house, DIY method of disposal and the full range of professional feminine hygiene disposal services, are systems utilising stand alone bins which contain a disposable cartridge. To alleviate any smells they contain deodorising crystals and just like a standard professional disposal bin the flip top operates in such a way that the contents of the internal disposable cartridge are not visible to users.

Once again disposal is carried out by in house staff but at least the internal cartridges can be sealed albeit disposal is still with the general office waste.

Great claims are often made about the biodegradability of these types of sanitary bins and liners. But is this true? When you balance the initial purchase cost of the bins themselves, a constant supply of cartridges and the unpleasantness of exchanging the cartridges then disposing it alongside general waste .The cost versus benefit is not so apparent especially if you are the one who has to change the cartridge as most probably your cleaning staff will refuse point blank.

This leaves the full professional service as the most likely solution to a trouble free, out-of-mind service. Or so you think?

Just like buying any goods or services it is vital that you compare ‘apples with apples not oranges’ otherwise you will end up make a mistake which you are locked into and which in many cases you will be paying for the pleasure of, in advance, for many years to come!

While this might sound elementary you should check whether you need the service at all. If female staff are not employed and your premises are not used by the general public, why bother? If the female staff are of a certain age there might not be a requirement. To avoid any embarrassment or doubt simply ask the staff if they would like the service.

Once past these basic fundamentals use the following checklist to ensure you are getting proper value for money by asking your potential sanitary waste disposal supplier:

How often will you exchange the sanitary bins as I want a monthly service for hygiene reasons?

Do you expect me to sign a contract which locks me in for 36 or 60 months?

If you do, what notice do I have to give you and is it on any particular date?

Will you charge me separately each year for a Duty of Care certificate?

Do you charge 13 weeks in advance?

Do your staff just remove the contents of the bin so my staff have to clean it or do they take the whole unit away and hygienically clean it?

Can I have a look at an example of your contract agreement so I can see what small print there is?

If you’re not happy with what you hear call 0800 018 9099 or look at our range and service agreement on sanitary-bins.newlifecleaning.com

Columbus Dixon September 2010.

The unexpected death of Andy Holmes the double Olympic gold medallist from Weil’s at the early age of 51 brings this age old disease under the spot light.

Here in Northern Europe we tend not to worry about it thinking of it as a ‘rat-catchers’ disease or something that only happens in Third World countries. But as a bacterial infection it can affect anyone of any age who comes into contact with urine or other bodily fluids from an infected animal.

While rare, the ease of contact through broken skin, the eyes or mucous membranes means that leptospirosis can be easily caught at home, work or play.

The bacteria must physically enter the bloodstream to cause infection but in the cleaning industry the use of pressure washing equipment increases the risk of bacteria inhalation via water atomisation.

This risk must be fully addressed in the job specific risk assessments you prepare for your work crews. N.B. infection is only caused by the transfer of bacteria directly from water absorbing it via cuts or via food. It is NOT airborne and cannot be passed by normal human contact.

The most important factor in saving lives is to recognise the risks. Accordingly if you suspect you or your staff have been exposed to contamination, seek help immediately. The incubation period is at least three days so now is not the time to put sniffles and aches down to ‘fighting off a cold’ or ‘Man-Flu’

Symptoms to watch out for include severe headaches, redness in the eyes, muscle pains, fatigue and sometimes, similar to meningitis there is a red, non-blanching, pin-prick rash.

Antibiotics are very effective if given early in the infection but time is of the essence. To ensure your doctor, who may not have much experience in identifying the infection, treats you seriously and ensures you receive the appropriate blood tests make sure you tell him exactly what your fears are, why and all the circumstances.

Finally to put a hoary chestnut to bed: Do not believe or open spam mail with headlines such as “ Disease Caught From Coke Can” The basic gist of the e-mail is about some unknown person who is supposed to have caught leptospirosis by drinking from a soft drink can that rats had urinated on. This is a total fallacy as the bacteria cannot survive without the medium of the wet urine. As the official www.leptospirosis.org website plainly states ‘ you are more at risk of being hit by lightening while riding a camel than contracting Weil’s disease from a commercial drinks container’

Additional information for the professional practitioner is available from www.leptospirosis.org

Columbus Dixon October 2010

First published 5 years ago Crisis in Cleaning by Scott Young is an invaluable tool for any cleaning contractor or manager with responsibility for premises cleaning especially where hard floors are involved.

In it he willingly shares 56 years experience in the industry with a career spanning window cleaning to building cleaning contractor then on into manufacturing of cleaning equipment based and designed on his many years of practice in the field.

What this book is about is one mans quest to explain the importance of professional cleaning.

It is mandatory reading for all Newlife Cleaning Systems Area Managers which is the highest endorsement we can give.

It doesn’t matter whether you have just started your first commercial contract or you’re a facility manager with a ‘slip and trip’ problem in your client’s kitchens. The answer is in this personal journey to excellence.

A limited number of copies are available, P+P free, to the first 50 readers who register their interest.

please email sales.national@newlifecleaning.com with your postage and contact details

Columbus Dixon Aug 2010