Mar

04 CDC offers guide to help businesses prepare for COVID-19

By Shian Jno-Lewis

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has created an interim guide for businesses and employers to plan and respond to COVID-19. It is based on what is currently known about the coronavirus as of February, and the guide will be updated as additional information becomes available.

(BOMA International updates its guide for building owners.)

From the CDC:

“The following interim guidance may help prevent workplace exposures to acute respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, in non-healthcare settings. The guidance also provides planning considerations if there are more widespread, community outbreaks of COVID-19.

To prevent stigma and discrimination in the workplace, use only the ...

May

15 Superbugs Poised to Become Main Cause of Death

New disinfecting techniques and the development of germ-resistant surfaces may help save the human race from what is predicted to be the most common cause of human death in about 30 years—antibiotic-resistant germs, Newsweek reports.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 2 million people a year are sickened in the United States by bacteria or fungi resistant to major antibiotics, and that 23,000 die from their infections. The World Health Organization predicts that worldwide death rates from drug-resistant germs will increase from the current 700,000 per year to 10 million by 2050, surpassing cancer, heart disease, and diabetes to become the main cause of death in h...

May

15 Superbugs Poised to Become Main Cause of Death

By Shian Jno-Lewis

Health and safety

Hospitals testing new cleaning solutions to eliminate antibiotic-resistant germs

New disinfecting techniques and the development of germ-resistant surfaces may help save the human race from what is predicted to be the most common cause of human death in about 30 years—antibiotic-resistant germs, Newsweek reports.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 2 million people a year are sickened in the United States by bacteria or fungi resistant to major antibiotics, and that 23,000 die from their infections. The World Health Organization predicts that worldwide death rates from drug-resistant germs will increase from the current 700,000 per year to 10 million by 2050,...

Mar

26 Six Myths of Concrete Floor Maintenance

By Shian Jno-Lewis

Hard Floors; Facility Management

by James Flieler

temp-post-image

Concrete floors have evolved over the decades. They were originally restricted to the most functional facility areas, such as basements, warehouses, and industrial work areas. Now you see concrete floors just about anywhere in all types of residential and commercial facilities. You may notice these floors have a new look compared to concrete floors of the past.

Today’s concrete floors are often dyed or stained in many different colors and decorated with patterns and designs. Thanks to these new looks, some facilities, such as retail buildings, consider concrete the “in” floor. And for good reason:

Concrete can be amazingly durable

When compared to other floorin...

Mar

26 How to Maintain a Healthy Breakroom

By Shian Jno-Lewis

Infection Control; Facility Management; Health and Safety

by Riley Quinn Doherty

Germs spread easily when people spend a lot of time indoors, in close proximity to each other. This is especially true in the workplace, where several factors combine to create a perfect storm of contagiousness: numerous people occupying a closed space, highly trafficked common areas, and, sometimes, a culture that discourages sick employees from staying home.

According to a recent survey Staples conducted of workers throughout the United States, 44 percent had the flu last season, and nearly half of those people (45 percent) believe they caught it from a co-worker. Moreover, employees report taking an average of just 2.7 sick days to recover from the flu, meaning they&...

Feb

12 Staying Safe During Extreme Cold

By Shian Jno-Lewis

Safety, Cold Weather,

DuPage County sent this bulletin at 01/29/2019 01:09 PM CST

Extreme cold is heading for DuPage County!

COLD WEATHER SAFETY TIPS

Extreme cold is heading for DuPage County!

Starting late Tuesday night, DuPage County will enter its coldest snap in more than a decade. Temperatures will stay below freezing both day and night. The winter conditions will result in potentially life-threatening wind chills. Take some time to make sure your home is ready and make sure your family is safe!

If you cannot stay in your home, use this list of heating centers in DuPage County to find a warm place to stay. Please call the heating center first to make sure they are open and operating.

Metra has released a modified...

Jan

16 Three Requirements For A Safe Workplace: Management Commitment, Employee Involvement And Planning.

By Shian Jno-Lewis

If you are an employer or a manager, it is your responsibility to provide a safe work environment not only for your cleaning staff, but for all your employees.To do so, there are three of things that have to happen.

First, management commitment must exist and it must be continuous (not a one time thing).

Second, the cleaning organization must comply with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Hazard Communication Standard and have a written hazard communication program in place.

Finally, employees must be involved in developing, understanding and executing the program.

The ISSA Cleaning Industry Management Standard (CIMS) leads managers through all of the above (see sectio...

Jan

16 Keep it Clean, Keep it Safe in Industrial Facilities

By Shian Jno-Lewis

Injury Prevention; Quality Assurance; Slips and Falls

Safety tips for cleaning risky environments

by Jean-François Leblanc

A clean, organized manufacturing plant or warehouse is often more efficient, more productive, and safer than one that is not. Some organizations may task their in-house employees with the upkeep of the facility, whereas others may employ an outside cleaning service to handle the cleaning and maintenance process.

Outside cleaning crews will not be as familiar with the inner workings of a facility as an in-house employee, so they’ll require an extensive amount of training before they start. Critical to that training will be an emphasis on staying safe on the plant or warehouse floor.

Regardless of how organizations...

Nov

29 How Safe Is Your Facility’s Water Supply?

By Shian Jno-Lewis

Health and Safety; Environment and Sustainability

According to a CMM Daily News article, Eight percent of U.S. water systems don’t meet federal safety standards. The artciele raised the following concers below;

Is the water system for your facility keeping out contaminants? If your building has been regularly maintained and is in an urban or suburban area, its water supply is most likely safe. However, if you maintain an aging facility, or one in a rural area, your water supply may not meet federal standards, CNN reports.

Since Flint, MI, made the news several years ago for its unsafe drinking water, testing in other towns and facilities, including schools, has revealed unsafe levels of lead, copper, and other contaminants. Recent U.S. ...

Nov

26 The Great Debate: Paper Towels vs. Hand Dryers

By Shian Jno-Lewis

paper towels, dryers

temp-post-image

The workplace restroom is crawling with germs. Research has shown there are thousands of different species of bacteria on the floors and on other surfaces of public restrooms. Even worse: That bacteria is not simply lying dormant—it is actively multiplying and dispersing at alarming rates. In fact, a toilet seat can spray aerosolized feces as high as 15 feet into the air, and during the course of 2 to 4 hours, bacteria can spread to more than 60 percent of frequently handled surfaces, such as door handles and sink edges.

Handwashing is a great first step to ensuring all of this potentially harmful bacteria is removed from hands before building occupants leave the restroom. However, hand...

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Extreme cold is heading for DuPage County!

COLD WEATHER SAFETY TIPS

Extreme cold is heading for DuPage County!

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