cleanthoughts Infection Awareness SHOULD NOT Publisher Matt Gallinger [email protected] Associate Publisher Micah Ogburn [email protected] Editorial Director Rich DiPaolo [email protected] Managing Editor Aaron Baunee [email protected] Assistant Editor Amanda Martini-Hughes [email protected] Account Executives Susan Pierce [email protected] Pat Harrington [email protected] Art Director Marty Harris [email protected] Graphic Designer Justin Lancaster ext. 3159 ext. 3179 (516) 404-4532 VACATION Germs and bacteria are workaholics, but don’t let them outperform you. TAKE A SUMMER ext. 3157 ext. 3154 (256) 715-0342 ext. 3153 N Now that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the North American flu season is officially over and summer is in full swing — the CDC didn’t tell us that second part; the Gregorian calendar did — infection awareness will take its seasonal backseat. This cyclical phenomenon happens each year: News bulletins and press briefings abound when an outbreak occurs or the potential for one exists, and then all but disappear in the off season. As a result, the public becomes com-placent, adopting the “out of sight, out of mind” philosophy. To some degree, this also reigns true for custodial professionals — especially those in educational settings where campuses largely become ghost towns during the summer months. Although recent reports discredit the notion that infection control and prevention is top of mind for environmental services technicians and infection preventionists in healthcare settings — in the latter, the idea is right in the job title — throughout the year, even they are not immune to the laissez faire mentality that develops with warmer weather. So, the million-dollar question is, “How do we stress the importance of infection awareness year-round without our mes-sages falling on deaf ears?” and over again until it becomes solidified in our psyche. Such an approach is needed regarding infection awareness no matter the time of year or stage of an outbreak. I have said it before, and I will echo it again: Controlling the spread of germs and bacteria is everyone’s job, from building occupants all the way up the corporate lad-der to whomever sits atop — well, hopefully nobody is actually sitting, as that would be in violation of proper ladder safety. But, I think you catch my drift. Signage stressing the importance of hand hygiene, soap and instant hand sanitizer and those witty animations about the inter-connectedness of populations in regard to how viruses and superbugs can spread or be curbed should be visible and available in sufficient quantities all year. In the U.S. alone, sick and/or diseased people account for tens of billions of dol-lars in lost wages, medical bills and other associated costs each year. It is imperative that we step up our infec-tion awareness efforts and do all we can to minimize the instances of avoidable infec-tions; the alternative is a sick, vulnerable and penniless population. CM Director of Business Operations Michael Perkins [email protected] ext. 3133 Ad Materials Manager Rebecca Wilson [email protected] CMI ® Administrative Manager Sharon Hillis [email protected] NTP Media, division of ext. 3137 ext. 3165 Editorial, Advertising & Publishing Offices 19BritishAmericanBlvdWest•Latham,NY12110-6405 (518) 783-1281 FAX: (518) 783-1386 Subscription Questions or Inquiries Toll Free (866) 721-4807 Outside U.S. (847) 763-1867 or e-mail [email protected] Subscribe / Renew / Change of Address: http://www.CMMOnline.com/Subscribe Canada Post: Publications Mail Agreement #40612608 Canada Returns to be sent to: Bleuchip International, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2 Corporate General Manager Barry Lovette [email protected] Vice President of Operations [email protected] Brent Kizzire Chief Marketing Officer, Publishing Services Group [email protected] Hank Brown Vice President of Business Publishing [email protected] Tracy Aston-Martin Vice President of Finance [email protected] Brad Youngblood Director of Circulation & Fulfillment [email protected] Delicia Poole Circulation Manager Stacie Tubb Circulation Analyst Anna Hicks [email protected] [email protected] Editorial Advisory Board: Benjamin Tanner, Antimicrobial Test Laboratories; Bill McGarvey, Phillip Rosenau Company; Darrel Hicks, St. Luke’s Hospital; David Holly, The Ashkin Group; Kathleen Stanton, American Cleaning Institute (ACI); Jeff Cross, Cleanfax magazine; Russell Kendzior, National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI). Preach From The Pulpit As humans, we are creatures of habit; we thrive on repetition and consistency. This is why radio and television advertise-ments repeat the same information over Aaron Baunee, managing editor Send comments or thoughts on this topic or any other article that appears in CM/Cleaning & Maintenance Management ® magazine, to [email protected]. CM/Cleaning & Maintenance Management Online™ Service at www.CMMOnline.com 4 CM/Cleaning & Maintenance Management ® • July 2012
CMM – Archives July2012: 4
