cleanthoughts From Air Quality 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] ext. 3159 To Infection Prevention The makeup of the air in the indoor environments in which we congregate has a decisive influence on our health. ext. 3179 (516) 404-4532 ext. 3157 ext. 3154 (256) 715-0342 ext. 3153 W With people spending an estimated 90 percent of their time indoors, indoor air quality (IAQ) should be an important con-sideration year round — and even more so during winter months when there is little fresh air entering a structure because doors and windows remain closed. According to David Thompson, presi-dent of the Green Clean Institute (GCI), the average person breathes in 20,000 breaths in a day, weighing in at 35 pounds of air. Because of the potential to breathe in plenty of unwanted airborne particulates, IAQ monitoring should be regularly per-formed and other considerations taken into account that can help lessen instanc-es of poor indoor air. A recent study, whose findings were published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology , found that the older and less expensive a vacuum cleaner is, the more dust and bacteria are released into the air. As such, one of the very tasks we per-form to clean the indoor environment can actually be exacerbating the air quality issue. This finding highlights the vitality of high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) fil-tered vacuums, which can help alleviate some IAQ issues if used regularly and maintained as per manufacturer recom-mendations. Aside from proper and frequent hand-washing, other things include: ■ Cleaning and disinfecting common touch points ■ Coughing or sneezing into your arm instead of your hand ■ Minimizing instances of hand-to-face contact ■ Maintaining a healthy, balanced diet ■ Educating others about the impor-tance of hand hygiene and clean environments in remaining healthy. Director of Business Operations Michael Perkins [email protected] ext. 3133 Ad Materials Manager Rebecca Wilson [email protected] CMI ® Administrative Manager Sharon Hillis [email protected] ext. 3137 ext. 3165 Editorial, Advertising & Publishing Offices NTP Media, division of Don’t Miss Out As stewards of public health, it is our responsibility to know which dangers are present and be armed with the tools and knowledge to eradicate pathogens before they cause illness or more severe harm to us and building occupants. Among other things, the 60-minute Infection Control Online Seminar on March 22 at 2 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) will discuss various disinfection strategies and will outline the steps necessary to properly handle an outbreak in your facility. Visit www.CMMOnline.com/Online-Resources/Content/Online-Seminars, reg-ister for any or all of the events and then submit a question to be answered live dur-ing the event by our panel of experts. CM 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] Stay Healthy According to a recent survey by Staples Advantage, roughly 70 percent of employ-ees admit coming into work while sick, a phenomenon known as presenteeism. There are some considerations that can be taken to help improve your chances of remaining healthy this cold and flu season. 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). 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 ® • February 2012
CMM – Archives Feb 2012: 4
