Executive Housekeeping Today - December 2008 - (Page 9)

Restroom Hygiene In September 2000, large sections of Sydney Airport in Australia were closed when noxious fumes spread through the airport’s ventilation system. The emergency came just as the airport was in the midst of handling one of its heaviest workloads ever—with tourists, athletes, and officials headed to Sydney for the 2000 Olympic Games. Initially, it was believed the problem was caused by a malfunctioning air-conditioning system, but this proved not to be the case. Terrorism was not ruled out at the time, and the police, fire department, and government agents were called to the airport, just in case. However, terrorism proved not to be the cause of the fumes that not only closed large sections of the airport, but also resulted in more than 40 people complaining of nausea and breathing difficulties and put 27 people in the hospital. Finally, investigators and airport administrators started going through the airport janitorial closets and restrooms to see if there had been some sort of chemical spill or reaction that caused the fumes to be released. They soon discovered that there was a chemical reaction, but it was not at all what they had expected. The fumes were coming from a sanitary napkin disposal bin in one of the women’s bathrooms. While the bin was emptied regularly, it was rarely cleaned—at least not thoroughly and hygienically. Administrators surmised that germ and bacteria buildup and moisture over the years, along with the heavy use of the bin at that time, caused a chemical reaction that managed to get filtered into the facility’s ventilation sys- i by Dawn Shoemaker One of the newest electric hand drying systems now has a HEPA filter, which traps more than 99.9 percent of airborne contaminants. tem and spread throughout the airport. Although this dramatic incident is not typical, it does indicate a cleaning and hygiene problem that is often given little attention in airports, as well as in large public facilities such as schools, office buildings, hospitals, and hotels. As executives in the United States and around the world become increasingly concerned about restroom hygiene, the disposal of sanitary napkins, along with fast, efficient, and thorough hand-drying systems, are being given closer scrutiny. And for many women, this attention is long overdue. THE SOLUTION FOR A DEEP DOWN CLEAN IN SMALL SPACES Introducing Tennant’s NEW E5 powerful, lowprofile carpet extractor! The Modern Marvel: Sanitary Napkins Shortly after World War I, a type of disposable sanitary napkins, similar to those manufactured today, became popular. But since then, the napkins have become smaller, easier to use, and much more dependable. “However, to call them ‘sanitary’ is a bit misleading,” says Brian Moriarty, co-owner of Cannon Hygiene New England, a franchise that provides restroom hygiene services in the U.S. and 30 countries around the world. “It is true they are sanitary when manufactured, but by the time they are disposed of, they have become a breeding ground for all kinds of germs and bacteria.” This is true, even though various chemicals and treatments have been applied to the napkins to combat the growth of bacteria, reduce odors, and make them more hygienic overall. However, there is still no product or process that has proved effective at eliminating the growth of bacteria on the (continued on page 12) Learn more about these compact cleaning machines at www.tennantco.com December 2008/Executive Housekeeping Today 9 http://www.tennantco.com http://www.tennantco.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Executive Housekeeping Today - December 2008

Executive Housekeeping Today - December 2008 Contents Executive Corner Microfiber May Impede an Infectious Disease Outbreak Controlling MRSA Outbreaks in Educational Facilities Frugal Housekeeper Restroom Hygiene IEHA Hosts Progressive Integrated Cleaning and Measurement (ICM)™ Symposium Feature Article The Green Scene 2006-2008 EHT Article Index USGBC Tip Product Highlights New Members Joint IEHA/ISSA Members REH/CEH Members Advertisers' Index Calendar of Events Inside IEHA What IEHA Has Done For Me

Executive Housekeeping Today - December 2008

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