ISS Australia wins award for healthcare innovation

ISS Australia has won the healthcare category of the Australian FM Innovations Award for introducing a real-time patient feedback tablet. It won the award for the introduction of a tablet-based survey that provides instant patient feedback regarding the cleanliness of the environment at Northern Health sites across Victoria, Australia.

The easy-to-use tablet allows patients to give real-time feedback from their beds, enabling ISS to quickly address any potential problems. The innovation was implemented to improve the quality of cleaning services, as well as the patients' perception of room cleanliness and their overall hospital experience.
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SwipeSense acquires mobile application for recording hand hygiene observations

SwipeSense, a Chicago-based healthcare technology company, announced this week the acquisition of iScrub Lite, a leading mobile application for hand hygiene observation. Originally conceived and developed by the Computational Epidemiology Research Group at the University of Iowa, iScrub Lite was launched to simplify the time-consuming and error-prone process of recording hand hygiene observations and sharing the results with healthcare professionals.

As part of its commitment to helping hospitals save more lives, SwipeSense reached an agreement with the University of Iowa to take ownership of iScrub Lite and will now be responsible for maintaining and ensuring the free application remains available to the infection control community.
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Hero Wipes to launch new bloodborne pathogen antiseptic wipes for EMS providers

The Hero Wipes brand has expanded its product line to tackle another threat faced by first responders: bloodborne pathogens.

With the launch of Hero Wipes EMS, first responders now have a wipe that effectively cleans and kills 99.9% of germs to reduce the risk of infection that bloodborne pathogens present. And, of course, if they are good for first responders, they are good for anyone who risks coming into contact with someone else's blood - such as cleaners.
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Ontario unions to form alliance for respect for 75,000 hospital workers

Three of Canada's largest unions announced yesterday an alliance that will kick off a campaign to push Ontario hospitals to return to bargaining and treat their staff with respect.

This is the first time the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (OCHU/CUPE), SEIU Healthcare and Unifor have come together to seek a negotiated agreement on behalf of 75,000 nurses, personal support workers, cleaners, porters, and administrative, dietary and trades staff at 160 Ontario hospitals.
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Northern Ireland Ambulance Service on 'special measures' over hygiene lapses

The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service is being placed on 'special measures' over hygiene lapses uncovered during unannounced inspections by the Regulation & Quality Improvement Authority.

The lapses were of such concern to the RQIA that it recommended that the special measures be put in place and the Department of Health has accepted its recommendations.
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Latest HCAI quarterly trends reveal MRSA and C. diff down; MSSA up

Public Health England's latest quarterly epidemiological commentary on trends in reports of MRSA, MSSA and Gram-negative bacteraemia, and C. difficile infections, mandatorily reported by NHS acute Trusts in England up to October to December 2017, has been published.

MRSA and C. difficile are showing downward trends while MSSA incidences are increasing.
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The future of PFI and private finance in infrastructure: Government experts speak

With the collapse of Carillion and fears expressed about other major companies, the spotlight is on the future of private finance in infrastructure delivery. When PFI was first introduced under the Major government and then embraced wholeheartedly by Gordon Brown as Chancellor, the memory of egregious cases of massive budget overruns and missed deadlines in the delivery of public projects was still fresh in the collective memory.

It was confidently asserted at the time that private sector efficiencies and management skills, coupled with effective risk transfer, would more than compensate for the higher cost of private sector borrowing and improve project delivery and overall cost.
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Canadian healthcare providers are re-examining their cleaning strategies

Aging demographics and a spike in chronic conditions amongst Canadians, combined with increased turnover of hospital rooms, has forced healthcare providers to rethink their strategies for protecting patients at their most critical moments.

The threat is real. More than 200,000 patients get infections every year while receiving healthcare in Canada and more than 8,000 of these patients die as a result, according to a 2013 report from Canada's chief public health officer.
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End-to-end hygiene and infection control reduces HCAIs and improves patient safety

GV Health will launch a range of integrated solutions for end-to-end infection control, waste management and patient safety at Arab Health 2018, which takes place from 29th January to 1st February in Dubai.
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NHS office staff tell how they volunteered to help cleaning colleagues

NHS Lanarkshire board secretary Paul Cannon swapped his suit for a plastic apron as he scrubbed beds, cleaned areas around beds and handed out patient meals to help hard-pressed clinical colleagues at a busy hospital.

Paul (pictured with Gillian Mathie (left) and Laura Dempster), was one of many office-based staff who put their day jobs to one side to help out as Lanarkshire's hospitals managed unprecedented numbers of patients needing care for winter illnesses.
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At Your Service Cleaning Group provides additional layer of protection against germs

At Your Service Cleaning Group has announced its latest effort in helping its clients fight harmful germs that can have severe impacts on businesses and community members.

The Clorox Total 360 System offers superior surface coverage in even the hardest-to-reach places including the sides, underside and backside of surfaces, which are typically hot spots for bacteria and viruses.
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Technology helps fight infection-causing pathogens to enhance hospital safety

As part of its ongoing commitment to patient safety, Newton Medical Center (NMC) has partnered with Clorox Healthcare to bring advanced, ultraviolet light technology to the hospital's existing patient safety and infection-fighting protocols.

Four Clorox Healthcare Optimum-UV Systems now complement NMC's comprehensive infection control plan, which combines manual surface disinfection with pathogen-killing UV technology.
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Fulham Road renews with ISS UK

Three NHS Foundation Trusts have awarded ISS UK major contract.

After a competitive procurement process, the Fulham Road Collaborative (FRC) has awarded a new five-year contract, worth more than £100m (842m DKK) over the contract term, to its existing provider, ISS Facility Services - Healthcare.
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Enhancing floor safety through slip resistance testing, maintenance and risk awareness

The results released in a slip and fall study report by CNA, a leading provider of insurance solutions and risk management services for businesses and professionals worldwide, reveal that tested floors in 50% of the surveyed sites failed to produce a dynamic coefficient of friction (DCOF) level above the minimum threshold of 0.42 (American National Standards Institute).

Ultimately, these findings suggest that many businesses' fall prevention programmes may overlook the effects of flooring selection and ongoing maintenance on slip resistance.
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AsepticSure disinfection system introduced to Nordic Region

AsepticSure, said to be the only disinfection system in the world that routinely achieves a minimum microbial kill of at least a thousand times greater than conventional cleaning methods, is to be distributed in the Nordic Region by GYD S.A.

The news comes following an agreement by AsepticSure's manufacturer Medizone International, and Aglon a/s, announced on Tuesday. Medizone has granted Aglon exclusive distribution rights for the AsepticSure system in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland.
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Study finds copper surfaces in fitness centres reduce bacteria and possible infection

Using copper-alloy materials in fitness centres significantly reduced concentrations of bacteria on all equipment types, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Infection Control.

The study shows that high-touch surfaces in gyms made with copper will maintain reduced bacterial loads, as found in similar studies performed in hospitals.
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Ochsner Medical Center launches infection-fighting robots to enhance patient safety

Ochsner Medical Center - Jefferson Highway is setting a new standard for patient care by deploying Xenex LightStrike Germ-Zapping Robots to improve patient safety and reduce the risk of healthcare-associated infections.

Xenex's LightStrike Robots can destroy deadly pathogens and multi-drug resistant organisms that can cause HAI.
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Bridging the gap between cleaning the environment and infection prevention & control

A new Healthcare Forum is being organised for Wednesday, 16th May, alongside next year's ISSA/Interclean exhibition in Amsterdam. The Forum will address the growing demand for hygienic and disinfecting products and solutions in the healthcare sector - a demand that has been fuelled by the increasing threat of healthcare-associated infections.
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Vectair Systems Inc. joins US Green Building Council

Vectair Systems has announced that its North American business, Vectair Systems, Inc. has become a member of the USGBC (US Green Building Council). This is in keeping with its commitment to the environment and a sustainable way of living.

The USGBC is 'committed to a sustainable, prosperous future through LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), the leading programme for green buildings and communities worldwide'.
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Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust look to ISS and the Future

After an extended period of competitive dialogue with a number of potential partners, Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust has awarded ISS Facility Services, Healthcare, a five-year contract, with an overall worth of approximately £40m, to provide a wide range of soft services, including cleaning, catering, housekeeping, security and associated services.

This is the first time that the Kent-based Trust has been able to take the opportunity of testing the services across its whole estate. ISS will be welcoming more than 250 new staff members into its Healthcare team.
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Gloves are a potential barrier to hand hygiene, especially amongst nurses

Rather than improving hygiene, glove use in healthcare settings can actually create a potential barrier to hand hygiene - especially amongst nurses, reports Healio this week.

The World Health Organisation says that while hand hygiene and the use of examination gloves in healthcare is critical, healthcare personnel should perform hand hygiene procedures, either using alcohol-based hand-rub or soap and water, both before and after donning gloves, and that gloves should only be worn in certain scenarios. A recent study has found, however, that the use of gloves can create 'a missed opportunity' when it comes to hygiene.
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Hospital curtains, lab coats and scrubs are turned into germ-fighting shields

Soft surfaces have traditionally been one of the bigger challenges to sanitise in the healthcare environment. One study found that 92% of privacy curtains were contaminated with infectious bacteria within one week of laundering. Yet another study cites that as much as 60% of nursing and physician attire can be a source of nosocomial infections.

Now, Prime Medical, in partnership with Clorox Professional Products, is introducing hospital privacy curtains, scrubs and lab coats that harness the sanitising effects of sodium hypochlorite-based bleach, to help make these soft surfaces part of the solution in reducing healthcare-associated infections.
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'Wipe-on Glass' offers permanent hygiene and protection from infection

The spin-off from the Leibniz-Institute for New Materials (INM) in Saarbrucken, Nano-Care Deutschland AG, has launched the third generation of ultra-thin coatings. 'Wipe-on Glass', it says, provides any kind of hard surface with a self-disinfecting performance for a period of from several months, to several years.

Simply wiped onto the surface, this robust and effective barrier against hospital germs, odour-causing bacteria, mould, fungi and yeast provides protection against the most substantial problem the 21st century faces: pathogen microorganisms.
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CDC-funded study underlines benefits of enhanced UVC disinfection in healthcare facilities

A new, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention-funded analysis of the Benefits of Enhanced Terminal Room-Disinfection (BETR-D) shows that enhanced disinfection using UVC leads to a reduction of microbial contamination and a decrease in patient colonisation and infection.

The new substudy, 'Enhanced disinfection leads to reduction of microbial contamination and a decrease in patient colonisation and infection', was recently published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.
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IEHA launches healthcare initiative at ISSA Show North America 2018

IEHA, the 1,300-plus professional member organisation for those employed in facility housekeeping at the management level, has announced a new program initiative geared specifically to cleaning and maintenance professionals in healthcare facilities.

Making its debut at IEHA's 52nd Annual Conference & Convention - part of ISSA Show North America 2018 - this highly specialised program enables healthcare professionals in facilities management to maximise the value they bring to the processes of patient care and recovery.
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Rallying staff say patients, care, infection control all adversely affected by healthcare cuts

Canadian Union of Public Employees rallied last Friday against healthcare cuts, arguing that it is untrue for hospital and regional health network administrators to suggest that patients, care levels and infection control will not be adversely affected by a new round of cuts at Health Sciences North.

The cuts touch many areas of patient care including nursing, environmental services, administration, hospital linens, and other hospital support services.
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Healthcare professionals see technology as infection control tool

A study that demonstrates a correlation between technology adoption and hygiene compliance in the eyes of Healthcare workers has been released by Tork, an Essity brand. According to the results, healthcare professionals believe introducing new technology such as hand hygiene monitoring systems, can play an important role in hygiene compliance and infection control across healthcare facilities.
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Professor Mark Wilcox to present latest study at Infection Prevention Society Conference 2018

Professor Mark Wilcox, MD, consultant microbiologist and Head of R&D in Microbiology at the University of Leeds and Leeds Teaching Hospitals, will present a Symposium entitled 'Is the choice of hand drying method a decision for infection control teams rather than facilities?' at the Infection Prevention Society (IPS) 2018 Conference being held at the Scottish Event Campus, Glasgow from 30th September - 2nd October.
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Idexx Pseudalert Test accepted as Global ISO Standard

Idexx Laboratories, a global leader in rapid microbiological testing for water, has announced that the Idexx Pseudalert method has been published as the International Organisation for Standardisation worldwide standard 16266-2 for the 24-hour detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in water.

P. aeruginosa can cause life-threatening infections in hospitals and is a frequent cause of skin, ear, and eye infections from pool and spa water. Public and private laboratories and healthcare and hospitality industry facilities count on the Pseudalert method to monitor their water for this pathogen.
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Germ-zapping robots help Hunterdon Medical Center reduce superbug infections by 76%

As germs and bacteria become increasingly resistant to cleaning chemicals and antibiotics, Hunterdon Medical Center recently deployed Xenex LightStrike germ-zapping robots that use pulsed xenon ultraviolet light to enhance traditional room cleaning procedures as a key part of the hospital's infection prevention program.

The hospital has seen a 76% reduction in Clostridium difficile infection rates since it began using the robots to disinfect rooms.
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Mitie Landscapes strengthens NHS partnerships with a double win

Mitie's Landscaping business has been awarded two new ground maintenance contracts with the NHS in the South West of England. The contracts with Devon Partnership NHS Trust and South-Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust are together worth £675,000 over five-year terms.

For South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT), Mitie will deliver a range of landscaping services across 72 sites in Gloucester, Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire, Devon and Cornwall.
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Healthcare Cleaning Professionals' Forum focused on 'Facing the Future'

The Association of Healthcare Cleaning Professionals' latest three-day Annual Education and Development Forum, which took place last month, was based on the theme 'Facing the Future'. Organised and managed in-house by the Midlands Branch and AHCP's business manager, the event turned out to be the best and most well-attended for many years.
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UK Chancellor attends landmark healthcare agreement between Serco and Jeddah hospital

Serco and Dr Soliman Fakeeh Hospital (DSFH), accompanied by the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, have this week announced a partnership agreement to transform facilities management and patient-facing services at the hospital in Jeddah over the next five years.

Serco has been working with this leading hospital group for six months to design a new integrated service methodology, developing plans for major efficiencies and service improvements.
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ISS wins two large hospital contracts in Turkey

ISS Turkey has entered into two five-year integrated services partnerships in the healthcare sector with Kayseri Hospital and Elazi Hospital respectively.

The two contracts will have a combined annual revenue of around DKK 250 million.
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HCAI quarterly trends January to March 2018, published

Public Health England's latest quarterly commentary on trends in reports of Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA and MSSA) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteraemia, and Clostridium difficile infections (CDI), mandatorily reported by NHS acute Trusts in England for the period January to March 2018, has been published and they show that there is still work to do when it comes to finding ways to prevent the spread of infection.

MRSA bacteraemia:
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ECDC reviews risk posed by carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae in healthcare settings

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae - the subject of an updated rapid risk assessment published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention & Control - represent a risk to patients and healthcare systems, causing infections associated with high mortality due to the limited treatment options available.

Outbreaks in healthcare settings have been reported by several EU/EEA countries including the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain and the UK.
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Research shows polyurethane kitchen sponge helps keep E. coli at bay

FXI, the producer of innovative foam products, reports that a groundbreaking study by Charles P. Gerba, Ph.D., a renowned professor of microbiology and environmental sciences at the University of Arizona, reveals that using a kitchen sponge made of polyurethane foam significantly reduces the spread of E. coli, decreasing the risk of infection by up to 90%, when compared to a traditional cellulose sponge.

According to the study, levels of fecal bacterium E. coli were always 99.9% less in polyurethane sponges than in cellulose sponges after use in households for one month.
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CDC-funded clinical trial proves UV disinfection effective in decreasing C. diff hospital-wide

A new study proves that enhanced terminal room disinfection with Tru-D SmartUVC leads to a decrease in risk of acquisition of targeted multidrug-resistant organisms such as C. diff and VRE for all patients, hospital-wide.

The study, 'Effectiveness of targeted enhanced terminal room disinfection on hospital-wide acquisition and infection with multidrug-resistant organisms and Clostridium difficile: a secondary analysis of a multicentre cluster randomized controlled trial with crossover design (BETR Disinfection)', which was recently published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, discusses the prescribed secondary analysis of the BETR-D randomized clinical trial.
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Hospital sees 47% reduction in HAIs after adding pulsed xenon UV disinfection to cleaning protocols

A germ-fighting robot that uses pulsed xenon ultraviolet light to sanitise rooms at Trinity Hospital is giving a boost to the hospital's infection control program.

Trinity Health deployed two Xenex LightStrike Germ-Zapping Robots two years ago as part of its ongoing efforts to reduce the risk of healthcare-associated infections (HAI) - infections that patients acquire while receiving treatment in a hospital, such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), and Clostridium difficile (C. diff).
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New self-cleaning film for touchscreens enhances cleanliness at airports, doctor's offices, restaurants and schools

In a recent study of germs in airplanes and airports, the dirtiest places to touch weren't what travellers expected.

The dirtiest touch point was the touchscreen on the check-in kiosk, which had 10 times as many contaminants as the toilet seat.
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Self-cleaning surfaces create cleaner healthcare facilities and improve patient experience

Cleanliness is a challenge for all facilities but especially so for healthcare establishments. Hospitals, physicians' offices, dental offices and surgery centres are under tremendous pressure to maintain a high level of cleanliness to help ensure the health of their patients.

NanoTouch Materials, in Forest, Virginia, has used new advances in nanotechnology to create NanoSeptic self-cleaning surfaces, enabling healthcare facilities to achieve a higher level of cleanliness. NanoSeptic skins and mats turn dirty high traffic touchpoints, such as reception counters, door handles, and over-the-bed tray tables into continuously self-cleaning surfaces.
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Building One FS "first in Connecticut" to offer innovative germ-fighting electrostatic system

Building One Facility Services says is the first company in Connecticut to buy the Clorox Total 360 System and that it has taken this step to add an additional layer of surface protection and create an even healthier environment for its clients.

The system helps eliminate the bacteria, viruses and pathogens that can leave businesses and community members down for days.
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New rapid water test will help fight Legionnaires' disease across EMEA region

IDEXX has announced the launch across Europe, The Middle East and Africa, of Legiolert, a new culture testing method that enables building owners and facilities managers to simplify water testing and reduce the risk posed by Legionnaires' disease.

Legiolert is a highly sensitive method for the confirmed detection of Legionella pneumophila (L. pneumophila), in water and delivers results to decision-makers up to seven days faster than traditional testing methods.
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Nurses' regular use of disinfectants is associated with developing COPD

Regular use of disinfectants is linked to a higher risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to new research looking at incidence of the disease in over 55,000 nurses in the US.

Dr Orianne Dumas (PhD) from INSERM - the French National Institute of Health & Medical Research, Villejuif, France, told the European Respiratory Society International Congress on Monday, that certain tasks involving frequent exposure to disinfectants, such as cleaning surfaces and specific chemicals in disinfectants, were associated with a 22% to 32% increased risk of developing COPD.
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Awareness campaign highlights deadly legionella hotspots

A Legionella Awareness Day campaign has uncovered that over 1,300 cases of legionella have been reported in the UK since 2014, listing Greater London, Greater Manchester and Nottinghamshire as three of the areas most affected.

In the run up to Legionella Awareness Day, held by national water treatment company HydroChem UK, the company submitted 317 Freedom of Information requests to councils across the UK.
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Marshall County Hospital invests in first UV disinfection robot

Marshall County Hospital in Benton, Kentucky, US, has added a new member to its environmental services team to proactively reduce the risk of hospital-acquired infections.

The new addition, Tru-D SmartUVC, short for 'total room ultraviolet disinfection', is a UV disinfection robot that uses UVC light energy to kill deadly pathogens such as C. diff, MRSA, MERS, Ebola and more.
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Getting silver can put hygiene first

Doors are clearly there to help us enter and exit rooms, but when we're worried about hygiene standards they can in fact prove to be barriers rather than enablers, with users unwilling to touch them with their bare hands. Dave Carson from washroom hygiene specialist P-Wave says he has the silver bullet to solve the problem.

The use of silver in hospitals and other healthcare situations is well established. Silver interrupts bacterial cells' ability to form the chemical bonds essential to their survival; so it has recognised anti-bacterial and anti-infection properties.
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Decon 7 able to eliminate Japanese Fungus

The manufacturers of Decon 7 say it is powerful enough to eliminate hazardous moulds (including black mould), fungi, viruses, E. coli, bacteria and odours and that it is effective against the latest 'superbug' to hit the headlines: Candida Auris - sometimes referred to as Japanese Fungus.

Ideal for a broad spectrum of applications, D7 effectively neutralises up to 99.999% of all bacteria, viruses, spores, moulds, and chemical & biological hazards, eliminating both vegetative and non-vegetative spores, by chemically cleaving spore walls, and neutralising mycotoxins therein. It can be used on a variety of surfaces, is fast acting, and it leaves a non-toxic pH neutral residual barrier to prevent recontamination.
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Children's Hospital introduces cutting edge Surfacide technology to combat HAIs

There is a large variation in hospital infection rates across the UK, with the worst performers having more than five times the number of cases of Healthcare Acquired Infections than the best performing hospitals.

Infection rates can be cut with better hygiene and improved patient care in hospitals, surgeries and care homes, such as ensuring staff, patients and visitors regularly wash their hands.
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Chemical free cleaning with TomCat Aqueous Ozone

The benefits of cleaning with ozone have been well documented, with its uses going back over the last century.

In testament to its effectiveness it's a system used globally in water treatment plants for its disinfecting and sanitising properties.
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New research on preventing the spread of norovirus

The Food Standards Agency has published research carried out by Ipsos MORI, Food handlers and norovirus transmission: 'Social science insights'. 

This study aimed to help stop the 'Winter vomiting bug' norovirus from spreading, by understanding and improving food handler behaviours.
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Transforming safety and hygiene

GV Health has announced a new end-to-end approach for public health and social care, which is designed to transform safety and hygiene.

The new approach addresses four key areas where leading public health and social care providers are seeking transformation. These are the management of waste - in particular infectious waste - to reduce environmental impact and increase safety:
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Dealing with potential Norovirus incidents in restaurants

People getting sick in restaurants is a fact of life. Because we must assume that the ill person has Norovirus, restaurant owners and cleaning professionals should take proper actions to help prevent the spread of the disease.

The US Centers for Disease Control & Prevention estimates that about 75% of Norovirus cases are spread not through food, but because of norovirus-infected droplets becoming airborne and covering an area as far as 25 feet from the incident.
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Reclassifying hospital floors as "critical" areas when it comes to cleaning

For many years, hospitals considered floors "non-critical" areas when it comes to cleaning and disinfecting. This means floors were considered an unlikely source for the spread of infection in a hospital setting.

However, a 2017 study published in the American Journal of Infection Control, has determined that floors do harbour dangerous germs and should be reclassified as 'critical'areas requiring more thorough cleaning and disinfecting.
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Burgess Health Center implements Clorox Healthcare UV technology to fight infection

Multi-drug resistant organisms that can cause healthcare-associated infections such as CRE (carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae), MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) continue to be a problem among healthcare facilities.

As these infections continue to threaten patient populations, Burgess Health Centre in Iowa, US is adding an extra innovative precaution to existing infection control protocols: the addition of ultraviolet (UV) technology to treat patient rooms and other key areas in the facility.
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Daylight Medical completes sale of medical UVC disinfection portfolio to Diversey Care

Daylight Medical, manufacturer of innovative medical devices and an affiliate of Codonics, a global leader in patient safety and image documentation solutions, has this week announced that it has completed the sale of its UVC disinfection business to Sealed Air's Diversey Care.
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LightStrike germ-zapping robot helps Skilled Nursing Facility dramatically reduce infection rates

Milwaukee's Jewish Home and Care Center facilities is to enhance its residents' and employees' safety by deploying a LightStrike pulsed xenon ultraviolet (PX-UV) light robot to combat dangerous microorganisms and reduce the risk of Clostridium difficile (C.diff) infections, as well as many other health risks such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and pneumonia that are common in healthcare environments.
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Vioguard to launch self-sanitising UV keyboard this year

Vioguard says that its self-sanitising UV keyboard and track pad, which has US Food & Drug Administration clearance, is to be launched towards the end of the year.

Using the germicidal properties of ultraviolet light (UV-C) to automatically disinfect the keyboard and track pad after every use, the system is 99.99% effective in killing harmful microorganisms within seconds, eliminating the need for manual disinfection and disposal of biohazard waste.
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Fight antibiotic resistance ... it's in your hands

World Hand Hygiene Day, marked globally on 5th May, highlights the importance of hand hygiene in healthcare.

The slogan of this year's campaign is: 'Fight antibiotic resistance ... it's in your hands', illustrating the important relationship between good infection prevention and control practices such as washing hands properly and preventing antibiotic resistance.
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New water study shows superiority of Legiolert test in identifying Legionnaires' disease risk over current methods

Idexx, the global specialist in rapid microbiological testing for water, this week announced the publication of a peer reviewed study: 'Evaluation of a most probable number method for the enumeration of Legionella pneumophila from potable and related water samples,' by water microbiology consultant, David Sartory, in the April 2017 issue of Letters in Applied Microbiology.

The paper concludes that the IdexxLegiolert/Quanti-Tray test is superior to the standard method for quantifying Legionella pneumophila (L. pneumophila), the primary cause of Legionnaires' disease.
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