Science-backed health-based cleaning and disinfection measures mitigate the spread of contagions by breaking the chain of infection, resulting in increased facility health and safety and occupant wellness and performance.
Surface Cleaning and Disinfection Disrupts the Contact Transmission of Infectious Disease
Infectious disease agents spread in one of four ways:
- Airborne via inhalation.
- Common-Vehicle, via food or water.
- Vector-Borne, via insects, and;
- Dermal-Contact, either through direct skin-to-skin contact or indirectly through contact with commonly touched surfaces, called fomites.
A primary concern regarding infectious disease transmission is the spread of respiratory infections, which make up two of the leading ten causes of death in the U.S.
Aerosolized particles escape from infected persons when speaking, breathing, coughing, and sneezing and can remain in the air where they are inhaled or transmitted to surfaces.
Additionally, larger particles, referred to as droplets, quickly fall toward the ground, often on commonly touched surfaces that function as reservoirs where pathogens can survive, often for several days, sometimes weeks.
When occupants come into contact with the surface, the pathogen is transmitted onto their hands, where they can infect themselves or transmit the virus to others.
From that point, studies show the pathogen is quickly spread throughout a facility and its occupants.
According to an article from Live Science regarding a study conducted by Dr. Charles Gerba;
Throughout the day, the researchers sampled 60 to 100 surfaces in the buildings, including light switches, bed rails, tabletops, coffee-pot handles, sink tap handles, doorknobs, and phone and computer equipment.
Within 2 to 4 hours, 40 to 60 percent of sampled surfaces in the buildings were contaminated with the virus, said study researcher Charles Gerba, a microbiologist at the University of Arizona.
In hotels, the virus traveled between rooms as workers cleaned the rooms. "If you hear someone coughing in the room next door, the virus they have maybe in your room the next night."
Office Germs: Viruses Spread Everywhere in Just Hours, Study Shows
Cleaning and Disinfection
Regular health-based cleaning and disinfection measures are critical for removing pathogens from surfaces and preventing the transmission of infectious diseases.
According to research compiled by the Cleaning Industry Research Institute Science Advisory Council:
The cleaning process, through friction, physically removes microbes and their associated matrices in which they may be embedded, such as saliva and/or nasal secretions from the nose or mouth, as generated by coughing or sneezing.
Thus, the cleaning process is crucial, as it removes soils, respiratory secretions, and other substances that may block or interfere with the antimicrobial action of the biocide to kill or otherwise inactivate any remaining microbial residues.
The value of this two-step process of cleaning and disinfection to maximize the reduction of infectious agent transmission has been previously confirmed in a controlled laboratory study.
Handwashing
A second critical step in breaking the chain of infection and preventing the dermal transmission of pathogens is proper and regular hand hygiene.
Washing your hands regularly with soap and water protects you and others from diseases you, beyond any shadow of a doubt, have encountered via direct contact with a contaminated surface throughout the day.
Regardless of how thoroughly a surface is cleaned or disinfected, they are quickly recontaminated in high-traffic public facilities, especially during cold and flu season.
High-quality hand hygiene practices function as a bulwark against that exposure between surface cleaning and disinfection cycles.
Cleaning Frequency
Ideal cleaning frequencies vary between industries, communities, and facilities.
Every building should be cleaned at least once for each day that it is occupied, and fomites should be wiped down with a disinfectant based on how often they are touched or in accordance with foot traffic.
In communities or facilities with elevated infection rates, cleaning and disinfection frequencies should be increased to prevent localized outbreaks.
Occupant Wellness and Performance
Facility sanitation and hygiene levels have a direct impact on occupant health and performance.
Chronically ill occupants--whether students or office workers--who are consistently absent cost the organization more money and output at a lower performance level than their healthier counterparts.
Further, present but ill occupants--a phenomenon colloquially referred to as presenteeism--output at reduced performance levels and are likely to spread infection to healthy occupants, further reducing facility safety, hygiene, and organizational outcomes.
According to Services Magazine;
Health-related lost productive time (LPT) has been targeted at more than $222 billion per year in the U.S. with the average per employee annual cost at approximately $1,320.
Causes of absenteeism such as colds, flu, and asthma are major contributors that can be reduced as much as 80 percent with the right preventative janitorial practices.
A study of 400 managers and employees conducted by HLW International LLP on employee productivity levels reported a 5 percent productivity gain in quality clean environments in a 100 associate office with an average salary of $25,000.
A workplace wellness approach not only attracts employees, it retains them - especially millennials who have come to expect a health-conscious focus from their employers.
References & Resources
- New Research on the Importance of Health-Based Cleaning and Disinfection to Mitigate the Spread of Infectious Diseases
- Leading Causes of Death
- Increased Cleaning and Disinfection during an Outbreak for Influenza-like-Illness (ILI) and gastrointestinal (GI) outbreaks
Takeaway
Science-backed health-based cleaning methods have a clear impact on facility hygiene, occupant health, and organizational outcomes.
Post-pandemic--the demand for improved and sustainable cleaning and infection prevention and control practices have dramatically increased alongside requirements for increased service provider education, skills, training, and access to state-of-the-art technologies.
Outsourcing is a proven method for cost-effectively onboarding these highly in-demand skills and technologies at a fraction of the cost of managing the same service level in-house.
If you would like more information regarding the effectiveness of high-performance infection prevention and control measures, or if you would like to schedule a free, no-obligation onsite assessment of your facility's custodial needs, contact us today for a free quote!
In Bakersfield, CA, call (661) 437-3253
In Fresno, CA, call (559) 206-1059
In Valencia, CA, or Santa Clarita, CA, call (661) 437-3253
In Palmdale, CA or Lancaster, CA, call (661) 371-4756
