Rapid mold growth in facilities is a common issue resulting in expensive damage to the built environment and potentially resulting in severe occupant health issues, OSHA violations, closures, fines, lawsuits, and medical-related costs.

The Dangers of Facility Mold
Mold spores commonly enter facilities through

Open doors or windows
Vents
Poorly filtered HVAC systems
On the bottom of occupant shoes or on their clothes, and;
On pets in buildings that allow them.

Based on the influenza data from Australia, the U.S. may be heading for a severe 2022-23 cold and flu season.

Dire Predictions for the 2022-23 Cold and Flu Season
U.S. health officials are urging increased vigilance and action this cold and flu season due to the record-breaking pre-pandemic levels of influenza spreading across Australia.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released updated guidance regarding facility cleaning and safety measures to address the emerging monkeypox outbreak.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Declares Monkeypox a Public Health Emergency
On August 4th, 2022, U.S. HHS Director Xavier Becerra elevated the status of the ongoing monkeypox outbreak to a public health emergency.

With cold and flu season and the start of the new school year just around the corner, it's time to address your facility's cleaning and germ hotspot disinfection policies and procedures.

Hybrid Working Models Contribute to the Spread of Office Germs
The hybrid working model--home part-time and office part-time--combined with communal workspaces and hot desking contributes to the rapid transmission of germs and bacteria, resulting in increased rates of illness and decreased worker productivity and mental wellness.

Pandemic-era work-from-home requirements have influenced office workers toward more eco-conscious behaviors and expectations in the workplace.

Eco-Friendly Practices A Priority Among Office Workers
Time away from the office and working from home has realigned the majority of U.S. office workers' values towards more eco-friendly action.

College campuses, particularly dorms and restrooms, are petri dishes for germs and bacteria that spread rapidly and negatively impact academic and social development, emphasizing the need for improved cleaning policies and methods.

How Germy is the Average Student Body Dorm Room?
In most college campus dorms, students are tasked with sanitizing their living and shared spaces during the regular school year.

Recently the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the hMPXV (monkeypox) virus a Global Public Health Emergency, significantly increasing the severity outlook for the infection and taking us one step closer to the declaration of another pandemic.

Monkeypox Global Health Emergency
On July 23rd, 2022, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Ph.D., overruled a 9-6 Emergency Committee decision and declared the monkeypox virus a Global Health Emergency.

World Water Week 2022--occurring between August 23rd through September 1st and organized by the Stockholm International Water Institute--aims to make the invisible visible by bringing to attention concerns regarding rapid aridification and permanent climate change in the U.S.

Groundwater Reliance in the Western U.S.
Several naturally arid Western U.S. states increasingly rely on groundwater banked in aquifers.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, facility infection prevention priorities have shifted from cleaning for appearance, through hygiene theater, to a holistic focus on cleaning for occupant and environmental health.

Post-Pandemic Facility Infection Control Practices
Before the pandemic, custodial professionals pushed for improved cleaning methods to promote occupant health and safety while reducing humanity's environmental impact.

Healthcare officials are emphasizing the importance of summertime cleaning routines to combat the surge in COVID-19 variants.

Summer COVID Cases Surging
According to recent reports, summer cases of COVID-19 variants have quietly surged across California.