Cintas and IEHA Identify Best Practices for High Touch Surface Cleaning in Healthcare Facilities
January 26 2011 - 11:17AM
Business Wire
In lieu of recent changes in guidelines from the Centers for
Disease Control (CDC) calling for increased cleaning performance
and integration of new auditing controls to regulate cleaning
efficacy, Cintas Corporation and the International Executive
Housekeepers Association (IEHA) today released a list of best
practices for reducing healthcare acquired infections (HAIs) and
enhancing levels of cleanliness within a healthcare facility.
“The days of infection prevention and environmental service
departments working autonomously are over,” said J. Darrel Hicks,
REH, author of Infection Prevention for Dummies. “These new
guidelines clearly demonstrate the increased need for cooperation
between the two departments and the need for a reevaluation of
current cleaning programs in place.”
Recent hospital studies found that only 25 to 45 percent of
touch points nearest the patient met the definition of “clean”
according to research criteria. Interventions raised the rate of
clean to 75 percent. To improve cleaning performance and help
reduce opportunities for HAIs, Cintas and IEHA recommend the
following:
1.
Cultivate an environment of
partnership. Infection prevention should work together with
environmental service departments to ensure the facility is being
cleaned at optimal levels with the resources available. Schedule
ongoing meetings with the other department so there is open
communication between the two groups.
2.
Benchmark cleaning products and
processes. Work with manufacturers to identify product needs
and have them assist in audits to ensure the proper processes are
in place and that the products are used effectively. Infection
prevention can also be a valuable resource throughout the product
evaluation process.
3.
Conduct time audits. For
comprehensive surface cleaning, environmental service workers need
enough time to thoroughly address all surfaces throughout a patient
room. By working with infection prevention to conduct time studies,
environmental service managers can determine exactly how much time
is needed to thoroughly clean and disinfect all appropriate surface
areas.
4.
Provide thorough employee
training. Education is the key to a quality infection
prevention program, so cleaning personnel should be trained on not
only how to effectively clean and disinfect surfaces, but why it is
important. Training should include courses on microbiology so
workers can understand some of the chemistry behind the
disinfection process. With this knowledge, workers will possess the
tools necessary to identify high touch surface cleaning
targets.
5.
Recognize and empower cleaning
personnel. As acknowledged by the updated CDC guidelines,
cleaning personnel are an integral part of any infection prevention
program, so they should be recognized as such. Ongoing recognition
will empower workers and encourage them to focus on job
performance. Monthly award programs or yearly company-wide events
such as International Housekeepers Week provide opportunities for
much deserved recognition.
6.
Measure cleaning performance on an
ongoing basis. The CDC offers a checklist of areas to be
routinely checked and monitored. These include bed rails, tray
tables, light switches and other high-touch areas throughout the
patient room. To ensure these areas are cleaned effectively,
handheld devices such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP) meters can
measure soil levels. Black light markers and UV lights can also
measure cleaning performance.
“Environmental service departments play an integral role in
infection prevention efforts,” added Brent Schafer, Vice President
of Healthcare, Cintas. “By following these best practices,
healthcare organizations can coordinate efforts and keep high touch
surfaces free of infection.”
For more information on Cintas’ solutions for healthcare
facilities, go to http://www.cintashealthcare.com/. To receive a
copy of the 2nd Edition of Infection Prevention for Dummies, go to
http://www.ieha.org/showcatproducts.php?cid=1 .
About Cintas:
Headquartered in Cincinnati, Cintas Corporation provides highly
specialized services to businesses of all types primarily
throughout North America. Cintas designs, manufactures and
implements corporate identity uniform programs, and provides
entrance mats, restroom supplies, promotional products, first aid,
safety, fire protection products and services and document
management services for approximately 800,000 businesses. Cintas is
a publicly held company traded over the Nasdaq Global Select Market
under the symbol CTAS and is a component of the Standard &
Poor’s 500 Index.
About IEHA:
The International Executive Housekeepers Association (IEHA), is
a 3,500-plus professional member organization for persons employed
in facility housekeeping at the management level. The organization
was founded in 1930 in New York City, and is now located in
Westerville, Ohio, a suburb of the State’s capitol, Columbus.
Executive Housekeepers are managers who direct housekeeping
programs in commercial, industrial or institutional facilities.
They supervise staffs ranging from a few to several hundred people
and handle budgets from a few thousand dollars to millions. IEHA
provides members with an array of channels through which they can
achieve personal and professional growth. Some are: leadership
opportunities; resource materials; education program designation;
employment referral service; a Technical question Hotline
(1-800-200-6342); networking; an annual convention and trade show
including several education sessions; and a monthly trade
publication, Executive Housekeeping Today.
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