Healthy new habits
Sanitizing and disinfecting are today's top priorities when developing a janitorial scope for a commercial building. Our experience in the last two years taught us that proactivity in dealing with viruses and bacteria greatly impacts our businesses and company morale.
This huge trend must not be forgotten and, in fact, should become a habit that the 21st Century world learned after immense loads of suffering. However, we must also be mindful of other accessory practices that, if not done correctly, have the power to mitigate all major efforts to achieve meaningful results.
The Puerperal Fever Case
For example, we can analyze an event that devastated Europe in the 18th century. There was an epidemic called "black death of childbed", or simply "puerperal fever." It affected women within the first three days of childbirth. The symptoms were known as severe abdominal pain, fever, and debility. The mortality rate was an absurd 70-80%, affecting many women who gave birth in different environments. The highest numbers were registered in hospitals, with records showing it infected almost 40% of patients admitted.
At that time, science was stronger than ever; we are talking about the Age of Enlightenment. So, naturally, doctors and scientists studied all deceased women hoping they could learn the cause and finally stop it. It created a habit of sharing their time between autopsies and deliveries, always looking for an answer. Why were so many lives being lost? What were they doing wrong?
After years of failed attempts, Dr. Ignaz Philipp Semmelweis eventually observed that his colleagues did not have the habit of washing their hands after working at the morgues and before entering the maternity ward. He then implemented a procedure to ensure they were, in fact, washing their hands. This simple solution was responsible for eradicating the disease in Europe and North America.
Simple might be the answer
Sometimes, complex and thorough systems can be completely neutralized due to minor negligences in the service procedure. Reutilizing the same cloth or mop used in a specific environment to disinfect other areas not connected will undo all the advances perpetrated through a proper disinfection program. Avoiding cross-contamination must go side-by-side with a wellness system. Otherwise, all the work performed won't have an actual impact on your community. A color-coded system for microfiber cloths and damp mops is a simple yet effective way of creating natural barriers to cross-contamination in your cleaning system. Even inside the same environment, such as restrooms, the cleaning specialist must observe different colors for each task. One color for toilets and urinals. Another color for countertops, sinks, and dispensers. It is simple, easy to do, and essential.
Just like washing hands saved many lives, colors can make a huge impact on your company.
Implementing a color-coded tool system will dramatically reduce any cross-contamination scenario in your facility. But that is only the first reason why this system should be a no-brainer. We have several others. Stay alert for new Imperiodical articles!
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