The First Facility Management Blog

This Web Exclusive comes from Peter M. Leahy, segment manager, Office Building & Lodging, Kimberly-Clark Professional.

It happens around this time every year. The sore throats, runny noses, and coughs herald the start of flu season.

Up to 20% of the U.S. population gets the seasonal flu annually. More than 200,000 are hospitalized with flu-related complications, and 36,000 people in this country die from flu-related causes.

This year, the emergence of the H1N1 influenza virus—which has caused the first influenza pandemic (global outbreak of disease) in more than 40 years—may cause this flu season to be worse than a regular flu season. It is thought that a lot more people will get sick, be hospitalized, and die than during a typical flu season. As of October 25, there have been more than 440,000 confirmed cases of H1N1 and 5,700+ deaths worldwide, according to the World Health Organization, which cautions that the actual number of cases (ie, milder, unreported cases) is likely significantly higher.

While flu outbreaks can happen before the winter months set in, most of the time influenza activity peaks in January or later. This year, the 2009 H1N1 virus caused illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths in the U.S. even during the summer months, when influenza is very uncommon.

The uncertain severity and timing of this year’s seasonal-plus-H1N1 flu activity means that schools, businesses, and workplaces need to prepare for higher absenteeism rates, along with cases of presenteeism—when someone goes to work or school while sick—leading to productivity declines and the possibility of spreading illness to others.

Fortunately, there are several things facility managers can do to help prepare their employers and occupants of their buildings for the upcoming flu season and to respond if an outbreak occurs in their facilities. Even seemingly simple strategies like facility sanitation and giving occupants the tools they need for proper personal hygiene can help reduce the spread of germs during flu season and other times of the year.

Influenza 101
Some people may confuse the symptoms of the common cold with those of the flu. Both viruses enter the body through the mucous membranes of the nose, eyes or mouth. Cold symptoms are less severe than flu symptoms and typically begin with a sore throat, which usually goes away after a day or two. Nasal symptoms, runny nose, and congestion follow, along with a cough by the fourth and fifth days. Fever is uncommon in adults. Cold symptoms usually last for about a week with the contagious period being the first three days.

The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. It can cause mild to severe illness, and at times it can lead to death. Some people—including older people, young children, pregnant women, and people with certain health problems such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease—are at increased risk for serious complications from the flu. These may include bacterial pneumonia, ear infections, sinus infections, dehydration, and worsening of chronic medical conditions.

Someone infected with the flu may be able to infect others beginning one day before symptoms develop and up to seven or more days after becoming sick. Symptoms of seasonal flu include:

• Fever (often high)
• Headache
• Extreme tiredness
• Dry cough
• Sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Muscle aches
• Stomach symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea (particularly associated with H1N1 flu)

Flu viruses spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing. Sometimes, people may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose. In fact, some germs can live for two hours or more on surfaces like doorknobs, desks, and tables.

Preventing the Spread of Flu: Education
There are several steps facility managers can take to help prevent the spread of influenza and other germs in their buildings. Education is critical; people not only need to know how to spot the signs of flu (as outlined above) so they can care for themselves appropriately, they also need to know how to avoid getting sick in the first place and how to avoid spreading germs to others.

Consider instituting a Healthy Tips campaign with letters to building occupants and posters in prominent locations detailing recommendations from health experts like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which advocates the following tips to help stop the spread of germs:

• Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough. It’s best to cough or sneeze into a tissue, which should be thrown away after it is used, or into one’s sleeve. If you sneeze or cough into your hands, be sure to clean your hands afterward—every time you cough or sneeze.
• Clean your hands often. When possible, use soap and warm water and rub hands vigorously together for 15 to 20 seconds, scrubbing all surfaces of the hands to help dislodge and remove germs. When soap and water are not available, alcohol-based disposable hand wipes or gel sanitizers may be used. If using a gel, rub the gel in your hands until they are dry.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
• Stay home when you are sick (and for at least 24 hours after fever is gone) and check with a health care provider when needed. Keeping your distance from others may protect them from getting sick.

The CDC offers free, downloadable posters and other materials to help you get started at these links: www.cdc.gov/germstopper/work.htm and www.cdc.gov/flu. In addition, the World Health Organization posts a visual, step-by-step guide for proper handwashing here. Consider posting this guide in every restroom in the building as well as by hand sinks in break areas.

Preventing the Spread of Flu: Facility Issues
Educating yourself and building occupants about how to prevent the spread of flu is only one step. You’ll also need to make sure you have the right infection control tools for the job. That means stocking workstations and public areas with plenty of facial tissue. Anti-viral facial tissue is now available for this purpose. In addition, you should install wall-mounted dispensers for alcohol gel hand sanitizers throughout your facility. It’s also important to make sure restrooms don’t run out of hand soap and paper towels, and that sufficient numbers of no-touch disposal receptacles are provided for used hand towels and used facial tissue. Keeping surfaces spot-sanitized throughout the day is another good idea.

When stockpiling items like hand soaps and cleaning supplies, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration recommends being aware of each product’s shelf life and storage conditions (e.g., avoid areas that are damp or have temperature extremes) and incorporating product rotation (e.g., consume oldest supplies first) into your stockpile management program.

One area of particular concern when stepping up facility sanitation efforts is the restroom—an area where microorganisms can flourish. Lavatory surfaces that are touched frequently may serve as reservoirs of microbial contamination. In fact, research from Dr. Charles Gerba of the University of Arizona discovered high amounts of bacteria on restroom surfaces:

• The average toilet paper dispenser has more than 150 times the amount of bacteria than the average toilet seat.
• Paper towel dispensers were found to have more than 50 times more bacteria on average than a typical public restroom toilet seat.

Facility managers looking to minimize the potential spread of germs can install touchless restroom dispensing systems. The electronic revolution that has taken place in the washroom in recent years has greatly enhanced restroom hygiene by eliminating the need to touch dispensers, faucets and toilet handles during use. These systems can help make the task of using as well as maintaining the restroom easier, more efficient and more cost-effective.

Not all touchless systems are electronic, however. There are also mechanical no-touch towel dispensers, for example, with no levers to pull, that provide the same hygienic benefits as sensor-activated dispensers. Continue the no-touch theme by providing no-touch disposal receptacles for used towels and installing doorless entryways so that freshly washed hands don’t have to grab a dirty door handle on the way out of the restroom.

Remember that nothing says unhygienic more than a restroom without an adequate supply of toilet paper, hand soap, and paper towels. Highcapacity systems help ensure adequate supply as well as ease maintenance headaches and reduce costs and waste.

Not All Disinfection Methods Are Equal
While germs are common on certain surfaces in the restroom, they can also flourish throughout a building. To prevent the spread of flu, the CDC recommends that routine cleaning of commonly touched surfaces be performed regularly. Use the cleaning agents that are usually used in these areas, and follow directions on the label.

In the case of a flu outbreak, facility managers may choose to increase their surface sanitation efforts. If that happens, it is important for janitorial staff to minimize contamination of the cleaning solution and cleaning tools used for these efforts. Keep in mind that bucket solutions become contaminated almost immediately during cleaning, and continued use of the solution transfers increasing numbers of microorganisms to each subsequent surface to be cleaned. Another source of contamination in the cleaning process is the cleaning cloth, especially if left soaking in dirty cleaning solution. This is why the choice of wiping materials is important.

Indeed, it may be surprising to learn that common systems, such as using a cotton rag or cellulose-based wiper to apply common disinfectants such as bleach to surfaces, deliver less-than-ideal concentrations of disinfectants to the surface. However, a non-woven wiper designed specifically to be compatible with bleach (and used in a closed-bucket system) can keep the active bleach ingredients stable for 72 hours, allowing a much higher concentration of active ingredients to reach the surface being cleaned, according to recent studies.

An enclosed system, with pre-saturated wipes dispensed from a port in the top of the closed bucket, helps avoid contamination of the wipes and cleaning solution while reducing exposure to chemical vapors and splashes, an advantage for janitorial staff.

According to the CDC, businesses and employers, in general, can play a key role in protecting employees’ health and safety, as well as in limiting the negative impact of influenza outbreaks on the individual, the community, and the nation’s economy. Facility managers should be on the front lines in the war against the flu and other germs in their facility. A combination of education and effective flu-prevention tools and practices will put facilities and their occupants in a good position to avoid the brunt of the flu this season.

Additional Resources
The CDC has published a number of Guidance documents to help different groups and facilities decrease the spread of flu:

• CDC Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to the 2009-2010 Influenza Season
• CDC Guidance for Responses to Influenza for Institutions of Higher Education during the 2009-2010 Academic Year
• CDC Guidance for State and Local Public Health Officials and School Administrators for School (K-12) Responses to Influenza during the 2009-2010 School Year

In a recent online industry poll it conducted, Kimberly-Clark Professional reports that 100% of respondents said they were focused on saving money in 2009. Seventy-two percent of respondents expect to cut operating supplies in 2009 in an overall effort to reduce costs. 41% reported being worried about losing their jobs if they could not find ways to save their companies money, and 94% were more willing to work with a company that brings forth cost savings measures.

Kimberly-Clark Professional, a provider of personal care and cleaning products, has responded to these concerns by introducing a free program, with online tools to help facility managers reduce costs by selecting personal care and cleaning products that perform better and last longer. The program also provides guaranteed savings if users switch to select products for 60 days.

The “Cost Savings Tune Up” program is available as a free brochure, free CD, or online at www.kcprofessional.com/us/tuneup. It features a set of simple scenarios to help users determine which products are right for their facilities. It also offers a “toolbox” of interactive tips, tools, and savings recommendations, including:

• Diagnostics and Recommendations: By answering questions about current product usage and needs, the Cost Savings Tune Up program helps facility managers replace old technologies with newer, more efficient cost savings tools. This feature is designed to help users avoid unnecessary fees and hidden charges and help them determine if they are using the right product for the task. For instance, using a heavy duty wiper for a light-duty task may needlessly add to costs, while using a light duty wiper for a tough task may result in excessive use, which also increases expenditures.
• Additional Interactive Tools: The Cost Savings Tune Up program offers other interactive tools to help users fine-tune their product selections and reduce costs, such as an online calculator that helps customers select the most cost-efficient wiper for the task. The tools also include a Green Meter for washroom products. This interactive, comparative tool calculates potential savings and the reduced environmental impact of specific products on fiber consumption, energy, water consumption, and solid waste generation.
• Cost Saving Tips: The program offers money saving tips and information from a recent industry poll on the economy.
• Guaranteed Savings: Kimberly-Clark Professional is guaranteeing between 5% to 20% in cost savings if facility managers replace rags, shop towels, or existing wiping products with qualifying WypAll wipers for 60 days. Guaranteed savings are also being offered if customers switch for 60 days to select roll towel, coreless bath tissue, and foam soap offerings.
• Free Site Needs Analysis: A site needs analysis is also being offered free to all customers. These personalized evaluations can identify ways to control costs and increase overall performance.  A site needs analysis can also help increase efficiencies and reduce waste.
• Giveaways: In conjunction with certain purchases, Kimberly-Clark Professional is also offering customers Free Jumbo Roll WypAll Wipers dispensers.

Major Leage Baseball team Philadelphia Phillies has expanded the use of environmentally preferable cleaning products and practices at its 43,500 seat Citizens Bank Park following a new agreement with xpedx, a cleaning supplies and equipment distributor with locations across the U.S.

xpedx has been servicing Citizens Bank Park for six years.

The six year relationship between xpedx and the Phillies continues to evolve with this agreement under which xpedx is the preferred distributor of facility supplies to the 2008 World Champion Phillies and Citizens Bank Park.

Ross Leiman, operations manager for Global Spectrum at Citizens Bank Park, said the logistics capabilities, strong customer service, and broad range of branded products from xpedx helps the Phillies maximize quality of care for the ballpark, reduce the use of harsh chemicals, increase cleaning efficiency, and tightly manage total costs.

One of the products used at Citizens Bank Park is JohnsonDiversey’s Alpha-HP Multi-Surface Cleaner, which uses a patented new hydrogen peroxide-based technology, and is Green Seal certified. “This is the kind of product that provides strong benefits to owners and managers of large, high-traffic facilities—products like this are safe for the environment and also deliver healthy, high-performance cleaning,” said John Hardin, JohnsonDiversey’s area vice president for corporate distribution. “Through xpedx, we can provide a total cleaning program, including green cleaning practices, that get a facility looking its best at very competitive pricing.”

The Phillies' stadium is a 1.15 million square foot facility.

The agreement between xpedx and the Phillies specifies that xpedx will supply products and equipment that are environmentally preferable, including towels, tissues, hand soap, trash can liners, floor and carpet care cleaners, and equipment and other janitorial supplies designed to have minimal impact on the environment through one or more of the following: reduced product waste, increased use of recycled content, and reduced use of cleaning chemicals, water and packaging materials.

xpedx, which represents major manufacturers including Kimberly-Clark, JohnsonDiversey, Tennant, Rubbermaid Commercial Products, and Heritage Bag, will supply environmentally responsible products from each company’s “green” portfolio.

Under the terms of the contract, xpedx will provide training and on-site support to the Phillies ballpark staff as well as facility manager Global Spectrum. Cincinnati, OH-based xpedx serves the Philadelphia market from its Mid-Atlantic regional headquarters.

“Citizens Bank Park looks as great today as when it first opened five years ago,” said Gary Henderson, xpedx sales manager for the greater Philadelphia market. “That’s significant, considering more than three million people visit the ballpark every year.”

“We can help facility owners and managers increase overall cleaning effectiveness and get a higher return on their total spending while they reduce environmental impact,” explained Michael Feenan, vice president of marketing-high traffic facilities for xpedx.  “That’s a winning combination of benefits.”

(Bottom photo: http://phillies.com)

This Web Exclusive comes from Gina Tsiropoulos, Market Manager, Kimberly-Clark Filtration.

Virtually everyone has been learning to cope with tough economic conditions. For individuals, the loss of jobs and cuts in pay mean tighter budgeting at home: forgoing vacations, dinners out, and luxury purchases. For companies, reduced income and profits often means taking a hard look at line item expenses in an attempt to boost the bottom line.

One line item that may come under scrutiny among facility managers (fms) looking to reduce maintenance expenses is the HVAC system. It may seem perfectly logical, for example, to save hundreds or even thousands of dollars per year in purchasing costs by reducing the frequency of air filter change-outs or by downgrading to a lower-priced filter.

Smart fms should realize the small amount of money saved by reducing or eliminating air filter purchases or by purchasing lower priced (and lower efficiency) filters pales in comparison to the energy and operating costs that can be saved by maintaining a robust air filtration maintenance and upgrade program.

The Role of Air Filtration
Effective air filtration provides the primary defense for building occupants and HVAC equipment against pollutants generated within a building as well as pollutants from air drawn into a building from the HVAC system. It affects the quality of indoor air, which can be two to five times as polluted as outdoor air.

Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) is more than just a nuisance. The cost of poor IAQ to the overall U.S. economy is in the neighborhood of $160 billion in terms of healthcare costs and reduced productivity among workers. Moreover, studies have shown that when indoor environments are improved, businesses can realize up to a 20% improvement in productivity—another strong incentive to pay close attention to enhancing IAQ through proper air filtration.

While air filters play a key role in a building’s IAQ, they also play a major part in the energy consumed to operate the building’s HVAC system. This makes air filtration a wise target for cost reductions as long as the right strategies are followed.

HVAC Expenditures: Myths vs. Facts
There are a number of ways that facilities may try to save money and reduce their HVAC system budgets. For example, facilities may try to delay filter change-outs or upgrades, or they may want to downgrade from high efficiency pleated filters to lower efficiency and lower priced panel filters. These strategies may be short sighted and contrary to cost saving goals; especially when one considers that the U.S. Department of Energy suggests enhancing operating efficiency of HVAC systems can reduce energy bills by up to 20% without significant capital investment.

Myth: Delaying filter maintenance (i.e., change-outs) will help save money.
Fact: While it is true that purchasing fewer filters reduces initial expenses, delaying filter change-outs also causes the filter to run more days at peak energy usage. It doesn’t take long for peak usage cost to offset any savings in the filter price. (See chart below.) That’s because energy use is the largest operating cost involved in air filtration. A filter’s energy consumption accounts for a full 80% of its total life cycle costs. Moreover, the cost of the energy used to operate the filter can be more than eight times the initial purchase price of the filter itself.

It comes down to physics; the energy used to operate filters is directly proportional to the airflow resistance of the filters. The more resistance (due to clogged filters that aren’t changed out as frequently as needed), the more energy is needed to push air through the filter. Resistance typically increases as filters remove more and more contaminants from the air. This filtration is essential for air quality and protection of HVAC equipment, but it comes at an extremely high cost when filter change-outs are delayed.

Delaying filter maintenance not only increases energy consumption, it also increases CO2 emissions; the extra energy consumed by dirty filters drives up energy production and greenhouse gas emissions. According to the U.S. Environmental Information Administration, 1.354 pounds of CO2 are released into the atmosphere for every 1 kWh of electricity produced, making delayed filter maintenance extremely costly to the environment. Plus, because America generates close to 50% of its energy by burning coal, reducing HVAC energy consumption also helps conserve natural resources.

Myth: There is little economic incentive to upgrade a building’s air filtration system.
Fact: Some commercial and institutional buildings in the United States are still using pre-WWII technology in their air filtration system—panel filters. Sometimes called “throw-away” filters, they are constructed in much the same way they were made 75 years ago and are among the lowest priced filters in use today.

For years, it was believed that panel filters provided adequate filtration to keep HVAC systems running cleanly and efficiently. However, a recent study found that panel filters do not provide adequate protection to HVAC equipment, allowing for particle deposits to build on fans and heating/cooling coils, a problem known as “fouling.” Fouling greatly reduces airflow through the HVAC system and prevents heat transfer in the coils, all of which can add up to a significant increase in energy costs. Fouling also leads to expensive and time consuming fan and coil cleaning.

Myth: Air filtration is not in the budget.
Fact: One of the biggest traps that commercial facilities fall into regarding budgeting for air filtration is the NIMB (Not in My Budget) factor. In many cases, one department (and budget) is responsible for purchasing air filters and filter service contracts while another is responsible for energy expenditures. The problem inherent in this system is that the filter purchaser can easily and quite innocently make a costly decision for the enterprise by choosing to buy filters without considering the energy consumption and system operating implications described above.

Reducing HVAC-Related Costs
It is important to remember that filters will only support good IAQ and perform as specified when they are maintained correctly. There are three important factors for proper air filter maintenance and reduced operating and energy costs: following the proper filter change-out frequency and installation steps; upgrading from panel filters to pleated filters; and choosing a filter with a lower resistance to airflow.

Proper filter maintenance is crucial to keeping HVAC ductwork clean. If dirt accumulates in the ductwork and if the relative humidity reaches the dewpoint so condensation occurs, then it can become a breeding ground for bacteria and mold.

For all of these reasons and more, it is important to establish the appropriate filter change-out frequency. However, filters should be changed immediately if they become wet, if microbial growth on the filter media is visible, or when the filters collapse or become damaged to the extent that air bypasses the media.

It is crucial to pay close attention to filter installation during change-outs. The goal is to avoid bypass air (air that does not go through the filter) which occurs when filter media is not properly sealed in the filter frame, when filters are not properly installed and gasketed in filter racks, or when air handler doors and ducts are not properly sealed. Bypass air can cause contamination in housings, coils, fans, and ducts and can increase system operating costs; fouled heat exchangers have diminished heat transfer performance and increased pressure drop, leading to increased energy use and decreased heating and cooling performance. Bypass air can also decrease a filter’s performance and negatively affect IAQ.

Keep in mind that bypass air tends to have a larger effect on high performance filters. A 1mm gap causes a MERV 15 filter to perform as a MERV 14 filter, while a 10mm gap causes a MERV 15 filter to perform as a MERV 8 filter.

One way to lessen the frequency of and purchase costs related to filter change-outs is to choose a high-capacity pleated filter which typically has an extended filter life along with a low resistance to airflow Pleated filters certainly offer advantages over “throw-away” panel filters.

First, while panel filters typically yield performance only in the MERV 1 to 4 range, pleated filters are available with performance up to MERV 13, allowing improved efficiency in capturing both large and small particles. Second, upgrading from panel filters to pleated filters provides cost savings advantages, thanks to decreased routine maintenance and energy costs. Because panel filters allow HVAC system components to become dirty, operating efficiency decreases and energy costs to operate the inefficient system can increase. The small amount of money saved by purchasing a lower priced panel filter can be substantially offset by even a slight reduction in the operating efficiency of the system.

One of the easiest ways to realize HVAC related energy costs savings is to switch to a filter with a lower resistance to airflow. When filters have a lower resistance to airflow, the HVAC system motor needs to overcome less resistance to deliver the required air flow, thus reducing the motor’s energy consumption.

Airflow resistance is calculated with a pressure gauge, which indicates Water Gauge (WG), the measure of the pressure required to lift a 4C-degree column of water a certain distance in the air. For example, a 0.05” WG reduction in a filter’s initial pressure drop (also known as airflow resistance) can reduce energy costs by up to 3.5% or about $7 per filter, while a 0.20” WG reduction in a filter’s initial pressure drop can reduce energy costs by up to 10% or about $28 per filter. While an energy cost savings of $28 per year may not sound like a lot, those cost savings are per filter, not for an entire HVAC system.

Skimping on air filtration during a tough economy has the potential to put facilities even deeper in financial trouble. It can negatively impact IAQ which can increase costs relating to worker health and productivity. It can also increase HVAC system operating and energy costs. While reducing the frequency of filter change-outs or downgrading to a lower-priced (and lower performance) filter may seem like good ways to reduce expenditures, they are not true cost-savings strategies. Because energy costs are the largest component of an air filter’s total life cycle cost, it is imperative for facilities to look beyond the line item purchase price of filters when seeking to reduce their overall costs and instead look at the initial and sustained pressure drops of different filters.

A recent survey conducted by Kimberly-Clark Professional found that 89% of safety professionals polled have observed workers failing to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) when they should have been. This is the third consecutive year that the Kimberly-Clark survey has revealed a high rate of PPE noncompliance. In 2007, 87% of respondents said they had observed PPE noncompliance in the workplace, while 85% answered yes to this question in 2006.

“We find it disheartening that people continue to put themselves at risk by failing to wear PPE when undertaking hazardous tasks,” said Randy Kates, general manager of the safety business for Kimberly-Clark Professional. “Despite the importance of PPE, there is still an unacceptably high rate of noncompliance in the workplace.”

Additionally, when asked to name the top workplace safety issue in their facilities one-third of respondents cited “worker compliance with safety protocols.” Next was “insufficient management support and/or resources for health and safety functions” (27%). Under-reporting of workplace injuries and illnesses was third (14%), followed by training a multilingual, multicultural workforce (7%) and escalating worker compensation costs (5%).

One potential explanation for continuing problems with compliance could be the economy. Thirty-four percent of respondents said the economy had affected worker safety training programs or resources. Fifty-nine percent said it had not. Of those who said the economy had impacted safety training or resources, the survey found that:

• 63% said it had led to less money for education and training.
• 42% said it had resulted in reduced personnel to handle safety training tasks.
• 33% said the faltering economy had led to business concerns taking precedence over safety concerns.

This year’s survey also polled safety professionals about the steps they have taken or intend to take to encourage greater PPE compliance. The top response was “improving existing education and training programs,” followed by “purchasing more comfortable PPE.” Increased monitoring of employees was third, followed by tying compliance to individual performance evaluations and purchasing more stylish PPE.

“Work-related injuries in the U.S. cost more than $50 billion a year(1),” said Kates. “Our research has shown that comfort and style are major drivers for compliance with PPE protocols. In the current economic climate it is more important than ever to invest in PPE that workers will want to wear.”

Survey Methodology
The survey was undertaken at the 2008 National Safety Council (NSC) Congress in Anaheim, CA, on September 23, 2008. The survey questionnaires were filled out by 153 safety professionals who reported being responsible for purchasing, selecting or influencing the purchase or selection of, or compliance with, PPE. The respondents included safety directors and managers, industrial hygienists, environmental managers, and purchasing professionals. Full survey results can be accessed on the Kimberly-Clark Professional Web site.

(1) Source: Liberty Mutual