The First Facility Management Blog

Bemis Manufacturing Co. has combined proprietary hinge and fastening systems to make thorough cleaning of toilets easier, while speeding installations and eliminating loose seats. Designed specifically to meet the needs of housekeepers in hospitality and healthcare industries, the new Bemis Just-Lift® hinge enables the seat to be pulled straight up from the open position. The lifted seat creates a 1.5″ gap between the seat and bowl that enables easier and more thorough cleaning than traditional hinges allow. After cleaning, the seat is pushed down, making the hinge flush with the bowl once more.

The Just-Lift hinge system has been teamed up with Bemis’ new Sta-Tite® Commercial Fastening System™ to ease cleaning and installation.

The robust hinge system of Just-Lift features electropolished stainless steel lift posts integrated with overmolded stainless steel mounting bolts for smooth up and down movement of the seat.

The Just-Lift hinge system has been teamed up with Bemis’ new Sta-Tite® Commercial Fastening System™, which delivers faster installation speeds while eliminating the need for labor-intensive retightening of loose seats. Using a single-piece fastener that includes a glass filled nylon nut and integrated washer, the Sta-Tite fastening system installs up to 33% faster than conventional fasteners and allows installers to quickly achieve the exact amount of torque needed to keep seats securely fastened longer than conventional systems.

After mounting the seat on the bowl and finger tightening the Sta-Tite nuts, installers use a 5/8″ wrench to tighten the lower section of the nut. When the exact proper torque is achieved, the lower section of the nut automatically shears away, eliminating guesswork about under- or over-tightening.

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

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its first WaterSense specification for a commercial building product—flushing urinals—on October 9, 2009. WaterSense-labeled flushing urinals will use 50% less water than standard urinals, which is expected to save 4,000 gallons of water per year for every model installed.

The intent of this specification is to assist facility professionals in identifying and differentiating those products that have met EPA’s criteria for water efficiency and performance. This final specification addresses flushing urinals—urinals that use water to convey waste through a trap seal into a gravity drainage system—and their flushing devices. Devices using other techniques such as non-water urinals, composting urinals, and retrofit devices or other aftermarket retrofit systems are not covered by this specification.

While current federal standards set the maximum allowable flush volume at one gallon per flush (gpf), an estimated 7.8 million urinals currently in use are older inefficient models. In addition to using no more than a half gallon per flush, urinals bearing the WaterSense label must meet EPA’s performance requirements, ensuring they work as well or better than standard models. All WaterSense labeled products are independently tested and certified to meet criteria for both efficiency and performance. To ensure satisfactory performance, urinals will be tested for flush effectiveness and other measures before they can earn the WaterSense label.

WaterSense product research has shown that there are at least eight manufacturers offering nearly 40 models of high efficiency flushing urinals that are expected to meet the requirements of this specification and would be qualified to apply for and use the WaterSense label.

More information from the EPA can be found here…

For National Clean Hands Week (September 20-26) Georgia-Pacific Professional has made a poster available online to promote good hand hygiene practices among elementary school children. The poster and an accompanying handout feature Germ-Jitsu Mo, “Georgia-Pacific Professional’s VP of Hygiene and Chairman of Cool,” who teaches students how to help kick germs out of the classroom.

A reminder to wash hands is the subject of this poster from Georgia-Pacific Professional.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports hand washing as one of the most preventive measures against the spread of disease, and offering the Mo Germ-Jitsu Poster and a hand washing and drying handout is one way Georgia-Pacific Professional is taking action.

“Proper hand washing and drying with a paper towel are the foundations of successful infection control practices,” says Craig Yardley, VP and General Manager, towel category, Georgia-Pacific Professional. “As a leading provider of hand hygiene products, we feel it is part of our responsibility to promote good hand washing and drying practices, and we are proud to be taking this initiative at such a critical time in disease prevention.”

Facility managers in schools (and at any other type of facility where education might be needed) can download a copy of the hand washing poster and handout by visiting www.gppro.com/HealthSmart. (The poster’s original size is 14.75″x20.5″, but the poster scales to print whatever size the user chooses.) The Web site also offers wellness tools focusing on health and hand washing, including proper washing techniques, tips on frequency, and ways to help prevent skin damage.

After checking out this toilet paper awareness campaign in Copenhagen, I am now convinced that Hamlet wasn’t the only Dane off his nut. Brace yourself for this… (Warning: photo is a bit gross!)

Some restrooms in Denmark now feature toilet paper brand Silk Soft’s image of a butt with pants down where the paper dispenses. This is a not-so-subtle (yet low budget) way to promote the fact the brand is 100% recycled. The advertising agency, By Far, came up with the idea to put these stickers on standard toilet tissue dispensers on selected public toilets around Copenhagen.

Is this a rotten idea in the state of Denmark? Who knows? Regardless of the poor taste factor, it has definitely given Silk Soft a good deal of exposure.

Thanks to Kirsten Roos for submitting this Friday Funny.

The Flexi-Mount FMUSB-1×3-CRS flexible mounting bracket is designed for use in mounting urinal screens and problem panels as a new installation or for the replacement of an existing installation with a traditional bracket.

Flexi-Mount wall mounting bracket can reduce restroom repairs.

The Flexi-Mount bracket has been designed with a hidden spring that allows the urinal screen to flex just the right amount which takes the pressure and stress off of the wall it is attached to. This virtually eliminates the damage to the tile and drywall, which can be a major problem in facilities. Flexi-Mount is made of cold rolled steel, is manufactured in the United States, and comes with the mounting hardware. The new bracket uses the same 2x backing, behind the drywall as other brackets but requires one additional 1/2″ center hole to accommodate the spring. In most cases the bracket holes align with the existing holes for easy replacement.

Problem: Inflexible wall brackets cause wall damage over time.

Flexi-Mount bracket is priced comparable to other brackets being used today. The Morrison, CO-based company’s new product design can save facility managers many hours and dollars spent on wall repair.

if you’ve ever walked around Times Square in New York City during the holidays, you’ll know that what’s really weird is that it may not be too difficult to find a restroom to use from now to the end of 2008. For the third year, Charmin has placed 20 deluxe stalls in the heart of this tourist area to make it a little easier for New Yorkers and visitors alike.

This year, the company has stepped it up by adding tuxedo-clad attendants and flat screen televisions. There’s also a second-floor “Power Lodge” where visitors can recharge their portable electronic devices. Additionally, the Charmin Restrooms will be open through the end of the year (except for Christmas Day); the facilities will close up shop at 2am on New Year’s Day–two hours after the New Year’s Eve revelers watch the famed New Year’s Eve Ball drop.

Visitors can even commemorate their visit to the Charmin Restrooms by having their picture taken. Not sure if this is really the type of venue many people would want to have their photos taken at, but if so, the company is offering free downloads of the photos at its Web site.

While flu season is getting closer, there are still plenty of other germs lurking in the restroom. Fortunately, hygienic hand washing and proper restroom design can greatly reduce the chance of catching an sharing germs.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that just the basic rotavirus alone costs the United States $1 billion a year, resulting in 410,000 physician visits, 200,000 emergency room visits, 55,000 hospitalizations, and up to 60 deaths. Globally, this stool spread virus kills more than 600,000 children a year.

According to Sloan Valve Company, a plumbing products manufacturer, sensor operated faucets, flush valves, and hand dryers reduce the number of potential touchpoints in the restroom where people can pick up germs. Even when users wash their hands for 30 seconds, as the CDC recommends, they can easily recontaminate their hands if they touch a surface, such as a faucet handle, after washing.

Facilities can now score how well they fare regarding restroom contamination by using the Heatwole-Potts Lavatory Scale. The scale rates restrooms according to whether they eliminate the potential for direct hand contamination at each of seven crucial locations.

Starting with a perfect score of seven, a restroom loses one point on the scale for each place where an individual is required to touch a potentially contaminated surface:

1. Direct hand contact required to flush toilet: (-1)
2. Direct hand contact required to open and/or close stall door: (-1)
3. Direct hand contact required to turn on the water at the sink: (-1)
4. Direct hand contact required to dispense soap: (-1)
5. Direct hand contact required to turn off water at sink: (-1)
6. Direct hand contact required to activate hand drying device (air dryer or paper dispenser) or to dispose of paper towel, if applicable: (-1)
7. Direct hand contact required to open door of bathroom for exit: (-1)

Proper engineering and architectural design can result in a perfect Heatwole-Potts score. Here are the design suggestions for each of these points, which minimize infectious disease transmission:

1. A user shouldn’t have to touch a handle to flush a toilet. An automated device, such as an electronic sensor, or a foot pedal should initiate flushing.
2. If a stall door has a lock, a user should be able to both unlock and open the stall door without using a hand. This device could be easily implemented with a locking apparatus activated via a foot movement.
3. Faucets should not require direct hand contact to start water flow. Electronic faucets, or those activated by foot pedals, can minimize contact.
4. A soap dispenser should dispense soap into the hand of the user without direct user contact. Again, dispensers can be sensor operated or require another hands free approach.
5. Direct contact with a hand should not be required to stop faucet water flow. A foot pedal or motion detection device can be used for this purpose. Even though a time release faucet, such as a metered manual faucet, automatically stops water flow after a period of time, initial activation can contaminate hands.
6. Hand drying apparatuses should not require a user to touch any surface other than a “sterile” hand towel. Paper towel dispensers should not require the user to turn a crank or lever, and hot air blowers should be motion activated. In addition, a bathroom user should not be required to touch a surface, such as a trash can lid, to dispose of a paper towel.
7. Restroom users should be able to leave without touching a door handle or lever. Design options include a doorless restroom with a serpentine entrance, a mechanical door triggered by a foot pedal or motion detector, and a latchless, outward opening door.

Peter Jahrling, director of engineering for Sloan Valve, which underwrote the Heatwole-Potts study, says that businesses, schools, healthcare centers, and other facilities that install sensor operated plumbin products and systems improve restroom hygiene. This, in turn, keeps people healthier and more productive.

Hands free, sensor operated faucets can offer the additional benefit of conserving water. “Electronic plumbing eliminates the opportunity for users to leave faucets running,” says Jahrling. He adds that sensor operated, 0.5 gallon per minute faucets, which also turn off when people are lathering their hands, can save as much as one gallon of water per use compared to manual faucets.

Facility managers can check how much money they could save by switching to more water efficient plumbing systems by using the calculators on www.waterefficiency.com.

Because these plumbing products are touchless, they’re also less prone to mishandling and abuse. “Vandalism also becomes a non-issue without handles or knobs to kick or damage,” says Jahrling. Even well meaning restroom visitors who simply want to avoid touching germ ridden surfaces sometimes roughly use handles on flush valves or faucets, which can result in leaks and fixture damage.

The company’s waterfree urinals have been installed at several Olympic venues. The water saving fixtures are being used by the general public, staff, and athletes at the National Stadium (also known as the Bird’s Nest), National Swimming Center (the Water Cube), Olympic Torch Relay Route, Olympic Triathlon Track, Olympic Security Control Center, Olympic Water Sports Fields and Stadiums, and the BMX Contest Field.
 
The urinals, manufactured and sold by Los Angeles, CA-based Falcon Waterfree, use a patented cartridge technology to provide waterfree, odor-free, and trouble-free operation. Because the urinals are not attached to a water supply, they do not become a source of plumbing emergencies. Restrooms are also kept cleaner, because they have five times fewer bacteria than water flushed urinals and no flush plumes, which can spread bacteria laden moisture around restrooms.
 
Water conservation at the Beijing Olympics has been a key requirement not only to showcase modern and sustainable technology, but to also help the city of 18 million people accommodate the additional needs of Olympic visitors and athletes. Based on average water savings of 40,000 gallons (151,000 liters) per urinal, per year, the 165 waterfree urinals will save 6.6 million gallons (25 million liters) per year. 

SCA Tissue is offering a free online tool that shows how using its line recycled towel and tissue products lightens environmental footprints. The company’s Tork® towels, tissues, napkins and dispensing systems are made from 100% recycled content. With the Tork Environmental Evaluator, facility managers can analyze the positive environmental impact of using Tork products as opposed to non-recycled paper products.

Available in years past only to SCA Tissue reps, the Tork Environmental Evaluator has been improved and made available this year online at www.torkusa.com. There, visitors should click on “Tork Environmental Evaluator” to download the Excel file.

“Distributors, end-customers and potential customers can use the environmental evaluator to see the significance of purchasing recycled Tork paper products in terms that relate to their everyday lives,” said SCA Tissue vice president of sales, distribution Joseph Russo. “We think the numbers speak for themselves when it comes to environmental stewardship.”

For example, if a customer enters 100 cases of Tork Advanced Hand Towel Rolls, the evaluator shows that SCA Tissue used 3,055 pounds of recycled waste paper to produce those 100 cases of product. The evaluator also shows that by using that amount of recycled paper as opposed to virgin fibers, those 100 cases save 10,693 gallons of water, 4.58 cubic yards of landfill space, 6,263 kilowatts of energy, three gallons of oil, 92 pounds of air pollutants, and 26 trees.

“Our customers are increasingly being asked or mandated to use environmentally friendly products,” said Russo. “Our online evaluation tool gives them quantitative numbers they can use to see and promote the real environmental benefits of using Tork products.”