Transcript Indoor Environmental Health in Schools

Introducing ECOgent:
Cleaning without Harming
Cleaning without Harming
• Simple effective cleaning: one product for all
daily cleaning tasks and for all carpet cleaning
• Safe to use on all building surfaces
• Low volatiles for maximum Indoor Air Quality
• Mild formula for worker health and safety
• Environmentally compatible and sustainable;
all-natural ingredients
Occupational Health and
Safety Perspective
• Most cleaning products are hazardous by
OSHA and WHMIS criteria.
• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s studies
of human exposure to air pollutants indicate that
indoor air levels of many pollutants may be two to
five times, and occasionally, more than 100 times
higher than outdoor levels. Cleaning products emit
Volatile Organic Compounds which contribute to
this problem.
Occupational Health and
Safety Perspective
• Each year about six out of every 100 professional
custodians are injured by the chemicals they use.
Burns to eyes and skin are the most common
injuries, followed closely by breathing toxic fumes.
• Building occupant exposure to hazardous chemical
residues on surfaces and the added contaminants to
indoor air are effecting many individuals, increasing
the demand for non-hazardous products.
Scent-Free Policies
Many institutions and corporations are
introducing Scent-Free Policies.
Scent-Free Policies should include:
• using cleaning products without
added perfumes.
• replacement of cleaning products
containing Volatile Organic
Compounds (VOC’s)
VOC Product Rules
ECOgent exceeds all existing and new
product rules, standards and guidelines
for Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs):
• ECP33 (Environmental ChoiceM)
• GS37 (Green Seal)
• PRC-097 (Environmental ChoiceM)
• Envirodesic™ Certification Program
• State rules for CA, DE, NY, PA & MD
VOC Product Rules
ECP33 — Environment Canada’s
Environmental ChoiceM Program
Mission: To encourage the supply of
products and services that are more
environmentally responsible, and to help
consumers and organizations buy "green".
ECP33 requirement: VOC’s less than
10% by weight before dilution
VOC Product Rules
GS37 — Green Seal: (an independent,
non-profit organization)
Mission: “To achieve a more sustainable
world by promoting environmentally
responsible production, purchasing, and
products”
GS37 requirement: VOC’s less than
1% by weight after dilution
VOC Product Rules
GS37 — Green Seal: (continued)
ECOgent meets the requirements of Green
Seal standard GS37 as reviewed by Green
Seal under the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts Contract #GR016
GS37 requirement: VOC’s less than
1% by weight after dilution
VOC Product Rules
PRC-097 — Environment Canada’s
Environmental ChoiceM Program
“Cleaning Products with Low Potential
for Environmental Illness and
Endocrine Disruption”
PRC-097 requirement: VOC’s less than
0.05% by weight before dilution
VOC Product Rules
Envirodesic™ Certification
Program (independent body)
Mission: “To achieve Maximum Indoor Air
Quality™ and to be suitable for use with
chemically hypersensitive individuals”
Envirodesic™ requirement: net VOC’s
under use conditions less than 0.16 mg/m3
New VOC Consumer
Product Rules in US States
• Under new regulations in several U.S. states, companies
will be prohibited from selling, supplying, offering for
sale, or manufacturing a regulated product which
contains VOCs in excess of the limits specified in the
regulations (measured after dilution).
• The new regulations have been adopted in Delaware,
New York and Pennsylvania, and are under
consideration in Maryland. They are modeled after and
identical in substance to VOC Consumer Product Rules
in California.
• The new regulations apply to products sold to both retail
consumers and institutional / industrial customers.
ECOgent meets and exceeds the
requirements of all existing and new
VOC Product Rules & Standards
4%
4%
4%
4%
4% (after dilution)
4
Allowable %
HVOC by weight
for general
purpose cleaning
Allowable %
HVOC by weight
for carpet cleaning
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1% (after dilution)
1
0.5
PRC-097
MD
PA
NY
DE
CA
0
GS37
0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% (after dilution)
0.05% (before dilution)
ECOgent is a
sustainable solution …
… something that
can be made, used,
and recycled
continuously ...
…without negative
effects,
for hundreds of years.
For years mankind has
been adding harmful
chemicals and wastes
to our waterways.
Toxic residues in the
aquatic environment
include detergent
surfactants.
Cleaning products contribute to
pollution in our environment:
• One gallon of oil can pollute 2,000,000
gallons of water.
• One gallon of concentrated chemical
based cleaner can pollute 2,000,000
gallons of water.
It’s time to join the
movement to
protect our
environment …
ECOgent:
• is a bio-based product
• contains only ingredients
from renewable or regrowable
resources
ECOgent:
• does not contain pesticides,
preservatives, petrochemicals,
phosphates, EDTA, NTA or
dyes.
ECOgent:
• biodegrades under both aerobic
and anaerobic conditions.
• is not toxic to aquatic life at levels
likely to enter the environment.
ECOgent:
• does not contribute to the
contamination of indoor air.
• contains less than 0.05% VOCs.
• leaves no powder residue to add
airborne contaminants.
How to use ECOgent
in healthcare…
Health Care Without Harm &
The Canadian Coalition
for Green Health Care
• Address cleaning chemicals in their annual
“Clean Med” conference.
• Health care professionals need to realize that
while they are trying to clean well to protect
patients, they may be actually putting
themselves and patients at risk.
ECOgent’s Good Cleaning is the
Key to Good Disinfection
Use ECOgent’s safe and effective
cleaning routine to reduce:
- soil load
- pathogen load
- residues of interfering chemicals
- amounts of disinfecting chemicals
ECOgent’s Good Cleaning is the
Key to Good Disinfection
Follow proper cleaning
practices.
Keep cleaning solutions
uncontaminated.
ECOgent’s Good Cleaning is the
Key to Good Disinfection
Cleaning environmental
surfaces with a disinfectant
cleaner.
Does not insure surfaces
cleaned are disinfected.
ECOgent’s Good Cleaning is the
Key to Good Disinfection
Never ignore your own safety
during cleaning.
Avoid undue exposure to
disinfecting and sanitizing
chemicals.
ECOgent’s Good Cleaning is the
Key to Good Disinfection
Disinfectants are most effective:
- when applied to pre-cleaned
surfaces
- when there are no interfering
chemical residues
- when limited to applications
requiring disinfection
Using Disinfectants
(Specialized information services U.S. National Library of Medicine)
Disinfectants are also called “germicides” or
“biocides”. Similar chemicals are also used
on human skin and mucous membranes
(antiseptics) and for the preservation of food
and drugs,and other domestic and industrial
products.
Many of these chemicals are skin and
respiratory sensitizers.
Using Disinfectants
(Specialized information services U.S. National Library of Medicine)
The following can cause occupational asthma:
glutaraldehyde, formaldehyde, sodium
bisulfite, chloramine T, hexachlorophene,
chlorohexidine, benzalkonium chloride
(Quats), isononanoyl oxybenzene sulfonate,
laural dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride,
and isothiazolinones.
Patient Room
Maintenance
Cleaning patient rooms is
extremely important.
Follow Hospital Procedure
for Cleaning Patient
Rooms.
The following ECOgent
cleaning method is
provided as a service to
assist in CLEANING
WITHOUT HARMING.
Patient Room Maintenance
•
•
•
•
Remove trash.
Dust mop floors
Damp mop floors
Change water
frequently.
• Isolation rooms after cleaning room
discard mops and
cleaning solution
Patient Room Maintenance
Materials Required:
white microfiber cloth or regular
cleaning cloth and bucket
light duty spray bottle
diluted ECOgent
Patient
Room
Maintenance
Dip white microcloth or regular
cleaning cloth
into bucket and
wring as dry as
possible.
Patient
Room
Maintenance
Wipe down all
hand contact
points first (e.g.
bed rail).
Patient
Room
Maintenance
Continue
wiping hand
contact points
(e.g. overbed
table).
Patient
Room
Maintenance
Rinse cloth
frequently.
Patient
Room
Maintenance
Spray light duty
dilution of
ECOgent
on cloth and
continue to clean
patient room.
Patient
Room
Maintenance
ECOgent works well
on all surfaces,
including windows,
mirrors, walls,
tabletops, shelving
and floors.
Patient
Room
Maintenance
Clean sink
and area
around sink
last.
Patient
Room
Maintenance
Wipe any
hand soap
residue from
sink and rinse
from cleaning
cloth.
Patient
Room
Maintenance
Launder the
cloths when
necessary.
Patient
Bathroom
Maintenance
A separate blue
microfiber cloth or
regular cloth is used to
clean the patient
bathroom.
Patient Bathroom
Maintenance
Materials Required:
blue microfiber cloth or regular cleaning
cloth
bucket
light duty spray bottle
diluted ECOgent for general cleaning
bowl swab
bowl cleaner dilution of ECOgent
in a bowl swab container
Patient
Bathroom
Maintenance
First flush the toilet.
Take the bowl swab
from the bowl
cleaner container
and swab inside of
toilet, rim and under
seat ONLY.
Allow to soak while
proceeding to clean
the rest of the
bathroom.
Patient Bathroom
Maintenance
Spray any visible dry soils with
light duty ECOgent and allow
to soak.
Patient Bathroom
Maintenance
Dip cleaning
cloth into bucket
and wring as dry
as possible.
Patient Bathroom
Maintenance
Spray cloth with
light duty
ECOgent and
wipe all hand
contact points.
Rinse cloth
frequently.
Patient Bathroom
Maintenance
Always clean
toilet last.
Wipe sides, top,
and handle first.
Patient Bathroom
Maintenance
Finish by
wiping top, side,
seat, then
underside of
seat and rim
Patient Bathroom
Maintenance
Discard cleaning
cloth after every
bathroom.
Patient Bathroom
Maintenance
Change cleaning
solution as
needed
For isolation rooms
discard cleaning
cloths and
cleaning solution
after use.
So why join the movement
to Clean without
Harming?
Because it makes sense.
• Simpler and saves money
• Better indoor air quality
• Safe for all building surfaces
• Safer for staff & clients
• Better for the environment
• Reduces exposure to
hazardous chemicals
including disinfecting and
sanitizing chemicals
ECOgent meets and exceeds:
• existing VOC standards for cleaners,
including Green Seal GS37
• new State VOC requirements
• new sustainable purchasing standards*
Environmental Choice
Criteria PRC-097
M
Envirodesic™ Certification
Program
*only one product meets all
existing and new VOC standards:
ECOgent
General Purpose Cleaner
ECOgent offers:
• outstanding cleaning properties
• occupational health and safety
• ecological compatibility
• sustainability
And the bottom line?
It costs no more to
Clean Without Harming,
with ECOgent.
1-800-638-7370
www.chemspecworld.com