Breaking down the barriers for cleaner care
Chris Wakefield, managing director UK and Ireland, GOJO Industries-Europe Ltd, reports.
Did you know that until the mid-1800s doctors didn’t bother washing their hands? Since then the importance, and practice, of hand hygiene has made great strides. However, despite this, compliance can still be problematic in hospitals and healthcare facilities.
In fact, a study into infection prevention and control by The World Health Organisation (WHO), found the pandemic ‘exposed many challenges and gaps in IPC in all regions and countries, including those which had the most advanced IPC programmes’. Its first-ever Global Report on Infection Prevention and Control also found that 70% of infections could be prevented if good hand hygiene and other cost-effective practices were followed.
Healthcare workers already understand the why and the how of cleaning their hands, so education is not the solution to increasing adherence. The key is to understand the most common barriers and then introduce measures that address these. In other words, supporting healthcare staff to advance hand hygiene, rather than berating them for the lack of it.
Healthcare professionals are busy
We all know how stretched our health service is and how busy doctors and nurses are. This is one simple reason for non-compliance when it comes to hand hygiene. Last year, we undertook research with healthcare trusts and found that overburdened and stressed staff felt as if they didn’t have time to clean their hands as often as they should.
Longer-term, there needs to be a bigger conversation regarding recruitment and workloads, but in the here and now, supplying antimicrobial hand hygiene solutions in different formats can help drive positive behaviour. For example, issuing staff with small format versions, such as personal bottles of Purell Advanced Hygienic Hand Rub, enables them to sanitise whilst moving between patients and reduce this lost time.
Skin health is a big factor
For healthcare workers who must wash or sanitise hands repeatedly during a shift, skin health is a primary concern. Indeed, recent research by The Royal College of Nursing (RCN), found that 93% of clinicians surveyed have had at least one skin issue in the last 12 months. Therefore, it is critical to select products that are not only effective against germs but have also been clinically proven to maintain skin health. Acceptability is crucial, because if staff enjoy using the products they will be more likely to use them consistently which, in turn, prevents infection from spreading. A poor experience, on the other hand, will result in the opposite being true.
Check the basics
Finally, check that dispensers are in good working order, do not run empty and ensure that they are in the correct positions. They should be located as close as possible, within arm’s reach of where patient care or treatment is taking place, without having to leave the area. There should also be opportunities for hand hygiene at other prime germ hot-spots, such as entrances/exits, waiting areas and washrooms.
Building a culture of compliance can be achieved by listening to healthcare staff and understanding their challenges. At a time when seasonal viruses are increasing, there is no time to delay.
The great superbug surge
Hospital superbugs are on the rise again as healthcare staff struggle to cope with crowded A&E departments and over-full wards. What can be done to tackle these frightening HAIs, asks Essity’s Liam Mynes?
It seems as though it was a long time ago that the topic of MRSA dominated our healthcare news. MRSA - or methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus - became the scourge of our hospitals in the 1990s and early 2000s. But cases of this ‘superbug’ were eventually brought under control due to a combination of enhanced screening and a better understanding of how it can be prevented. And of course, the issue of superbugs was completely overshadowed by the onset of COVID-19. However, the problem has certainly not gone away.
In fact, according to the UK Health Security Agency, the number of cases of MRSA rose by 35% in the UK in 2021 - the largest annual increase ever recorded. And in June this year a new study found that a highly antibiotic-resistant strain of MRSA was emerging in livestock, probably due to the widespread use of antibiotics in pig farming. Cases of livestock-associated MRSA currently make up only a small fraction of MRSA cases in human populations. But the numbers are increasing - and this is thought to be a worrying sign.
MRSA is not the only source of concern, however. According to a 2022 study by the University of Oxford, around 1.2 million deaths globally are caused by antibiotic resistance each year with experts predicting that this figure will only grow.
C.Difficile, like MRSA, has generally faded from public awareness over recent years. But clusters of the condition still occur - for example, an outbreak was recorded at Vancouver’s Royal Columbian Hospital in July 2020 while a second group of cases emerged at California’s Port Moody Hospital in December of the same year.
One of the latest so-called ‘superbugs’ to hit the news is C. auris, a drug-resistant fungus that can cause invasive and often deadly infections. First identified in 2009, C. auris has been detected in a number of countries including the UK, the US, Germany, Italy, and Spain.
Sepsis is another ongoing concern in hospitals with the condition thought to be responsible for killing around 11 million people globally each year. According to the Sepsis Trust, one in five deaths is now believed to be caused by sepsis.
So it appears that superbugs are still a major issue in our hospitals. And the advice is similar in almost every case: the risk can be greatly reduced with the aid of good cleaning protocols coupled with optimum hand hygiene.
The World Health Organisation claims that up to 40% of healthcare-related superbug infections could be avoided by practising good hand hygiene. The Sepsis Allliance adds that many cases of the condition could be prevented with consistent hand hygiene and good wound care.
C. auris can survive for weeks on surfaces and can easily be spread from person to person or via contact with contaminated equipment. Advice from experts is to thoroughly clean and sanitise patients’ rooms using hospital-grade disinfectants, with particular attention being paid to shared equipment such as ventilators and glucometers along with high-touch surfaces such as bed rails and windowsills.
The Sepsis Alliance advises frequent hand washing using soap and water followed by a thorough dry using a clean towel. Meanwhile, the WHO urges all healthcare workers to adopt its ‘My Five Moments of Hand Hygiene’ which states that healthcare staff should wash their hands before touching a patient, before carrying out any aseptic procedure, after any exposure to body fluid, after touching a patient, and after touching the patient’s surroundings. However, while experts agree that strict hand hygiene helps to prevent the spread of superbugs, various studies over the years have shown a mixed level of hand hygiene compliance among healthcare staff. This is thought to be due to a number of factors including a shortage of time, the non-availability of products and a poor understanding about the importance of good hand hygiene. Some healthcare workers also complain of bad skin health due to frequent hand washing using harsh soaps and abrasive hand towels.
It is important to ensure that skin-friendly products are always made available and that healthcare workers understand the importance of using them. Mild soaps and soft hand towels will help to improve the hand washing experience. These should be provided in high-capacity dispensers that ensure a long-lasting supply while also being easy to use. For example, Tork Extra Mild Foam Soap is allergy-friendly and certified by ECARF, the European Centre for Allergy Research Foundation, while Tork Xpress Extra Soft Multifold Hand Towels are soft, absorbent and gentle on the skin.
The Tork Skincare Dispenser has been designed to be particularly easy to use even for people with low hand strength, and the unit houses 2500 shots of foam soap which ensures that it will not run out when a hand-wash is urgently needed.
In cases where hand washing is impractical or inconvenient, staff should be encouraged to sanitise their hands using an alcohol gel or hand rub. Tork Alcohol Hand Sanitisers are available in a range of formats designed to be convenient for the medical worker’s use. And a fragrance-free conditioning cream such as Tork Non-perfumed Hand & Body Lotion will help to prevent chapping and soreness when used after hand washing.
Staff should also be instructed on the optimum way of washing their hands. Essity’s own Tork Clean Hands Training Module invites users into a digital world where they are confronted with a series of scenarios in which hand hygiene needs to be carried out. Developed in collaboration with behavioural scientists and hand hygiene experts, the course aims to provide hand hygiene guidance in an engaging way.
Cleaning has become more important than ever in hospitals to prevent bugs from lingering on surfaces. So it is important that cleaning operatives understand the need for frequent surface cleaning and are instructed in how this should be carried out in the most logical and hygienic way.
Essity offers an interactive training and support package aimed at healthcare cleaning operatives and facility managers that takes staff through various real-world cleaning scenarios in an engaging way. Tork Interactive Clean Hospital Training takes place in a virtual hospital and incorporates modules on daily cleaning in occupied patient rooms plus discharge cleaning protocols. Each module is focused on learning by doing and is available in more than 15 languages besides English.
Superbugs remain an alarming threat to our health but the global pandemic has taught us the importance of cleaning and hygiene while also making us more resilient, practical and cautious. So by remaining alert to the threat, by stepping up cleaning and by improving hand hygiene compliance, hospitals can make great strides in reducing the risks posed by superbugs.
‘Positive Impressions’ to boost patient experience
Compass Group UK and Ireland’s healthcare division is launching its colleague culture programme to focus on patient satisfaction across its 23 NHS partner healthcare trusts, the senior living care home estate and new private healthcare clients. ‘Positive Impressions’ will support 10,000 employees to deliver the very best standards in service across catering, cleaning, portering, and security.
The programme, initially developed in Compass’s US healthcare business, has been operational within several Compass UK&I private healthcare hospitals since 2019. The programme has also been trialled with two NHS hospital sites, further evolving to suit the specific needs of NHS settings. Across these hospitals, the programme has delivered enhanced patient satisfaction results due to increased engagement when planning service delivery.
‘Positive Impressions’ is designed to measure the patient experience and enhance patient-centred training, to help teams deliver care based on communication, awareness, respect, and empathy. The initiative stands out because it brings experience and optimised human connections together, empowering Compass’s people to make a real-time difference, from facts, feedback and understanding.
‘Positive Impressions’ is built around four cornerstones - defining moments, engagement, expertise, and tailored to fit. The initiative builds on a culture of empowerment and training for colleagues, looking after their wellbeing and development, as well as giving them the tools to deliver the best service possible. The training around this involves classroom sessions, refresher courses and coaching, with a focus on being inclusive and accessible.
The implementation of ‘Positive Impressions’ is being led by Compass Healthcare’s head of patient experience, Stacey Dobson. Having worked in post for over a year, she has a clear remit to understand the patient feedback across all sites and to spearhead cultural behaviours. Stacey leads a ‘patient experience community’, made up of patient experience managers and onsite ambassadors, who will support the roll out and ongoing delivery of the programme.
Russell Blake, managing director - healthcare at Compass Group UK and Ireland, said: “We live by our ‘Performance with Heart’ philosophy and ‘Positive Impressions’ truly delivers for patients, residents and our people - creating an approach that is taken from feedback at each hospital or care home. This programme allows us to make reactive and tangible differences to care and therefore health outcomes. We are committed to the roll out of the programme and believe it will enhance skills and the services we deliver.”
Stacey Dobson, head of patient experience for healthcare, Compass Group UK and Ireland, said: “The pandemic shone a light on the impact our teams can have on the patient experience and the imperative services they deliver from cleanliness to nutrition and so many more. We knew there was an opportunity to go further and developing the ‘Positive Impressions’ programme for our NHS and senior living clients, will support us to create bespoke solutions based on feedback. The great thing about this programme is that it builds two-way communication from patient or resident to our teams, to allow us to react and improve.”
‘Positive Impressions’ has been shortlisted in The Patient Experience Network National Awards (PENNA), the first and only awards programme to recognise best practice in patient experience. The concept is a finalist for the categories of Commissioning for Patient Experience; Staff Engagement & Improving Staff Experience; and Manager of the Year.
Keeping it clean in the hospital
Chad Grainger, key account manager - public services, at Kärcher UK focuses on how facilities managers can achieve cleaning standards in an efficient and sustainable manner.
Ensuring that healthcare facilities are kept clean and hygienic is vital not only for patient safety but also to protect workers and safeguard health and safety. With the arrival of the new National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness 2021 legislation implemented earlier this year, the national focus on healthcare cleanliness has increased. The introduction of measures including stringent audits and the display of star rating certificates in public spaces has driven the need for efficient cleaning solutions that keep on top of dirt build-up.
With the new cleaning standards placing emphasis on all staff members rather than just cleaning operatives, having machines that can be easily operated is a must to ensure that a clean environment can be universally maintained. Battery-powered machines are ideal for this, as they can be swiftly used without the need for plug points, helping to whisk away daily dirt and spillages. This can help to reduce cleaning times by up to 50% compared to traditional mop and bucket style cleaning.
Additionally, battery powered solutions do not involve wires strewn across flooring, helping to reduce the health and safety risk of using the machines in high footfall thoroughfares. Combined with low noise output, battery powered machines feature brushless motors enabling them to be used during the day and night minimising noise disruption and preventing the need to close off vast areas of space to the public.
Battery powered technology, such as the Battery Universe from Kärcher, has seen a vast number of cleaning machines be adapted so that they can be powered using swappable batteries. The interchangeable nature of the Kärcher Battery Universe Platform enables users to swiftly move the battery from one machine to another during the cleaning process, depending on what machine is required. This helps to reduce energy usage as less batteries need charging to power a wide range of equipment. Instead, the user can swiftly go from mopping up spillages using the BR 30/1 C Bp handheld scrubber dryer to vacuuming up loose dirt with the HV 1/1 Bp handheld vacuum cleaner.
Vacuum cleaners and handheld scrubber dryers are particularly suited to use in healthcare facilities as they help to remove common dirt and tidy up after ad-hoc spills. Unkept flooring is a particular health hazard in busy wards and corridors as it may lead to trips and falls. Likewise, over time, dirt build-up can lead to floor damage requiring replacement, which could put an area out of action for healthcare staff.
As the responsibility of maintaining a clean environment becomes part of the wider role for all healthcare members, ensuring that you have sustainable and easy to use cleaning equipment will speed up cleaning times and ensure consistent overall cleanliness. Making sure that the right equipment is in place will go a long way to supporting staff and helping to keep a high star rating in every healthcare facility.
Giving washrooms a clean bill of health
Paul Mulready, marketing manager of Northwood Hygiene Products Ltd, discusses the importance of the washroom in healthcare settings.
Healthcare associated infections (HAIs) are not just a severe risk for patients, staff and visitors - they are costly to the NHS too. A recent global report from the World Health Organisation (WHO) on infection prevention and control (IPC) revealed that 70% of HAIs could be prevented by improved hygiene protocols. The report also stated that good hand and environmental hygiene in healthcare settings could more than halve the risk of dying as a result of infection and reduce long term health complications by 40%.
So how can the washroom help deliver hygiene, whilst also being sustainable?
Controlling use
With more pressure on washrooms than ever, we need to manage the consumption of disposable products. Preventing over usage is vital, so providers should look for high-capacity, controlled-use dispensers that restrict the use of consumables.
Sustainable choices
We must minimise global transportation by buying British-made products where possible and we should always ensure that paper products are made only from raw materials that have been sustainably sourced - either from recycled materials or from sustainably managed forests.
Northwood Hygiene, for instance, uses Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper within its UK manufactured Raphael range, as well as offering 100% recycled paper options. Our Raphael proprietary washroom system helps washrooms to provide superior hygiene, whilst offering strong environmental benefits. Widely used in healthcare settings, including the Galway Clinic and practices in Harley Street, Raphael delivers cost-in-use, performance and sustainability. The high-capacity Raphael collection comprises four hand towel and two toilet tissue dispensers, along with a soap dispenser.
Infection buster
Designed to optimise hygiene in the highest traffic washrooms, Raphael’s soap dispensers deliver a generous shot to encourage single, efficient use.
The Raphael hand drying dispensers provide contactless dispensing and the toilet tissue dispenser incorporates BioKleen technology to inhibit the growth or spread of bacteria. Made from a single-piece shell, the dispensers are easy to wipe clean and all towels and rolls are fully enclosed for added hygiene.
The TwinJumbo high-capacity proprietary toilet roll dispenser holds up to 800m of roll to minimise the need for frequent replenishment, whilst an infinity paper system allows users to replenish one roll at a time to eliminate waste and deliver cost savings.
The roll towel dispensers hold up to 250 sheets each, providing around 500 dries, with some offering stub-roll transfer to ensure zero waste. The hand drying systems dispense one at a time flat sheets to avoid overuse and the folded towel dispenser has a 1000-sheet capacity. The dispensers do not free roll, helping to reduce over usage.
Washrooms are essential in the fight against infection in the hospital and healthcare sector and, with the right choice of products, they can also make a valuable contribution to sustainability too.
Achieving cleaning excellence within smaller healthcare environments
Jason Marcham, business development manager at Ecoserv, reports.
There are many cleaning challenges facing hospitals around hygiene, efficacy, compliance, and cost but these can be even more pronounced for smaller facilities such as GP surgeries, specialist clinics and mobile healthcare units. Therefore, cleaning teams need to take a flexible approach, while working closely with healthcare providers and staff, to effectively deliver on requirements and achieve the necessary levels of infection control.
Unsurprisingly, the elimination of germs and viruses is the primary concern for any healthcare facility to combat the threat of infections such as MRSA, c.difficile, sepsis, and the norovirus, as well as influenza and, of course, COVID-19. The past two years have seen the frequency of cleaning increase in many healthcare settings, but this is often not practical in smaller static and mobile facilities as it is not possible to maintain a full-time cleaning team.
What is needed are effective operational processes to achieve the necessary infection control in an affordable manner and with appropriate compliance reporting. Planned cleaning schedules can be supplemented with a mobile team that is available for ad hoc requirements, but this needs to be managed in close cooperation with the customer. For example, for blood and body spillages there needs to be processes in place, appropriate training for onsite healthcare workers and the availability of spill kits.
A combination of hand washing and sanitisation is proven to provide an effective defence against healthcare-associated infections. Enhanced hand and surface hygiene is central to creating healthy spaces for all facility users, but this cannot be achieved by the cleaning alone. There needs to be ongoing engagement with healthcare workers, patients and other visitors a strong culture of compliance, as well as making it as easy as possible to maintain hand hygiene.
Of course, the cleaning team still has a huge role to play in both medical and public areas to ensure facilities are regularly cleaned hygienically. Pathogens can be found on all kinds of surfaces and even those that appear clean can be contaminated by a sick individual or an infected cleaning cloth. Therefore, its essential that even difficult to reach areas are well cleaned and cleaning operatives are trained in best practice techniques to prevent cross-contamination.
The cleaning operation can also take advantage of recent innovations such as electrostatic spraying machines, which effectively disinfect a building in a fraction of the time and cost previously needed. These specialist sprayers provide 360 degree-coverage over all surfaces to provide long-lasting protection against viruses and other pathogens. Meanwhile, the standardisation of cleaning products can improve productivity and reduce potential failure points, while also offering cost and sustainability benefits, while microfibre cloths and mops are also an effective surface-cleaning solution for healthcare environments.
Smaller healthcare facilities share many of the same cleaning challenges as larger sites, without much of the round-the clock support. Therefore, it is important to have clearly defined processes in place, delivered by a specialist team, using best-practice techniques and technology. This will help achieve the necessary levels of cleanliness and infection control that is demanded within the healthcare environment.
Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust deploys UV-C devices
Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust has recently introduced two of Diversey’s advanced Moonbeam3 disinfection technology UV-C devices to augment its infection prevention capabilities at the Walsall Manor Hospital. The devices are initially being used in bathrooms and other confined spaces although the trust’s facilities team anticipates they will be used in other parts of the hospital in due course.
“We were looking for something more mobile and compact to complement our other UV equipment which is relatively large and bulky,” said Kevin Banks, facilities officer, soft FM, at Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust. “When we first saw the device, it looked like it would be ideal for bathrooms and other confined areas. Our evaluation and training showed they did as we expected. They are very easy to manoeuvre.”
Moonbeam3 disinfection technology delivers powerful UV-C light to provide fast broad area disinfection of high-touch surfaces. It is effective against hard-to-kill pathogens such as C-difficile, VRE, CPE, and norovirus in as little as three minutes when used in conjunction with normal daily cleaning and disinfection processes. The UV-C light produced by the device penetrates and deactivates the DNA in the cells of pathogens, destroying their ability to reproduce and multiply, but more importantly from causing infections.
The devices are designed to be used after a room or area has been disinfected with conventional liquid products. The UV-C emitted by the device can destroy pathogens that might have been missed inadvertently during normal disinfection and also treats hard-to-reach surfaces. In this way, Moonbeam3 provides an additional layer of protection that can help to reduce infections and reassure patients and staff that the facilities are free from pathogens.
At Walsall the devices are currently used mainly to treat smaller areas such as washrooms and bathrooms. However, the infection prevention team can request the facilities team to use them in other areas. For example, the team has already tested the devices in patient rooms to disinfect beds.
The devices are compact, lightweight and fold up when not in use. This makes them very easy to move around. A key advantage of Moonbeam3 over similar technologies is the easy manipulation and positioning of the three articulated arms that contain the UV-C sources. This allows the light to be aimed accurately and ensures the maximum amount of UV-C will hit the target for the most effective disinfection.
“The arms are quite movable so in a bathroom it’s easy to direct them to the top of a sink and underneath,” said Kevin Banks. “We can use the two devices together to disinfect a bed space. One device is aimed at the top and the other underneath. That was a big help to us as well.”
The Moonbeam3 device is wheeled into position and the three independent articulating arms placed in suitable positions close to the target surfaces. Everyone leaves the room and the control unit, which incorporates motion control detectors, is placed outside the door. The device is activated by the touch of a button. In most cases it is programmed to activate for a three-minute cycle. The device immediately shuts down automatically if it detects someone entering the room while it is running so there is no risk of accidental exposure to the UV-C.
“It only takes a couple of minutes to treat a room,” continued Kevin Banks. “You take the cover off, leave the room and activate the device. It takes no time, not even five minutes.”
Gary Bradburne, Diversey’s UK and Ireland technical expert for infection prevention, visited Walsall Manor Hospital to show a group of supervisors how to use the equipment. In addition to using the devices themselves the supervisors can train their colleagues.
“The training was easy to arrange and Gary was very informative on how it worked,” concluded Kevin Banks. “The supervisors had a few questions which Gary was able to answer. When they asked him some awkward questions, he answered so they understood very well. We have had good feedback from the users. I expect the team to want to use them more in the future".
Tork extends education partnership with the IPS and Sodexo
Tork, Essity’s global leading professional hygiene brand, has extended its partnership with the Infection Prevention Society (IPS) and Sodexo, to continue to deliver its Environment, Cleaning and Decontamination (ECD) programme for IPS members after a fruitful first year.
The renewed partnership, which initially began in July 2021, supports IPS’s goal to inform and promote evidence-based infection prevention policies and create a health and care system where no person's health and wellbeing is harmed by preventable infection through its activities and actions. The ECD programme’s mission is to continue educating healthcare practitioners on specific topics to promote and support the adoption of best practices in water, ventilation, decontamination, and hand hygiene, ultimately preventing healthcare associated infections throughout the patient's journey.
Following a successful event in November 2021, the IPS - in association with Sodexo Healthcare and Tork - will host a second free to attend ECD conference in November 2022, which will tackle fresh topics and introduce new experts. In addition, planned educational resources will become available, and support will be provided for study days throughout the year, all with a renewed emphasis on creating safer patient environments in healthcare. All activities will involve several highly respected infection prevention and microbiology experts.
Thomas Bergin, marketing director, healthcare at Essity Professional Hygiene, said: “Tork is proud to continue this important partnership with IPS and Sodexo. As part of the global hygiene and health company Essity, we are dedicated to helping create safe care environments and ultimately help prevent HAIs. This partnership provides the opportunity to work with the infection prevention community by providing a collaborative platform to support effective surface cleaning and hand hygiene.”
Simon Lilley, strategy and marketing director (healthcare), Sodexo UK and Ireland, said: “Sodexo is delighted to continue its partnership with IPS and Tork and build on the ECD programme’s success to help reduce preventable infections in healthcare. The work we do with IPS directly supports the development of our Protecta cleaning and infection prevention solution we operate in hospitals across the UK, and our passion to improve patient flow by reducing preventable hospital related infections.”
Lisa Butcher, IPS vice president and ECD lead, added: “The IPS is pleased to continue its critical work with Sodexo and Tork. Our IPS members found the first year of the ECD programme very valuable, and we look forward to providing more valuable educational sessions which provide our delegates with practical skills to take back to their workplace and implement. This is all about us working together to provide safe, clean spaces for patients and staff."
Power with responsibility
The XP range of upright vacuum cleaners from SEBO is ideal for use in the healthcare environment. They feature independently proven filtration, hygienic dirt disposal using sealable bags and are quiet and light to use.
Clearly, a vacuum cleaner’s number one task is to clean. The XP range harnesses the power of an on-board computer to measure performance on the floor and continuously adjust the floor head to the optimum cleaning height, completely automatically. The powerful brush action pulls the vacuum cleaner forward so that the pushing force required to manoeuvre it is close to zero, helping to make it light and easy to use for extended periods, but also giving deep cleaning performance. The integrated wand and hose mean that cleaning above the floor and reaching into awkward places is easy. The computer can also advise when the bag needs changing, or when there is a blockage, and the multiple access points and cassette style brush roller make the XP easy to maintain.
Of course, once dirt is picked up, it is essential in hospital and healthcare scenarios that it is retained in the vacuum cleaner and not released back into the air. The Health and Safety Executive recommend that we never assume that any dust is safe and that all uncontrolled dusts are potentially hazardous. Virtually all the dust and dirt which is picked up by an XP vacuum cleaner is safely trapped in the high filtration bag, which can be sealed and hygienically disposed of. The filtration of the XP has been independently tested by the DMT Test Institute in Germany to filter 99.97% of particles of 0.3 micron. Above this particle size, the filtration level is very close to 100%.
Healthcare facilities generally operate 24/7. It is not always possible to vacuum when no one is around and the health and wellbeing of the cleaning staff and inconvenience to the public have to be considered. Although there are regulations limiting the sound power level that a vacuum cleaner can reach, the quality of that sound can still be unpleasant, even where the vacuum cleaner meets the regulations. SEBO sound engineers have successfully muted the harsh frequencies to which the human ear is sensitive. This has the result that with any form of background noise, the sound from the XP virtually disappears, making it suitable in many cases for daytime cleaning. Indeed, in any situation where low noise levels are important, the XP range is ideal.
Last, but not least, SEBO believes that vacuum cleaners should be built to last, and should be easily repairable. Its vacuum cleaners are built to be durable and reliable, to have a long service life using few replacement parts. Component parts are identified with the material they are made from, so that they can be recycled more easily when their service life is over.
Hygienic no-touch mopping system for healthcare facilities
Hygiene remains a crucial issue, especially in healthcare facilities. A survey conducted by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) found that every year in Europe there are some 8.9 million infections related to care in hospitals and long-term care facilities. Hands are a dangerous vehicle for contamination, so it is essential to avoid direct contact with bacteria. In the meantime, the pandemic has required the adoption of even more stringent practices and procedures to combat the spread of COVID-19, including handling equipment used for cleaning and disinfection as if it were potentially contaminated to further protect the operator and prevent cross-contamination.
To support these new enhanced procedures and ensure the highest levels of hygiene, TTS has designed a system with the completely touch-free release of mops - thanks to Pockety, disposing of them without coming into contact with dirt, viruses and bacteria is now a reality. Unlike traditional systems that require the operator to touch the dirty mops to dispose of them, Pockety safely unhooks and collects them directly into the bucket, eliminating any hand contact and confining dirt to the collection area ensures cross-contamination control.
In addition, this innovative system provides improved safety and ergonomics for the operator, who no longer has to bend over to pick up the used mops from the floor, reducing potential back injuries or pain due to poor posture and repetitive stressful movements. Pockety does not require effort and allows the operator to maintain the correct posture during use. It also improves operational efficiency, saving time and therefore reducing costs: the exclusive lid design detaches the mops instantly while the symmetrical frame hooks them up in a flash, ensuring quick set-up since it is designed to remain partially open for access.
Pockety facilitates improved laundry management, making operations easier. The net bag in the bucket collects the used mops, speeding up emptying and making it even more hygienic.
The new system is compatible with a whole range of mops with pockets, both washable and disposable - this allows the operator to use the most suitable mop for the type of surface to be treated and the degree of dirt that is present.
The new system can be used in combination with pre-soaking methods using hermetic buckets or on-demand soaking with Dosely. Combining it with soaking systems effectively combats cross-contamination and ensures maximum hygiene throughout the process - from cleaning each area with a clean mop to disposing of the dirty mop without any hand contact. Pockety can also be used in combination with all TTS trolleys, from the smallest to the largest.
The Pockety frame is available in the Lampo version to optimise space on the trolley, releasing extra space that can be used to carry all the essential cleaning tools the operator may need. Besides, when combined with the Ray tank handle and disposable mops, it becomes an ultra-compact system ideal for quick response or emergency sanitising operations.
3-in-1 mild lotion wash introduced
GOJO, the inventor of Purell, has launched GOJO Mild Lotion Wash, a brand new lotion soap that is gentle enough for the most delicate of skin and ideal for use in healthcare facilities.
GOJO Mild Lotion Wash benefits from an innovative 3-in-1 formula, meaning it is suitable for use on hair, body and hands and negates the need for separate soap, shower gel and shampoo products. It is formulated with plant-based glycerin and is colourless, unfragranced and pH neutral. Extremely gentle, it can even be used on infants’ delicate skin.
It helps to maintain the skin’s natural moisture, and when tested on volunteers under medical control, it demonstrated good tolerance. Designed for frequent use, it is suited for widespread application within a variety of healthcare facilities such as nursing homes, care units, operating rooms, and maternity wards.
It has also been developed with the environment in mind. The raw materials have been selected for their toxicological and eco-toxicological profiles and the formulation meets strict biodegradability criteria, which minimises the impact on aquatic eco-systems. It is also only available as a large format refill so the amount of plastic used is also reduced.
Chris Wakefield, managing director UK and Ireland, GOJO Industries-Europe, said: “Saving lives and making life better through wellbeing solutions is the GOJO purpose and it drives our innovation in hygiene. We are passionate about developing products that protect patient safety and, importantly, that also maintain skin health, such as soaps and hygienic hand rubs that can be used repeatedly throughout healthcare workers’ busy shifts. We are now proud to add GOJO Mild Lotion Wash, which is suitable for even the most fragile of skin types, like that of babies or the elderly, to our extensive range.”