What do indoor air quality (IAQ), norovirus rates, disinfectant effectiveness, and airport cleanliness have in common? As topics of concern to facility maintenance experts this spring and beyond,
these issues are paramount to the Global Biorisk Advisory Council® (GBAC), a Division of ISSA. In this issue’s GBAC STAR Report, GBAC staff members have rounded up infection prevention news on these topics. The report also offers various training opportunities targeted to facility managers and others in the cleaning industry, from webinars and courses to a lobbying opportunity in Washington, D.C.
EPA Launches New List of Disinfectants Effective Against HIV and Hepatitis
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has combined and updated information from several disinfectant lists to create a new list titled “EPA-Registered Antimicrobial Products Effective Against Bloodborne Pathogens (HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C) [List S].” EPA launched this new disinfectant list to increase the accessibility, accuracy, and functionality of the information for all readers, including healthcare facility staff.
The new List S combines product information from the following former lists:
- List C: EPA’s Registered Antimicrobial Products Effective Against Human HIV-1 Virus
- List D: EPA’s Registered Antimicrobial Products Effective Against Human HIV-1 and Hepatitis B Virus
- List E: EPA’s Registered Antimicrobial Products Effective Against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Human HIV-1, and Hepatitis B Virus
- List F: EPA’s Registered Disinfectants for use Against Hepatitis C.
EPA Lists C, D, E, and F are now retired and will be redirected to the new List S.
CDC Data Shows Rising Norovirus Cases
Cases of norovirus, a highly transmissible virus responsible for severe “stomach flu,” are on the rise nationally.
Data released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at the end of February showed cases of norovirus rising throughout the United States, especially in the
northeastern and western states.
Most U.S. norovirus outbreaks happen from November to April. Each year on average in the U.S., norovirus causes:
- 900 deaths, mostly among adults aged 65 and older
- 109,000 hospitalizations
- 465,000 emergency department visits, mostly in young children
- 2,270,000 outpatient clinic visits, mostly in young children
- 19 to 21 million illnesses.
AAAE, GBAC STAR Webinar: Elevating Airport Safety and Sustainability
The American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) has partnered with GBAC to provide airports with a leading solution for outbreak prevention. To date, 77 airports have
achieved GBAC STAR™ Facility Accreditation. Check out the webinar featuring Dr. Gavin Macgregor-Skinner, senior director of GBAC, and representatives from three airports to understand
why accreditation matters, its role in current infectious disease trends, and its impact on airport sustainability and financial success. You can watch the pre-recorded webinar for free at youtube.com/watch?v=SaqFHLju3dc.
2024 ISSA Clean Advocacy Summit in Washington, D.C.— April 10–11
Join ISSA in Washington, D.C., this spring to ensure U.S. legislators consider the needs of professional cleaners and facility managers. Participants will get up to speed on the pressing public policy issues for the full cleaning supply chain, receive training on how to become an effective Advocate for Clean, and network with other leaders in the cleaning industry. Then they will apply their new knowledge and skills by going to Capitol Hill and meeting face to face with their congressional delegation to advance the industry. Learn more at events.issa.com/ events/2024-issa-cleanadvocacy-
summit.
Course: Healthier Buildings Awareness With ISSA, GBAC, and ASL
The EPA suggests that indoor air can be up to five times more polluted than outdoor air. IAQ is getting worse, and the medical outcomes are increasingly negative. Public awareness of this problem is also increasing because of seasonal forest fires and “pollen tsunamis.”
Healthier Buildings Awareness With ISSA, GBAC, and ASL is a 1.5- hour, online course that will increase your knowledge about IAQ concerns and building issues related to health and wellness. You’ll learn the latest science on the indoor environment and “trigger factors” for asthma and allergies. You’ll also learn how to identify commercial opportunities to create healthier building spaces and evaluate tools used to improve IAQ. The course also covers the medical challenges surrounding IAQ.
This program comes to you thanks to a partnership between ISSA, GBAC, and Allergy Standards Limited (ASL), the experts in IAQ. If your facility is GBAC STAR accredited, this course serves as a vital knowledge component to that accreditation and will help you provide continuous improvement in IAQ at your facility. Learn more at learning.issa.com/courses/45633.
