NORTHBROOK, IL—As part of its ongoing mission to change the way the world views cleaning, ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association, has released the ISSA Clean Standard: Institutional and Commercial to help facility managers measure and monitor the effectiveness of their cleaning processes.
Built on the success of the ISSA Clean Standard: K-12, the new ISSA Clean Standard applies to general institutional and commercial facilities, such as office buildings, retail stores, hotels, and similar facilities.
“The ISSA Clean Standard establishes a framework to help facilities assess the effectiveness of their cleaning processes using a blend of ATP testing and traditional inspection methods,” explains ISSA Director of Legislative and Environmental Services Bill Balek. “More importantly, the ISSA Clean Standard focuses on how to use the measurement and inspection results to improve the cleaning process, which contributes to the overall quality of the indoor environment and health of the occupants.”
The ISSA Clean Standard derives from the ISSA Clean Standard: K-12, issued in October 2013, which provides a protocol for assessing cleaning effectiveness in schools. The ISSA Clean Standard: K-12 is based on extensive independent scientific research, conducted by the Cleaning Industry Research Institute’s (CIRI) Science Advisory Panel, which includes thousands of ATP measurements on high-touch points taken in numerous schools representing multiple geographic and climatic variations
The ISSA Clean Standard provides simplified “ranges of clean” for three ATP meters that, based on extensive field research, prove to deliver an objective, quantitative component to determine whether a facility is truly clean.
“The ISSA Clean Standard: K-12 provides the detail necessary to assure a clean and healthy environment for this very important and vulnerable population, “says CIRI Executive Director Jim Harris. “The measurement, training, and certification procedures applicable to the ISSA Clean Standard: K-12 can apply to effective implementation of the new ISSA Clean Standard, thereby extending the measurement and systematic evaluation of cleaning practices to as many other facilities as possible.”
The standards are also valuable sales tools for all cleaning industry professionals—from distributors and manufacturers to cleaning service providers—and can make a difference throughout the cleaning industry.
“As ISSA seeks to change the way the world views cleaning and demonstrate the true value of cleaning, these standards serve as a resource that ensures cleaning is properly treated as an investment in our health, safety, and the environment as well as the bottom line,” says ISSA Executive Director John Garfinkel.
Licenses are available for third parties to provide training on how to measure cleanliness based on the standard. To learn more about offering training, contact Bill Balek at Bill Balek at [email protected]; 800-225-4772 (North America) or 847-982-0800.
The ISSA Clean Standard: Institutional and Commercial and the ISSA Clean Standard: K-12 can be downloaded at www.issa.com/cleanstandard.
About ISSA
With more than 7,000 members, including distributors, manufacturers, manufacturer representatives, building service contractors, in-house service providers, and associated service members, ISSA is the leading trade association for the cleaning industry worldwide. The association is committed to helping its members change the way the world views cleaning, providing its members with the business tools they need to promote cleaning as an investment in human health, the environment, and an improved bottom line. For more information on ISSA, visit www.issa.com or call 800-225-4772 (North America) or 847-982-0800.
About CIRI
The Cleaning Industry Research Institute International is a 501.c.3 not-for-profit scientific, educational, and research organization. It has been involved in the development of the ISSA Clean Standard: K-1 2 since the beginning and worked with leading researchers worldwide to develop the CIRI Training and Certification program. CIRI instructors and faculty members are experts with decades of practical experience, solid credentials, and a strong track record of teaching success. Individuals certified through this program will be recognized as having met the criteria of an unbiased organization dedicated to improving health in educational facilities.
