Green Cleaning and Infection Control: An Expert Roundtable Discusses the Issues

ICT:What is the No. 1 advantage of green cleaning and can you make a cost-benefit argument for this method to hospital administrators?

Ashkin: There are several advantages to a green hospital. First, however, is the assumption that the environmental services and infection control departments are currently doing a good job. If not, then I’m confident that the hospital already can calculate the cost of hospital-acquired infections and extended hospital stays. However, assuming that the effort to “green” is not tied to improving performance, there are other reasons to implement green cleaning. These include reducing potential risk to environmental services personnel through the use of more benign chemicals and equipment with better ergonomics; increasing recycling and improving waste management to reduce waste disposal costs especially tied to red-bag waste; and increasing marketing as patients and staff prefer to stay and work in greener facilities. And if the products all cost the same, many hospitals find even these “soft” benefits well worth it, even if we can’t put hard dollar figures to them.

Kennedy: There are several primary advantages of green cleaning to people and the environment. Green cleaning helps reduce exposure of building occupants and maintenance personnel to hazardous chemical or particulate contaminants in the air that negatively affect indoor air quality (IAQ), such as bacteria, mold, and allergens. For example:

- Vacuums utilize true HEPA filtration designed to filter fine particulate and dust through a multistage filtration process, improving indoor air quality and occupant health.

- Low-moisture floor care equipment such as cylindrical brush automatic scrubbers, moisture-controlled carpet extractors, or encapsulation carpet systems can minimize moisture that causes mold, bacteria, and allergens. The U.S. Green Building Council and its LEED-EB (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Existing Buildings) encourages facilities to incorporate strategies that reduce moisture in building construction or operation, which includes cleaning. According to the LEEDS-BE criteria, credits will be awarded to those facilities that take steps to reduce moisture and the adverse impacts it has on indoor air quality.

- The use of eco-friendly, maintenance-free Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM), EV Traction Dry Cell, or gel batteries minimizes the risk to your cleaning staff and to the environment. Not only do traditional, wet acid-cell batteries contain sulfuric acid and require your cleaning crew to maintain proper fluid levels to ensure batteries perform properly, they pose danger to both the cleaning worker and to your facility’s indoor environment.

- Lightweight and ergonomically designed equipment minimizes worker injuries and compensation claims.

The use of less wasteful cleaning processes also benefits worker health and safety while minimizing environmental impact and waste. For example:

- Recycling and the use of recyclable materials such as the use of post-consumer polypropylene equipment helps to minimize waste that may go into a land fill in the future.

- Floor care equipment that is designed to consume less water minimizes environmental impact and has a positive effect on human health and indoor environments.

Nelson: The primary advantage of green cleaning is that it reduces the impact on the environment, the people in the building, and the people doing the cleaning.

Even if green products are a bit more expensive (usually they are comparable in price), the advantages far outweigh any cost premium. Green cleaning:

• Improves productivity and morale of building occupants

• Improves the health of the cleaning staff and building occupants, helping to reduce sick days

• Contributes to recognition in your community for reducing resource usage and pollution

• Reduces liability from worker safety issues

• Earns points toward LEED certification

• Creates satisfaction for yourself, the cleaning staff, and the building’s occupants because you are helping to make your facility and your community a better place.