Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 19th June 2014 Issue no. 630
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   International News
Products Gesture Recognition and Touch-Less Sensing market worth $22.04 billion by 2020
Agaia, Al Daa'ma sign exclusive distribution agreement for Evolve
Polymer Group acquires Providencia
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Welcome to the
Cleanzine - the original Cleaning & Hygiene industry e-news Read by industry professionals in 163 countries worldwide! We’re one week into the World Cup and whether you’re a football fan or not, the tournament is likely to affect you – either because you want to watch the matches and can’t as you’re working - or because your colleagues or employees take time off to watch, which means that either your workload will increase or you’ll have to find someone to cover the absence. According to a survey, huge numbers of Brits are threatening to ‘throw a sickie’ rather than miss a game – and of course there will also be those who will arrive at work hung-over from imbibing too much while watching the previous night’s game, so employee relationships could become a little fraught unless care is taken to try and keep everyone happy. While many organisations will have agreements in place regarding time off, sickness absence or even watching matches on TV or online in the workplace, a more flexible approach will go down well with the workforce if it’s at all possible to have one. One option would be for workers wishing to follow the football, to come in a little later or finish earlier, or perhaps swap shifts with those that haven’t got the World Cup bug. Perhaps breaks could be extended and taken during match times or staff could listen to the match on the radio or watch it online or on TV, while continuing to work. Handled correctly, the tournament could create a real feel-good factor in the workplace… A clever employer will use it to encourage staff loyalty and even see an improvement in productivity, whereas someone sticking rigidly to the rules just for the sake of it, may find that their actions will provide the tipping point to encourage good employees to find a boss that’s a little more human. An employee that may be in line for promotion, who throws a sickie or arrives at work bleary eyed, smelling of beer and wearing a crumpled shirt, may find that his or her progress up the career ladder comes to a sudden halt (or worse) so do look at the possible long term consequences of how you handle yourself during this and any other sporting tournament and make sure that the only ‘own goals’ scored are on the pitch! Also in this week’s news are some more responses to my comments about the plastic shopping bag tax. I love learning of other people’s opinions, which can often kick my original thoughts into touch, so do keep them coming… Please get in touch either by emailing me or posting a comment on our Facebook page. www.facebook.com/Cleanzine
Yours,
        This Week's News
Research finds human sweat can reduce bacteria defences in hospitals and schools Sweaty hands can reduce the effectiveness of bacteria-fighting brass objects in hospitals and schools after just an hour of coming into contact with them, according to scientists at the University of Leicester. While copper found in everyday brass items such as door handles and water taps has an antimicrobial effect on bacteria and is widely used to prevent the spread of disease, Dr John Bond, OBE, from the University of Leicester's Department of Chemistry, has discovered that peoples' sweat can, within an hour of contact with the brass, produce sufficient corrosion to adversely affect its use to kill a range of microorganisms, such as those which might be encountered in a hospital and which can be easily transferred by touch or by a lack of hand hygiene. New V-Air Solid multi-phasing air freshener with sub-micron technology recognised as VOC exempt
But that's not all... the multi-phasing, sub-micron technology is packed into just one single component. The science in V-Air Solid speaks for itself. Joint project will tackle healthcare infections Teams at the Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron, USA (ABIA) and Omnova Solutions this week began working on a pioneering project to explore the interactions between disinfectants and common health facility surfaces, with the goal of developing solutions that effectively minimise the risk of infection while preserving physical assets. The partnership, which is being funded by a grant from the Omnova Foundation, includes technical support from the Clorox Professional Products Company and global health equipment and diagnostics manufacturer Midmark. Control of Norovirus outbreaks in areas of potential infection
Norovirus is the most prevalent cause of infectious gastroenteritis in the UK, and the ATP Bioluminescence technique has been used for many years to identify potential sources of contamination in the food chain, in production and preparation areas, as well as many other industrial and commercial applications such as restaurants and hotels etc. Jacob Holm to acquire DuPont Sontara business from DuPont Protection Technologies DuPont Protection Technologies and Jacob Holm & Sonner Holding AS, announced on Tuesday that they have signed a definitive agreement for Jacob Holm to acquire the DuPont Sontara business.
Sontara is a global nonwovens business that manufactures products used in a variety of medical and wipes applications, while Jacob Holm produces spun-laced nonwoven fabrics at its facilities in France and the US for the Hygiene, Industrial and homecare markets. Founded in 1794, it is headquartered in Switzerland. Hi Jan, I have followed the plastic bag issue with interest, and as with many green issues, feel the facts are not as clear cut as it first appears. I like to consider myself 'green', and I, like most people who do use supermarket disposable bags, reuse them as bin liners, as apart from being free, I find them stronger than liners that are available to buy. Were you aware that in Ireland, the number of plastic bin liners sold rocketed when plastic bags incurred a charge? There was overall little reduction in the number of plastic bags used when these paid for bags were included in the total. There is also the hidden issue that the people most affected by the ban will be poorer people who will now have to buy bin liners, or dispose of rubbish without wrapping, which is likely to cause more environmental mess. Greyland wins Caterbar supplier award
Held at the Vermont Hotel, Newcastle Upon Tyne on 12th June, the award, from one of the leading nationwide catering and bar equipment distributors, recognises the great strides that Greyland takes in supplying all 11 individual member companies that make up the group. ISSA and The Building Futures Group to begin joint initiatives
Ochsner Health System chooses RL solutions for infection surveillance
Chewing gum: a lesson in easy removal
It removes chewing gum pieces in under six seconds through the use of gas and environmentally friendly chemicals and as there are no trailing hoses or trailing cables it is safe to use. It is also extremely quiet when in use. RLJ Equity Partners, acquires EnviroVac Holdings
The Cleanzine Archive Search We keep an extensive archive of news stories and product information that have featured in past issues of The Cleanzine. If you would like to run a search of the The Cleanzine web site using the search tool below please just go ahead by entering in the name of the person, product or company or any other key words that you are looking for. How to contact us at The Cleanzine:
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Prevent Legionnaires this Summer
To prevent a disaster of this nature happening again, Ecex, sole UK distributor of Air Intake Screens, (as manufactured by Air Solutions Company USA) which can help minimise the risk of legionnaires, urges those responsible for cooling towers and other HVAC equipment, to take appropriate steps in order to stop this potentially fatal disease in its tracks.
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