Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 25th July 2024 Issue no. 1124
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Call for nominations for 15th Annual National Hygiene Specialist Excellence Awards
Nominations are open for UMF|PerfectClean's 15th annual National Hygiene Specialist Excellence Awards. The award acknowledges exemplary environmental services (EVS) workers who help reduce the spread of preventable healthcare-associated infections caused by numerous superbugs including C. auris, C. diff, Covid-19, MRSA and Norovirus. Nominations are open through 15th December, 2023.
"pHAIs kill more than 75,000 people every year in the United States," says UMF CEO George Clarke. "EVS teams play a critical role in keeping patients, hospital staff, and visitors safe from infections.
“We established our National Hygiene Specialist Excellence Award 15 years ago to acknowledge and celebrate the EVS staff who work tirelessly to prevent the spread of pHAIs."
Cleaning and disinfecting environmental surfaces go hand-in-hand with hand hygiene. Both are fundamental to reducing pHAIs. Specifically, surfaces contaminated with bacteria and fungi can create biofilm that protects them from disinfectants. Educating, training, and recognizing all personnel responsible for cleaning and disinfecting patient care zones is integral to reducing pHAIs.
"UMF|PerfectClean is dedicated to recognizing the workers on the frontlines of the battle to reduce pHAIs,” adds George. “The National Hygiene Specialist Excellence Award is a testament to that commitment. Hygiene specialists are key to enterprise-wide, multimodal infection prevention, yet many feel underappreciated. It is an opportunity to recognise their critical contributions. As part of our commitment to recognising and celebrating these first-line-of-defence workers, we've also introduced awards for commercial cleaners in education and hospitality, as well as residential cleaners."
EVS managers are encouraged to nominate dedicated staff members. The award recipient will receive an all-expenses paid trip for two, including airfare anywhere in the 48 contiguous states.
Nomination forms are at:
26th October 2023