While most hotels, hotel brands, convention centers and others in our industry have developed their own cleaning and maintenance protocols with the help of outside experts, few have gone so far as to seek actual third party accreditation for their cleaning, disinfection and infection prevention. Momentum is building in that area, however, with recent announcements from ISSA and its GBAC STAR accreditation and Ecolab Inc. and its Ecolab Science Certified Program. Some of those that have sought GBAC STAR accreditation include Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Nigel in Dana Point, Calif.; Marriott Marquis Chicago Hotel; The Shilla Hotel in Seoul, South Korea, a Samsung Group affiliate; and The Lodge at Ashford Castle in County Mayo, Ireland, part of the Red Carnation Hotel Collection. The Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City and the San Jose McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, Calif. are two examples of convention centers seeking GBAC STAR accreditation. Ecolab just launched its program.
ISSA is the leading trade association for the cleaning industry worldwide. The GBAC STAR Accreditation Program is based on quality management system principles and is similar in approach to other relevant industry programs like ISO 9001, ISO 45001, and ISO 35001.
Ecolab Inc. is a global leader in water, food safety and infection prevention solutions and services.
GBAC STAR Accreditation
“The ongoing marketplace adoption of GBAC STAR demonstrates that it is well on its way to being considered the gold standard of prepared facilities,” said ISSA Executive Director John Barrett.
To view an overview video of GBAC Star, click here. The GBAC STAR program assesses a facility’s preparedness and provides staff with training for biorisk prevention and containment. The program also establishes a framework for communication and awareness best practices.
The performance based GBAC STAR program enables facilities to create and maintain an effective cleaning, disinfection, and infectious disease prevention program. To achieve GBAC STAR accreditation, facilities must demonstrate compliance with the program’s 20 elements, which range from standard operating procedures and risk assessment strategies to personal protective equipment and emergency preparedness and response measures. Facilities will apply online and provide all documentation and supporting evidence with their application. The GBAC STAR Accreditation Council determines the status of all GBAC STAR facilities.
Ecolab Science Certified Program
Using a comprehensive, science-based approach, Ecolab Science Certified combines advanced chemistry with new public health training and audit verification to deliver a high standard of cleanliness for public health and food safety required due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Ecolab Science Certified Program strengthens consumer confidence by:
- Creating clean through hospital-grade disinfecting products, food-contact cleaning and sanitizing products, solutions that address the most common sources of infection transmission, and elevated hygiene standards and protocols informed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines;
- Ensuring clean through rigorous, on-demand training, auditing, and compliance verification;
- Seeing clean in action through front-of-house products, procedures, and signage; and
- Believing clean through a consumer awareness and education campaign and a visible sign of assurance with the Ecolab Science Certified seal.
To earn the Science Certified seal, customers must meet the program’s rigorous criteria:
- The use of hospital-grade disinfecting products and food-safe cleaning and sanitizing products;
- Standardized cleaning, hygiene and food safety protocols and procedures informed by the CDC, U.S. Food and Drug Administration and local health department guidelines;
- Pest elimination and water treatment solutions to address additional sources of infection transmission;
- Comprehensive staff training to reduce the potential for human error in following protocols and applying products correctly, which is particularly important for industries and businesses with high staff turnover;
- On-site support through ongoing consultation and in-person coaching; and
- An annual comprehensive hygiene and food safety audit that reviews state and federal requirements and helps ensure correct product and equipment usage, completion of training modules, adherence to elevated protocols and documentation of corrective actions, with customer sign off.
The Ecolab Science Certified Program will launch initially in North America, and then roll out globally.
Accor & Bureau Veritas
In April, Accor and Bureau Veritas, a world-leading provider in testing, inspection and certification, joined forces to develop a label designed to certify that the appropriate safety standards and cleaning protocols have been achieved to allow businesses to reopen.
It is great to see our industry reaching out to experts in hygiene, cleaning and disinfection to ensure a healthy experience for guests and staff.
Who is Your Sustainability Champion?
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Every two weeks Green Lodging News posts a new guest column on its website. (Click here for examples.) The guest column also appears in the weekly e-newsletter. Green Lodging News is currently in need of industry experts to contribute occasional guest columns. Experts may include consultants, architects, designers, suppliers and those who own or operate green lodging establishments. Columns may be articles that take a stance on a particular subject or be strictly educational in nature. Columnists benefit by having their photo included along with a one paragraph description of their company. Interested in writing a column? Contact Glenn Hasek, publisher and editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.
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Green Suppliers Spotlight is published weekly on Thursdays to general managers, owners, management companies, directors of sustainability, directors of engineering, facilities managers and many others who are either in purchasing positions or who influence purchasing decisions. Suppliers of green products and services throughout North America and beyond are invited to participate in the e-blast. (Minimum two suppliers per e-blast.) Green Suppliers Spotlight was created to give vendors an opportunity to reach a high number of industry purchasers at a very low cost—as low as $200 per e-mail. (Click here for rate sheet.)
Those advertising in Green Suppliers Spotlight can include up to 100 words, one image, contact information and multiple links to their website in their ad. At the end of each month, a report will be sent to each supplier with information on delivered e-mails, opens and click-throughs.
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