ABSTRACT
managing director of Mycologia & Mould Worx, MSc, B.(Env. Sci.), TAE40110, examines the topic of mould exposure in healthcare facilities, and the associated duty of care for hospital facility managers and engineers. The article, published here in slightly adapted form, also focuses on the need for additional training of key personnel on the risks associated with exposure to environmental microbial contamination.
Subject(s)
Environmental Exposure/prevention & control , Fungi/pathogenicity , Health Facility Environment/standards , Infection Control/standards , Sick Building Syndrome/prevention & control , Air Pollution, Indoor/adverse effects , Air Pollution, Indoor/economics , Air Pollution, Indoor/prevention & control , Australia , Environmental Exposure/adverse effects , Environmental Exposure/economics , Health Facility Environment/economics , Housekeeping, Hospital/methods , Housekeeping, Hospital/standards , Humans , Infection Control/economics , Infection Control/methods , Maintenance and Engineering, Hospital/economics , Maintenance and Engineering, Hospital/methods , Occupational Diseases/economics , Occupational Diseases/etiology , Occupational Diseases/prevention & control , Patient Safety/economics , Patient Safety/standards , Personnel, Hospital/education , Sick Building Syndrome/complications , Sick Building Syndrome/economics , WorkforceABSTRACT
The use of cleaning cloths in food industries has been implicated in the spread and growth of infective bacteria. Generic cloths sanitized with hot water at 75 degrees C and chemical sanitizers such as quaternary ammonium compounds (QAC) and hypochlorites currently used in food industries were compared with environmentally conscious alternatives such as fiber cloths sanitized with hot water at 75 degrees C. The results indicated that concentrations of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli on the fiber cloths were significantly lower than concentrations of bacteria on most of the generic cloths sanitized with hot water at 75 degrees C or a chemical sanitizer. Concentrations of bacteria on the fiber cloths sanitized with hot water at 75 degrees C also were lower than concentrations on cloths sanitized with chemical sanitizers. Concentrations of bacteria on the generic cloths, however, were significantly increased.
