Shigellosis cases on the rise in child care facilities

WILMINGTON, NC — The number of Shigellosis cases in New Hanover County are on the rise, according to WECT-TV.

The health department stresses the importance of good hand washing practices to prevent the spread of the illness, the article noted.

According to the article, Shigellosis is a diarrheal illness caused by a group of bacteria called Shigella and is usually transmitted when an infected person fails to properly wash their hands after using the restroom.

Symptoms include diarrhea, fever, cramping, nausea and vomiting: Children and providers can quickly spread the infection to parents, siblings or other children, the article stated.

Daycare facilities are responsible for excluding any child from care that has diarrhea and refer them to their medical care provider for evaluation, the article added.

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The University of North Carolina hire consultant to resolve housekeeping complaints

CHAPEL HILL, NC — The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) will hire an external consultant to address a range of complaints raised by housekeepers in recent months, according to The Daily Tar Heel.

"I want to help everybody who's had difficulty in this situation, and I'm happy to make this investment of time and some money to pay an external consultant to see if we can come up with some new ideas," said Chancellor Holden Thorp.

Jackie Overton, chairwoman of the forum, said four themes were expressed at the meetings with Thorp: Retaliation, intimidation, management issues and inconsistent application of rules, the article noted.

Housekeepers presented their complaints to Thorp in a previous meeting, which occurred after weeks of controversy within the housekeeping ranks that began with a debate over the wage-hour policy that prohibits employees from taking additional breaks without prior approval from their supervisors, the article stated.

"After that meeting, we had three others because the chancellor really wanted their concerns to be heard fully," Overton said.

"So the decision was, after much discussion, to bring in an outside source to not let anybody at the university handle the issue, because there could always be the accusation that it's tainted," Overton added.

Click here to read the complete article.

EPA seeks policy shift

WASHINGTON — Aiming to reform its policies, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has enlisted one of the biggest guns in the federal arsenal to help: The National Academy of Sciences, according to a press release.

On Tuesday, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and National Academy of Sciences President Ralph Cicerone launched an effort to develop the so-called Green Book, a project to ensure all EPA policies are driven by sustainability, the release stated.

The effort is reminiscent of the 1983 Red Book, written by the National Research Council to develop a strategy of risk assessment to guide the agency's policies, the release noted.

According to the release, that project triggered a dramatic shift in how the EPA developed regulations, focusing for the first time on scientifically evaluating risks to human health and the environment.

Paul Anastas, EPA's assistant administrator for research and development, said a new strategy focusing on sustainability is a necessary but challenging step in the "evolution" of the nation's environmental laws and programs.

"This is no small shift. This is a seismic shift in how we pursue our mission. We are under no illusion that it will happen by next Tuesday," Anastas added.

Click here to read the complete release.

IU Student Sustainability Council seeks to establish Sustainability Fund

BLOOMINGTON, IN — The Indiana University Student Sustainability Council (SSC) and its 22 member organizations are campaigning to establish a Sustainability Fund for the promotion of "green" initiatives and projects on the Indiana University Bloomington campus, according to a press release.

The Sustainability Fund would be supplied by a voluntary five-dollar fee offered during course registration, the release noted.

According to the release, to make this optional fund available, the SSC must collect signatures in support of the Sustainability Fund from one quarter of the enrolled student body — nearly 10,000 students — by the end of this semester.

If the Sustainability Fund is established, students and student organizations will have the opportunity to apply for funding for sustainability-related initiatives and projects on campus, the release stated.

"The voluntary nature of the fee and the fact that it is student-administered sends a clear message to IU officials and officials from peer universities that Indiana students are interested in and capable of identifying and addressing large-scale problems," said Jacob Bower-Bir, Graduate and Professional Student Organization sustainability officer and SSC logistics chair.

Click here to read the complete release.

University of Alberta janitors form union

EDMONTON, AB — Janitors at the University of Alberta have cleaned up problems with their employer over unpaid overtime and their desire to form a union, according to CHQT-AM.

The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) said it has reached a first contract with Bee-Clean Building Maintenance to represent janitors who work at the university, the article stated.

Merryn Edwards, a union spokeswoman, said the contract has been ratified and all issues regarding unpaid overtime and unfair labor practices have been addressed in the agreement.

According to the article, 82 of the janitors have received their overtime pay and the province is trying to locate the remaining 40, who may have left the country.

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'Project Haiti' to help orphans build a home

WASHINGTON DC — The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is hosting a fundraising drive to help design and construct a new Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified orphanage in Haiti replacing the facility that was destroyed during the recent earthquake, according to a press release.

The announcement was made at Greenbuild 2010 in Chicago during the closing plenary, the release noted.

Together with the Lend Lease Corporation, USGBC has committed to catalyzing the unrivaled passion, expertise and generosity of the green building movement to provide the people of Haiti with both a powerful symbol of hope for the future and a model of sustainable building practices upon which to rebuild their nation, the release stated.

According to the release, once the center is constructed, it will be operated by Fondation Enfant Jesus, which operated the original orphanage on the building site.

Donations can be made through the USGBC site, the release added.

Click here to read the complete release.

ARAMARK Sports and Entertainment achieves ISSA certifications

I worked for Aramark Sports and Entertainmet back in 2007 so I am happy to report this story:

PHILADELPHIA — ARAMARK Sports and Entertainment, a leading provider of professional services at sports and entertainment facilities, convention centers and parks and other destinations, has received Cleaning Industry Management Standard (CIMS) and CIMS-Green Building (CIMS-GB) certification with Honors by ISSA, according to a press release.

This achievement recognizes ARAMARK's commitment to promoting cleaning operations that deliver consistent, quality services designed to meet customers' needs and expectations, the release stated.

"This prestigious honor is a testament to our facility services team's hardwork and devotion to developing cleaning programs and solutions that produce fresh and inviting environments for guests every time they attend an event at one of our venues," said Jack O'Brien, president of convention centers, facilities and culinary operations, ARAMARK Sports and Entertainment.

ARAMARK Sports and Entertainment partners with 19 clients to provide a wide variety of facility services, including maintenance, engineering, janitorial, custodial, landscaping, housekeeping, energy management and set-up and venue conversion, the release noted.

Click here to read the complete release.

Kimberly-Clark Health Care Launches "Not on My Watch"

The Department of Health & Human Services recently released its annual report on the quality of health care Americans receive. While there have been some improvements, hospitals still have work to do to put an end to the ongoing - but solvable - problem of Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs).

To help achieve this goal, Kimberly-Clark Health Care launched "Not on My Watch" (www.haiwatch.com), a website that provides tools and information to help facilities eliminate HAIs.

Kimberly-Clark will match all year-end gifts made by AORN members up to $20,000! The donation will be used to support the advancement of through education, research and patient safety initiatives. A few of these nurses’ programs include scholarships, educational tool kits, and webinars and conferences for professional development. Click on the link to make your donation today!

To find get more information please visit http://haiwatchnews.com

Inventor Drives Car 3,000 Miles on Nothing But Water

Many of you know I report on building, custodial, hospitals and the trend on green cleaning. I read this story on Before It's News and thought it would be good for me to share it:

The vehicle in the video below supposedly went on a 3,000 mile road trip running only on water.

...Inventor Frederick W. Wood, and his associate, David Seigler, from Future Energy Concepts, Inc., give a video tour of the pickup truck that they claim to have converted to run on nothing but hydroxy gas, electrolyzed on-board, and on-demand, via a super-efficient electrolysis (from water) method they have developed. Their system allegedly produces 55 liters per minute on 55 amps. They also say the truck recently completed a road trip of more than 3000 miles, running on this set-up...(youtube)

Supposedly the inventor is willing to give away the basic design. He is doing it for the planet and so "our children can stop dying."