News coverage, signage and restroom preparedness prompt hand washing behavior If there is some good news in the age of coronavirus, research from the Healthy Hand Washing Survey shows that during the past 11 years an increasing number of Americans are heeding the message about washing their hands to protect themselves from flu outbreaks. The Read more
Industry News
News coverage, signage and restroom preparedness prompt hand washing behavior
If there is some good news in the age of coronavirus, research from the Healthy Hand Washing Survey shows that during the past 11 years an increasing number of Americans are heeding the message about washing their hands to protect themselves from flu outbreaks. The question then becomes: Are facilities equipped to support hand washing as people return to their regular public activities?
11-year uptick in U.S. hand washing habits
In 2009, the year H1N1 hit the United States, only 45% of Americans said they washed their hands more frequently or thoroughly in response to flu virus outbreaks. By 2019, the number of flu-fighting hand washers in the U.S. had risen to 79%.
A national focus on outbreaks does have an affect on hand hygiene. 50% of Americans say news coverage of cold and flu outbreaks has a “very large” or “somewhat large” impact on their hand washing behavior. Women and their hand washing habits are more likely to be impacted by news coverage than men (53% vs. 47%).
“The steady rise in hand washing diligence in America may, in part, stem from several stand-out flu seasons over the past decade – particularly flu outbreaks in 2009, 2015 and 2018,” says Jon Dommisse, director of strategy and corporate development for Bradley Corp. “Now, the unprecedented spread of coronavirus has placed an even more intense spotlight on the critical nature of thorough hand washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
“Hand washing in public facilities will be exceedingly important in the coming weeks and months as people return to workplaces, offices, schools, restaurants, stores and other gathering places,” Dommisse said. “It’s essential we take advantage of every opportunity to wash our hands whether we are at home or in public.”
Hand washing in a new era
According to 11 years of Healthy Hand Washing Survey findings, the following actions encourage hand washing in public restrooms:
- Hand washing signage. Almost 40% of Americans say they’re more likely to wash their hands after seeing a sign that requires employees to wash before returning to work.
- Clean and stocked restrooms. The top two reasons Americans don’t wash their hands after using a public restroom are lack of soap or paper towels (34%) and restroom sinks that are dirty or not working (21%). In addition, 85% of Americans say they hurry to get out of a restroom if the conditions are unpleasant.
- Touchless hand washing fixtures. While keeping them cleaner and better stocked is Americans’ most desired improvement in restrooms, making everything touchless is next on their wish list. People go out of their way to avoid contact with germs in restrooms. 65% use a paper towel to eliminate hand contact with doors and faucets and 44% of people operate toilet flushers with their foot.
“Hand washing in America has undoubtedly improved over the past 11 years but coronavirus is a real hand washing game changer,” Dommisse said. “We must all remember that hand washing is among the most important actions to protect our loved ones, our communities and ourselves.”
Bradley Corp. is a leading manufacturer of commercial plumbing fixtures, washroom accessories, restroom partitions, emergency fixtures and solid plastic lockers.
For more information, visit www.bradleycorp.com/handwashing.
Washington, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has updated its “Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce” advisory list to more accurately define the plumbing and mechanical industry, a list that now includes language for which IAPMO advocated. ”Workers who support the supply chain of building materials from production through Read more
Washington, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has updated its “Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce” advisory list to more accurately define the plumbing and mechanical industry, a list that now includes language for which IAPMO advocated.
”Workers who support the supply chain of building materials from production through application/installation, including cabinetry, fixtures, doors, cement, hardware, plumbing, electrical, heating/cooling, refrigeration, appliances, paint/coatings, and employees who provide services that enable repair materials and equipment for essential functions” have been added to the list, which may be read at: https://www.iapmo.org/media/23610/dhs_critical_workforce_20.pdf.
Workers such as builders, contractors, HVAC technicians and landscapers were added to the Public Works sector heading, which was changed to “Public Works and Infrastructure Support Services,” and the list has been expanded to include “… workers at distribution facilities, workers who transport basic raw chemical materials to the producers of industrial and consumer goods, including hand sanitizers, food and food additives, pharmaceuticals, paintings and coatings, textiles, building materials, plumbing, electrical, and paper products.”
IAPMO recently published a guidance for plumbing professionals working under the threat of COVID-19 authored by Peter DeMarco, Executive Vice President of Advocacy and Research for The IAPMO Group. That white paper may be viewed at https://www.iapmo.org/media/23453/coronavirus_guidance_for_plumbers.pdf.
“This is big news not only for IAPMO, but the entire plumbing and mechanical industry,” IAPMO CEO GP Russ Chaney said. “By explicitly citing the entire supply chain for plumbing products as essential, the federal government has clarified how important each facet of the industry is, from manufacturer to distributor to plumber.”
Phoenix—CEO Ken Goodrich of Goettl Air Conditioning and Plumbing, a leading provider of HVAC and plumbing services in the Southwest United States, announced he is spending $1.5 million to install Ultra Violet (UV) germicidal lights in the homes of more than 600 employees. Deemed an essential business during an unprecedented time in our nation, Goettl’s Read more
Phoenix—CEO Ken Goodrich of Goettl Air Conditioning and Plumbing, a leading provider of HVAC and plumbing services in the Southwest United States, announced he is spending $1.5 million to install Ultra Violet (UV) germicidal lights in the homes of more than 600 employees.
Deemed an essential business during an unprecedented time in our nation, Goettl’s HVAC and plumbing technicians have continued to work tirelessly to ensure their community is receiving essential life systems and services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. To show appreciation for their hard work and dedication, Goodrich is giving each Goettl employee a new UV germicidal light that will be installed into their personal HVAC system.
“Our technicians are putting their own well-being and safety second to serve their communities,” said Goodrich. “I want them to know how much we appreciate their unwavering dedication and bravery by giving them a product that will hopefully provide their own families with invaluable peace of mind during these uncertain times.”
The UV germicidal light, which mimics natural sunlight, uses ultraviolet radiation to drastically decrease indoor germs such as mold, fungi and bacteria. Additionally, the UV radiation destroys the nuclei of each contaminant preventing it from reproducing. Proven to kill viruses of many strains, this type of UV light is also used in hospitals and food processing plants nationwide.
The safety and well-being of Goettl employees is top priority for Goodrich and his executive team. As technicians are a critical resource for essential home services, Goodrich is committed to doing as much as possible to help ensure they stay safe and healthy during this public health crisis.
“At Goettl, we believe in doing things the right way, not the easy way and what’s right is keeping our employees safe and as healthy as possible so that they may continue to serve their beloved communities,” Goodrich continued.
Products include sensor faucets, soap dispensers, flush valves, sinks and hand dryers. Milwaukee, Wis. — Zurn Industries, LLC pledges one million dollars in hygienic product donations to qualifying healthcare facilities currently addressing COVID-19. These products help improve hygiene by reducing the transfer of pathogens from surfaces or objects. “Zurn’s vision has always been to provide the safest and Read more
Products include sensor faucets, soap dispensers, flush valves, sinks and hand dryers.
Milwaukee, Wis. — Zurn Industries, LLC pledges one million dollars in hygienic product donations to qualifying healthcare facilities currently addressing COVID-19. These products help improve hygiene by reducing the transfer of pathogens from surfaces or objects.
“Zurn’s vision has always been to provide the safest and most efficient water solutions to protect human health and the environment,” says Craig Wehr, President of Zurn. “Donating this product to healthcare facilities will allow them to increase hygiene with touchless, sensor-operated products, support CDC recommendations for handwashing in a Wet-Scrub-Rinse-Dry (WSRD) fashion and, hopefully, decrease the risk of the spread of the COVID-19 virus. We all must do our part during this pandemic, and Zurn will continue to provide support for our employees, customers, and communities.”
The bundle of products in the donation helps healthcare facilities upgrade to a touchless environment. The products include sensor-operated handwashing faucets and soap dispensers, sensor-operated flush valves, a select group of sinks made with CuVerro® Antimicrobial Copper-Nickel alloy surfaces, and hand dryers.
Healthcare facilities administrators in the United States and Canada can go to zurn.com/hygienic-solutions to learn more and complete a form to apply for donations. For non-healthcare, commercial facilities interested in converting their hand-operated plumbing products to touchless models, as well as paper hand drying to touchless hand dryers, they can visit the same website page to learn more about Zurn’s hygienic touchless restroom solutions.
Navien’s commitment to health and safety is at the heart of everything we do. As a provider of plumbing and heating services that are necessary to maintaining the safety, sanitation and essential operation of residences, we are closely following guidelines from our local, national and world health organizations. Navien’s guiding principles during this COVID-19 storm Read more
Navien’s commitment to health and safety is at the heart of everything we do. As a provider of plumbing and heating services that are necessary to maintaining the safety, sanitation and essential operation of residences, we are closely following guidelines from our local, national and world health organizations.
Navien’s guiding principles during this COVID-19 storm are as follows:
- To keep employees safe
- To continue to serve customers with the highest standards
- To do our part to slow community spread of the virus, so that the most vulnerable people are able to get the care they need
As Navien monitors the ongoing COVID-19 situation, we want to assure you that our response plans are in place so that we may continue to offer uninterrupted service, technical support and shipping.
To ensure the safety of our employees, Navien has enacted a work from home strategy for all departments except for shipping.
Navien’s remote strategy has slightly modified our normal Tech Support call queue process. When contacting Technical Support, your call will be automatically placed in a hold queue until the next available agent can assist you. During the hold period, you will hear background music and/or ringing while your call is being connected. Hold times may be slightly longer than normal while waiting to be connected, but please remain on the line and your call will be answered by one of our support agents. Agents will remain available during our normal support hours, 7 days a week.
This is a rapidly evolving situation and our responses will continue to evolve along with it. Together we will get through these challenges.
Thank you.
Scott Lee
CEO