Editorial

Citation

Finch, E. (2008), "Editorial", Facilities, Vol. 26 No. 3/4. https://doi.org/10.1108/f.2008.06926caa.001

Editorial

In this issue we cover a number of topical issues, from cleaning management, briefing, accessibility, contracts and growth firms.

Cleaning has become a highly contentious issue in the UK health sector. The cleaning methods used have come under the spotlight, particularly in relation to Clostridium difficile. This bacterium, which causes severe diarrhoea and is particularly dangerous to elderly patients, has been linked to nearly 1,000 deaths in the UK in 2003.

Researchers at Leeds University tested the effect of five cleaning products on different strains of C. difficile. Of these, two of the products actually increased the number of spores produced by the bacterium. Out of the five products, those products containing bleach were more effective. Quoting the research leader, Professor Mark Wilcox:

We have shown that some commonly used hospital cleaning and disinfectant agents not only fail to kill bacteria, they actually promote spore formation.

From the facilities management perspective, bleach-based products have always presented something of a problem with respect to handling and its corrosive nature when used on building interiors.

For all our attempts at benchmarking cleaning, it seems that we are a long way from understanding cleaning as a science. Moreover, it looks set to become an increasingly important concern for facilities managers, with the emergence of persistent and virulent viruses harbouring in internal spaces.

Edward Finch