Building Owners, Managers Alert: Michigan Fire Marshal Says ‘No’ to Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizer

A recent decision by officials at the University of Michigan should prompt others who own and manage work and living spaces -- both in academia and elsewhere -- to reconsider their policies when it comes to installation of alcohol-based hand sanitizer dispensers in their facilities at Ann Arbor and several regional campuses.

University officials placed tight new restrictions on the installation of such dispensers in an Aug. 20 memo distributed throughout the university. The restrictions are based largely on a state fire marshal’s bulletin limiting where alcohol-based hand sanitizer dispensers can be placed because of liability and risk management concerns about the product’s flammability.

The new guidelines were, according to the memo, issued jointly by the university's Office of Emergency Preparedness, the chief health officer, Operational Safety and Community Health, Fire Safety Services and the Office of Risk Management. Perhaps, that's a signal to building owners and property managers everywhere that they should reconsider their own policies regarding hand sanitizer dispensers.

In the same memo, university officials recommended procurement officials purchase hand sanitizer dispensers containing benzalkonium chloride (BZK) instead of alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Though they didn't recommend it by name, they basically directed their purchasing officials to purchase Alcohol-Free Foam Hand Sanitizer in wall-mounted dispensers.

The active ingredient in CLEANpHIRST,BZK, has been proven effective against H1N1 (a.k.a.,”Swine Flu”) in a scientific study conducted two years ago. Unlike other hand sanitizer products containing BZK, however,CLEANpHIRST maximizes its effectiveness via the use of a unique surfactant package that allows the active ingredient to penetrate cell walls at a higher rate. Best of all, it does it without alcohol, an ingredient that dries out the skin and can damage the skin with repeated use.

What else makes CLEANpHIRST so special? Unlike the leading alcohol-based products whose active ingredient, alcohol, evaporates within 10 seconds of application, CLEANpHIRST protects your skin for 30 minutes after application. As a result, CLEANpHIRST kills well beyond the level of those leading alcohol-based hand sanitizers on the market (i.e., 99.999 percent kill rate against Staphylococcus aureus). It’s also the only formula on the market proven effective against both strains of the Norovirus.

Do you own, operate or manage buildings in which people live or work? If so, it's time to visit http://CLEANpHIRST.com and order safe and effective CLEANpHIRST Alcohol-Free Foam Hand Sanitizer in wall-mounted dispensers for your buildings.

Labels: H1N1 Swine Flu, Hand Sanitizer, Norovirus