Expert Voices: Educating Staff on Proper Hygiene as Part of a Green Cleaning Program

HSC recently released our new, expanded edition of The Quick & Easy Guide to Green Cleaning in Schools! As we created the guide, we spoke with numerous experts to gain feedback on what really works in schools today. One of the exciting new additions to the guide is an Expert Voices panel spotlighting practical advice from leaders in the field.

Here, Sandi Delack, President of the National Association of School Nurses, discusses how school nurses can play an important role in educating staff on proper hygiene as part of a green cleaning program.

Sandi Delack

Green cleaning is about prevention and exposures to chemicals. School nurses are in a unique position to counsel and educate students and staff about effective prevention techniques. The best way to prevent transmission of infectious disease in school is to make sure staff and students are taught to regularly wash their hands and to be sure to build hand washing into the school schedule.

School nurses also educate students about the importance of hygiene practices such as coughing into their elbows, not touching their eyes and mouths and not sharing drinks. Finally, school nurses educate both staff and students about the importance of staying home when they are ill in order to prevent the spread of communicable illnesses. All of this helps promote a healthy environment without adding more chemicals to our school environment.

Previously:

• Pat Pizzo, Director of School Facilities & Operations at East Meadow School District on Long Island, N.Y., explains how the green cleaning program has gained acceptance within the school community.
• Dianne Jones, Director of School Plant Operations at Montgomery County Public Schools in Rockville, Md., discusses how to measure the effectiveness of a green cleaning program using scheduled/unscheduled maintenance and tracking complaints. 
• Jim Chittom of Roman Chemical Corp., who was an advisor to Floyd County Schools, Ga. as they implemented green cleaning, explains challenges related to product performance.
• Rachel Gutter, Director of the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council in Washington, D.C., explains the role of green cleaning in a healthy, LEED-certified school.

To learn more or order your free copy of The Quick & Easy Guide to Green Cleaning in Schools, visit www.greencleanschools.org.