Avmor

Bacteria-Laden Soap Not So Clean

2012-01-11T13:50:00.000-05:00

Washing your hands regularly can help you stay healthy. But could it also get you sick?

THE GIST

Many soap dispensers in public places are contaminated with potentially harmful bacteria.

Washing with contaminated soap increases the concentration of bacteria on people's hands and on the surfaces they touch. Public health experts continue to urge people to wash their hands regularly with soap and warm water.

Soap may not always be as clean as it seems, suggests a new study, which found that every soap dispenser at an elementary school in Ohio was contaminated with bacteria that are known to cause illnesses. When kids washed with the soap, microbe levels on their hands soared.

It's not yet clear how much of a health risk people face from microbe-laden soap, and public health experts continue to urge regular hand washing as one of the most important things that people can do to stay healthy. But the findings suggest that administrators of schools, gyms and other public places might want to re-examine the kinds of soap dispensers they use and the methods they use to clean them.

Read more: http://news.discovery.com/human/soap-bacteria-clean-110506.html

CDC Warns Public About H3N2

2012-01-09T11:40:00.000-05:00

As of Dec. 26, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed 12 cases - since August - of human infection with a swine-origin influenza A (H3N2) virus. This virus carries the M gene from the 2009 H1N1 virus that sickened more than one million people and killed another 477 in the U.S.

Cases of H3N2 have been reported in Iowa, Indiana, Maine Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The latest three cases occurred in two children who attended the same day care in West Virginia and a man from Indiana who worked with swine. All 12 patients have recovered fully.

Most cases only report a mild illness, with three of the 12 requiring hospitalization for recovery. Since human-to-human transmission has not been sustained, the CDC gives no indications that this strain could lead to a repeat of the 2009-2010 H1N1 pandemic.

"Nonhuman influenza virus infections rarely result in human-to-human transmission, but the implications of sustained ongoing transmission between humans is potentially severe," the CDC wrote. And although the H3N2 strain is different enough from the seasonal flu virus and the flu vaccine is "not expected to provide significant protection," the CDC does urge everyone to get vaccinated.

Read more: http://www.cleanlink.com/news/article.asp?id=13863

Chemical Cautions For Floor Care-MSDS Awareness Crucial for Safe Cleaning

2011-12-16T16:43:00.000-05:00

Constant foot traffic carries an accumulation of dirt, pollutants and allergens into the indoor environment. New trends in sustainable cleaning are introducing health and cost benefits to a counterbalancing solution.

http://www.avmor.com//files/news/enews1324071106.pdf

Avmor releases first Sustainability Report

2011-12-14T15:55:00.000-05:00

Avmor releases its inaugural Sustainability Report today, sharing important corporate sustainability achievements and demonstrating transparency in the cleaning product manufacturing industry.

“The publication of this report is an important recognition of Avmor’s commitment to the continual improvement of our sustainability performance within our day to day operations and furthering our mandate of offering greener cleaning products to the marketplace,” says Mattie Chinks, president of Avmor. “Our commitment to our customers and the environment began with greener products and services and drives Avmor to continually improve the sustainability of our business practices today. This report was the natural next step for us.”

Highlights of the sustainability achievements reported on by Avmor include:
• Reducing its waste water output by 79% (from 2003 to 2011);
• Reducing its energy consumption by 45% (from 2003 to 2011);
• Launching 12 new green products in 2010 and 2011;
• Certifying 43 of its products with the trusted EcoLogo Program;
• Receiving ISO 14001:2004 certification for environmental management systems in 2010; and
• Developing a green procurement policy and supplier questionnaire in 2010 to evaluate all vendors and materials against a number of sustainability requirements.

Visit http://www.avmor.com/ to read Avmor’s 2010/2011 Sustainability Report and learn about other green cleaning for health initiatives.

CDC warns of new swine flu strain

2011-11-29T15:45:00.002-05:00

ATLANTA — The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have confirmed three cases of a new flu virus, according to USA Today. The virus originated in pigs but has spread from person to person, infecting three Iowa children, the article stated. According to the article, the CDC says, however, that this is not the beginning of another widespread pandemic. "I don't think this is anything to worry about for the moment," said Arnold Monto, a flu expert and professor at the University of Michigan's School of Public Health. http://www.cmmonline.com/infection-control/article/cdc-warns-of-new-swine-flu-strain

Green Cleaning: Are Disinfectants Compatible with LEED?

2011-11-23T10:59:00.000-05:00

Great article on " Green Cleaning: Are Disinfectants Compatible with LEED?"
http://www.green-buildings.com/content/782098-green-cleaning-are-disinfectants-compatible-leed

Support Team Avmo- Movember Initiative Week 2

2011-11-21T10:33:00.000-05:00

As part of the Movember initiative, we would like to acknowledge our Avmo Team’s participation. Congratulations on Week 2!
To help support their initiatives, please visit Team Avmo’s page:
http://ca.movember.com/mospace/651732

Beware the deadly sins of ‘greenwashing’ -Globe and Mail

2011-11-16T11:15:00.000-05:00

It’s not easy being green. Companies lambasted in the past for hyping their earth-friendliness are keeping it on the down-low these days. Loud, self-laudatory announcements have been replaced with third-party endorsements, introspection – and a refreshing element of humility.

“Consumers are demanding greater transparency,” says Scott McDougall, president of TerraChoice, an environmental marketing firm based in Ottawa. They publish an annual report called The Sins of Greenwashing, looking at how products that claim to offer environmental benefits are promoted and sold.

To read more, click here

Germ hot spots in your home!

2011-11-08T09:15:00.000-05:00

Great article on germ hot spots in your home.
Read now: http://www.avmor.com//files/news/enews1320760721.pdf

Movember- Team Avmo

2011-11-07T08:40:00.000-05:00

As part of the Movember initiative, we would like to acknowledge our Avmo Team’s participation.

To help support their initiatives, please visit Team Avmo’s page:
http://ca.movember.com/mospace/651732

Avmor Corp., Hellmann Worldwide Logistics Help Clean the World

2011-09-22T09:42:00.000-04:00

When an outbreak of cholera occurred in Haiti in 2010, Clean the World sprung into action by delivering 300,000 bars of soap in less than three months. As the disease spread throughout Haiti, Clean the World turned to additional hygiene partners to help prevent future illness and death.

The Avmor Corporation, one of Canada’s leading manufacturers of cleaning and sanitation products, stepped up in a big way by donating at its own expense an entire semi-truck full of hand sanitizer gel and foam for distribution to children and families in Haiti. The truck contained more than 48,000 bottles of hygiene products.

Mattie Chinks, president and CEO at Avmor, and his team contacted Clean the World and asked if the hand sanitizers could be delivered into Haiti alongside donations of hotel soaps and bottled amenities. The truckload of sanitizers was delivered to Clean the World headquarters in Orlando for shipment to Haiti, particularly in areas where soap is always in short supply. But there was still the issue of how to get it there. That’s when another partner stepped in at a time of great need.

Hellmann Worldwide Logistics, with offices in Doral, Fla., provided the container necessary to ship the hygiene supplies to Haiti. Hellmann also arranged for trucking of the supplies from Orlando to its warehouse near the Port of Miami and loaded the container with all of the hand sanitizers from Avmor. Days later, the hand sanitizers arrived in Port-Au-Prince and have since been distributed to communities in need throughout Haiti.

View more: http://avmor.com/details2.php?id=114

New superbug makes inroads in Canada

2011-09-21T10:13:00.003-04:00

For the last year, a Montreal hospital has been battling an outbreak of a highly drug-resistant bacteria.

The outbreak was caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae, which is normally found in the human intestine. In healthy people, these bacteria can live in the intestine without causing illness. In hospitals, however, they can cause a range of infections, including pneumonia, bloodstream infections and urinary tract infections.

Klebsiella pneumoniae traditionally have been treated with antibiotics, but in the last decade or so, a strain of the bacteria has developed that is resistant to this class of drugs. In fact, the Ottawa Hospital had three cases of KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in 2008, one of which was resistant to all antibiotics.

Avmor’s BASIX Neutral Disinfectant Cleaner is available to help control this outbreak.
Format: 4 x 1.8 L, 2237257001 & 4 x 4 L 2237278001

Read more:
http://healthandfitness.sympatico.ca/news/tricky_new_superbug_makes_inroads_in_canada/30b5103a

Avmor Releases Quick Stuff Training Videos on You Tube!

2011-09-21T09:49:00.000-04:00

Montreal, QC – September 15, 2011 - Avmor Ltd., a Laval-based company and Canada's leading manufacturer of professional cleaning solutions for the Jan/San and Foodservice markets will be releasing a series of application videos on their line-up of Quick Stuff cleaning solutions on You Tube and various Social Medias including Facebook and Twitter. These 2 minute videos that cater to the Foodservice industry include the following applications:

1) Three-Sink Cleaning – YELLOW STUFF Pot and Pan Detergent and SANI STUFF No Rinse Quaternary Sanitizer

2) Window and Glass Cleaner – BLUE STUFF Glass and Window Cleaner

3) Washroom Care – GREEN STUFF Descaler and Washroom Cleaner

4) Oven and Grill – HOT STUFF Oven and Grill Cleaner and HOT STUFF GEL Oven and Grill Cleaner

5) Hand Care – BIOMAXX and BIOMAXX FOAM

6) Food Contact Surfaces / Dining Areas – ORANGE STUFF Hard Surface Cleaner Degreaser and SANI STUFF RTU No Rinse Sanitizer

7) Floors – ORANGE STUFF Hard Surface Cleaner Degreaser

For more information:http://www.avmor.com/details2.php?id=113

Avmor participates in the Ride to Conquer Cancer

2011-08-25T14:10:00.000-04:00

The Avmor Cycling Team completed the "Ride to Conquer Cancer" We are very proud!!! Click link for photos: https://picasaweb.google.com/pg24lf/AvmorCyclingTeam2011?authkey=Gv1sRgCMn5o6jAvemRUg#

INSTITUTIONAL FACILITIES TO BENEFIT FROM NEW GREEN CLEANING SYSTEM

2011-08-17T09:02:00.002-04:00

Avmor announced today the launch of its new EP50 OxyMixx^TM cleaning system, which combines one greener cleaning product and one dispenser to provide four different applications.

“Avmor is very proud of its latest innovation, the EP50 OxyMixx system, which offers a simplified cleaning approach to promote better hygiene and healthier indoor spaces,” says Paul Goldin, Chief Sustainability Officer at Avmor. “Our company is committed to continuous environmental improvement and to providing Janitorial and Foodservice markets with sustainable green cleaning solutions that protect health without harming the environment. The EP50 OxyMixx system helps us to achieve these goals.”

The EP50 OxyMixx system is designed to reduce costs for the end user by making use of only one cleaning chemical and one dispensing device for countless surfaces. The single product offers four different applications, which include: a multi-purpose cleaner, a disinfectant, a floor cleaner and a glass cleaner.

Read more about this announcement (INSERT LINK TO PRESS RELEASE) and visit www.avmor.com to find Avmor’s EP50 OxyMixx system and other green cleaning for health solutions.

Implementing Hand Washing Initiatives saves Virginia, Tennessee hospitals $1.2M via infection reductions

2011-07-11T15:55:00.000-04:00

RICHMOND, VA – After implementing a hand washing "action plan," four hospitals in southwestern Virginia and eastern Tennessee reduced healthcare-acquired infection rates (HAIs) a collective 41 percent within 90 days, resulting in savings of $1.2 million in costs.

VHHA Services, a subsidiary of the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association, coordinated a study among the four hospitals to determine if adding a persistent hand sanitizing lotion and a persistent surface disinfectant to current practices reduces HAI rates. The products used in the study provided persistent effects that kill germs on hands for four hours and on surfaces for up to 28 days.

The study ran three months and compared HAI rates during the study to the three months prior to the study period. After the three-month trial period, results showed an average of 41.5 percent fewer infections per 1,000 patient days. The individual hospitals reduced infections 29.4 percent, 32.4 percent, 50 percent and 54.2 percent respectively. The CDC estimates the average cost of an HAI is $20,549, which results in a cost savings estimate of $1.2 million for the 59 HAIs prevented. The cost to implement both products is less than $15,000 for three months.

Rebecca Bartles, corporate manager in the infection prevention department at Johnson City Medical Center in Johnson City, Tenn., said her facility observed a 32.4 percent reduction in Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus (VRE), C. diff and multi-drug-resistant gram negative transmission rates during the trial.

View Full Article:

Green Cleaning for Health 1.0

2011-07-05T15:00:00.002-04:00

17 Territory Managers from Century Vallen Prairies Division were Certified in the Green Cleaning for Health 1.0 course. The course was designed to increase participants knowledge base to aid in promoting "Green".
Comments from Evaluations:

“The added skill to provide Green Audits for our customers adds to our value as a distributor” Dave O’Reilly (TM Calgary)
“A great Informational session to help generate sales” Kent Cross (TM Winnipeg)
“Experiencing the breadth and depth of the Avmor line was more impactful in a workshop than reading about it. The exercise we did in cross referencing products on a Green Audit was very good” Ken Peters (Manager Winnipeg)
“I now have a thorough understanding of sanitizing and disinfecting” Glen Vorra (TM Medicine Hat)

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.186280448052065.51399.126011124078998#!/pages/Avmor/126011124078998

Good Article on Third Party Ecolabels

2011-07-05T14:11:00.001-04:00

Really good article below on third party ecolabels.
http://www.journalmetro.com/ma%20vie/article/555426--qui-se-cache-derriere-les-ecolabels

Avmor is pleased to announce the addition of Mrs. Irene O’Neil in the role of Territory Manager, BC Region

2011-06-30T13:48:00.000-04:00

Montreal, QC – June 2011 - Avmor is pleased to announce the addition of Mrs. Irene O’Neil in the role of Territory Manager, BC Region. Irene is responsible for all distributor management, sales activity and for implementing the Avmor strategy across the BC region.
Details: http://www.avmor.com/details2.php?id=110

Avmor Donates to Clean the World

2011-06-17T09:28:00.001-04:00

Clean the world is dedicated to the mission of saving the lives of children around the world who are dying from the two most deadly diseases for children under the age of five. These two diseases kill over 9,000 children every year.
Details: http://www.avmor.com/details2.php?id=109

AVMOR PROMOTES YVES PERREAULT TO DISTRICT SALES MANAGER

2011-01-11T11:05:00.000-05:00

Montreal, QC – January 2011 - Avmor is pleased and proud to announce the promotion of Mr.Yves Perreault to the role of District Sales Manager – Quebec. Yves will manage all Avmor Janitorial and Sanitation sales initiatives within Quebec and focus on development of Avmor brand market share with Avmor partner distributors.

Read complete press release

Avmor's case study published in Sanitation Canada

2011-01-06T13:22:00.000-05:00

Sanitation Canada’s Nov./Dec. 2010 issue featured a case study depicting Avmor - The Benefits of Greening Business

"Times are changing and business in the conventional sense will soon have a new “usual.” Now more than ever companies are starting to use the terms “sustainable” or “green” to describe their environmentally preferable products or their company’s greener practices.

View article

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-22T10:33:00.003-05:00

Best Wishes to You and Your Families,
For a Safe and Happy Holiday Season,
Merry Christmas and All Best in 2011!!

AVMOR ROCKS THE RIGHT STUFF WITH “GREEN”

2010-12-02T08:29:00.000-05:00

Avmor Ltd. announced today that many of its popular Quick StuffTM cleaning solutions, which are known to be simple, safe, cost effective and clean, are now “green”.

Read Press Release.

Are you ready for flu season?

2010-11-11T13:23:00.002-05:00

Experts agree that the best way to stay healthy as we head into flu season is to practice proper hygiene and have an efficient cleaning program. It is also important, however, to put a response plan in place in case preventative measures do not work. Individual employers must take this important step to help prevent the rapid spread of infection and thus avoid a pandemic.

Read White Paper