ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

Following the inaugural Healthcare Cleaning Forum, which took place at Rai Amsterdam during the recent Interclean Amsterdam exhibition, the Clean Hospitals Industry Platform (CHIP) has been launched.

The goal of the forum was to create awareness about new knowledge and technology that can be used to battle the unique hygiene challenges like infection prevention that hospitals and other healthcare facilities face. It specifically targeted those who have an influence on the proper management and training of cleaning staff.

Topics discussed ranged from new research data on cleaning equipment and methods, to training and motivating staff and increase compliance rates. Five professors from different universities shared their concerns and questions on cleaning in the healthcare sector.

"I think we managed to create some awareness about the unique challenges of cleaning and disinfection in healthcare outside of the usual crowd and to help to bridge the gap between cleaning and IPC professionals", said Jon Otter, an epidemiologist focused on infection prevention and control at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in London, and an honorary senior lecturer in the National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit (NIHR HPRU) in Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance at Imperial College London.

The new CHIP aims to be the step forward in aligning the research efforts of different manufacturers, sharing research information that is already available, and to develop necessary ‘evidence based cleaning' methods and solutions as an industry, together with the hospitals.

According to professor Didier Pittet who spoke at the forum and launched the platform, "the enthusiasm for this initiative reaffirms the need for communication between the two industries in the long run and also signifies that the platform was introduced at the right place at the right time". Pittet is an infectious diseases expert and the director of the Infection Control Programme and WHO Collaborating Centre on Patient Safety at the University Hospital of Geneva.

CHIP is open to all manufacturers of professional cleaning related products, equipment and supplies.

For more information email:

Marianne Kemmer - mariank@wanadoo.fr

Rob den Hertog - r.d.hertog@rail.nl