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The Effect of COVID-19 on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Supplies

By: Keith Schneringer  |  May 5, 2020

Part two-of-three series analyzing the impact of COVID-19 on the Jan/San industry.

• Part One: Supply Chain Survey and COVID-19 Disruptions
• Part Two: The Effect of COVID-19 on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Supplies
• Part Three: The Ongoing Demand for Hand Sanitizers, Disinfectants and Toilet Paper – Oh My!

In the United States, American shoppers and businesses have been stocking up on items such as face masks, gloves, hand sanitizers, disinfectants, and toilet paper (among other items), with the subsequent and ongoing demand consistently managing to successfully outpace available supply.

While countries, businesses, factories and warehouses where the raw materials and supplies are produced and manufactured manage periodic shutdowns until a vaccine is available, the probability of lengthy on and off disruptions to the global supply chain will cause many of these items to be in short supply for quite a while. As mentioned in the previous article "Global Supply Chain Impacts of COVID-19."

Some of the most important equipment needed by frontline workers has been in limited supply from the beginning. Personal protective equipment (PPE), such as face coverings and masks, shields and gloves, are being used by medical staff and first responders, as well as other essential workers: environmental services (EVS) staff, janitors, grocery store clerks, delivery personnel, garbage workers, food and agricultural workers, warehouse workers, and more. As stay-at-home orders start lifting, there will be an even greater demand for these products.

Topics: industry news, COVID-19, Supply Chain

Global Supply Chain Impacts of COVID-19

By: Keith Schneringer  |  April 30, 2020

Part one-of-three series analyzing the impact of COVID-19 on the Jan/San industry.

• Part One: Supply Chain Survey and COVID-19 Disruptions
• Part Two: The Effect of COVID-19 on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Supplies
• Part Three: The Ongoing Demand for Hand Sanitizers, Disinfectants and Toilet Paper – Oh My!

The topic of COVID-19 has dominated the news and collective psyche of the world¹ for the last several months – and it may be the height of understatement to say that this intense focus has had a dramatic and oversized impact on many of the facets of our everyday lives which we may have previously taken for granted.

In addition to the implementation of social distancing measures² which have kept us separated and unable to enjoy many of the daily opportunities for interpersonal interactions we are used to being able to have with our friends, families, and neighbors, the COVID-19 pandemic has also shined a very bright light on the global supply chain³ and our collective ability to be able to source and buy the products which are typically viewed as basic staples of our everyday lives, as well as those supplies which we can all agree are needed by those responsible for facilities maintenance in the buildings where we work, learn, heal, and relax in order to combat this new viral threat.

Topics: industry news, COVID-19, Supply Chain

2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Overview

By: WAXIE Editorial Staff  |  January 30, 2020

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),¹ 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-NCoV) is a new virus which has been identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness in Wuhan City, Huebei Province in China. The earliest reported cases had a link to a large seafood and animal market in Wuhan, suggesting an initial animal-to-person spread, however a growing number of subsequent patients have not had exposure to animal markets, indicating that a person-to-person spread may be occurring.¹

Topics: Health, industry news, infection prevention

IoT and the Future of Commercial Cleaning

By: Andrea Gomes  |  July 31, 2019
Reprinted with permission from OctoClean

With each breakthrough in product and technology development, our industry becomes better equipped to manage infection control and create new standards that reflect what we've learned.

One leader in improving commercial cleaning is the Internet of Things (IoT). IoT is the interconnection via the Internet of computing devices found in everyday objects, enabling them to send and receive data.

IoT technology has become increasingly popular in homes with the use of devices like Nest thermostats and surveillance systems, Google Home, and other app controlled devices. As businesses begin to also implement IoT in their facilities, it impacts the commercial cleaning industry for the better.

Topics: IoT, industry news, cleaning tips

6 Trends in the Cleaning Industry for 2019

By Briana Smith  |  January 10, 2019

What a year 2018 was in the cleaning industry! While the tariff situation between the U.S. and other countries was the probably the biggest news, we also saw:

• California Assembly Bill AB-10 come into effect requiring schools to provide free feminine hygiene products
• Minimum wages were increased across the country
• China stopped taking most of our recyclables
• An expansion to California’s Prop 65 requiring specific language be added to labels & signage when certain chemical compounds are present
• Cleaning ingredient transparency regulations are being enacted in several states

In 2019, we at WAXIE foresee legislation & technology building upon the foundations from last year and advancing towards implementation.

Topics: Hand Hygiene, workplace wellness, Sustainability, IoT, industry news, tariffs

Trade War with China: How the Tariffs Affect the Cleaning Industry

By: Keith Schneringer  |  December 18, 2018

Status of the ongoing trade war with the U.S. & China as of December 18, 2018

There has been a trade fight brewing between the globe’s two heavyweight economies for a while now, and the impacts are beginning to be felt by those in the cleaning and maintenance industry.

The two heavyweight combatants? The United States of America and China.

The issue? Perceived trade imbalances.

The weapon of choice? Tariffs.

What’s a Tariff?

A tariff is a tax one country places on imports from another country. This tax is also sometimes referred to as a duty or a trade barrier.

According to Investor’s Business Daily, “the purpose of a tariff is to protect domestic production and jobs.” Tariffs have been used for many years by many countries, and although they do provide a degree of protection for the domestic manufacturing interests of the country who has imposed them by making imported goods artificially higher in price, economists argue that “other domestic sectors and customers ultimately pay for tariffs. The U.S. has applied tariffs on imports for centuries, but the global trend has been toward lower tariff rates, lower trade barriers and expanding global trade.”

Topics: industry news, tariffs, Supply Chain

On-Demand Training with Kaivac's KaiTutor™

Guest Post By: Kaivac

Training of custodial workers is frequently cited as a key challenge in the cleaning industry – and the ultimate correlation between effective training and its impact on the overall quality of work produced cannot be overstated. 

In addition to addressing work quality, many studies have shown that effective training can also lead to increased employee job satisfaction as well as employee retention no matter what industry is being reviewed.

Having an effectively trained work staff is vitally important to a cleaning organization – but there hasn’t always been a way to deliver training to the cleaning workers in a way which can fit seamlessly into their demanding schedules.

Until now.

Topics: cleaning products & innovations, machines & equipment, industry news

Updates to California's Proposition 65 – What You Need to Know

By Keith Schneringer

Proposition 65 – What Is It?

Proposition 65, otherwise known as the “Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986” and frequently referred to as “Prop 65,” is legislation which was passed in 1986 to address the growing concerns of California voters to potential exposures to toxic chemicals in their drinking water and day-to-day life.

This legislation requires the State of California to publish and update annually a list of chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm – and since first being published in 1987 with 30 chemicals, this list has grown to include over 900 chemicals with its most recent update.

Topics: industry news, prop 65