CleanHealth Environmental Blog

The number of Assisted Living Communities have been growing in the United States with approximately 28,000 facilities serving 800,000 residents nationwide. The varying nature of operating these Assisted Living Communities presents different challenges for each facility. Facilities differ across the country on building infrastructure, staffing, policies, and procedures. How an assisted living facility is rated on patient safety and performance improvements can now be ...

The Healthcare COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard has now been in effect for over two months. Enforcement by federal and state compliance safety and health officers is underway. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has announced plans to target onsite inspections in hospitals, assisted living complexes, nursing homes, and other facilities treating patients with COVID-19.   

Throughout the nation, mold and water damage events have increased with warmer temperatures and more frequent storms. The unintended introduction of significant quantities of water into an indoor space or conditions where relative humidity or moisture content of building material is greater than normal can promote mold growth and drastically affect an indoor environment. Public and private facilities can prepare for such events by creating operational policies and ...

The Delta variant is the current genetic variant of coronavirus predominating the nation and proving to be more contagious, with a faster onset of symptoms, than other strains of the SARS-CoV-2. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Delta variant currently accounts for more than 80% of new cases in the United States. Health experts say it is not unusual for a new strain of a virus to be more contagious because it often becomes much more ...

At the same time that OSHA released an emergency temporary standard (ETS) to protect healthcare workers from COVID-19; it also released updated guidance for general industries, entitled “Protecting Workers: Guidance on Mitigating and Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 in the Workplace.” This guidance aligns with current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines and scientific research. It recommends that employers encourage COVID-19 vaccinations, provide ...

On June 10, 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued the COVID-19 Healthcare Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS), contained in 29 C.F.R. Part 1910, Subpart U, solely for healthcare employers. Therefore, beginning July 6, 2021, long-term care facilities, including skilled nursing and assisted living facilities, will need to comply with most ETS requirements. The standard addresses workplace COVID-19 hazards not covered by the General Duty Clause ...

Per the Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) and in accordance with section 3208.5 of the D.C. Mold Regulation, licensees are required to complete four (4) hours of refresher training no more than two (2) years prior to submission of the application: licensees seeking to renew a District indoor mold assessment or remediation professional license that either have not allowed their license

On June 21, 2019, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler, along with Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, announced new, tighter standards for lead in dust on floors and window sills to protect children from the harmful effects of lead exposure. The rule will become effective 180 days after publication in the Federal Register. “EPA is delivering

In December 2018, EPA Administrator, Andrew Wheeler, made a commitment to develop an EPA implementation plan to enable EPA to track its progress and update the public on its work to carry out the Lead Action Plan. Yesterday, April 1st, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the Implementation Status Report in carrying out the Lead Action Plan. The Status Report describes EPA’s activities

On December 19, 2018, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler, U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson, and U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Deputy Secretary Eric Hargan unveiled the Trump Administration’s Federal Lead Action Plan to Reduce Childhood Lead Exposures and Associated Health Impacts (Lead Action Plan). The Action Plan is a blueprint for reducing lead