Cleaning Up Green

Part 1: LEED-EB Offers Guidance On How To Create A Green Cleaning Program

Part 2: Green Cleaning and LEED Innovation Credits

Green Cleaning and LEED Innovation Credits

October 2009 - Green

More points are attainable as part of other categories such as exterior maintenance, continuing improvement or recycling. The following are additional areas that should be covered in any green cleaning policy and can lead to additional LEED points.

1. The development of strategies for promoting and improving hand hygiene. With the worldwide concern about a pandemic, this is an important part of the cleaning process. The program should cover hand washing and the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers.

2. Development of guidelines addressing the safe handling and storage of chemicals. This plan should also cover a plan for managing hazardous spills or mishandling incidents.

3. Development of requirements for staffing and training of maintenance personnel. These requirements only need to be appropriate to the building the personnel are in. It should specifically address the hazards of use, disposal and recycling of cleaning chemicals, dispensing equipment and packaging.

4. Provision for collecting occupant feedback and continuous improvement process. The intent here is that facility executives should work with their service provider to find ways to continuously improve through evaluating new technologies, procedures and processes. There should also be a mechanism in place to receive and respond to occupant feedback within the building.