Groupe Iris Santé introduces bio-cleaning in its three facilities
Sophie Navarro, a hygienic nurse, has initiated a bio-cleaning approach in the three facilities of the Iris Santé group.
By replacing detergents and disinfectants with mechanical cleaning using microfibres and water, the initiative enhances employees' quality of life while improving the quality of bio-cleaning. An additional benefit of this approach is the reduction in economic and environmental impacts.
Preventing health risks
"The first objective was to protect our employees' health from musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), exposure to chemicals and endocrine disruptors," explains Sophie Navarro. " We also wanted to combat biofilm, which enabled us to improve the visual appearance of floors that had previously seemed irretrievable. "
Reduce environmental footprint and costs
In addition to protecting employee health, the initiative reduces the environmental footprint by limiting the discharge of liquid effluents such as detergents and disinfectants into drainage systems. " We also wanted to reduce our costs, as waste management is more complex than in mainland France. We're on an island and rely heavily on sea and air freight, not to mention the problems of storage and handling," she adds.
Concerted implementation
This approach was implemented in several stages. First, the teams worked together to define an effective implementation strategy. Then, several service providers were consulted, and the teams were able to test different devices such as steam cleaning, different types of scrubber-driers, microfibers and melanin.
" In the final stage, we worked on the investment, profitability, depreciation and all the implementation of new processes, on updating our documentary databases with training for professionals. Right now, we're working on an assessment of practices, monitoring, and feedback from our teams."
Positive results despite some reservations
Today, teams use scrubbers and melanin disks. Although there are some obstacles, such as the absence of a "clean" smell, and some reluctance to use bio-cleaning in the OR, the benefits are numerous. The quality of work has improved, physical fatigue has been reduced, and chemical risks have been minimized.
"It's a project that requires significant organizational change. We have to constantly inform, train and support professionals," stresses Sophie Navarro, who is constantly on hand to support the teams.