Crothall’s Environmental Services (EVS) division strives to be the industry leader in everything it does. It met that standard again in 2023 by achieving the International Sanitary Supply Association’s (ISSA) Cleaning Industry Management Standards-Green Building (CIMS-GB) Certification with Honors. This is the 7th consecutive time the company has achieved this honor, which stretches over 14 years since the ISSA accreditation reviews occur bi-annually.
Crothall became the first-ever healthcare EVS company to earn this honor from the ISSA. This certification covers cleaning standards in four key categories:
- Environmental and sustainability governance
- Integration of innovation and operational excellence
- Consistency with service execution
- Commitment to applying, managing, and adhering to a robust standards platform
Exceeding Green Cleaning and Building Standards
ISSA’s accreditation review surveyor assesses the company’s programs at 13 different healthcare facilities throughout the country. They determine if Crothall meets its standards in a number of categories, including the amount of “green” cleaning chemicals and equipment being used.
This is where Crothall shines. Spending on green chemical cleaning products easily surpassed ISSA’s standard that 60 percent of all funds be spent on sustainable products. These products include disinfectants that remove pollutants and pathogens without risking patient health. Because thousands of EVS workers clean 550 million square feet of hospital space daily, the company spends millions of dollars annually on sustainable cleaning products.
Crothall also surpassed the 70 percent threshold for sustainable spending on cleaning equipment, such as floor cleaners. One sustainable product used to clean floors is a generator that produces electrochemically activated disinfectants that replace other harmful products.
“We continuously invest in green products to keep healthcare facilities clean while keeping medical staff, patients, and guests safe,” says Eric Anderson, Crothall’s national director of standards, innovation, and global support. “Each year, we have a goal to raise our green spending by 2 to 5 percent compared to the previous year.”
Crothall also met ISSA’s standards in all other categories, including the training and safety of its employees.
To ensure all workers are implementing proper cleaning programs, the ISSA representative speaks with directors, managers, and at least two frontline workers at each facility – a minimum of 26 frontline workers at Crothall’s 13 accounts. The company’s frontline workers verified that they receive the proper training, attend daily huddles where safety is discussed, and are using the proper chemicals during their daily cleaning routine.
Crothall’s commitment to training is another way it exceeds ISSA’s standards. For example, it has established EVS University, a comprehensive training center for new EVS employees who work at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas. Newly hired employees are educated about the details of their job, from the proper use of cleaning chemicals to how to clean a bed. They need to demonstrate the ability to perform all duties before they begin working in the hospital.
“Training and educating each new employee ensure they are fully functional when they begin working on the hospital floor,” says Anderson. “It’s part of our commitment to achieve the highest level of quality service in our industry.”
