FORT MITCHELL, Ky. — Union Springs is partnering with schools to help them reduce the spread of infection on their buses. The result is lower absenteeism, helping students, faculty and staff focus on academic achievement.
Every year, school buses carry 24 million students and collectively travel more than 4 billion miles.1 However, when it comes to cleaning the buses, most drivers are only required to sweep and pick up trash, leaving children exposed to many potentially life-threatening germs. According to Roger Griggs, CEO of Union Springs, “School bus safety is more important than you think. A bus driver would never let a student cross the street without activating the bus’ flashing lights. That would put the student at risk. But that’s exactly what is happening when we expose children to the germs that live in school buses.”
According to the National Education Association Health Information Network, every time a student steps onto a bus, their safety is at risk.2 That’s because school buses carry more than students. They can carry MRSA, norovirus, staph, salmonella, E. coli., mold and even dirt particles from diesel fumes. The impact is quite startling. Twenty one million people get sick from norovirus alone each year.3 According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that can lead to as many as 38 million lost school days.4 And the diesel particles can affect more than 6 million American students who have asthma.5,6
Union Springs calls their protocol “Clean, Sanitize and Protect” as it is based on three distinct phases of infection prevention.
Phase 1 is cleaning:
Union Springs’ VitalOxide® is a non-toxic, all natural formula powerful enough to disinfect hospitals, yet it’s safe enough to use around kids and won’t harm buses. It also prevents mold and mildew while eliminating odors. But what makes it so unique is how quickly and easily it can clean an entire bus. With a simple electrostatic sprayer or fogger, a bus can be completely cleaned in just a few seconds. And because it’s so safe, students can be back in the seats in just about 10 minutes.
Phase 2 is sanitizing:
Union Springs’ VitalOxide is also professional grade sanitizer. It’s easy to use spray on/leave on method, helps easily kill many pathogens including CRE, MRSA, RSV, HIV-1, H1N1, norovirus and staph. And it’s rated NSF which means it’s so safe you can even use it on food surfaces. And because it is an all natural, non-toxic formula, it won’t damage seats, walls or paint on the bus.
Phase 3 is protecting:
Union Springs’ Surface Shield wipes and spray can be quickly and easily applied to seats, walls and railings. It creates a 30-day barrier, protecting surfaces from the growth of mold, mildew and bacteria.
Union Springs’ protocol doesn’t stop with the bus itself. Another key aspect of their focus on health and safety is hand sanitization. Creating a hand sanitizing routine for student bus passengers can help eliminate the spread of infection. Union Springs offers an innovative hand sanitizer different from anything else on the market. Unlike many dangerous alcohol-based hand sanitizers, this one is alcohol-free, kills 99.9 percent of germs, including norovirus, and provides hours of protection.
For years, Union Springs has been a pioneer in the area of classroom health and safety. Their new bus protocol goes even further to protect students, drivers and even the bus itself.
To learn more about Union Springs’ new protocol, or to inquire about their extensive line of safe, non-toxic cleaners, disinfectants and sanitizers, contact Jeff England at (859) 384-3600.
For questions about this release, please contact Todd Lott, Director of Marketing at Union Springs at (859) 647-5157.
1 http://www.webmd.com/parenting/features/child-safety-school-bus-still-best
2 http://www.nea.org/home/61155.htm
3 http://www.cdc.gov/norovirus/downloads/keyfacts.pdf
4 http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/infectious/
5 http://www.anr.state.vt.us/air/mobilesources/htm/Diesel.htm
6 http://www.epa.gov/cleanschoolbus/replacement.htm
