ST. PAUL, MN—Ecolab Inc., which has worked with several hotel companies to build their COVID-19 response protocols, has launched the Ecolab Science Certified Program.
Using a comprehensive, science-based approach, the program combines advanced chemistry with new public health training and audit verification to deliver a high standard of cleanliness for public health and food safety required due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“COVID-19 has impacted our customers in almost every segment quite dramatically, and it presents an opportunity, we believe, to help our customers take it to the next level,” Tim Mulhere, EVP/president of global institutional, Ecolab, told Hotel Business. “Our customers want to get back to work. Their employees want to get back to work. They want to get back to doing what they enjoy, but they also need some trust and some visible evidence that it is safe to do so.”
The Ecolab Science Certified Program strengthens consumer confidence with the following:
- Creating clean through hospital-grade disinfecting products, food-contact cleaning and sanitizing products, solutions that address the most common sources of infection transmission, and elevated hygiene standards and protocols informed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines
- Ensuring clean through rigorous, on-demand training, auditing and compliance verification
- Seeing clean in action through front-of-house products, procedures and signage
- Believing clean through a consumer awareness and education campaign and a visible sign of assurance with the Ecolab Science Certified seal
Hotels, restaurants, retail stores and other hospitality businesses can earn and display the Science Certified seal digitally and on-site to support guest and employee confidence in their elevated level of cleaning and disinfection.
“We know consumers are looking for a couple of things,” said Mulhere. “One, they are looking for verification of clean. They are looking for evidence of clean and hygiene. They are looking to be able to trust. Our customers, whether it is a full-service restaurant or a hotel, they have to demonstrate they can build the trust with the customer. We believe we are uniquely positioned to help them do that.”
The Ecolab Science Certified Program is tailored to meet specific business needs, including proprietary protocols and standards, and can be scaled to deliver a consistent standard of cleaning and disinfecting across multiple customer locations globally. The program was developed in response to research indicating consumers feel safer knowing cleaning practices in a hotel or restaurant are verified by an external, independent auditor with cleaning expertise. Consumers also indicated they feel safer knowing the places they eat and stay use hospital-grade disinfecting products.
How the Program Works
The Ecolab Science Certified Program leverages the company’s unique combination of science-based solutions and insights from 1,200 scientists, engineers and technical specialists with verification by highly trained EcoSure auditors focused exclusively on public health and food safety.
To earn the Science Certified seal, customers must meet the program’s rigorous criteria:
- The use of hospital-grade disinfecting products and food-safe cleaning and sanitizing products
- Standardized cleaning, hygiene and food safety protocols and procedures informed by the CDC, U.S. Food and Drug Administration and local health department guidelines
- Pest elimination and water treatment solutions to address additional sources of infection transmission
- Comprehensive staff training to reduce the potential for human error in following protocols and applying products correctly, which is particularly important for industries and businesses with high staff turnover
- On-site support through ongoing consultation and in-person coaching
- An annual comprehensive hygiene and food safety audit that reviews state and federal requirements and helps ensure correct product and equipment usage, completion of training modules, adherence to elevated protocols and documentation of corrective actions, with customer sign-off
The Ecolab Science Certified Program will launch initially in North America, and then roll out globally.
