Flagler County Public Schools Introduces New Innovative Approach to Fight Germs and Illnesses

The recent outbreak of flu and flu-like illness in Flagler County left no doubt about the serious impact illnesses and infections have on schools and their communities. School districts are often the hardest hit by outbreaks and an estimated 60 million school days are lost each year due to cold and flu alone.¹ To fight back, schools need to be confident that their cleaning products and protocols are up to the job.

The viruses and bacteria that often cause outbreaks, like the fast-spreading norovirus, cold and flu and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), can survive on surfaces from days to months. Norovirus, the leading cause of acute gastrointestinal illness in the U.S., can persist on environmental surfaces, like desks and cafeteria tables, for days and it takes as few as 1-10 particles to infect a person.² Knowing the impact absenteeism due to illness can have on students' academic successes, Flagler County Schools make thorough daily cleaning and disinfecting surfaces an imperative step in protecting students and staff.

To help contain and bring an end to the recent outbreak and prevent future outbreaks from occurring, Flagler Schools implemented the Clorox^® Total 360^® System to enhance our standard cleaning and disinfecting regimens. The systems are a powerful tool in the fight against illnesses and infections that not only make cleaning and disinfecting more effective, but also make the process more efficient, helping save time and reduce labor costs. The systems are currently being used across all nine schools in high-traffic areas like classrooms, gymnasiums and field houses.  

"We have a goal to graduate 100 percent of our senior classes and knowing this, we need technology and solutions to help us keep our teachers and students in the classroom," said Christopher Shudy, Director of Custodial Services for Flagler County Schools. "The custodial team is passionate about doing our part to reduce absenteeism. The Clorox^® Total 360^® System allows us to disinfect more surfaces in less time and with less labor so we can fight the spread of germs more effectively and help keep students and staff healthy, happy and learning."

The Clorox^® Total 360^® System provides the coverage school districts need by combining patented electrostatic technology with Clorox® disinfecting and sanitizing solutions they can trust, enabling Flagler Schools to carry out quick and comprehensive cleanings with superior surface coverage. The system works by atomizing the Clorox^® disinfecting or sanitizing solution and delivering a flow of charged particles that are attracted to surfaces with a force stronger than gravity. This allows the solution to easily reach and uniformly coat surfaces, including the sides, underside, and backside of surfaces, where trigger spray methods might easily miss.

"Across nine schools, our custodial team has a lot of ground to cover. We have almost 13,000 students and 2,400 staff members meaning there are countless opportunities for germs to spread and when they do, it happens rapidly," added Shudy. "The moment I showed our administration the labor costs associated with outbreaks and how the system helps us fight the spread of germs and prevent future outbreaks from occurring, in addition to the cost savings, they were sold and rightly so. This year, Flagler County experienced a serious outbreak and with the Clorox^® Total 360^® System, we were able to control it more quickly, efficiently and cost-effectively."

¹ How Dirty is Your Child's School." ISSA, Nov. 29, 2017. Retrieved from: http://www.issa.com/certification-standards/clean-standard-k-12/how-dirty-is-your-childs-school-infographic/how-dirty-is-your-childs-school-infographic-full.html. (Accessed Aug. 9, 2017).
² Hall, A. "Norovirus disease in the United States." Emerging Infectious Diseases. 19.8 (2013).  (Accessed Aug. 9, 2017).

SOURCE Flagler County Public Schools