The Indoor Air Quality Association (IAQA) and Indoor Environmental Standards Organization (IESO) have joined forces to facilitate the timely development of industry standards.

Under the arrangement, IESO has become a wholly-owned subsidiary of IAQA. Both organizations retain their non-profit 501(c)(6) status and independent boards.

IESO is an ANSI accredited Standards Development Organization. Since 2006, IESO has created several standards project committees, each actively pursuing the development of an American National Standard. At least two IESO draft standards are expected to be released for public comment in 2010.

“We are optimistic these standards will be ANSI-approved by years’ end,” said Kristy M. Lee, IESO secretariat. Lee, who has held the Secretariat office since IESO’s ANSI accreditation, will retain the position under the acquisition agreement.

“By expanding IAQA’s scope into the standards development arena, it creates remarkable opportunities for members — benefits ranging from standards themselves, to training opportunities, to recognition by the world of IAQA members’ ability to set parameters for maintaining healthy indoor environments,” said Andrew Äsk, IAQA president.

IAQA and IESO were careful to craft their new relationship such that it would cause little or no interruption to IESO’s ongoing activities. Under the terms of the agreement, IESO’s accredited Standard Operating Procedures have not been modified nor has the constitution of the IESO Standards Development Committee and its Consensus Body been altered.

“Legal counsel on behalf of IAQA and IESO presented details of the transaction to ANSI officials, who told us their staff has no concerns related to IESO’s continuing status as an ANSI-Accredited Standards Developer. Our Board, SDC, Consensus Body and numerous subcommittees continue to work on several active, ongoing standards projects,” said Steven Canter, IESO president.

Since 2006, IAQA has been IESO’s primary source of funding and volunteer support. “Making IESO an integral part of IAQA helps ensure our members’ investment in dues, volunteer time and association resources will pay off in the form of credible, scientifically based standards for IAQ practitioners,” said Glenn Fellman, executive director to both IAQA and IESO.

CleanPower CIMS-GB Certified

CleanPower, LLC, a Milwaukee janitorial services provider, is the first building service contractor in Wisconsin to be certified with honors to the ISSA’s Cleaning Industry Management Standard – Green Building (CIMS-GB).

This is a second first for the state’s largest cleaning contractor, as the company was also the first in the United States to earn the Green Seal Environmental Standard for Cleaning Services (GS-42) in 2007.

Certification is vitally important in the industry as it defines an environmentally responsible cleaning service, said Barbara Whitstone, senior VP at Clean Power.

Ecofriendly cleaning processes have increasingly become an expectation in the marketplace and GB certification provides a third-party assessment of a contractor’s knowledge and ability to perform.

ISSA established the CIMS-GB assessment program to establish universally accepted principles as the hallmarks of well-managed, successful cleaning operations with a proven commitment to sustainability.

The association said it continues to see more endusers require CIMS certification to be eligible to be awarded a cleaning-service contract.

CleanPower was also one of the first companies to use products and processes certified by the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute. The Institute’s certification program is an industry-independent, third-party testing program for low-emitting products and materials.

The CIMS assessment covers five areas of best management practices: Quality Systems, Service Delivery, Human Resources, Health/Safety and Environmental Stewardship, and Management Commitment. It also includes the optional Green Building management practices.

CIMS is effective because it is based on universally accepted management principles and applies these elements to an entire organization–rather than to an individual, product or process. The ISSA intends for CIMS to provide purchasing agents and facility managers with a metric for prequalification of prospective bidders within their RFP process.

U of MD Staff Achieves CIMS-GB

The University of Maryland-College Park recently recognized its residential facilities department for having achieved Cleaning Industry Management Standard Green Building (CIMS-GB) Certification with Honors.

CIMS is a designation awarded through ISSA to organizations that demonstrate compliance with 100 percent of the program’s mandatory management requirements and at least 60 percent of recommended elements.

“Honors” are conferred upon organizations achieving 85 percent or more of the recommended elements. The “GB” specification demonstrates that additional sustainability requirements have been met, corresponding with U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance—or LEED-EB:OM.

Currently, the University of Maryland has the only university housekeeping program to achieve this certification. Their cleaning program currently relies upon four naturally-based chemical cleaning products, state-of-the-art equipment, and an emphasis on recycling.

The biggest challenge the department faced was proving to employees, students, and faculty that clear, odorless chemicals can provide the same cleaning power as their perfumed counterparts.

As residential facilities learned, the key was training, reinforcement, and more training—until green cleaning became entrenched as a workplace and cultural norm. Now that the cleaning program is established and externally recognized, workers praise its merits and report improved physical well-being. The program benefits both employees and students alike by creating a clean and healthy environment.

E3 Upgrades Coast Guard Housing

Nine LEED-registered Coast Guard housing units could have energy bills as low as $165 per month due to energy performance strategies from E3 Building Sciences, which conserve electricity and improve efficiency.

A team of E3 consultants recently conducted a thermal bypass inspection to determine if the housing units will earn the design’s anticipated HERS score of 68 (the lower the better).

According to the EPA, homes with a HERS Index Scores of less than 70 are 30 percent or more efficient than code homes (based on 2004 IECC).

“In addition to the economic benefits, low-energy homes also help to reduce our nation’s energy consumption and our country’s carbon dioxide emissions from electricity produced with fossil fuels,” said Ben Millar, director of Business Development for E3.

The housing units include three single-family homes of 2,180 square feet in size and three duplexes each of 2,043 square feet in size, for a total of nine units. The homes are built on concrete stilts to elevate the homes from ocean storm surges.

The walls were built with Category 5 hurricane resistant Royal Concrete Concepts pre-engineered wall systems, which have an R-Value of 19. Other green features of the homes include: drought resistant plantings, Low-E impact-resistant windows, and radiant heat-reflecting metal roofs.

LEED for Homes is a national standard for rating residential low-rise construction and was developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The LEED for Homes Provider verifies the required LEED construction documents submitted by the project team and then forwards their submittals to the USGBC, which will ultimately determine the level of LEED certification.

E3 Building Sciences has two roles on the Marathon Key’s Coast Guard project. First, E3 is the LEED for Homes Provider for the residences, which are anticipated to reach LEED for Homes Silver certification by this year. Second, E3 is the Energy Rater, also known as a HERS (Home Energy Rating System) Rater. The Energy Rater completes energy modeling, inspections and testing of the residences.

JohnsonDiversey Names New CFO

JohnsonDiversey, Inc. has named former Unilever Executive Norman Clubb executive vice president and Chief Financial Officer. He will succeed retiring Joseph Smorada.

“We’re pleased to have such a strong financial and operational leader join our company,” said Chairman S. Curtis Johnson. “Norm brings to this role a deep knowledge of our industry and our operations.”

Clubb was a JohnsonDiversey director from February 2007 until November 2009, serving as an appointee of Unilever NV. Unilever was a one-third shareholder of the company until the November 24, 2009 completion of a recapitalization and equity transaction involving the private equity firm of Clayton Dubilier & Rice, LLC. Unilever retains a warrant to acquire a four percent interest in the company.

Earlier in his career, Norm served from 1989 – 1996 as Senior Vice President for Finance and Operations for the Diversey Corporation. He later held the position of Senior Vice President for Finance and Supply Chain for DiverseyLever from 1996 – 1999, the period immediately following Unilever’s acquisition of the Diversey business.

Clubb most recently served as President and Chief Operating Officer for Unilever Food Solutions in North America and Latin America. Previously, he served as Senior Vice President of Finance for Unilever’s Foods Division from 2000 – 2004. He also held the roles of Senior Vice President of Finance for Unilever’s Central Asia and Middle East Business Group from 1999 – 2000.

Joseph Smorada has served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since November 2004. In this capacity, he led the company’s three-year restructuring program and the recent recapitalization.

“Joe has been a strong financial leader for JohnsonDiversey, contributing to a highly successful restructuring and refocusing on our core business,” Johnson said. “Joe has helped put us in a very strong financial position to grow our global business.”

ISSA Foundation Spearheads Relief Effort

As residents of Haiti continue to struggle with the devastation wrought by the catastrophic earthquake of January 12, the ISSA Foundation is partnering with the American Red Cross and Gifts in Kind International (GIK) to supply critical necessities to the hundreds of thousands of victims left homeless.

The following is information on how your company can help. The American Red Cross has stressed that it is in desperate need of monetary donations, as the agency is not yet certain what product donations will be needed to assist the victims.

By making a financial contribution to the ISSA Foundation Haiti Fund, you can assist in providing shelter, food, and medical assistance to those in need.

To donate money, please download the contribution form and mail it to ISSA Foundation, attention ISSA Foundation Operations Manager Tracy Weber. Please make checks payable to the ISSA Foundation Haiti Fund. If you have any questions, e-mail tracy@issa.com.

GIK is coordinating its efforts with several of its large international nonprofit partners that have offices in Haiti as well as working with corporate partners and other supporters to assess both the first response product needs and those required for the next phases of clean up and rebuilding. Once a list of needed products has been confirmed, it will be posted that list on the ISSA Foundation’s Web site.

In the meantime, GIK is asking all those interested in donating products to the Haiti disaster relief effort to e-mail a list of the products you would like to donate to GIK. Please send your contact information and list of possible product donations to Doyle Delph at ddelph@giftsinkind.org. If you have any questions, please contact Doyle at GIK at 703-836-2121.

Supported by the generous donations of ISSA members, and working on its own as well as with other charitable organizations, such as GIK and the American Red Cross, the ISSA Foundation raises money for scholarships, industry research, disaster relief, and product-donation programs that benefit those in need. For more information, visit www.issafoundation.org.

Service Provider Gets CRI SOA

Platinum Property Care, LLC, Cape Coral, Fla., has been recognized by the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) as a Seal of Approval Service Provider.

The Seal identifies cleaning companies that commit to a high standard of service and customer satisfaction.

The CRI Seal of Approval program tests and certifies superior performing carpet cleaning solutions, vacuums, deep cleaning extractors and deep cleaning systems. Companies certified as Seal of Approval Service Providers agree to use only Seal of Approval products and equipment and comply with a customer-focused “code of conduct.”

“Customers can feel confident about doing business with companies that have earned the Seal of Approval,” said Werner Braun, CRI president. “CRI is proud to recognize cleaning firms that use superior products and recognize the need for quality service.”

Braun noted that independent testing has shown that not all carpet cleaning products clean equally well and that some even harm carpet fibers or result in faster resoiling of cleaned areas.

“The Seal of Approval Service Provider status is a signal to our customers that we care to use only the best cleaning products. Matching the right cleaning method with the right product helps retain the life and beauty of a carpet,” said Kevin Wilke, PLATINUM Property Care, LLC owner. PLATINUM Property Care, LLC is also a member of The United Professional Cleaners Alliance.

CRI recommends that consumers have their carpets professionally deep cleaned every one to two years, depending on foot traffic. Additionally, some major carpet manufactures have specified use of Seal of Approval cleaning products in their warranties.

P&G’s Haiti Relief Tops $2M

The Procter & Gamble Co., maker of consumer and commercial cleaning products, has donated more than $2 million in cash and product to the relief and rebuilding efforts in Haiti.

P&G product donations total more than $1.2 million with cash and donations from P&G, its employees and retirees, taking the total over $2 million. Product donations include bar soaps, batteries, bleach, diapers, dish detergents, feminine hygiene products, flashlights, laundry detergents, paper towels, shampoos, toilet tissue, tooth brushes, toothpaste and wipes.

Additionally, P&G has committed to providing 6 million packets of PUR, a technology that purifies contaminated water. This quantity is enough to treat 60 million liters of water (a 3- month supply for 340,000 people).

These product and cash donations are expected to increase over the next two months.

“P&G, its brands, and employees are committed to touching lives and improving life by helping the people of Haiti recover and rebuild,” said Chairman of the Board, President and CEO Bob McDonald. “We are very thankful for our partners on the ground in Haiti who are delivering critical supplies to meet the most urgent needs of earthquake survivors in Haiti,” he said.

P&G’s disaster relief team began working with humanitarian relief partners including World Vision, Pure Compassion Ministries, AmeriCares, CARE, Global Medic, and PSI within 24 hours of the devastating earthquake and will continue to coordinate closely with them to assist with relief efforts. P&G has also announced it is partnering with BET to present a Haiti benefit concert on Feb. 5.

P&G’s Children’s Safe Drinking Water (CSDW) Program will be a beneficiary of donations from the fundraising event to help provide even more safe drinking water for victims of the earthquake.

Kimberly-Clark to Help Supply Haiti Relief

As relief efforts continue following the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti, Kimberly-Clark Corporation has announced a global employee donation matching program.

Through the Kimberly-Clark Employee Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund, the company’s worldwide employees can direct their contributions to the American Red Cross to support its Haitian relief efforts.

Kimberly-Clark will then match all employee donations worldwide dollar-for-dollar up to $300,000. “Like many others around the world, we are committed to helping those who are suffering after the devastation of the recent earthquakes,” said Tom Falk, chairman and CEO of Kimberly-Clark. “It is our hope that Kimberly-Clark’s contributions, combined with the humanitarian efforts of the world’s aid organizations, will help the people affected by this tragedy.”

In addition to the employee matching program, Kimberly-Clark’s other Haiti disaster relief efforts have included being a leading corporate partner of the American Red Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP).

A portion of Kimberly-Clark’s gift is designated for the American Red Cross’ International Disaster Fund. So far, the American Red Cross has contributed $10 million to relief efforts in Haiti as well as set up a field hospital and three basic health care emergency response units to provide medical care.