The Healthier Hospitals Initiative is a group of hospitals and non-profit organizations committed to implementing sustainable business models in the health care sector.
The group provides free tools and resources to help focus sustainability efforts on the health care sector’s biggest areas of opportunity and risk.
Hospitals that participate in the Healthier Hospitals Initiative will end up using less energy and fewer hazardous chemicals. In addition, they will create less waste and provide healthier food to their patients.
How does it Work?
There are six challenges that hospitals may choose to address.
- Engaged Leadership
- Healthier Food
- Leaner Energy
- Less Waste
- Safer Chemicals
- Smarter Purchasing.
Each challenge has three or four areas of focus. There are resources, tips, tools and infographics to help hospitals as they transition towards a healthier environment for their patients.
The Safer Chemicals Challenge
More chemicals are used in health care than in any other sector. Many of these chemicals can have a lasting negative effect on individual health, public health and the environment. Harmful chemicals used in some health care products are linked to a range of health impacts.
The four areas of focus are:
1. Green Cleaning.
The challenge is for 90% of cleaning products to be purchased from the 3rd party certified labels Green Seal or UL Ecologo. The cleaning categories are carpet, window, all purpose, bathroom and general floor care.
2. Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) Reduction.
DEHP is often added to plastics to make them flexible. PVC is a plastic used in a variety of end products. The challenge is for hospitals to eliminate DEHP and PVC from at least 2 of the following categories: Breast Pumps. Enteral Nutrition Products. Parenteral Infusion Devices and Sets. General Urological instruments. Exam Gloves. Vascular Catheters and Nasogastric Tubes.
3. Healthy Interiors.
The challenge is to ensure 30% of the annual volume of purchased furniture does not contain formaldehyde, perfluorinated compounds, polyvinyl chloride, antimicrobials and flame-retardants, (where code permits). This challenge is applicable to all furniture in a hospital room including seating, beds, storage, dressers, drawers etc.
4. Mercury elimination.
The challenge is to achieve mercury free status, or at least develop and implement and mercury elimination plan.
In addition to providing guidance, standards, validation requirements and fact sheets, Healthier Hospitals also provides a list of approved furniture manufacturers that have met these goals.
There have been many successes including Dignity Health, who over a 5-year period was successful at removing 1,896,509 pounds of PVC material from IV containers.
What are the impacts to your business?
Questions to consider:
- Does your company manufacture products that may contain the prioritized chemicals identified by the HHI?
- Do you know how to identify chemicals of concern?
- Does your company have a sustainable chemicals policy?
For help with any issue associated with chemicals, contact Amanda Cattermole at (415) 412 8406 or Amanda@cattermoleconsulting.com. We can help you develop powerful solutions to protect your company and brand reputation and result in safer products manufactured in cleaner supply chains.
Tips and Insights contains information to help you make informed chemical management decisions. Each post highlights a particular topic and includes questions you may want to consider for your business.