As the second wave of COVID-19 rages on, providing a clean and safe environment remains a key focus in Canada. That has been reflected in the increasing number of facilities securing GBAC STAR Facility Accreditation.
Ensuring that hygiene and infection control and prevention practices are of the highest grade possible — and communicating this to patrons, visitors, and residents — has never been more important for facilities. That importance is magnified for those facilities that are high capacity and high volume, like hotels, arenas, and so many others.
In Canada in recent weeks, there has been good news on that front.
Numerous venues have received the coveted GBAC STAR Facility Accreditation from ISSA and the Global Biorisk Advisory Council, denoting that their cleaning, disinfection, and infectious disease prevention programs implement best practices to prepare for, respond to, and recover from outbreaks and pandemics like COVID-19.
As of January 14, at least 21 facilities in Canada have achieved the certification, ranging from hotels to stadia to convention centres. Back in September, YUL Montreal-Trudeau International Airport became the first Canadian airport to get accredited. Numerous others are in the process of securing the accreditation having already committed to the program.
Recent completions include several Hyatt hotels across the country and Saskatoon’s TCU Place in late December. Meanwhile, the Vancouver Convention Centre and Winnipeg’s RBC Convention Centre both achieved accreditation this week.
The program has certainly gathered pace as word of mouth has spread and as it becomes more apparent that safe reopenings will rely on both stringent health measures and high consumer confidence. In the last week, nearly 350 facilities worldwide achieved the certification.
In total, since the accreditation was introduced last spring, more than 1,100 facilities worldwide have achieved the certification as of Jan. 15, while another 2,700 have committed to it.
The full list of accredited facilities can be found using the GBAC STAR Facility Directory. Prominent recent announcements relating to GBAC STAR accreditation can be found here.
