The ISSA and its Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) division have announced intentions to release the new GBAC STAR Services Accreditation Program for building service contractors by the end of August.

The new program will help building service contractors distinguish their cleaning, disinfection, and infectious disease prevention measures through third-party accreditation from GBAC’s biorisk experts.

The program will complement the GBAC STAR Facility Accreditation Program and outline specific protocols, work practices, and training requirements for cleaning contractors to earn the GBAC STAR Services designation. The program will be designed to supplement other industry certifications and training but with an emphasis on validating firms’ procedures to help their customers prepare for, respond to, and recover from infectious disease outbreaks.

Complete program details and pricing will be available by August 31.

Information regarding GBAC STAR, including exclusive discounts for the GBAC STAR Facility Accreditation Program and the GBAC Fundamentals Online Course: Cleaning & Disinfection Principles, can be found here.

“GBAC STAR is the gold standard of safe facilities, providing third-party validation that ensures facilities implement strict protocols for biorisk situations,” says Patricia Olinger, executive director, Global Biorisk Advisory Council. “Accreditation empowers facility owners and managers to assure workers, customers, and key stakeholders that they have proven systems in place to deliver clean and healthy environments that are safe for business.”

Numerous facilities across North America have already pledged their commitment to the program, including the Edmonton Convention Centre, the Edmonton EXPO Centre, and the Toronto Congress Centre.