[Mick (UHPS)]

Hi
Are the hygiene colour codes used to prevent cross contamination nationally recognised?

The reason I ask is: I have been using a colour code sheet which is exactly the same as the BICS code but, whilst reading through the Express Cleaning Supplies catalogue I have noticed a couple of major differences.

According to the BICS site

Yellow = Wash Basins and Other Washroom Surfaces

and

Green = General Food and Bar Use

The 2006 Express catalogue states

Yellow = Food Preperation Surfaces

and

Green = Kitchen Walls and Floors

Click here to go to the BICS website and colour coding is the bottom selection in the standards option.

Can somebody please advise me on this.

Thanks

Mick

[CMS]

This has always been an area for disagreement and everyone appears to have their own views.

In theory it doesn't really matter what the colours are. The fact that there are different colours for different areas means that there SHOULD be no cross contamination.

HOWEVER - as cleaning staff move around from company to company and from contract to contract it is essential that we have an 'industry standard' system.

A cleaners professional education is now seen as an ongoing process and it is BICS who have been 'driving' that with all of the skills testing and other courses that we can take. They are part of the consortium that has launched the 'Pathway Card', an electronic record of a cleaners achievements and training which will be accepted throughout the industry.

So, to answer your original question..........if in doubt, do it the way BICS do it.

That's the way we at CMS do it.

[Mick (UHPS)]

Thank you very much for you quick reply. 

I agree with your comments, if you are using different colours for different areas you shouldn't have an issue with cross contamination but, I have on-site documentation with this information displayed and was concerned that we may have been working to an inaccurate document.

Cheers

Mick

[CMS]

Funnily enough, I have just opened this months edition of 'Cleaning and Hygiene Today' as it arrived this morning and I haven't had time to look at it yet........

There is a big feature on page 14 entitled 'Are we blind to colour coding'?

An interesting point is that even with the current MRSA situation, colour coding is less wideley used in NHS Trusts than in the 'Commercial' Sector.

A working party has been set up to propose a common standard throughout the UK. It will give NHS Trusts time to implement change but who knows whether legislation will be required in the future to enforce colour coding.

Now, who's behind this......?

BICS of course.

The system they are recommending is the one that is on their web site.

A very interesting article.

[blacksheep]

hi, i tend to use blue for office or shop floor areas, red for washrooms , loos, green or yellow for canteen or food prep areas, white for first aid rooms doctors rooms that kind of thing, although its very hard to find anyone selling white buckets ect

[Tim Downer]

Mmmmmm, interesting read in the CHT magazine. Brought out that BICSc  strongly recommends that such a programme (colour coding & training) should form part of any induction training.....including colour identification testing for employees who could be colour blind!!
Not come accross staff being colour blind....as yet. But maybe we should put something in place for such an eventuallity??

What would you recommend?? Or have you come accross this situation already??

Tim