IN OTHER NEWS
SPECIALIST CLEANERS TACKLE GRAND CANYON VIEWING PLATFORM 4,000 FEET ABOVE
COLORADO RIVER Brave window cleaners recently took on the daunting task of cleaning the Grand Canyon’s glass-bottomed ‘Skywalk’ viewing platform, suspended 4,000 feet above the Colorado River.
The horseshoe-shaped structure, which cost $30m to build, juts out around 70 feet, and was opened back in March 2007, offering visitors spectacular views of the iconic landmark. And specialist cleaning technicians spent two days dangling over the edge to complete the highly- technical cleaning operation.
The stomach-churning task was carried out by Abseilon USA, a Phoenix-based company who are part of the Society of Professional Rope Access Technicians. The firm’s eight technicians – two of which carried
HUNDREDS OF CRUISE SHIP PASSENGERS HIT BY NOROVIRUS
OUTBREAK Hundreds of passengers on board a cruise ship have been struck down with norovirus during a journey across the Atlantic, leading to increased cleaning and disinfection procedures on board.
The Balmoral cruise ship was carrying 919 passengers on a five-week ‘Old England to New England’ cruise, from the UK to the US, but since leaving Southampton last month, at least 252 passengers – more than a quarter of those on board – and eight members of staff fell ill with the stomach virus, often referred to as the ‘winter vomiting bug’.
During a stopover in Portland, Maine, passengers were quarantined in their cabins while an inspection by the US Centres for Disease Control
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out the actual cleaning – operate a ‘two-line system’, which provides the workers ‘200% fall protection’. This means that despite the perilous nature of the job, the process itself is extremely safe.
As well as working on the glass bottom of the Skywalk, the technicians also rappelled into the Canyon itself, clearing up rubbish and collecting any items that visitors may have dropped over the side.
And Ken Piposar, founder and CEO of Abseilon USA, said that they’re
and Prevention (CDC) took place, according to the ship’s owners, Fred Olsen Cruise Lines.
In a statement after the outbreak occurred, Fred Olsen Cruises said: “Fred Olsen has been undertaking extensive sanitisation measures and cleaning of the ship, in accordance with its strict illness containment and prevention plan.
“Commonly, the illness abates within one or two days. Those guests who are affected are asked to remain in their rooms during this time – with complimentary room service and in- room entertainment.”
Norovirus is a highly contagious infection, that can easily be spread by person-to-person or surface- to-surface contact, making closed environments like cruise ships, where there is a high volume of people in close confines, potential breeding grounds for germs like Novovirus
But Mike Sullivan, Managing Director of GOJO Industries-Europe Ltd, believes that there are some simple
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always a popular site when they work at the Canyon.
“The Skywalk actually just recently replaced the glass, so we came to perform a spring cleaning.
“We’re always a big hit at the Skywalk. People love to ask us questions, get their photo taken with us and find out what we’re doing. While we do get a lot of ‘you people are crazy’, most visitors to the Skywalk think what we do is amazing.”
A video of the cleaning team carrying out their work is available to view on the Daily Mail website here.
steps to help reduce any potential risks. He said: “Norovirus can strike at any time of the year, and although we usually hear about it in relation to hospitals, schools or cruise ships, it is present everywhere and is a most unpleasant infection.
“One of the simplest measures you can take to reduce the risk of infections spreading is by practising good hand hygiene habits by washing hands frequently and thoroughly. The virus can remain in the environment on surfaces from days to weeks and as such, it is important to maintain healthy and clean environments too. Good hygiene is key and possible with easy to use and effective products which are readily available.”
In 2010, at least 310 people on board the Balmoral were reported to be suffering from a vomiting bug when the ship docked in Los Angeles, while a confirmed outbreak of Norovirus hit more than 100 people on the same ship during a cruise of Scotland in 2009.
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