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Last modified: Wednesday, January 20, 2010 12:07 AM EST
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By Chris Stevens / The Daily Item
SAUGUS – Firefighters responded to what seemed to be a routine alarm at the Square One Mall Monday evening, but a fire in the food court proved to be a puzzler.
Fire Chief James Blanchard said firefighters arrived in the mall’s second floor food court a little after 9 p.m. to find a hand sanitizer unit fully engulfed in flames.
“It had spread up the wall and set off the sprinklers,” he said. “We’re still looking into how that got started.”
He said the automatic hand sanitizer unit is about twice the size of a paper towel dispenser and is located just outside the restroom area in the corner of the food court.
Blanchard said the fire concerns him for two reasons. First, the machine is battery operated and not wired, so he’s left wondering how the fire actually started.
Blanchard is also wondering if the fire is an isolated incident. The mall is owned by Simon Malls and Blanchard said it’s his understanding that the dispensers are in all of their malls. If the fire proves to have somehow been started by the dispenser, there could be a recall issue.
“We’re trying to see if anyone else has had a similar problem,” he said. “It’s kind of unusual. I’ve never seen anything like this.”
Blanchard said no one was hurt during the fire, which was contained to the area just outside the restrooms. Firefighters made short work of putting out the flames but Blanchard said there was quite a mess left behind.
“They were done about 10:35 p.m.,” he said. “There was a lot of clean up for the mall people to do. There was a lot of water.”
Fox News - Alcohol Hand Sanitizer Poses Danger to Children
FOX NEWS : ALCOHOL HAND SANITIZER POSES DANGER TO CHILDREN
http://www.foxnews.com/search-results/m/27071670/sanitizer-safety.htm#q=sanitizer
As the owner of HomeHealthDelivery.com and the parent of a 7 and 5 year old, I would never let my children carry a alcohol hand sanitizer with them. I am happy to say that they both carry small bottles of GentleCare Non Alcohol Hand Sanitizer in their backpacks and take it to school with them.
M.R.S.A. – Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus is still a concern and another reason to use GentleCare Non Alcohol Hand Sanitizer.
What is M.R.S.A.?
M.R.S.A. is a type of infection caused by the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus. These bacteria are commonly carried on the skin or in the nose of healthy people. Some strains of staph are resistant to a class of antibiotics such as methicillin (a synthetic form of penicillin) and thus called Methicillin-Resistant Staph aureus (or M.R.S.A.).
Who gets M.R.S.A.?
S. aureus (or Staph) including M.R.S.A. can be spread among people having close contact with an infected person. M.R.S.A. is almost always spread by direct physical contact and not through the air. Transmission may also occur through indirect contact by touching objects such as towels, clothes, door knobs, workout areas, or sports equipment contaminated with the staph.
Where will I find M.R.S.A.?
Staph bacteria can live on the skin or in the nose of healthy individuals without causing any symptoms of disease. This is known as colonization. However, injury to the skin such as a scrape or cut can allow the bacteria to enter the skin and cause an infection.
M.R.S.A. is not confined to just healthcare facilities. Cases of M.R.S.A. infection in the community setting (e.g. Day care centers, schools, prisons) are called Community-Associated M.R.S.A. and have been on the rise and show no sign of slowing. Our children are at risk and it is up to us to protect them.
Use GentleCare Non-Alcohol Foaming Instant Skin Sanitizer today!
Incorporating GentleCare into your facility will not only protect our children from M.R.S.A., it will also reduce absenteeism due to colds, flu and other illnesses.
Disadvantages of Alcohol Based Hand Sanitizer Products
There are two kinds of alcohols used in skin-care applications:
Ethyl alcohol (Grain Alcohol): – A low-molecular weight alcohol containing two carbon atoms. This is the same alcohol as consumed in alcoholic beverages.
Isopropyl Alcohol (Rubbing Alcohol): – A low-molecular weight alcohol containing three carbon atoms. These alcohols are toxic to microorganisms by precipitating proteins in the outer surface of these organisms, killing them on contact.
The effective concentration range of these alcohols for killing microorganisms is generally 60-100%. They must be at least 60% and should be at least 70% for adequate kill however, the higher the concentration, the more likely there will be skin degradation.
Negative Aspects of Alcohols When Used in Skin-Care Products:
• Alcohols are excellent solvents: – Alcohols are often used as industrial cleaning solvents, because of their ability to dissolve oils and remove them from surfaces. The residual alcohol also evaporates quickly from the cleaned surface. While this is good for circuit boards and metal surfaces, the same properties are irritating to skin.
The natural oils are removed from the skin, often called “defatting” of the epidermal layer. Extended use will keep the natural oils from protecting and softening the skin, often resulting in dried or cracked skin. To avoid this irritation, some skin-care products include “emollients,” to help replace natural skin oils. These emollients are often very different from the natural oils on the skin.
• Alcohols evaporate rapidly: – When the concentration of alcohol drops below 60% in the applied solution, its antibacterial action is impaired. The FDA states that when the alcohol concentration drops below 60%, it is no longer effective as an antibacterial agent. Within seconds after applying to the skin, the alcohol evaporates, decreasing its concentration rapidly. Within a few seconds, the applied product is no longer effective and there is no continued antibacterial action or residual protection. As such, alcohol solutions offer no persistence.
• Alcohols are flammable: – Alcohols burn rapidly. High-performance race car engines burn low-molecular-weight alcohols, because of their excellent flammability. When alcohols vapors are mixed with oxygen gas, the mixture is explosive. Imagine having alcohol spread across the skin, with evaporating alcohol vapors mixing with the air above the surface of the skin, and having a spark ignite the alcohol. There are many horror stories of this happening, especially in oxygen-rich environments.
• Alcohols have a peculiar odor: – Due to their high volatility, rapid evaporation fills the air with alcohol molecules that have a distinctive and peculiar odor. This characteristic of alcohols may be positive or negative to the consumer, however, more often than not, the user finds this offensive.
There is however, a perfect solution to the above concerns: That solution is GentleCare Alcohol Free Hand Sanitizer Foam - Fragrance free, dye free formulation contains MicroDerm which offers 99.99% or 4 log reduction, residual protection because the .24% Benzalkonium Formula does not evaporate off the skin like alcohol does.
In addition, there is no de-fatting or stripping of the skin after using. GentleCare helps to maintain intact skin which is the first line of defense against cross contamination or nosocomial infections.
For more information “Click Here” or email or call us with any questions.
Transmission of an infectious superbug from dogs and cats to humans, and back again, is an increasing problem, a new study finds.
The superbug, a strain of bacteria known as MRSA, has evolved a resistance to antibiotics. It has long plagued hospitals but in recent years has become more common in homes. MRSA has even invaded beaches.
Only about two years ago, scientists began to seriously suspect pets were transmitting the bacteria.
In the July edition of The Lancet Infectious Diseases, Richard Oehler of the University of South Florida College of Medicine and colleagues lay out the latest thinking on MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and pets.
The infections can be transmitted by animal bites and most threaten young children, the researchers note.
What can you do to protect yourself?
Use GentleCare Non-Alcohol Foaming Instant Skin Sanitizer
Incorporating GentleCare into your daily life will provide a safe and effective means to preventing the spread of cross contamination between pet’s and human’s.
What is M.R.S.A.?
M.R.S.A. is a type of infection caused by the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus. These bacteria are commonly carried on the skin or in the nose of healthy people. Some strains of staph are resistant to a class of antibiotics such as methicillin (a synthetic form of penicillin) and thus called Methicillin-Resistant Staph aureus (or M.R.S.A.).
Who gets M.R.S.A.?
S. aureus (or Staph) including M.R.S.A. can be spread among people having close contact with an infected person. M.R.S.A. is almost always spread by direct physical contact and not through the air. Transmission may also occur through indirect contact by touching objects such as towels, clothes, door knobs, workout areas, or sports equipment
contaminated with the staph.
Where will I find M.R.S.A.?
Staph bacteria can live on the skin or in the nose of healthy individuals without causing any symptoms of disease. This is known as colonization. However, injury to the skin such as a scrape or cut can allow the bacteria to enter the skin and cause an infection.
M.R.S.A. is not confined to just healthcare facilities. Cases of M.R.S.A. infection in the community setting (e.g. Day care centers, schools, prisons) are called Community-Associated M.R.S.A. and have been on the rise and show no sign of slowing. Our children are at risk and it is up to us to protect them.
Now that you know the facts, what can you do to minimize the risks?
Use GentleCare Non-Alcohol Foaming Instant Skin Sanitizer
Incorporating GentleCare into your facility will not only protect our children from M.R.S.A., it will also reduce absenteeism due to colds, flu and other illnesses.
Swine flu pandemic has begun, 1st in 41 years:
Protect yourself…Protect your family!
Use GentleCare Non-Alcohol, Fragrance Free Hand and Skin Sanitizer in the battle against cold and flu this season!
The World Health Organization declared a swine flu pandemic 
Thursday – The first global flu epidemic in 41 years – as infections in the United States, Europe, Australia, South America and elsewhere climbed to nearly 30,000 cases.
The long-awaited pandemic announcement is scientific confirmation that a new flu virus has emerged and is quickly circling the globe. WHO will now ask drugmakers to speed up production of a swine flu vaccine. The declaration will also prompt governments to devote more money toward efforts to contain the virus.
As the Owner and President of Paragon Marketing Group, you can feel confident in knowing that since GentleCare was created, my wife and I have used all of our products ourselves and with our 6 and 5 year old son’s. We have shared them with our family and friends and have been promoting healthy skin integrity and infection control hygiene for many years.
I have been involved in this technology for the past 10 years and have seen the tremendous benefits of our GentleCare Alcohol Free Hand Sanitizer over all alcohol based hand sanitizers. Do not be fooled by the alcohol lobby efforts in Washington. Alcohol Free is here to stay and provides residual protection after each application where alcohol fails.
It is your choice, make it the right one!
Call me direct with any questions: (508)845-9915
Sincerely,
Kevin DuBois