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A barbecue (BBQ) brush is a common household item designed for cleaning grills used for barbecuing. Data from the electronic Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program database were analysed to estimate the frequency of injuries related to BBQ brushes as a proportion of all injuries, as well as to describe characteristics associated with such injury events. Between April 1, 2011 and July 17, 2017, BBQ brush injuries were observed at a frequency of 1.5 cases per 100 000 eCHIRPP cases (N = 12). Findings suggest that in addition to risks associated with the ingestion of loose BBQ brush bristles attached to foods, loose bristles could also result in injury via other mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infection prevention and control is integral to safe, effective and ethical nursing practices. Maintaining clean equipment in healthcare settings is key to infection control, but non-critical equipment is often overlooked. A Holland Bloorview nurse and an infection prevention and control professional (ICP) collaborated on a project to develop a patient safety initiative project plan that would meet the requirements set out by the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) and Accreditation Canada on cleaning and disinfecting non-critical equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe corrosion was found covering the brass beads on several beaded belts. The corrosion was a mixture of copper soaps and zinc soaps, and was so thick in some places that it completely buried the brass beads. One of these belts was chosen as a test case for cleaning. The details of the cleaning are described, as are the effects of the corrosion process on the beads and surrounding organic materials. Two supporting studies are also reported: tests of the solubility of the corrosion in a variety of organic solvents, including mixtures of ethanol and petroleum-based solvents; and tests of leather dressings and other coatings on brass, copper, and zinc coupons in various relative humidities (RH), to determine what values of RH could be recommended for storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International trade is a major route by which non-indigenous organisms are introduced into new habitats. Various kinds of weed seeds have been introduced through grain trade. The objectives of this study were to understand the factors that affect the initial assemblage of plant species introduced by the international grain trade and to extract their general attributes. We surveyed weed seed contamination of spring wheat imported from Canada to Japan and analysed the effects of the field abundance of each weed and of harvesting and cleaning on the quantity of weed seed included in the imported wheat. The field abundance was positively correlated with the weed seed quantity. Seeds of short weeds and seeds with a pappus were eliminated from the wheat by the harvesting or cleaning process. Many other crop plants contaminated the wheat. Because various transportation vehicles, temporary storage sites and port elevators are used commonly with all exported crops and it is difficult to remove all residues from them, other crops might be carried over into the wheat commodity. These relationships also apply to other grains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the basic techniques in repairing woodwind instruments. Topics discussed include the proper cleaning of brass-instruments, role playing with principal, business manager, or recruitment specialist, and utilization of technological innovations. The article also discusses the educational model in Canada.

The article reports on the sale of Kem Operations of Crompton & Knowles. The company sold its Kem cleaning, maintenance and water treatment operations including its U.S. based portion and Kem subsidiaries in Canada, Italy, Netherlands, and United Kingdom to two companies. The article implies that the action was done due to U.S. operation's reported loss for several years. This has prompted the action even though foreign subsidiaries of Kem have been profitable. Negotiations to sell remaining Kem subsidiaries in Jamaica and Central America are said to be ongoing.

Background: Wheelchairs are complex equipment that come in close contact with individuals at increased risk of transmitting and acquiring antibiotic-resistant organisms and health care-associated infection. The purpose of this study was to determine the status of wheelchair cleaning and disinfection in Canadian health care facilities., Methods: Acute care hospitals (ACHs), chronic care hospitals (CCHs), and long-term care facilities (LTCFs) were contacted and the individual responsible for oversight of wheelchair cleaning and disinfection was identified. A structured interview was conducted that focused on current practices and concerns, barriers to effective wheelchair cleaning and disinfection, and potential solutions., Results: Interviews were completed at 48 of the 54 facilities contacted (89%), including 18 ACHs, 16 CCHs, and 14 LTCFs. Most (n = 24) facilities had 50-200 in-house wheelchairs. Respondents were very concerned about wheelchair cleaning as an infection control issue. Specific concerns included the lack of reliable systems for tracking and identifying dirty and clean wheelchairs (71%, 34/48), failure to clean and disinfect wheelchairs between patients (52%, 25/48), difficulty cleaning cushions (42%, 20/48), lack of guidelines (35%, 27/48), continued use of visibly soiled wheelchairs (29%, 14/48) and lack of resources (25%, 12/48)., Conclusion: Our results suggest that wheelchair cleaning and disinfection is not optimally performed at many Canadian hospitals and LTCFs. Specific guidance on wheelchair cleaning and disinfection is necessary., (Copyright © 2014 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)