NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center said it has achieved GBAC STAR accreditation through the Global BioRisk Advisory Council, a division of ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association, augmenting the Center’s early initiatives to prepare for new standards driven by the pandemic. The program certifies that the facility is implementing the industry’s highest standards of cleaning, disinfection, and infectious disease prevention for infectious agents such as COVID-19 and is the leading standard of prepared facilities. The program is backed by 10 industry organizations, including the International Association of Venue Managers, International Facility Management Association, International Association of Exhibitions and Events and the Go LIVE Together Coalition.
The industry’s only outbreak prevention response and recovery accreditation, the GBAC STAR Program helps organizations establish protocols and procedures, offers expert-led training, and assesses a facility’s preparedness for biohazardous situations. The program ensures facilities use best practices to limit future outbreaks, empowers cleaning staff to do their jobs safely and effectively, and gives customers greater peace of mind.
The Convention Center had already instituted Post-Cleaning Verification and incorporated the use of technology, among other protocols, with the guidance of an industrial hygienist in advance of seeking accreditation. As an example, regular environmental testing will be performed by sampling high-touch surfaces throughout the building using a Hygiena SystemSURE Plus Adenosine Triphosphate that ensures optimal levels of cleanliness.
“At the outbreak of the pandemic, we recognized that our clients and their attendees will expect first-in-class protocols to be in place when they return, and we have been working earnestly to help lead the industry in establishing and implementing new health and safety protocols,” said Michael J. Sawaya, president of the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. “In addition to achieving the GBAC STAR accreditation, we engaged an industrial hygienist team of experts, which includes multiple former high-ranking government health and safety officials, to provide additional confidence to both our internal and external customers that we have gone above and beyond.”
