What is a BioRisk Commercial Cleaning Services Certification/ Accreditation?

Janitor wearing blue latex gloves cleaning a toilet seat with a blue rag.
commercial cleaning certification

Credit: Matilda Wormwood

A building’s cleanliness greatly influences how comfortable and safe its occupants feel. 

However, proving how clean a building or public space is has been challenging for cleaning professionals and facility managers for decades. 

And, as the presence of high-risk biological contaminants such as COVID-19 and RSV, continue to present serious safety concerns, the demand for cleaning companies to provide greater assurances in their cleaning processes increases as well.

This is where biorisk commercial cleaning certifications come in. 
In this article, we’ll explain what a biorisk commercial cleaning certification is, why it’s important to cleaning businesses, and discuss the rigorous steps to earn one.

So What Is A BioRisk Commercial Cleaning Services Certification /Accreditation?

A biorisk commercial cleaning certificate is a highly regarded certification awarded to businesses in the cleaning industry that demonstrate a keen commitment to mitigating and managing biohazard situations

The gold standard of bio-safety certification for a cleaning business is GBAC STAR™ accreditations. These are awarded by the Global Biorisk Advisory Council™(GBAC), a division of ISSA, only to those who meet their strict criteria. 

With a GBAC STAR™ Services or Facility Accreditation, clients seeking cleaning professionals can quickly identify cleaning services and products that meet an elite level of sanitation and cleaning validation standards that they can trust.

Types of GBAC STAR™ Janitorial Accreditation 

Different GBAC STAR™ accreditation programs exist that companies, facilities, and product suppliers can qualify for. The nature of the facility or service being assessed will determine which accreditation is best for that endeavor.

For Facilities:

When a facility has a GBAC STAR™ accreditation, it has an established and comprehensive maintenance program that supports occupant health and can quickly respond to biosafety challenges. Unique accreditations are available for:

For Service Providers:

Cleaning professionals and commercial sanitation businesses with GBAC STAR™ Services Accreditation use processes that meet GBAC’s strict requirements. Cleaning companies that earn a biorisk cleaning certificate have proven they have incredibly high standards for cleaning quality, service reputation, and incident response measures.  

Any business that provides third-party cleaning products and services for cleaning homes, commercial facilities, or publicly owned buildings can apply for a GBAC STAR™ service accreditation. 

Examples of services and products that can apply for GBAC STAR™ accreditations include:

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Why Does a Biorisk Cleaning Certification or Accreditation Matter?

The GBAC STAR™ services accreditation program is the most prestigious and sought-after biorisk accreditation available. This accreditation is vital for commercial cleaning businesses, facilities, and product providers because it provides tangible proof that a facility or service provider has met the highest industry standards for bio-risk management.

Improve Biorisk Management

Reduce the potential spread of contagious illnesses and promote a healthy environment for everyone. With a commercial cleaning certification or accreditation, businesses and facilities can ensure proper environmental hygiene practices are being met. 

Demonstrate Cleaning Validation Excellence

With an industry-recognized certification/accreditation that validates the efficacy of cleaning protocols and procedures, commercial cleaning businesses can provide assurance that their work is being done to the highest standards.

For instance, companies that use Optisolve’s GBAC STAR™ certified cleaning validation software can easily demonstrate to stakeholders their commitment to identifying environmental risks and targeting them with precision cleaning processes.

Gain Competitive Advantage

Much like other internationally renowned quality management systems, such as ISO9000, a commercial cleaning certification like the GBAC STAR™ services or facility accreditation gives commercial cleaners, facility managers, and product providers greater credibility and a competitive edge

Earn Client Trust

A trusted certification or accreditation helps improve the confidence of guests and occupants. 

They feel more comfortable and safe because they know the facility prioritizes technology and procedures that properly disinfect a space.

cleaning services certification

Credit: Liliana Drew

GBAC STAR™ Accreditation Requirements 

Earning a biorisk cleaning certification or accreditation is a detailed and meticulous process requiring companies to fully commit to an ongoing standard of excellence in their cleaning and cleaning validation processes.

Step 1: Determine if the GBAC STAR™ accreditation is the most suitable for your business.

To determine which GBAC STAR™ accreditation is best suited for your business, you may need to consider the type of services and products you offer, the kind of commercial facility you are servicing, the potential bio-risk challenges that might be present, and if your established maintenance program meets GBAC’s standards for safety and quality. 

Step 2: Create a plan that covers all the accreditation requirements.

This plan should cover topics like employee training, risk assessment, and management strategies, incident response procedures and practices, and develop an efficient process for maintaining all related records.

Step 3: Train personnel to ensure they can perform their duties per GBAC STAR™ standards.

Start training personnel on the GBAC Star™ accreditation standards. This includes hazard recognition, proper application of cleaning protocols and procedures, risk mitigation strategies, and how to use protective equipment.

Optisolve cleaning validation technology serves a variety of industries including:

Step 4: Prepare for an onsite audit of your commercial cleaning processes

Be prepared for a GBAC STAR™ auditor to review and audit your cleaning processes with a fine-toothed comb. Be sure to have a robust documentation system in place that auditors can easily access and review.

Optisolve Cleaning Validation Tools Make Compliance Easy

Optisolve delivers commercial cleaning programs with the tools needed for the successful implementation, monitoring, and maintenance of a commercial cleaning program. In addition to providing elite surface contamination technology, our suite of cloud-based validation tools is designed to simplify compliance, enforce audit readiness and guarantee data integrity.

At Optisolve, our commercial cleaning validation software helps commercial businesses meet the requirements for a GBAC STAR™ janitorial services and facility accreditation. We automate the process of risk identification in each space, so commercial cleaners can quickly and easily target known risks with precision cleaning processes. 

Contact us to learn more about how our GBAC STAR™ registered solutions can help your business gain a competitive edge or meet commercial cleaning certification and or accreditation requirements.