Author: htcs

Bangalore: Hermes Trading & Consulting Pvt Ltd announces its brand representation partnership with Athina Healthare. Through this partnership, Hermes T&C aims to empowers corporates to provide a reliable one stop solution for all medical needs for their employees and dependants thereby giving them confidence, care, comfort & quality.  Think of Athina Healthcare for all your healthcare needs.

Looking at the pain areas in healthcare, Athina Healthcare realised the need for a one stop solution for every corporate individual helping them and their family members for medical assistance.  Employees working in MNC’s, SME’s and other industries are so occupied in their jobs and didn’t know what, when & how to choose best of medical services.  Lack of awareness about the latest medical technologies and cutting edge services, knowing the right clinicians, choosing the best pathology & radiology services and end up spending a lot of amount and compromising the quality healthcare.

Athina Healthcare provides a large gamut of services for all their corporate clients viz, E Health portal to give them the facility to book their investigations online as well as share their medical prescription to doctors. Employees can save upto 80% on their lab and radiology investigations if they book through E-Portal.  Preventive Health check up packages to keep a check on their health, occupational health centres in corporates to provide them instant medical help. Telemedicine services where one can find 24×7 availability of Athina’s Family Physician, tele or video consultation facility, getting E prescription from doctors with their advice. Wellness programmes such as Lifestyle and Nutritional Counselling, Fitness activities, Health and Awareness Talks by senior doctors on preventive and chronic disease management. Home Healthcare for those who have been advised care at home post their medical treatment. Concierge services which include Road and Rail Ambulances, pathology tests in emergencies, medicine supply in emergencies, nursing care and doctor visit in emergencies and to smoothen the process a 24×7 call centre is there at service.  Athina delivers all sorts of medical equipments for use at home at companies cost price.

About Athina Healthcare

Athina Healthcare is India’s first Integrated Healthcare Assist Company with the sole objective of world-class healthcare accessible to everyone by leveraging technology. We aim to provide seamless, extensive, coherent healthcare services with the network of super speciality hospitals, day care centres, Senior Consultants, diagnostic and radiology services, homecare etc.  Aims at delivering healthcare at the core of which lies our passion for patient care and technological advancement.  Patients have 24×7 access to our on-board medical team for voice and video calls.  Athina Healthcare not only provides one stop solution for all healthcare needs but also reduce overall medical expenses to a great extent.

About Hermes T&C

Hermes Trading & Consulting Services Pvt Ltd has been formed by veterans of the travel and hospitality industry to assist enterprises with services, solutions and technology in solving complex business needs. We integrate technology with existing workflows in order to boost productivity as well as create new solutions that are tailor-made to fit your special needs. Our goal is to become a trusted partner who can support you during all stages of your business growth.

Yours sincerely,

Preetham Kiron 

Founder CEO 

DELHI: Eureka Forbes Limited is India’s leading health and hygiene brand with a base of 20 million happy customers, a reach of over 1,500 cities and towns in India and a global footprint across 53 countries. The product portfolio encompasses water purifiers, air purifiers, vacuum cleaners and security solutions.

Hermes Trading & Consultancy is founded by a group of well-established and highly experienced professionals. The team focusses relentlessly on Sales Solutions for the B2B market since its inception. This has generated thousands of contacts in the corporate space and relationships with millions of key stakeholders. Combining the cutting-edge technology with the massive proprietary data, Hermes has achieved unparalleled B2B marketing and enormous outreach.

The two companies have come together to expand Eureka Forbes Business in the Enterprise Sector. Eureka’s 37 years of distribution experience, world class product range and top quality customer service combined with Hermes Consulting’s formidable Sales Force guarantees phenomenal success for this venture. Hermes is launching almost the entire range of Eureka Forbes Products including Coronaguard – A revolutionary virulence prevention device that attenuates & disables 99.9% of corona family of viruses and prevents its spread in the enclosed spaces.

Water Purifiers, Air Purifiers and Vacuum Cleaners are also a part of Hermes arsenal. All of these products, especially Coronaguard help in workplace safety and safeguarding employees’ health. With return to work picking up pace, Coronaguard should be installed in office premises as it provides virucidal efficiency of >99.9% thus stopping the spread of corona virus and reducing the risk of infections.

Under the Corporate Marketing program, Hermes Consulting has already activated the “Enterprise Connect Initiative”. Coronaguard product demo, its efficacy, health benefits and knowledge sharing on the breakthrough technology shall be demonstrated to the companies for spreading awareness.

Hermes Consulting intends to enable enterprises reopen seamlessly and help in maintaining safe working conditions to secure the most valuable asset of every company – their People

Yours Sincerely,

Preetham Kiron

Founder & CEO

Hermes Trading & Consulting Pvt Ltd

There are several wrong notions about Risk Management. Many Banks believe that Risk Management is about adhering to RBI’s Master Direction and guidelines about Risk Management. Many non-financial organizations believe that Risk Management is only for financial institutions. Therefore, most non-financial organizations do not have separate structure, systems, policies and procedures for the management of risks. Even in non-financial organizations where some function called ‘Risk Management’ exists, it pertains only to specific functions like supply chain management, production management etc.

What is Risk?

Risk is a situation that involving exposure to danger, harm or loss.  When we step out of our house to go for morning walk, we run the risk of being hit by an out of control vehicle or being run over by a vehicle coming from the wrong side.  When we lock our residence and go for a movie we run the risk of our house being burgled during our three hour absence.  Risk exists wherever there is an opportunity for a profit or a loss. We commonly refer to the risks as exposures to loss, or simply exposures. A fire is an exposure. Defective products or defamation are liability exposures. Loss of business that results from a damaged building or tarnished reputation is also an exposure.  All organizational processes that are involved in the manufacturing of product, provision of services as well as internal administrative work have an embedded risk of loss due to quality issues, unintended adverse effect on the consumer, non-compliance with regulatory prescriptions, wherever applicable, miss-selling, theft, pilferage, fraud etc.

Just as the risks mentioned above do not prevent us from walking on the road, the risks inherent in organisational processes also do not hinder an organisation from functioning.  All the risks have to be managed and mitigated and there are ways to do it.

What is Risk Management?

In simple words, Risk Management is all about trying to find out what can go wrong and doing what needs to be done to ensure that what can go wrong does not go wrong. It is also about what to do to minimize the impact/loss if something that can go wrong actually goes wrong.

Everyone, including you and me, does several things towards managing the risks that we face in our life. For example, basic things like wearing footwear, brushing teeth every day, carrying an umbrella during the rainy season etc., are some of the routine things that we do to manage risks. Taking an insurance policy is also a major action that we take to manage the risk that our dependents would face in the event of our premature departure from this world.

Similarly, all organisations take, in the normal course of their business, several steps towards managing various risks. For example, taking Fire and Burglary insurance policy, installing fire extinguishers in the office, hiring internal auditors, hiring employees specifically to collect receivables, having continuous R&D etc., are some of the steps that organisations routinely take to manage the risks.

Risk Management, in essence, refers to the process of deep analysis of all processes involved in manufacturing and/or delivery of goods and services and all other internal processes and external factors to find out what can go wrong and how to eliminate or minimize such risks. It is the process of making and carrying out decisions that will minimize the adverse effects of risk on an organization. The adverse effects of risk can be objective or quantifiable like loss of assets due to fire, theft, burglary and insurance claim costs, or subjective and difficult to quantify such as damage to reputation or decreased productivity.

If neither elimination nor minimization of risks is possible, an organisation must proactively develop enough financial strength to absorb the impact of such risks whenever they materialize.

Why Risk Management?

If organisations are already taking steps to manage risks, what is the need for Risk Management?

Although organisations do take several steps to manage various risks, there are many risks, known and unknown, which are either not sufficiently taken care of or are not at all taken care of. That is the reason why only a few organisations survive over a long time. According to a report, in the USA only 25% of the organisations make it to 15 years or more. Even the large and successful organisations, sometimes, suddenly collapse and close shop. For example, Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines, both of which were market leaders in the domestic aviation industry at different points in time, suddenly collapsed. Their closure resulted in job loss for their employees and bad debt for their lenders. Even a tightly regulated entity like Yes Bank almost went bankrupt and had to be revived with the support of a clutch of banks under RBI supervision.

This happens because most organisations do not systematically manage their risks.

Banks have been required to have a systematic risk management structure, policies and process in place since 1999, as mandated by RBI. However, even after two decades of tightly monitored Risk Management, they are not managing their risks properly and adequately, as evidenced by the huge Non Performing Assets that they are saddled with. The primary reason for this is the fact that Banks have misunderstood risk management more as ‘compliance with RBI’s risk management guidelines’ and have been focusing on adhering to RBI prescriptions rather than truly ‘managing’ various risks that they face in the best manner possible.

Risk Management is all about managing risks effectively so that the survival of the organisations is not hampered by the impact of risk events.

By focusing attention on risk and committing the necessary resources to control and mitigate risk, a business will protect itself from uncertainty, reduce costs, and increase the likelihood of business continuity and success.

Hermes 360 degree Risk Management

We offer Risk Management Consulting service which encompasses review of all important systems, policies, products and processes, including but not limited to the following:

1. Net Worth Planning
2. Profitability Management
3. Cost control
4. Eliminating income leakage
5. Fraud Management and disciplinary process
6. Effective reconciliation process
7. Performance Management

Not having a robust risk management system is the biggest risk an organization runs.

We are offering free of cost introductory risk assessments for first 100 clients. If you wish to participate, please visit HERE

Author :

K Mohan Bhaktha

Independent Risk & Productivity Consultant & Lecturer

Risk Mgmt | FEMA & AML Compliance | Forex |Internal Control | Fraud Prevention | Productivity Mgmt |

Bangalore: Hermes Trading & Consulting Pvt Ltd announces its brand representation partnership with
TresCare. Through this partnership, Hermes T&C aims to empowers enterprises to create a healthy safe
environment for the employee also give confidence to employee while entering the office premises and lead a
healthy life by preventing them from communicable diseases.

With the pandemic, Team TresCare realized the need for a product which will help Corporate/ Enterprises in
opening their offices. Team introduces TresCare, AI-Based Health Tracking band and application, track and
monitor health vitals of employees like Heart Rate, Blood Oxygen Saturation (SPO2), Body Temperature and
Blood pressure to show the Health Risk Status.

The health status is generated instantly based on different parameters showing the wellness of the
individual. The system takes the readings based upon the pattern of the proactive health vital graphs,
vaccination certificates and the covid’19 test reports. The system provides health information on real-time
and will identify if the person is to work in an office environment, travel, with family and friends etc. This will
also provide the information if the person has any risk so any necessary action can be taken. It not only
empowers a corporate to create a healthy safe environment for the employees but also give confidence to
employees while entering in the office premises and lead a healthy life by preventing them from
communicable diseases.

TresCare application is a safe verified digital platform which stores an Individual or a corporate traveler’s
Health information on an anonymous & encrypted format. Only the travelers have access of their information
on their mobile or corporates can monitor it though centralized dashboard. It provides monitoring services to
medical response teams in Corporates/ Enterprises.
Tres Care is an AI Based healthcare platform brings together the complete preventive healthcare ecosystem.
Tres care empowers consumers globally to lead healthier and better lives by providing following
functionalities:

Single Device to Track 4 Health Vitals | Remotely Monitor Employees | Manage Vaccination Certificate
Manage your Travel History | Health E-pass

About Tres Care: TresCare is a leading Healthcare Solutions Provider with a focus on delivering world-class
Healthcare Solution. TresCare team has technology expertise that has turn-out some of the most exciting
technology applications. At TresCare, we are training our employees to be pioneers in every job they do. Team
believe that each employee has an effect on our business. TresCare engineering team has a relentless focus
on delivering a user friendly, reliable and sure technology platform which is beneficial to Healthcare industry.

About Hermes T&C: Hermes Trading & Consulting Services Pvt Ltd has been formed by veterans of the
Business Travel, Airlines, Hospitality & Banking industry to assist Enterprises with services, solutions and
technology in solving complex needs of B2B functions. Our goal is to partner with you in solving your
organization needs through sourcing, digital solutions and consulting services.

Yours Sincerely,
Preetham Kiron
Founder & CEO

BANGALORE: Hermes Trading & Consulting is glad to announce the management consulting partnership with 2HUB Pvt Ltd in establishing Corporate Travel Division. With the inclusion of Corporate Travel division 2HUB is now equipped to offer full-scale service to mid & large size travel programs and offer contingency services in order to realize the full potential of your travel investment.

“Yet, we’re more than just a business travel company, we help clients through every phase of their meeting or event planning process; from start to finish – so they can achieve the results they are after. And when our clients experience big wins for their businesses at work, we feel accomplished in knowing that our hard work has paid off”- Anirban Sengupta (COO, 2HUB Pvt Ltd)

The focus of the Corporate Travel Division is to offer bespoke services around following pillar

About 2HUB Pvt Ltd

2HUB is a B2B travel management & services company. It equips travel partners in their quest for expansion and offers integrated solutions for corporate travel and events, characterised by cost efficiency and automation. A part of Eastbound Group, among the most prestigious destination management companies in the world, 2HUB Pvt Ltd offers turnkey solutions for booking hotels and attractions, end to end event management, inbound & outbound tours and supplementary travel services, going beyond the basics with its attention to detail, signature personalization and highly skilled team of professionals.

About Hermes T&C

Hermes Trading & Consulting Services Pvt Ltd has been formed by veterans of the travel and hospitality industry to assist enterprises with services, solutions and technology in solving complex business needs. We integrate technology with existing workflows in order to boost productivity as well as create new solutions that are tailor-made to fit your special needs. Our goal is to become a trusted partner who can support you during all stages of your business growth.

Yours Sincerely,

Preetham Kiron

Founder & CEO

 

Schools are reopening, but the dual threat of COVID-19 and the familiar flu requires a new approach to disinfecting.
Across the country, more than 130,000 schools are struggling to open — and stay open safely — in the midst of a flu season like no other. Every year the ordinary influenza causes many students and teachers to get sick and lose time — and other pathogens like norovirus, salmonella, and E. coli are particular threats to young children. This year, nearly 60 million students — and 7 million teachers and administrators — are also dealing with a global pandemic.
What makes this challenge especially difficult is the overlap in symptoms between the flu and COVID-19. “The symptoms of the two illnesses are almost identical,” says David St. Clair, chairman of Halosil International, Inc., a leading manufacturer of disinfectant products. “If individuals happen to contract both illnesses simultaneously, their condition will be much harder to manage successfully due to the overwhelming effect on their immune systems.”
Understanding spread
Reopening schools during the pandemic has stoked fears that classrooms could be powerful vectors for the spread of both diseases. In past years spread of the flu has been driven largely by school-age children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s heightening fears that the same may be true for COVID-19. And some studies indicate that teachers and other school staff are infected at twice the rate as the kids they teach.
Many schools are struggling with the new cleaning and sanitizing requirements the pandemic requires. One solution schools are adopting is “whole room disinfection.” This is a relatively new method of disinfecting surfaces that doesn’t rely on constant spraying and wiping down, which is labor intensive and unreliable. Spray products must wet all surfaces and they must stay wet for several minutes in order to be effective. Whole room disinfection systems on the other hand touch all surfaces without exposing the applicator and does not wet the surfaces, helping to protect sensitive electronics and papers from damage. An example of a whole room disinfection system is Halosil’s Halo Disinfection System® product. “The most effective and affordable whole room systems create a fog that fills the entire space being treated without wetting any surfaces while still killing up to 99.9999 percent of the hardest-to-kill germs,” explains St. Clair.
Legally, whole room disinfection systems need to be approved by the Environmental Protection Agency. “The EPA needs to have registered the specific disinfectant like HaloMist TM to be used with a specific fogging machine like the HaloFogger®,” St. Clair explains. “Otherwise, it is illegal to claim that fogging that disinfectant will kill any germs at all.”
Looking forward
Recent encouraging news of vaccines for COVID-19 and other breakthroughs have been welcome, but St. Clair cautions against being overly optimistic. “While vaccines will certainly help tremendously in the longer term, we should plan on using the tried-and-true methods described for at least all of 2021,” he concludes.
Flu vaccines are not guaranteed to work with the type of influenza virus that emerges each year, and any approved COVID-19 vaccine will take time to manufacture and distribute. Some vaccines will face other obstacles — Pfizer’s, for example, must be stored at negative 94 degrees Fahrenheit, which makes getting it out to people difficult.
That means schools will have to continue to follow best practices: requiring masks for students, parents, and teachers, practicing standard social distancing guidelines, making hand sanitizer available — and ensuring both students and staff use it. These practices, in addition to whole room disinfection products like the Halo Disinfection System, can help to minimize any risk of infection — making it possible to keep our schools open with peace of mind.
To learn more about whole room disinfecting, visit halosil.com.

In early 2020, the majority of workplaces in the U.S. transitioned to full-time remote operations due to the spread of COVID-19. Through social distancing efforts, employers aimed to protect workers by minimizing interactions with one another. Today, as states begin to reopen, employers are now challenged with how to continue to keep employees healthy by minimizing the transmission of COVID-19 across their workplace.
While the decision when to return to the workplace—if at all—will vary by company, most employers are investigating methods to decrease transmission of COVID-19. This requires employers to consider tactics from all angles: the people, the workspace, and the disinfection strategy.
The People
Consistent with the CDC’s guidance that people wear face masks in all public settings where they will encounter individuals who do not live in their home, some employers are advising or requiring employees to wear face masks in the office. This requirement stems from reports that face masks can have a notable impact on curbing the spread of the COVID-19. According to a review and meta-analysis funded by the World Health Organization (WHO) and published in The Lancet, the risk of transmitting COVID-19 is 17.4%; with an N95 respirator or face mask, that number drops to 3.1%. Based on these recommendations, employees are often encouraged to wear face masks, particularly in shared or public spaces.
The Workspace
The modern office space is known for open floorplans and shared workspaces. While ideal for collaboration, the COVID-19 pandemic has made employers recognize that such conditions are a breeding grounds for disease. As a result, employers are considering ways to reconfigure the workplace to minimize shared spaces where pathogens may linger on surfaces. Cubicles, although often associated with an outdated workplace, are being considered as they limit contact with high touch surfaces like desks, chairs, and phones. In addition, some workspaces are contemplating plastic, see-through partitions that feel more modern than the traditional cubicle but can act as a sneeze or cough guard.
The Disinfection Strategy
Prior to the pandemic, corporate cleaning staffs typically “freshened” lobbies every three hours, sanitized restrooms every four hours, and cleaned other areas at night. Today in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many employers are demanding increased cleaning cycles and contemplating solutions that go beyond cleaning to disinfect surfaces. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s List N of products that meet the criteria for use against SARS-CoV-2, the pathogen that causes COVID-19, is being referenced to identify best-fit disinfectants. However, not all solutions deliver the efficacy, flexibility, and usability some workplaces require. For workplaces with electronics like computers and printers, it’s important to find a solution such as the Halo Disinfection System® that’s dry fog delivery can be used around sensitive electronic devices.
Preparing Workspaces for the Return of Employees
Whether employers expect employees to return in the near term or plan to remain remote for the upcoming weeks or months, it’s critical to take a multi-pronged approach to curbing the spread of infection. Whole room disinfection solutions such as our Halo Disinfection System® can play an integral role in these efforts. As a List N solution, our HaloMist™ (EPA Reg. No. 84526-6) is approved for use in office spaces to eliminate pathogens wherever they lurk.
Talk to Hermes TCS to discuss your office disinfection strategy.

The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged standards for emergency preparedness around the globe. Shortages of key personal protective equipment (PPE) at the onset of the crisis in the United States led to greater exposure for frontline workers. In particular, necessary personnel caring for patients in hospitals, long term care facilities, and emergency vehicles were frequently in contact with infected individuals.
Early cases of the COVID-19 outbreak demonstrated how rapidly the disease could spread when proper protective measures and disinfection practices were not taken. In one notable example, a single woman being treated at UC Davis unknowingly exposed staff members to COVID-19, resulting in 93 human exposures, 34 symptomatic cases, and 3 confirmed COVID-19 cases. This does not take into account the spread that took place from those exposed individuals before they were identified and isolated.
In response to critical supply and equipment shortages that have taken place during the pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a coronavirus optimization strategy. This strategy focuses on the near-term requirements of healthcare facilities, providing guidelines for allocating available and stockpiled PPE, such as N95 respirators, eye protection, and ventilators in the event of a shortage.
Today, social distancing regulations are beginning to lax worldwide. As a result, organizations and the healthcare system alike are looking to the future to how they can decrease spread as individuals return to a more “normal” way of life. As part of this evaluation, whole room disinfection strategies are becoming an increasing area of focus. Environments like corporate buildings that previously relied on a single office cleaning per day are investigating true disinfection solutions to eliminate pathogens from surfaces. As organizations investigate whole room disinfection solutions, they must consider:
Is it effective?
SARS-CoV-2, the pathogen that causes COVID-19, is an emerging pathogen type that was first documented in 2019. Like other coronaviruses, the pathogen is an enveloped virus. This makes SARS-CoV-2 fall into the category of pathogens most susceptible to disinfectants. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a list of disinfectants that meet the necessary criteria to kill SARS-CoV-2 pathogens on surfaces. When evaluating solutions, organizations should first begin by considering solutions included on List N.
Is it safe?
While the EPA’s List N includes solutions that uphold standards that indicate they are effective against SARS-CoV-2 pathogens, reports address that it does not necessarily ensure that these products meet safety standards in regard to human health. Further still, some solutions may meet safety standards only when used properly by knowledgeable operators. For instance, when products are used by cleaning services who are unfamiliar with proper usage, they can be unintentionally applied improperly and cause health complications. As such, it is critical that the selected disinfection solution is as safe as it is effective.
Is it affordable?
The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on the world from both a human-health and economic perspective. As organizations create a strategy for the new normal, the cost of a disinfection solution can play a deciding factor in determining a disinfection strategy. Fortunately, efficacy doesn’t have to come at the expense of affordability. A number of the systems available on the market today achieve the highest standards for safety at a comparably low cost of acquisition and upkeep.
Is it forward-thinking?
As shortages of PPE remain top of mind, organizations are looking for disinfection solutions that not only work today but also can be at-the-ready if ever they are needed again at a later time. The best disinfection solutions have a long shelf life that allows organizations to take pre-emptive steps to prepare for crisis situations.
Optimize Your Whole Room Disinfection Strategy for Today and Tomorrow
Whether you are a healthcare facility, corporate office, transportation center, academic institution or more, it is crucial to consider your whole room disinfection strategy in light of COVID-19. Halosil is here to help.
For over a decade, our HaloMist™ (EPA Reg. No. 84526-6) has achieved the highest standard in efficacy, safety, affordability, and longevity. Delivered via our intuitive HaloFogger® system, HaloMist™ is an EPA List N dry fog disinfect that dissolves into environmentally friendly water, oxygen, and non-toxic silver complexes, making it both safe for people and earth-friendly. With a market-leading shelf life of 2 years, HaloMist™ is the ideal solution for utilization today and preparation for tomorrow.
Ready to get started? Discuss your disinfection strategy today with Hermes TCS

As the summer winds down and schools come into session again, academic institutions have had to make the difficult decision on whether to restart classes in-person or remote. For many, particularly in higher education, the decision was made to take a hybrid approach to learning that allows students to opt-in to in-person classes. For those who chose to physically return to classrooms, they also include new rules around social distancing, rotating days of in-person classes, and routine disinfection.
To prevent a steady increase of cases, both on college campuses and in K-12 academic institutions, educational facilities must not only uphold these strict new standards, but also quickly identify and isolate ill students and faculty from the rest of the school if cases break out. However, as the weather becomes colder, health experts are concerned that quickly identifying symptoms of COVID-19 may become more challenging as they are similar to the symptoms of respiratory illnesses that are more common in the winter.
As a result, it is vital that reopening schools consider evaluating and updating their cleaning and disinfection practices in line with the latest guidelines by the CDC.
Understand Where and When to Disinfect
When considering a disinfection strategy, high-traffic areas and high-touch surfaces must be priority zones for whole room disinfection. In schools, these can include classrooms, cafeterias, locker rooms, and gymnasiums. Colleges and universities introduce additional spaces that must be disinfected, such as dorm common spaces, gyms, dining halls, and libraries. In particular, facilities like nurses’ offices and student health centers where potentially COVID-19 positive individuals may go when they notice symptoms must be routinely disinfected.
When evaluating surfaces to disinfect, consider the following guidelines:
• Routinely disinfect high-touch surfaces, such as doorknobs, light switches, computer mice, and shared desk spaces.
• Clean, but don’t disinfect, general outdoor areas such as benches.
• Consider removing communal items where possible, such as shared tablets and art supplies.
Educating Cleaning Crews
Since the start of the pandemic, many cleaning crews have reported they lack the time and training to effectively disinfect facilities against COVID-19. For schools, it is critical to ensure janitors and cleaning crews are equipped with the knowledge and tools needed to both disinfect rooms and protect themselves from infection.
Solutions—like diluted bleach—that require janitors to mix cleaning products themselves are not ideal as they expose cleaning crews to chemicals that can cause harm. In addition, they introduce the risk of user error, which can result in improperly mixed ratios and inconsistent disinfection results. Ideally, cleaning crews should be provided a whole room disinfection solution that is easy to use and mitigates the risk of human error that is inherent when manually applying disinfectants. The EPA’s List N provides a list of approved solutions.
Pairing Routine Disinfection with Social Distancing
Along with more rigorous disinfection practices, schools must enforce social distancing that can limit human-to-human spread. These include placing desks 6 feet or more apart, prohibiting or limiting large gatherings of students, requiring face masks in all public settings, and taking students’ temperatures regularly.
Disinfecting Academic Facilities Beyond a Shadow of a Doubt
As educators around the world continue to evaluate and refine their plans for back to school, it’s critical to consider a disinfection strategy that pairs the highest levels of efficacy with the flexibility and usability academic institutions require.
At Halosil, we have a long legacy of providing whole room disinfection solutions to daycares, K-12 schools, and colleges and universities. Today, our proven HaloMist™ (EPA Reg. No. 84526-6) solution continues to be trusted by academic intuitions across the nation as an EPA List N disinfectant approved for use against SARS-CoV-2, the pathogen that causes COVID-19.
Contact Hermes TCS to learn more about our solution and evaluate if your current disinfection strategy is up to the task.

The emergence of diseases like COVID-19 has led to an increased focus on eliminating pathogens from environments. Yet, identifying a product that meets your necessary standards can be challenging: “Is “clean” good enough? Can a sanitizer be used? Or do you need a disinfectant?
While colloquially, “cleaning”, “sanitizing”, and “disinfecting” are often used interchangeably to describe the process of killing germs, these terms convey a very different standard when it comes to purchasing a product:
• Cleaning refers to the process of removing dust, debris, dirt, and residue from any type of surface. “Cleaning” removes visible obstructions and debris. While it will not kill germs, it can reduce the number of them (Example: wiping up a spill with soap and water).
• Sanitizing reduces the number and growth of bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Unlike cleaning, sanitizing does reduce the number of germs present, but it does so less effectively than a disinfectant (Example: A hand sanitizer that kills up to 99.9% of germs on your skin).
• Disinfecting is a process that kills microscopic organisms (germs, viruses, fungi) on surfaces. Disinfectants can be delivered via a variety of methods—such as spray and wipe, electrostatic sprayer, and dry fog—and destroy or inactivate bacteria, viruses, and pathogens (Example: HaloMist™).
In a nutshell, look to what John Howard, director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, noted during a March 31, 2020, webinar: “Cleaning is getting the dirt out. Sanitizing is used in public health to get down to a certain level of bacteria—sometimes 95% is killed. Disinfection [kills] everything. That’s where you want to aim.”
When to Clean vs. When to Disinfect
When trying to determine whether to clean or disinfect, the answer is often that you need to do both. For example, if there is a blood spill in an operating room, the area needs to be both cleaned to remove the physical traces of blood and then disinfected to eliminate bloodborne pathogens that may remain on the surface. It’s critical to clean before disinfecting, as pathogens can remain under soils and be exposed later when the surface is wiped down.
When to Sanitize vs. When to Disinfect
When deciding between sanitizing or disinfecting a surface, it’s important to consider kill claims: a sanitizer has up to 3-log kill rate (99.9%) while a disinfectant must have a 4-log kill rate (99.99%) and can often have up to a 6-log rate (99.9999%). Utilizing a real-world example, if there were 1 million organisms on a surface, a disinfectant would leave only 1 to 100 of them viable. Conversely, a sanitizer would only reduce the number to 1,000 at the very best. Therefore, for environments that require a high standard of pathogen elimination, it is critical to use a true disinfectant.
How to Select a Disinfectant
Selecting the right disinfectant is an important task—but determining what product to use can be challenging. For instance, while bleach is often utilized by cleaning crews, it has the potential to be diluted improperly, can be dangerous to work with in high concentrations, creates lingering odors, and has a negative impact on the environment.
When searching for a disinfectant, consult the label to ensure it is registered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). For a consolidated record, you can search the EPA’s site for all registered products. The EPA’s List N includes products for use against SARS-CoV-2, the pathogen that causes COVID-19. However, COVID-19 is an enveloped virus, making it one of the most susceptible pathogens to disinfectants. For products that can kill even more resistant pathogens, consult the EPA’s List K of products approved for use against C. difficile—one of the most challenging pathogen types to kill.

Contact Hermes TCS to learn more about the difference between cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting, and to discuss if our Halo Disinfection System is right for your application.