Metropolitan Transportation Authority of New York has a New Map for Cleanliness and Infection Prevention With GBAC STAR Facility Accreditation
ROSEMONT, Ill.—Jan. 20, 2022—The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in New York, which comprises the nation’s largest bus fleet and more subway and commuter rail cars than all other U.S. transit systems combined, has achieved GBAC STAR™ Facility Accreditation from the Global Biorisk Advisory Council™ (GBAC), a Division of ISSA. More than 50 additional facilities, including airports, convention center, and hotels, have also earned the cleaning industry’s only outbreak prevention, response, and recovery accreditation for facilities.
“Facilities like airports, convention centers, hotels, schools, and others need to understand the fundamentals behind cleaning, disinfection, and infection prevention,” said GBAC Executive Director Patricia Olinger. “GBAC STAR accreditation is an incredible tool for not only educating cleaning professionals, but for giving building visitors greater peace of mind about their health and safety.”
The performance-based GBAC STAR program requires facilities to meet specific requirements in order to earn accreditation and display the seal that promotes their commitment to public health and safety. Thousands of facilities have either achieved or are currently working towards accreditation so that their teams understand how to prepare for, respond to, and recover from biorisks. Outsourced commercial cleaning providers, destinations, and events can also achieve accreditation through the GBAC STAR™ Service, GBAC STAR™ Destination, and GBAC STAR™ Event accreditation programs respectively.
The latest facilities to achieve GBAC STAR Facility Accreditation include:
Aged Care Facility or Nursing Home
- Trinity in Yongsan-gu, South Korea
Airports
- Albuquerque International Sunport in Albuquerque, N.M.
- Appleton International Airport in Appleton, Wis.
- Charlottesville Albemarle Airport Authority in Charlottesville, Va.
- Memphis International Airport in Memphis, Tenn.
- Norfolk Airport Authority in Norfolk, Va.
Commercial Offices
- EDL Energy in Lansing, Mich.
- PASARROYO in Pasadena, Calif.
- SMARTstart Entrepreneur Centers in Dade City, Fla.
- WATERMARK I in San Diego
- WATERMARK II in San Diego
Convention Centers
- Ariake Central Tower Hall & Conference, Magnet Studio in Tokyo
- Centro Citibanamex in Mexico City
- Georgia International Convention Center in College Park, Ga.
- Kanda Myoujin Hall, Magnet Studio in Tokyo
- Nihonbashi Mitsui Hall, Magnet Studio in Tokyo
- Osaki Bright Core Hall, Magnet Studio in Tokyo
- Otemachi Mitsui Hall, Magnet Studio in Tokyo
- PA Farm Show Complex & Expo Center in Harrisburg, Pa.
- Portland Exposition Building/City of Portland, Maine in Portland, Maine
- Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, Calif.
- Sapporo Convention Center in Hokkaido, Japan
- Shinagawa Front Building Conference, Magnet Studio in Tokyo
- Shinagawa Intercity Hall & Conference, Magnet Studio in Tokyo
- Charles Convention Center in Saint Charles, Mo.
- The Grand Hall, Magnet Studio in Tokyo
Hotels
- Amathus Beach Hotel in Limassol, Cyprus
- Anjum Hotel Makkah in Makkah, Saudi Arabia
- Casadelmar Hotel in Porto-Vecchio, France
- Embassy Suites Hotel and Convention Center in Frisco, Texas
- Fujiya Hotel in Kanagawa, Japan
- Halekulani Okinawa in Okinawa, Japan
- Hilton Garden Inn Bethesda in Bethesda, Md.
- Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo in Tokyo
- Hyatt Centric Downtown Nashville in Nashville, Tenn.
- Hyatt Centric Lakeside Ningbo in Ningbo, China
- Hyatt Place Kathmandu in Kathmandu, Nepal
- Hyatt Place Vadodara in Vadodara, India
- Hyatt Regency Barcelona Tower in Barcelona, Spain
- Hyatt Regency Guangzhou Zengcheng in Guangzhou, China
- Hyatt Regency Houston West in Houston
- Kobe Portopia Hotel in Hyogo, Japan
- Nimb Hotel in Copenhagen, Denmark
- Paradise Hotel Busan in Busan, South Korea
- Portola Hotel & Spa at Monterey Bay in Monterey, Calif.
- Thompson Savannah in Savannah, Ga.
Museum or Cultural Venue
- Seven Luck Casino, Gangnam COEX in Seoul, South Korea
School
- Collegium Charter School in Exton, Pa.
Stadiums or Arenas
- Simmons Bank Arena in Little Rock, Ark.
Theatres or Performing Arts Centers
- Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco
- Harris Theater in Pittsburgh
- Kimmel Center Inc. in Philadelphia
Transportation Provider
- Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York
Learn more and apply for GBAC STAR Accreditation at gbac.org/star.
About GBAC, a Division of ISSA
Composed of international leaders in the field of microbial-pathogenic threat analysis, mitigation, response and recovery, the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC), a Division of ISSA, provides training, guidance, accreditation, certification, crisis management assistance and leadership to government, commercial and private entities looking to mitigate, quickly address and/or recover from biological threats and real-time crises. The organization’s services include biorisk management program assessment and training, Forensic Restoration® response and remediation, the GBAC STAR™ facility and service accreditation programs, training and certification of individuals and consulting for building owners and facility managers. For more information, visit www.gbac.org.
About ISSA
With more than 10,500 members—including distributors, manufacturers, manufacturer representatives, wholesalers, building service contractors, in-house service providers, residential cleaners and associated service members—ISSA is the world’s leading trade association for the cleaning industry. The association is committed to changing the way the world views cleaning by providing its members with the business tools they need to promote cleaning as an investment in human health, the environment and an improved bottom line. Headquartered in Rosemont, Ill., USA, the association has regional offices in Mainz, Germany; Whitby, Canada; Parramatta, Australia; Seoul, South Korea; and Shanghai, China. For more information about ISSA, visit www.issa.com or call 800-225-4772 (North America) or 847-982-0800.
For more information about ISSA and GBAC, contact ISSA Associate Director of Communications and Digital Content Graeme Golucki at [email protected]; phone, 847-982-0800.
