By ISSA and R.V. Baugus
More than 100 new facilities have achieved the gold standard for prepared facilities: GBAC STAR facility accreditation from the Global Biorisk Advisory Council; (GBAC), a Division of ISSA. A number of IAVM member venues are new to the list, which are now recognized for their achievement of the cleaning industry’s only outbreak prevention, response, and recovery accreditation for facilities.
“Cleaning and disinfecting require the right approach to adequately remove soils and prevent the spread 
of harmful pathogens,” said GBAC Executive Director Patricia Olinger. “The GBAC STAR accreditation program teaches organizations how best to manage cleaning and disinfection in their facilities and offers guidance on important infection prevention strategies like wearing masks, conducting temperature checks, sanitizing hands, and more.”
Expedited in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the GBAC STAR accreditation program helps facilities prepare for, respond to, and recover from biological threats, and biohazard situations. Just six months later, more than 3,500 facilities have committed to the program, which has accredited more than 500 facilities around the world to date with new organizations registering daily. Earlier this week, ISSA and the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) announced a partnership in which IWBI acknowledges GBAC STAR to fulfill the cleaning and sanitization credits within the holistic WELL Health-Safety Rating.
The GBAC STAR Facility Directory keeps track of all completed or in-progress accreditations to help consumers easily find facilities that are committed to a higher standard of cleanliness.
The following new IAVM venues have achieved GBAC STAR accreditation this month:
Arenas
American Airlines Center in Dallas, home to the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks and the NHL’s Dallas Stars
Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., home to the NBA’s Washington Wizards, the NHL’s Washington Capitals, the WNBA’s Washington Mystics, and more
Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisc., home to the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks
TaxSlayer Center in Moline, Ill.
Convention Centers
ASM Global – Reno Sparks Convention Center in Reno, Nev.
Austin Convention Center in Austin, Texas
Floreano Convention Center in Rochester, N.Y.
Kansas City Convention Center in Kansas City, Mo.
Lancaster County Convention Center in Lancaster, Pa.
The Classic Center in Athens, Ga.
Museum
NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, N.C.
“GBAC STAR is designed to accommodate facilities of all different sizes and types so that people can feel confident about cleanliness measures wherever they go,” said ISSA Executive Director John Barrett. “We would like to congratulate this latest round of accredited facilities on their achievement and their ongoing commitment to health and safety.”
Interested in seeking GBAC STAR facility accreditation for your space? Visit gbac.org/star to learn more and apply. To gain access to the advisory council to assist you in the process, IAVM members must enter the code “IAVM2020” when applying!
