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TRANSFORM YOUR DISINFECTION PRACTICES WITH SHYIELD™

Covid 19 Response

News &amp; Insights

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As news of the COVID-19 pandemic continues, it can be easy to overlook the current steps you have in place to ensure you and your team stay healthy. To prevent the spread of infection in your cannabis facility, it’s essential to review and optimize your infection prevention strategies. <br><br><br>

<strong>#1 Reinforce hand hygiene
</strong>Washing your hands is one of the most important ways to prevent the spread of pathogens and keep your staff healthy every day. Your team can utilize alcohol-based hand sanitizers as they are effective at killing germs. However, they cannot be used as a replacement for hand washing when soils are present. Nothing replaces soap and water to physically clean and remove dirt and germs from your hands. You can also promote routine hand washing by hanging up posters around the facility and showing the proper steps required.<br><br><br>


<strong>#2 Routinely disinfect non-production surfaces
</strong>Many pathogens, including COVID-19, are known to survive on surfaces, and Health Canada recommends cleaning surfaces and objects to prevent this route of pathogen transmission. Your current sanitation procedures likely focus on ensuring the appropriate cleaning and disinfection of production areas, including growing rooms to prevent plant pathogens. However, you should also ensure disinfection in other areas of your facility where people congregate, such as office spaces, desks, staff room areas, bathrooms and kitchens. High-touch surfaces should be disinfected on a regular basis. This includes your work surfaces, desks, computer keyboards, doorknobs, light switches, phones and more, to prevent the spread of infections.<br><br><br>


<strong>#3 Avoid harsh cleaners and disinfectants
</strong>With the news of outbreaks and more resistant microbes, there can be tendency to think harsh chemicals will provide improved efficacy and create a safer environment for staff. However, even novel pathogens such as coronaviruses, can be killed by registered disinfectants following label use directions. Several of the most-used disinfectants rely on relatively high and hazardous concentrations of chlorine releasing agents, quaternary ammonium compounds, and alcohols. Many of these substances present risk of permanent eye, skin and mucous membrane damage. Therefore, it’s important to not only select a disinfectant with broad-spectrum efficacy, but one with an excellent safety profile that is non-irritating at in-use solutions.<br><br><br>


<strong>#4 Develop a plan
</strong>Like most businesses, cannabis facilities may not have a plan in place for outbreaks such as COVID-19. Infection prevention is a true team effort, and everyone at your facility has a role to play in developing procedures that work for your facility. Your plan may include: mandating workers stay home if they feel ill and outlining how they will be compensated; ensuring you have appropriate supplies including disinfectants, PPE and hand sanitizer in times of demand; and developing a disinfection schedule for high-touch, non-production surfaces at your facility.<br><br><br>


<strong>#5 Communicate with your customers
</strong>You have likely received COVID-19 updates and other notifications from companies you regularly deal with keeping you up-to-date on how the organization is handling the situation. You can also communicate with your clients to share how you are protecting staff and the current infection control initiatives you have in place. It is important to let your customers know you always have infection prevention top of mind to not only provide quality products but also to protect your workers.<br><br><br>


<strong>#6 Review protocols and schedule team training
</strong>With your standard sanitation procedures in place, it can be easy to forget to assess if improvements can be made. However, your facility’s cleaning and disinfection processes may be labour intensive, complicated for staff, potentially dangerous, and overly expensive. You should schedule time to review the procedures, receive feedback from workers on pain points or issues, and keep a look out for new technologies that can streamline the job. There may be new application equipment available or new disinfectants you should consider with the ideal balance of efficacy, safety and simplicity. Stay up to date on the latest technology and always connect with experts in the industry to help.<br><br><br>


Although the current climate may be one of fear and uncertainty, it’s important to keep in mind that we can all take precautions to do our best to keep ourselves and others healthy. In times like these, implementing effective infection prevention throughout your facility is the best investment you can make.<br><br><br>

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To view the article on Grow Opportunity's Website, <a href="https://www.growopportunity.ca/6-tips-to-protect-your-cannabis-facility-from-virus-outbreaks/">click here</a>.

6 TIPS TO PROTECT YOUR CANNABIS FACILITY FROM VIRUS OUTBREAKS

<p>In cases of emerging viral pathogens like SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, Health Canada utilizes the Broad Spectrum Virucide claim to determine the expected efficacy of a disinfectant against an emerging virus.</p>

<p>The SHYIELD™ line of disinfectants (concentrate, ready-to-use and premoistened wipes) have broad-spectrum virucidal efficacy, as well as demonstrated effectiveness against viruses similar to SARS-CoV-2 on hard, non-porous surfaces. For this reason, the SHYIELD line of disinfectants are included on Health Canada’s list of approved disinfectants to be used against SARS-CoV-2 as part of a facility’s COVID-19 infection prevention and control plan.</p>

SHYIELD™ EFFICACY AGAINST SARS-COV-2, THE VIRUS WHICH CAUSES COVID-19 DISEASE

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<div class="mb-5 pb-5 d-flex flex-column line-height-normal green-bottom-border listing-d-none"><span class="font-bold">Ontario funds innovative company to help fight COVID-19</span>
<i>Investment will protect people, frontline workers and communities – Global News</i></div>
<div class="listing-d-none mb-4"><span class="font-bold">NEWS – MAY 6, 2020</span></div>
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<div class="detail-description mb-4">TORONTO – The Ontario government is providing Virox® Technologies Inc. with $850,000 from
the Ontario Together Fund to help the local manufacturer double its production of
disinfectants and create jobs. The investment will assist in keeping people, frontline
workers, and communities safe and stop the spread of COVID-19. Virox® is the first
manufacturer to receive money from the Ontario Together Fund.</div>
<div class="detail-description mb-4">The announcement was made today by Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job
Creation and Trade.</div>
<div class="detail-description mb-4">“We are looking for the best and brightest in the province to step up and provide critical
goods and services in our effort to stop the spread of COVID-19,” said Minister Fedeli. “I
am pleased to see an innovative disinfectant company like Virox® Technologies come forward
and use its made-in-Ontario advanced technology to help keep our frontline workers and
communities safe.”</div>
<div class="detail-description mb-4">Virox® is planning to install a high-speed manufacturing assembly line to ramp up production
of its Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide® products. It is estimated that the new equipment will
allow the company to produce 6,000 cases per day, which will help meet increased demand from
the healthcare sectors and wherever disinfectants are used. The project will create 20 full-
and part-time jobs and help retain 120 positions in Oakville.</div>
<div class="detail-description mb-4">“We are pleased to respond to the government’s call to action to help stop the spread of
this outbreak,” said Randy Pilon, President and CEO, Virox® Technologies Inc. “We pride
ourselves on offering sustainable hydrogen peroxide-based disinfecting solutions and making
products that are safe for people, animals and the planet. By ramping up our production with
new equipment and upgrades, we will help meet the growing need in hospitals, and communities
across Ontario and Canada.”</div>
<div class="detail-description mb-4">On March 21 Premier Doug Ford launched the Ontario Together web portal appealing to
Ontario’s manufacturers, entrepreneurs and innovators to provide essential supplies and
equipment to support front line workers in their fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.</div>
<div class="detail-description mb-4">To support the development of proposals submitted by businesses and individuals through the
Ontario Together web portal and help businesses retool their operations, the government
launched the $50 million Ontario Together Fund. All submissions received through the portal
are being reviewed and prioritized to focus on solutions that can respond to where the need
is greatest and can be implemented quickly.</div>
<div class="detail-description font-bold mb-2">Quick facts</div>
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<div class="detail-description mb-2">The unique properties of Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide® make disinfectants that are
innovative, effective and sustainable, as well as safe for use on hands, surfaces and
devices</div></li>
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<div class="detail-description mb-4">The products are used in professional settings in infection control, among healthcare
workers, veterinarians, aestheticians and environmental services professionals</div></li>
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ONTARIO SUPPORTS VIROX® TECHNOLOGIES INC. TO HELP FIGHT COVID-19

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<div class="mb-3 detail-description">Human pathogens are usually not top of mind for cannabis producers. This is understandable – in your day-to-day lives, you’re probably much more concerned about powdery mildew or Fusarium, which can threaten the health of your plants. In light of the current pandemic we are facing, we recommend a heightened level of attention to be focused on facility cleaning and disinfection.</div>
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INFECTION PROTECTION THROUGH COVID-19 AND BEYOND

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<div class="mb-3 detail-description">Virox® Technologies Inc. and Mobius Trimmer are excited to announce that the SHYIELD™ Disinfectant portfolio developed and manufactured by Virox® are the preferred disinfectant products for use with Mobius post-harvest equipment and accessories. The SHYIELD™ disinfectants include a Concentrated Liquid, Ready-to-Use (RTU) Liquid, and Pre-Saturated Wipes.</div>
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VIROX® TECHNOLOGIES AND MOBIUS TRIMMER ANNOUNCE COMPATIBILITY BETWEEN SHYIELD™ DISINFECTANTS AND MOBIUS POST-HARVEST EQUIPMENT

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<div class="mb-3 detail-description">Oakville, Ontario: Another milestone has been reached in the Canadian cannabis industry as
Virox® Technologies, makers of SHYIELD™, introduced a new guide aimed at supporting licensed
producers in achieving the high standards for cleaning and disinfection set out by regulators.</div>
<a href="https://info.virox.com/download-your-infection-prevention-guide?utm_source=SHYIELD_Eyebrow">Download the guide</a>

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VIROX® TECHNOLOGIES LAUNCHES INDUSTRY-FIRST INFECTION PREVENTION GUIDE FOR CANNABIS FACILITIES

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<div class="mb-3 detail-description">In 2012, <a class="custom-dark-purple-text font-weight-600" href="https://virox.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Virox® Technologies</a> was the first chemical manufacturer in Canada to
earn LEED® silver certification. Today, we are
proud to announce that amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and working tirelessly to meet demands for our patented
disinfectants,
we have achieved LEED® gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). This certification
applies to our 65,958
square foot headquarters, which includes the company’s corporate offices, research &amp; development laboratory,
manufacturing, and
warehousing facility.</div>
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<div><img class="alignnone wp-image-1065 size-large" src="https://wordpress-shyield.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Virox-LEED-GOLD-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" /></div>

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