The International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM) has partnered with the Global Biorisk Advisory Council to offer the official GBAC STAR accreditation program to its members. The council, which is a division of the worldwide cleaning association ISSA, grants accreditation to public facilities throughout a range of industries which implement superior practices for cleaning, disinfecting and preventing infectious disease.
Staffers at accredited venues receive training for biorisk prevention and containment and learn the best measures to carry out so they can reopen their facility safely and with confidence. Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium is the first public venue to earn the accreditation and has put in place mock-up plans for housing fans at Miami Dolphins games this fall safely.
“GBAC STAR is the gold standard of safe facilities, providing third-party validation that ensures facilities implement strict protocols for biorisk situations,” GBAC Executive Director Patricia Olinger said in a statement. “Accreditation empowers facility owners and managers to assure workers, customers, and key stakeholders that they have proven systems in place to deliver clean and healthy environments that are safe for business.”
By teaming up with the GBAC, the accreditation program is now available to the more than 6,800 active members of the International Association of Venue Managers. With the coronavirus crisis impacting widespread facilities from restaurants and airports to hotels and sporting venues, the focus of both industry workers and consumers is health and safety.
“IAVM was searching for resources and external partners to support our members with the recovery process, and ISSA is considered one of the leading trade association for the cleaning industry worldwide,” stated President and CEO Brad Mayne. “GBAC is a third-party entity which has a government affairs and regulatory team that works with federal, state, and local regulators and policymakers to ensure that policies and regulations adopted allow the cleaning industry to be successful, while also providing their customers and the public with a cleaner and healthier environment. IAVM’s Events Industry Health & Safety Advisory Council has been working closely with GBAC and ISSA to provide guidelines and resources regarding deep cleaning, sanitizing, team training and venue certifications to our public assembly industry so that our member venues can safely reopen and recover.”
Facilities can apply for GBAC STAR accreditation here.
