The Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC), a Division of ISSA, has announced that the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) has achieved GBAC STAR Facility Accreditation for its transit centres and administrative offices.
The award-winning COTA has roots dating back to 1863 when it was known as the Columbus Street Railroad Company. Today, it employs more than 1200 workers and serves more than 1.2 million residents in Greater Columbus and Central Ohio. Each year, COTA provides over 19m passenger trips across 42 routes.
Recently, COTA partnered with Columbus City Schools, Ohio’s largest school district with nearly 50,000 students, to help students safely return to in-person learning. This makes it more important than ever to have the proper cleaning, disinfecting, and infection prevention protocols in place at six transit facilities and its administrative offices in Columbus, Ohio.
Patricia Olinger, GBAC Executive Director, said: “GBAC STAR is the cleaning industry’s only outbreak prevention, response, and recovery accreditation for facilities, and is designed to support them at every step in the journey. Organisations that commit to the program send a clear message to their employees, customers, and visitors that they are advocates for a cleaner world.”
Brian Ross, President and CEO of Experience Columbus, commented: “We are proud to be one of only two destinations in the world that can offer a GBAC accredited public transit system. COTA is an essential piece of the visitor experience in Columbus, and we are glad to know travellers can feel an added level of comfort now that the organisation has received its GBAC STAR accreditation.
“COTA has been a leader in the community and the industry in regards to COVID-19 cleaning practices, and this third-party validation of their efforts is further proof of that.”
Other facilities recognised recently include Richmond International Airport in VA, Colorado Convention Center in Denver, CO, Phoenix Goodyear Airport in Goodyear, AZ, 10, 30 and 35 Hudson Yards in New York, and multiple Hyatt locations worldwide in The Talbott Hotel, Chicago.
ISSA Executive Director, John Barrett, added: “It’s imperative that facilities do their part in reducing the spread of COVID-19 and other illnesses. GBAC STAR accreditation helps organisations establish a comprehensive system of cleaning, disinfection, and infectious disease prevention for their staff and building.”
