The Death of a Buffalo Wild Wings Employee Reminds Us of the Dangers of Commercial Cleaning Products

November 20, 2019 Leave a Comment

As a leader in safe cleaning products, non-toxic sanitizers and disinfectants, and advanced on-site generation technology, GenEon has been vocal about the dangers of the many commercial cleaning products available today. Government agencies like the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have released countless warnings and reports about these dangers through the years, but many manufacturers of these products refuse to make any efforts toward eliminating those products they know can pose a threat to consumers. A recent tragedy in the restaurant industry sadly reminds us that the threat of chemical cleaners is very real.


The incident we're referring to, of course, is the death of a Buffalo Wild Wings employee in Massachusetts who died after applying a floor cleaning product called "Super 8" on the floor of the restaurant. Ten others were admitted to the hospital, including at least two customers. The product in use is said to be commonly used. This incident, involving a death and several injuries, could result in costly lawsuits against not only the maker of the product, but Buffalo Wild Wings as well.

This is not an isolated incident. According to a CDC report, "In January 2015, the National Institute for Occupational Health (NIOSH), received a request to conduct a health hazard evaluation at a Pennsylvania hospital using a new surface cleaning product consisting of hydrogen peroxide (HP), peroxyacetic acid (PAA), and acetic acid (AA)." The report goes on to say that the request was a result of concerns for the hospital staff's safety around the product, citing headaches, burning eyes, nose, and mouth, skin burns, and asthma exacerbations. The product in question, a one-step floor cleaner, is similar to the one in the Buffalo Wild Wings incident. The cleaner, an EPA registered non-bleach sporicidal, was advertised as a one-step disinfectant. The manufacturer's data sheet doesn't even suggest any protective gear. This indicates the lack of control over these types of products, even by government agencies.


This is why at GenEon we have focused our efforts on the safety of the products we make. It's absolutely essential, not only for the safety of the environment but for the safety of all of those who come into contact with these types of products, the cleaning and sanitizing industry put forth every effort to ensure the safety and health of those who use our products. Our mission at GenEon is to continue to develop products that won't harm the people or the planet while still delivering the cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting products that are capable of killing germs and bacteria effectively.

GenEon products are made with water, natural minerals, and electricity. That's all there is to it. Our cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting solutions are sustainable and eco-friendly. We don't just claim our cleaners are safe and our sanitizers are non-toxic. We do rigorous testing to ensure every claim we make is backed up by research.


GenEon cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting products are made with our Blended Stream on-site generation technology. You may have heard of it referred to as electrochemical activation (ECA). Our on-site generation technology uses natural minerals (salt) as a catalyst. Salt is a compound comprised of sodium and chloride. During our process, the sodium ions are positively charged and chloride ions are negatively charged. During the process, our generators expose these ions to a low electrical charge, whereby the positive side of the charge electrochemically converts the chloride ion (Cl) to hypochlorous acid (HOCl), which is a powerful sanitizer. The negative side of the charge electrochemically converts the sodium ion (Na) into sodium hydroxide (NaOH), a cleaning compound commonly found in soaps and detergents. Our Blended Stream System uses both versions in the same solution. The hypochlorous solution is represented as Free Available Chlorine (FAC) that has 80-200 times the sanitizing power of chlorine bleach. It's produced at a near neutral pH, so it doesn't bleach out furniture or clothes. Cleaners, sanitizers, and disinfectants made during this process are capable of killing 99.999% of common germs and bacteria in just a matter of seconds. All of this is done without leaving behind any harmful chemical residue, dangerous VOCs, or harmful fumes (like those emitted in the Buffalo Wild Wings incident).

There are other advantages to on-site generation technology as well, particularly for schools, hospitals, restaurants, hotels, and other places where there are a lot of people or where budgets are tight. Since on-site generation allows consumers to make the products they need for individual jobs, there's less waste and an overall savings in costs. On-site generation also means eliminating the need to store harmful chemical-based products on your premises. This is exciting news, especially in schools where children could be at risk or in health facilities where chemical products could potentially pose an even greater threat to the health of staff and patients.


At GenEon, we take great pride in the work we do. We're more than just a company that sells cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting products. We are on a mission to make big changes in the industry. Our hope is that other manufacturers of cleaning products join us in pursuing "true green" solutions to a problem that only seems to be growing by the year. Our concern for consumers and the environment, our fear of situations like the Buffalo Wild Wings incident, and our determination to change the way the population cleans, sanitizes, and disinfects is what drives us to do what we do. People are dying. This is no longer just about being "safe." It's about taking the steps to eliminate tragedies like the one that happened at Buffalo Wild Wings. As human beings, we can no longer continue to ignore the dangers of commercial cleaning products any longer.

If you'd like to learn more about getting rid of your toxic cleaners and finding a better way to clean, sanitize, and disinfect, fill out the form here on our website or give us a call at 866.217.0205. We will be happy to help show you how your business can avoid the potential dangers of using commercial cleaning products.


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