October 29, 2007 — /PRNewswire/ ATLANTA, GA — Public facilities, from schools and hospitals to sports facilities and health clubs, can now turn to Zep Inc. for help in combating the spread of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections. The dangerous MRSA germ, which has been spreading around the country, has caused more life-threatening infections than health officials originally thought, according to a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

“Originally associated with health-care acquired infections only, MRSA has now emerged as a ‘community-acquired’ problem, especially among athletes, prison inmates, and children,” explains William A. Holl, chief commercial officer, Zep Inc. “Fortunately, MRSA can be effectively combated with a combination of prevention procedures and select, EPA-registered Zep disinfectants.”

Zep Inc. (formerly known as Acuity Specialty Products Group) is helping to educate public facilities about MRSA prevention procedures — including recommendations for personal hygiene, facility cleaning, laundry management, and use of shared sports equipment — through a special web site (www.zep.com/mrsa/mrsa.html); an 18×24-inch poster, suitable for posting in public facilities; and hang-tags for use on shared sports equipment. To order copies of the poster or hang-tags, call the company toll-free at 877-9GETZEP (877-943-8937).

“Education is critically important,” notes Holl. “Facility managers and janitorial staffs need to be up-to-date on the latest cleaning and disinfecting procedures. Sports team managers need to be aware of the potential threat of MRSA spread through the use of shared equipment and laundered items. The public as a whole needs to understand that proper handwashing is the single most important behavior in preventing the spread of infectious disease, such as MRSA.”

To make handwashing easier and more convenient, Zep Inc. offers a line of skin care products, including liquid antibacterial hand soaps, foaming hand soaps, lotion hand soaps, non-alcohol foaming hand sanitizers, and alcohol-based hand sanitizers — along with compatible product dispensers. The company also has a line of liquid body shampoos and hand lotions.

In addition to its handwashing products and educational materials, the company offers a range of products proven to be effective against MRSA:

• Zep Tackle — An EPA-registered product that is effective against MRSA, sthlete’s foot fungus, and a wide variety of bacteria and viruses that may be found on surfaces in public facilities. This concentrated, neutral cleaner is safe for use on most surfaces and leaves facilities smelling fresh and clean. It can be used for daily cleaning of mats, showers, locker rooms, equipment, and bathrooms and can be applied with a cloth, mop, or sprayer.
• DZ-7 — A neutral, quaternary ammonium chloride, hospital-grade detergent/disinfectant that effectively cleans and disinfects without damaging floor finishes.
• Spirit II — A ready-to-use, hospital-grade, non-phenolic germicidal cleaner and deodorant that quickly cuts through grease and heavy soil. This cleaner conforms to the CDC bloodborne-pathogens procedures for environmental surfaces.
• Clean ‘Ems Spirit II Disinfectant Towels — Pre-moistened, non-abrasive disinfectant towels in a convenient, portable tub. The disposable towels contain the same disinfectant formulation found in Spirit II germicidal cleaner.
• Micronex — The company’s most concentrated disinfectant cleaner. This hospital-grade product cleans, deodorizes, and kills a broad range of disease-producing bacteria on pre-cleaned environmental surfaces or objects previously soiled with blood or bodily fluids.
• Attack — A concentrated, hospital-grade liquid cleaner, disinfectant, sanitizer, bactericide, virucide, fungicide, and mildewstat for use on previously cleaned surfaces. The cleaner contains a blend of non-ionic detergents and water-softening agents plus powerful quaternary ammonium germicides.

For product information, to place an order, or to arrange for a visit from a Zep representative, call 1-877-IBUYZEP.

About Zep Inc.
Zep Inc., which holds the Acuity Specialty Products business, is a leading producer, marketer, and service provider of a wide range of cleaning and maintenance solutions for commercial, industrial, institutional, and consumer end markets. Zep’s product portfolio includes anti-bacterial and industrial hand care products, cleaners, degreasers, deodorizers, disinfectants, floor finishes, sanitizers, and pest and weed control products. Zep continually expands its product portfolio and service offerings through the introduction of new products and formulations as well as the introduction of new services to meet the demands of the industry and its customers. The company markets these products and services under well recognized and established brand names, such as Zep(R), Zep Commercial(R), Enforcer(R), and Selig(TM), some of which have been in existence for more than 70 years. Zep is headquartered in Atlanta, GA, and expects to have more than 2,800 employees on November 1, 2007, when it will be an independent company following the spin-off from Acuity Brands, Inc.
www.zep.com/mrsa/mrsa.html

Acuity Brands, Inc., with fiscal year 2007 net sales of approximately $2.5 billion, is currently comprised of Acuity Brands Lighting and Acuity Specialty Products and after the spin-off of Zep Inc., will be focused solely on the lighting business.

Source: Zep Inc.

October 26, 2007 — EAU CLAIRE, WI — LDPI Lighting’s 376 Series wet/damp fluorescent light fixtures have recently been tested and certified by NSF

October 24, 2007 — /PRNewswire/ — MENTOR, OH — STERIS Corporation announced today it has received the first orders for its VaproSure(TM) Room Sterilizer from several U.S. hospitals. The VaproSure Room Sterilizer incorporates STERIS patented technologies and is the first product of its kind for the healthcare market. Since being introduced in June of this year, systems have been ordered by Wellmont Health System (Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky) Lake Hospital System (Ohio), and the VA Boston Healthcare System (Massachusetts). These hospitals are demonstrating leadership in patient safety and infection control and will use their VaproSure Room Sterilizers to sterilize all the exposed surfaces in critical hospital rooms.

As highlighted in recent national news media reports, the persistent spread of germs and infections in health care facilities is a significant challenge for patient safety and compromises the ability for hospitals to deliver economically efficient health care services. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is estimated that one in every 20 patients in the U.S. contracts an infection while in the hospital, resulting in 99,000 deaths each year with costs to the U.S. health care industry estimated at $30 billion per year.

Earlier this month, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published study results indicating that drug-resistant staph (MRSA) is killing more people in the United States each year than the AIDS virus.

Commenting on JAMA’s findings in The Washington Post, Scott K. Fridkin, a medical epidemiologist at the CDC, says, “This is a significant public health problem. We should be very worried.”

Modern hospitals are the highest expression of life-saving skill and yet these environments can harbor unseen threats that compromise health, life, and institutional integrity. Despite the best efforts of the environmental services department, traditional cleaning practices are limited in their effectiveness. With the VaproSure Room Sterilizer, it is now possible to sterilize all of the exposed pre-cleaned surfaces within a sealed room. STERIS is the only company to offer a complete hygiene solution to hospitals as a way to enhance their infection control programs and improve the efficiency of their operations.

The VaproSure Room Sterilizer utilizes Vaprox(R) Sterilant (EPA Registration No. 58779-4) to create a dry sterilization vapor that inactivates the full spectrum of biological contaminates on dry, pre-cleaned, exposed, porous and non-porous surfaces within a sealed hospital room. The chemistry is recognized as sporicidal, bactericidal, fungicidal, and virucidal. Additionally, the technology is environmentally friendly, reducing to water vapor and oxygen at the conclusion of the cycle.

Wellmont Hospital System
“We became the first health system in the nation to purchase STERIS VaproSure Room Sterilizers for our hospitals because we believe this technology is a breakthrough advancement for patient safety and infection control,” says Dr. Richard Salluzzo, president and CEO of Wellmont Health System and the founder of the national Safest Hospital Alliance. “As a founding member of the Safest Hospital Alliance, Wellmont is committed to utilizing processes, programs and technologies that bring about real, measurable improvement in patient safety. The VaproSure technology will dramatically enhance our existing infection prevention programs by eliminating biological threats that exist on the many surfaces within a hospital environment. This purchase is another example of our overarching commitment to achieve complete patient safety in our hospitals.”

Lake Hospital System
Lake Hospital System is the first community-based health care system to purchase VaproSure Room Sterilizers. “Community-based hospitals are the backbone of the U.S. health care infrastructure,” states Cynthia Moore-Hardy, president and CEO of Lake Hospital System. “The World Health Organization states that with over two billion passengers flying each year an outbreak in any part of the world is only a few hours from becoming an imminent threat somewhere else. That could be our community and we want to be prepared. At Lake Hospital System, infectious disease prevention is one of most important things we can do to safeguard the health of our patients, employees, and community. The ability to sterilize all of the exposed surfaces in rooms where vulnerable patients receive care is a significant step forward in the ongoing battle against infections at their source.”

The ER One Institute and Washington Hospital Center
“The ER One Institute trialed the VaproSure Room Sterilizer within days of STERIS expanding the registration for Vaprox and the VaproSure Room Sterilizer enabling the first use of the technology in health care settings,” says Dr. Mark Smith, chairman of Emergency Medicine at Washington Hospital Center and professor of Emergency Medicine at Georgetown University School of Medicine. “We were so impressed with its ability to sterilize all of the exposed surfaces within a hospital room that we designed our new emergency room expansion with integrated VaproSure Room Sterilizer capabilities. The expanded ER will be operational by year’s end and will include the ability to sterilize individual ER rooms with the VaproSure Room Sterilizer. I believe that the VaproSure Room Sterilizer can be one of the key components of a comprehensive program for infection control. As germs become more sophisticated, so does our need for technology to address them. I am personally tremendously excited by the possibilities of this new approach to eliminating contamination in hospitals.”

About Wellmont Health System
Wellmont Health System is a premier provider of healthcare services for Northeast Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Southeast Kentucky. Comprised of 13 owned and affiliated not-for-profit hospitals, Wellmont delivers top-quality, comprehensive health care and wellness services across the Tri-State region. Wellmont hospitals are founding members of the Safest Hospital Alliance, a national organization created to define and achieve safety in the healthcare setting.

About Lake Hospital System
For six consecutive years NorthCoast 99 has named Lake Hospital System one of the 99 Best Places to work in Northeast Ohio. In 2006, HealthGrades also named Lake Hospital System among the top five percent of all hospitals in the nation. A leader in community-based health care in Northeast Ohio, Lake Hospital System provides high-quality, accessible health services for all stages of life. Lake Hospital System delivers progressive, compassionate health care through eight state-of-the-art facilities staffed by more than 500 physicians and 2,600 health care professionals.

About Washington Hospital Center
Washington Hospital Center is one of the 25 largest hospitals in the United States and is the busiest emergency department in Washington, DC. Washington Hospital Center was also one of the few hospitals in the country that was a major emergency receiving hospital for Pentagon victims on 9/11 and one month later experienced firsthand the frightening effect of the Anthrax attacks of 2001.

About STERIS
The mission of STERIS Corporation is to provide a healthier today and safer tomorrow through knowledgeable people and innovative infection prevention, decontamination and health science technologies, products and services. The company’s more than 5,000 dedicated employees around the world work together to supply a broad array of solutions by offering a combination of equipment, consumables, and services to health care, pharmaceutical, industrial and government customers. For more information, visit www.steris.com.

Source: STERIS Corporation

October 25, 2007 — /BUSINESS WIRE/ — CHANDLER, AZ — Intel is opening its newest state-of-the-art microprocessor factory (called Fab 32) in Chandler, AZ, as it prepares to ship its first 45 nm processors on November 12.

Manufacturing capacity and modernization are key differentiators in today’s competitive market for microprocessors. Intel invests heavily in its global manufacturing network, including a $3 billion investment in Fab 32, to ensure it can meet the demands of the market, and is quickly ramping production on its 45nm process technology. Two more 45 nm factories will open next year.

With 1 million sq. ft. and more than 1,000 employees, Fab 32 is Intel’s latest environmentally friendly factory that will manufacture tens of millions of the most energy-efficient processors the company has ever made. These processors are based on Intel’s groundbreaking transistors with hafnium-based high-k metal gate silicon technology, the biggest change to how transistors are made in 40 years.

Production of a new generation of microprocessors for PCs, laptops, servers, and other computing devices officially began today inside of Intel Corp.’s first high-volume 45 nm manufacturing factory in Chandler,AZ.

The factory will use Intel’s innovative 45 nm process technology based on Intel’s breakthrough in “reinventing” certain areas of the transistors inside its processors to reduce energy leakage. The 45 nm transistors use a hafnium-based high-k material for the gate dielectric and metal materials for the gate, and are so small that more than 2 million can fit on the period at the end of this sentence. Millions of these tiny transistors will make up Intel’s faster, more energy efficient lead- and halogen-free processors for PCs, laptops, and servers, as well as ultra-low-power processors for mobile Internet and consumer electronic devices and low-cost PCs. The first of the company’s 45 nm processors is scheduled to be introduced on November 12.

“The opening of Fab 32 in Arizona today is a testament to Intel’s continued investment in our most strategic asset — the most advanced, environmentally friendly manufacturing network in the world,” says Paul Otellini, Intel president and CEO. “The magic of 45 nm and our new transistor design allow us to deliver high-performance, energy-efficient processors to our customers across the entire spectrum of market segments, from the most powerful servers to a variety of mobile devices and everything in between.”

Fab 32 is Intel’s sixth 300 mm wafer factory and its second factory to produce 45 nm chips. Intel first produced 45 nm processors in its Oregon development facility, called D1D, in January and is now moving into high-volume production with the opening of Fab 32. Two additional 45 nm, 300 mm manufacturing factories are scheduled to open next year in Kiryat Gat, Israel (Fab 28) and Rio Rancho, NM (Fab 11x). Using 300 mm wafers lowers the production cost per chip while diminishing overall use of resources.

With 184,000 sq. ft. of cleanroom space, the completed Fab 32 structure measures 1 million sq. ft., so large that more than 17 U.S. football fields could fit inside the building. More than 1,000 employees will operate the factory in such positions as process, automation, and yield engineers and senior manufacturing technicians.

A focus on the environment — From the factory down to the transistor
Fab 32 will be among Intel’s most environmentally friendly factories, incorporating a number of energy and water conservation measures that have come to characterize Intel’s long track record of environmental stewardship in its operations.

Intel’s industry-leading 45 nm process results in a 15 percent reduction in global warming emissions, and Fab 32 makes use of Intel Arizona’s innovative water conservation and reuse program which conserves more than 70 percent of the water.

The company also announced that it intends to seek certification for the new fab as the company’s first official Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) factory based on new criteria being developed for facilities of this kind. LEED is a green building rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council that provides a set of standards for environmentally sustainable construction and requires several months of operating data before certification can be completed. The certification would demonstrate that Fab 32 meets the highest environmental standards and reflects Intel’s history of commitment to environmental leadership.

Intel, the world leader in silicon innovation, develops technologies, products and initiatives to continually advance how people work and live. Additional information about Intel is available at www.intel.com/pressroom.

Intel is a trademark of Intel Corporation in the United States and other countries.

October 24, 2007 — /PRNewswire/ — LEHIGH VALLEY, PA — Air Products has signed a definitive agreement to sell its high-purity process chemicals (HPPC) business to KMG Chemicals of Houston, TX. The business had sales of $87 million in the year ended September 30, 2007. The sale is part of the electronics business’s portfolio management activities to provide customers with the high value products they demand.

The agreement includes the sale of a production facility and warehouse in Pueblo, CO. Subject to compliance with certain applicable regulatory requirements which should entail a period of approximately four weeks, Air Products will also enter into an agreement with KMG for the simultaneous sale of the assets of the HPPC business located in San Giuliano Milanese, Italy.

It is expected that all of the approximately 165 employees at the two locations will be employed by KMG (for Milan employees, subject to the above compliance). Air Products’ Dallas, TX facility, which manufactures some HPPC products, is a multi-purpose facility, producing other strategic products for the company’s electronics business and will not be included in the sale.

“The sale of the HPPC business is an example of how we are managing our portfolio and simplifying our business. We’re aligning our portfolio to better focus on the products where we can provide the most value to our customers,” says Mike Hilton, senior vice president and general manager, electronics and performance materials, Air Products.

“In an effort to focus on what matters most to our customers, Air Products decided the HPPC business no longer fit our electronic gases, chemicals, and equipment portfolio. This divestiture marks the end of our restructuring of the electronics business and leaves us in a stronger position as we continue to invest to serve our customers and grow our business worldwide,” says Corning Painter, vice president, electronics, for Air Products. “It’s a testament to our team that we can make these kinds of adjustments, continue to focus on our customers, and be successful in the market place.”

“We are very impressed with the 165 employees who make up the HPPC business and plan to employ essentially all of them,” says Neal Butler, president and CEO of KMG Chemicals. “It will be a seamless transition for the customers.”

Air Products acquired the HPPC business as part of its purchase of the electronic chemicals business of Ashland Specialty Chemical Company in 2003. High-purity process chemicals are basic and custom-performance blends of acids and solvents used in the manufacture of semiconductors. Customers use the chemicals in their manufacturing process to etch and clean the wafer at each production layer. These chemicals remove unwanted residue at very specific rates. The typical application is in the form of chemical baths or spray on devices.

The sale between Air Products and KMG is expected to close on December 31, 2007, subject to regulatory approval.

About Air Products
Air Products serves customers in industrial, energy, technology, and health care markets worldwide with a unique portfolio of atmospheric gases, process and specialty gases, performance materials, and equipment and services. Founded in 1940, Air Products has built leading positions in key growth markets such as semiconductor materials, refinery hydrogen, home health care services, natural gas liquefaction, and advanced coatings and adhesives. The company is recognized for its innovative culture, operational excellence, and commitment to safety and the environment. Air Products has annual revenues of $9 billion, operations in more than 40 countries, and more than 20,000 employees around the globe. For more information, visit www.airproducts.com.

Source: Air Products

October 24, 2007 — ATLANTA, GA — ASHRAE’s first certification program is now available in testing centers in 22 countries. The certification, Healthcare Facility Design Professional (HFDP), is a computer-based examination that tests an applicant’s mastery of a body of knowledge.

“An indoor environment that is safe, comfortable and enhances productivity at minimum impact to the environment is a basic need throughout the globe,” Richard Hayter, chair of ASHRAE’s Certification Committee, says. “One way by which ASHRAE addresses that need is through its certification programs.”

In addition to the United States and Canada, the exam is now offered in Australia, China, Egypt, Guam, India, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.

Applicants first apply for the examination through ASHRAE, and if they meet the certification qualifications, register for the examination at a testing center.

ASHRAE’s certification program identifies individuals who have mastered a body of knowledge covering successful design and operation of health care facilities. Future certifications are planned for sustainable facility design, commissioning, and operations and maintenance.

The technical content for the HFDP exam was developed in cooperation with the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) of the American Hospital Association (AHA).

Membership in ASHRAE is not required to participate. A list of recommended resources on health care facility design from ASHRAE and other sources is available. For more information, visit www.ashrae.org/certification.

In addition, ASHRAE will offer an onsite HFDP exam March 10, 2008, at the Gaylord Palms Hotel & Convention Center in Orlando, FL. This exam administration is being offered in conjunction with ASHE’s Planning, Design and Construction Conference.

About ASHRAE
ASHRAE, founded in 1894, is an international organization of some 50,000 persons. ASHRAE fulfills its mission of advancing heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration to serve humanity and promote a sustainable world through research, standards writing, publishing and continuing education.

October 24, 2007 — WARRINGTON, UNITED KINGDOM — Hiden Analytical, the U.K.-based analytical instrument manufacturer, announces the opening of the new application and demonstration facility at its corporate headquarters in Warrington, U.K.

The new facility provides direct access to the company’smass spectrometer systems and accommodates a wide range of applications including gas analysis, plasma diagnostics, and surface analysis. Instruments currently available include a Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometer (SIMS) facility for the analysis of surface composition and depth profiles and the HPR-60, a molecular beam sampling mass spectrometer, for the quantitative analysis of reactive atmospheric species.

Also featured are the QIC-20 gas analysis systems for analyses in a wide variety of laboratory applications including gas purity measurement, thermal process monitoring, and headspace analysis, together with the new CATLAB microreactor for automated real-time studies of catalytic activity. The CATLAB system includes an integrated sampling interface for direct coupling to the QIC-20 for optimum response and resolution of evolved species.

The demonstration products enable clients, customers, and collaborators to research and test the most up-to-date equipment and analytical techniques, and provide opportunities for product optimization and for collaborations to develop and perfect future techniques and methodologies.

For further information on this or other Hiden products please contact Hiden Analytical by email at
[email protected] or visit the main web site at www.HidenAnalytical.com.

October 23, 2007 — /IEST News/ — ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL — News coverage of Staphylococcus aureus (staph) infections in hospitals and school locker rooms, including the death of a teenager in North Carolina, has put the spotlight on nosocomial infection, commonly referred to as health-care associated infection (HAI). At the IEST Fall Conference, a tutorial, “Airborne Contamination Control in Healthcare Facilities,” will focus on this topic.

HAI is a significant problem in health-care environments around the world. In the United States alone, HAI claims nearly 100,000 lives per year and adds billions of dollars to the cost of care. And numerous factors are combining to make the struggle with HAI increasingly difficult. In what is becoming known as the post-antibiotic era, pressure is increasing to employ new methods to combat HAI. The tutorial “Airborne Contamination Control in Healthcare Facilities” will examine the magnitude of the problem, discuss contributing factors, and explain how technology developed for ultra-clean manufacturing facilities can be utilized to help reduce the incidence of HAI.

A tutorial certificate in Sterilization will also be presented to all registrants attending the tutorials “Sterilization Part I” and “Microbiology Part I and Cleaning/Disinfection.” This certificate series will cover terms and definitions of microbiology; cleaning and disinfection of equipment and surfaces in cleanrooms and other production areas; radiation and ethylene oxide, the most common sterilization methods used in the medical device industry; and testing requirements and methods, including bioburden and sterility testing, as well as validation requirements. A complimentary copy of IEST-RP-CC023.2: Microorganisms in Cleanrooms will be given to all attendees.

Online registration is available at www.iest.org/fallconference/fallconference.htm. For further information regarding IEST, visit the IEST website at www.iest.org.

About IEST
Founded in 1953, IEST is an international not-for-profit technical society of engineers, scientists, and educators that serves its members and the industries they represent (simulating, testing, controlling, and teaching the environments of earth and space) through education and the development of recommended practices and standards. IEST is an ANSI-accredited standards-developing organization; secretariat of ISO/TC 209 Cleanrooms and associated controlled environments; administrator of the ANSI-accredited US TAG to ISO/TC 209; administrator of the ANSI-accredited US TAG to ISO/TC 142 Cleaning equipment for air and other gases; and a founding member of the ANSI-accredited US TAG to ISO/TC 229 Nanotechnologies.