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Richard “Dick” Colvin, MBA, has been in the business of “cleaning for health” since the 1980s. In 1983, he became director of Environmental Services - and in 1985 added the job of Coordinator of Hazardous Materials - at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton.
At Miami Valley Hospital - then the nation’s 77th largest - he learned the intricacies of safely cleaning blood-spattered surfaces, as well as “hazmat” procedures for handling and disposing of industrial chemicals encountered regularly in emergency rooms, following explicit OSHA requirements. Dick developed a deep knowledge of disinfectants and their safe handling, along with learning the merits of low toxicity methods. His expertise was enhanced and reinforced by his traveling the country to identify best practices and gain national insight on what works to protect patients and, equally importantly, healthcare and cleaning employees.
In 1994, he founded Medical Cleaning Specialists of Dayton, and in 1995 through 1998 was the cleaning consultant for Dayton’s Good Samaritan Hospital - part of a national health care chain - and later for Miami Valley Hospital and Children’s Medical Center of Dayton.
Medical Cleaning Specialists of Dayton grew to 130 employees, resulting in it becoming a primary medical cleaning provider to healthcare facilities in the greater Dayton metropolitan area serving more than 300,000 people.
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“You have to know your chemicals inside and out,” he states emphatically. “Understanding the dermal and oral toxicity of many of these products should mean choosing the least harmful product and process that still gets the job done, including those needed for textile and carpet care.”
His commitment to improving indoor environments by promoting best practices was augmented by his being certified in 2005 as a Journeyman Textile Cleaner (JTC) by IICRC. This designates at least one year of active service in the carpet cleaning industry after the original certification date, plus attainment of specific credits and designations, including being certified as an IICRC Carpet Cleaning Technician (CCT) under the IICRC S-100 Standard. Dick's carpet cleaning company is Absolute Clean.
“Since ‘the mission of IICRC is to identify and promote an international standard of care that establishes and maintains the health, safety and welfare of the built environment’ this training has been a particularly good fit for my business philosophy,” Dick said.
Dick also served as past president of the Columbus, Ohio-based Ohio Hospital Association’s Society of Directors of Environmental Services and later was elected president of the Association’s Service Society which included Sterile Services, Central Supply, and Environmental Services. Dick was president of the Clark County Ohio (Combined Health District) Board of Health, and participated with the Ohio EPA to help draft Ohio's Infectious Waste Regulations. He has a Master of Arts Degree in Business Management, among other qualifications.
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