Dear Editor,
In response to the letter printed in the April 14 edition of the East Tennessean I would like to address the state of sanitation at the Basler Center for Physical Activity.
The department of Campus Recreation uses multiple means of disinfecting the Basler Center for Physical Activity’s equipment and facilities.
Patrons can use a gel hand sanitizer, a spray bottle of mat clean to wipe down the piece of equipment they have just used or medicated disposable wipes to sanitize their hands or to wipe down equipment. Towels and wash clothes are cleaned in the department’s laundry with large amounts of bleach.
The custodial staff’s night shift (10 p.m.-6 a.m.) cleans the locker rooms Sundays through Thursdays.
Facilities Management (Physical Plant) fumigated the Basler Center’s aerobics and weight rooms last semester when there was a possible case of MRSA reported.
There was no validity to that situation, but the fumigation was a good preventative measure given how easily such pathogens can be spread in a recreational setting.
NO complaints have been voiced to me since October 2007.
Maintaining a clean and safe recreation facility is a team effort.
Campus Recreation full-time staff and cadre of student workers disinfect the equipment on a daily basis and do dozens of laundry loads each day as well.
Facilities Management performs the major custodial tasks and maintains the pool’s water quality.
Patrons need to take an active role themselves.? Everyone should wash their hands, and wipe down the equipment they have used multiple times during their workout.
The Basler Center is a very popular facility on campus. ?There are almost 2,000 daily visitors Monday through Thursday and weekend usage is high as well.
Every patron needs to commit themselves to doing their fair share of keeping the complex safe and well maintained. It is the healthy thing to do.
-Jon Walker

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