Air Date: 3-22-24 |Episode 726
This week we welcomed Steve Cooper and Gavin Macgregor-Skinner for a show on disinfection technologies. What lessons did we learn during COVID and what should restorers and others watch for when purchasing and using disinfection technologies?
Gavin Macgregor-Skinner is a Senior Director at ISSA – The Worldwide Cleaning Trade Association and has more than 30 years of technical experience in responding to infectious disease outbreaks and emergency management. For the COVID-19 pandemic, he conducted onsite biological risk assessments and provided “just-in-time” training on infection prevention and control, cleaning and disinfection, and safe working practices for frontline workers in 16 US States and Hong Kong in hospital emergency departments, assisted-living and nursing homes, convention centers, airports, stadiums, public transport workers, and hotel staff and other essential employees. He has served on COVID-19 medical advisory committees for American Airlines, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Hyatt Hotels, International Association of Venue Managers, American Association of Airport Executives, NFL, and NBA teams including
Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, and Los Angeles Lakers.
He currently manages the ISSA Making Safer Choices program and their Cleaning for Health program. Both focus on how to clean for health and safety. He is an Associate Professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences at Penn State College of Medicine and teaches three 15-week graduate courses on Public Health Preparedness for Disasters and Terrorist Emergencies. In 2014 he received the Dean’s Award for Excellence in teaching.
He has appeared on CNN, Fox News, BBC, Canada CTV, Australia ABC, C-SPAN, and other news outlets to share his expertise on High Consequence Pathogens such as Coronavirus, Ebola, Influenza, Measles, Cholera, Zika and other global health threats. He served 12-years as an Officer in the Australian and British militaries and was an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer at the U.S. CDC in Atlanta, Georgia, and a Global Health Fellow with the United States Agency for International Development in Washington DC.
Steven Cooper is an engineer with a technical specialty in the research and development of water-based electrostatic spray systems for a wide range of applications. He has developed innovative core technology and commercial products related to air-atomizing induction-charging (AAIC) spray systems for applications in areas of human health, animal health, air quality, cosmetics, agronomic and ornamental agricultural crops.
Mr. Cooper is an engineer, a scientist, as well as an entrepreneur. He is the co-founder of ByoPlanet/Good Salt LLC, and has been involved in establishing several other successful companies, including Electrostatic Spraying Systems (ESS), Inc, Electrostatic Product Development, LLC, and Mystic Tan, Inc. (now Sunless, Inc). He is currently the Senior Vice President of R&D at ByoPlanet/Good Salt, LLC in Athens, Georgia.
Mr. Cooper received his BSAE (1983) and Master of Science (1985) engineering degrees from the University of Georgia and has been continuously involved with the UGA Applied Electrostatics Laboratory for over three decades. He has been awarded 18 US patents related to electrostatic spray nozzles, precision pumping systems and internet connected devices. Mr. Cooper has published many peer-reviewed scientific publications, primarily on electrostatic spraying topics. His research papers, core technology inventions, and commercial products have been recognized for innovation and entrepreneurship from organizations such as the ASABE (American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers), the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), The University of Georgia, The ESA (Electrostatic Society of America) and the ISSA (International Sanitary Supply Association).
