THESTANDARD X
THE FUTURE OF CLEANING? 01 | THESTANDARD
EDITION 2 | 2019 | BICSC.ORG.UK
Welcome to this edition of our industry magazine THE STANDARD.
The excitement continues, with just a few months until our main event - The 2019 BICSc Annual Awards, Showcase & Exhibition! Thursday 26 September will see us return to Whittlebury Hall, Hotel & Spa to celebrate industry excellence in Accredited Training.
In this edition we thought we would take a look at the future of cleaning, and what that might look like? We recently carried out a Twitter poll on the very subject, check out the results inside.
an impressive space where our dedicated Training Specialists can deliver practical BICSc Accredited Training from Licence to Practice, skills and Assessor Training. There will also be a dedicated learning hub within the suite for our Cleanlogic™ Courses and Workshops.
We continue to work hard to make your membership and training experience the best it can be, later this year we will launch a Membership Survey, we want to find out more about what we can do for you and your organisation.
We hope you have been enjoying reading our Career in Cleaning features and interviews, I recently caught up with Paul Ashton, CEO of Birkin Cleaning Services, Paul gave a great insight into his career and how he found himself in our industry.
This is an extraordinary time for the Institute and BBS, which has now found its feet as a market leader in industry training. 2019 marks an exciting new beginning for all of us. We hope that Eric Hill, founder of the Institute would be proud of how far we have come since the early 60’s. We will be marking the occasion with an official opening ceremony in July, we will report on that in the next edition.
In other news, it’s been a busy time for Team BICSc, we have settled into our new home at 4 Premier Court, we are all enjoying our new surroundings, luckily for us the building was completely redecorated before we moved in. Inside you can find out more about our former home 8 & 9 Premier Court, now known as The BBS Training Suite, The only place to start your journey with BICSc accredited training. The Training Suite is currently undergoing a rejuvenation, upon its completion it will be
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The London Cleaning Show took place in March at the Excel, it was as always, a fantastic industry exhibition. At the same time The British Cleaning Council (BCC) released their 2019 Cleaning and Support Services Industry Research report, definitely worth a read, check out the summary inside.
The CPSS App is now close to completion, our BICSc Lab’s Member events have seen an uplift in registrations and The Annual Awards is as popular as ever. We also continue to see increased interest in our services from overseas. I’ll sign off with that all-important reminder of why we are here - To raise the standards of education and to build awareness of the cleaning industry through professional standards and accredited training! We hope you enjoy this issue of The Standard.
Best Wishes Michelle Iland, PBICSc Marketing & Events Executive
FEATURING IN THIS ISSUE...
Page | Cover Story – 03-04 The Future of Cleaning, in your eyes with Rachael Giles Page | Careers in Cleaning – 05-08 an interview with Paul Ashton, CEO Birkin Cleaning Services Page | The Benefits of 09-10 Practical Training – with Michelle Iland
The Chairman’s note, Sue Robinson, FBICSc MBA ‘What do you think will be the biggest trend for the cleaning industry in 2020?’ This was one of the questions we asked our followers on social media last month. As part of a week-long social media event investigating your opinions on the future of cleaning, 10% of you said technology and automation would have a negative impact on the future of the industry. The cleaning industry has come a long way with innovations and robotics continually enhancing the way we work, so why do some people have concerns with the impact of cleaning technology? The 2019 Cleaning Show, which took place in March, provided a fantastic domain to learn more about the latest cleaning technologies and trends. I was pleased to see so many companies recognised for their innovative and
Page | The Technical Edit – with Denise Hanson, 11 Head of Technical Services Page | Hello – from Samantha Willson, Business 14 Development Manager Page | The Cleaning Show – A record breaker 15
creative products and services in the ‘Cleaning Show Innovation Awards’. This proves that despite there still being concerns with technology amongst some people, there are so many more of us who are embracing it. For those looking to influence the future of cleaning, you will have heard about the opportunity to join BICSc Council this year representing Individual Membership. I would encourage all ABICSc, MBICSc, FBICSc and LBICSc members to vote in the upcoming elections from Monday 3 June to Friday 12 July to appoint three new Council representatives. As members, we all have a responsibility to help shape the future of the industry by embracing innovations, seeking out sustainable practices and improving industry standards – the future of cleaning can be determined by us.
Page | The Ishikawa Diagram – 17-18 with James Marston Page | BCC Reports 20 Page | Event & Exhibitions – 21-24 May’s BICSc Lab & Upcoming Events Page | 2019 BICSc 25-26 Annual Awards Page | BBS Training Suite – Renovation update 27 Page | CleanLogic™ – Courses & Workshops 28 Page | International News 29
Sue Robinson National Chairman The British Institute of Cleaning Science
A record-breaking Cleaning Show p15
The Future of Cleaning, in your eyes With Rachael Giles - Communications Executive
Last month we ran a series of polls on social media to see what you thought the future of cleaning might look like. More than 200 of you voted on some major questions. Here’s what we found out.
28%
“What do you think
Technology replacing job roles
is the biggest threat
facing the future of cleaning?” 72% of you said the struggle to attract and retain workers, and it’s not hard to see why. In the 2019 Industry Trends Report published earlier this year by the British Cleaning Council 29% of all vacancies in the sector are considered ‘hard to fill’, and what’s more, the industry is expected to generate a further 93,000 jobs by 2024.
72%
The struggle to attract and retain workers
The result of our poll highlights the need to make the cleaning industry more attractive, particularly to the next generation of workers. Defining a proper career path and giving workers access to the right tools to progress and expand their skills will go a long way in improving the attractiveness and retention rates within the sector.
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“Do you think vegan friendly cleaning products will become more important in the future?”
“Do you think the cleaning profession will be held in higher regard in the future?”
Veganism has taken the world by storm in the last few years, with many industries incorporating vegan products within their business model to meet customer demand. Patagonia is blowing North Face out of the water with their commitment to producing outdoor clothing that causes ‘no unnecessary harm’, and earlier this year, Greggs hit the headlines when it launched a vegan sausage roll, seeing a huge surge in sales as a result. We decided to see what you thought of this trend for the cleaning industry, but as the results show, 68% of you don’t think it will be any more important in the future.
35%
68% NO
32% YES
NO
65% 10% YES Negative impact
It is great to see that the majority of you think the cleaning profession will be held in higher regard in the future, worryingly, however, over a third of you think it won’t. Recent portrayals of the cleaning profession such as the UK TV drama series ‘Cleaning Up’, which hinged on the premise that workers in the industry are so invisible they could carry out crimes without being suspected, have done little to improve this perception. Clearly, there is a need for more positive, mainstream representations of cleaning. Influencers such as Mrs Hinch have become a sensation on social media recently and could go a long way in improving the image of the sector as a career choice.
“Do you think training and higher-level qualifications will have greater importance in the future of cleaning?”
23% NO
“Do you think Brexit will have a negative impact on recruitment within the cleaning industry?”
77% 41% YES NO
We asked, “What impact do you think technology and automation will have on the future of the cleaning industry?”
59%
90% Positive impact
Despite 10% of you indicating concerns over the impact of cleaning technology, the vast majority are clearly embracing it by seeing these innovations as having a positive impact on the future of cleaning, opening the way for new job roles to emerge rather than replacing them. Although differences in opinions will always exist on this topic, what is certain is that those hoping to move their cleaning operations forward need to be aware of emerging trends, technologies and opportunities in order to stay ahead in an increasingly challenging market. We asked, “What do you think will be the biggest trend for the cleaning industry in 2020?”
9% Enhanced training and qualifications
33% E-cleaning/ robotics
YES
58% Sustainability
Over three-quarters of you think training and higher-level qualifications will have more importance in the future. It’s no wonder, as the dynamics of the cleaning industry are changing with a greater focus now being placed on managerial and technical roles which are increasing the requirements for enhanced training and qualifications.
Despite there being a higher than average number of foreign-born employees working within the cleaning industry it seems the impact of Brexit is still uncertain with the results of this question being more evenly split. The outlook however is positive, with 41% of you saying you don’t think Brexit will have a negative impact on recruitment within the sector.
Our impact on the environment has never been so scrutinised, with more companies switching from single use plastics to sustainable packaging. Sustainability is clearly on your agenda next year with more than half of you saying it will be the biggest trend for the cleaning industry in 2020.
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"
I’ve always been ambitious so it’s always been about having vision, setting personal objectives and working hard to deliver on my promises. My integrity is incredibly important to me so it’s something that I always look for in my team. I was always told from a young age that if you really want something it’s in your hands to achieve it. I really do believe in the power of the sub-conscious and it’s really driven me.
"
Paul Ashton, CEO Birkin Cleaning Services
Meet Paul Ashton, CEO, Birkin Cleaning Services About you? Tell us about your career to date, what led you to the cleaning industry? I wanted to be a racing car driver but at 6’4” that was sadly never going to happen. If I am honest, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do career-wise so completed my A-Levels, then achieved a 2:1 in Economics at The University of Reading, was accepted on to an Aldi Graduate Scheme but very quickly identified that retail wasn’t for me. Like a lot of people, I ended up in cleaning by accident as a result of working in an operational role for a facilities management company. I was an account manager in a security division and a soft services opportunity came up. I was put forward by the client as a suitable
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candidate and the rest is history. I loved operations from the very first day – the importance of people and relationship dynamics were enjoyable – no matter what your discipline or status, it was always about listening and making things happen.
When you started out, where did you envisage yourself to be at this time in your life? CEO. I’ve always been ambitious so it’s always been about having vision, setting personal objectives and working hard to deliver on my promises. My integrity is incredibly important to me so it’s something that I always look for in my team. I was always told from a young age that if you really want something it’s in your hands to achieve it. I really do believe in the
power of the sub-conscious and it’s really driven me.
In your view - what does a commercial cleaning company have to do to succeed in today’s tough market? Challenge itself to do things differently, very differently. The market is becoming increasingly competitive, our clients expect more than ever before and the job market isn’t getting any better. A people-centric culture encourages employee well-being and retention. Technology offers an amazing opportunity for us all so it’s important to have a genuine passion to integrate and enhance our service offering. Developing, mentoring and rewarding talent will ensure the future leaders are motivated to stay in our tough industry.
About Birkin? Tell us all about the ethos of Birkin and its people? Birkin DNA is all about our people and it is what sets us apart. Our values are simple and real – trust & integrity, genuine people, we care and have the passion to be the best. We have a very clear set of guiding principles that we consider our code of practice of which captures the very essence of Birkin and our spirit. We want to be the company who people want to work with and for. Our culture is important as it helps us to achieve our goal.
How has BICSc training enhanced your teams’ performance? BICSc training has provided structure and clear guidance for Team Birkin. Soo Bartholomew (Technical Director) heads up all of our training across the business and naturally started with the management team to ensure that they lead by example. It was actually Soo (many years ago in a former company) who opened my eyes to the science of cleaning as a result of her infectious passion for training. We have an extensive training programme across all divisions which is coordinated via Soo’s team and the results speak for themselves, with client satisfaction improved by 14% year on year, as validated through our audit software, and our employee retention has improved by 4%.
Have you introduced any changes since you arrived? Just a few…the key changes are the senior team and getting the right people in the right place, improved systems and processes, brand new PHEV and low emission fleet, a re-brand, website update, auditing software, IT hardware upgrade, mobile device upgrade, new
time and attendance monitoring, moved to a new HQ and most importantly, we became a BICSc Accredited Training Organisation with a comprehensive training programme now working well.
What would you say Birkin’s biggest challenge is when it comes to commercial cleaning? Attracting future talent – in a very competitive industry, there are a range of graduate schemes available for young talented individuals amongst the large facilities management and managing agent organisations. With the rise of technology, the wider industry needs to ensure it is a recognised opportunity for ambitious people to succeed. Birkin’s challenge is that not many people grow up wanting to work in the cleaning industry. I am incredibly proud of Birkin and being part of the cleaning industry but can’t help but notice that the number of rising stars is low. Most events that I attend are full of people who’ve been in the industry for 20+ years, who is the next generation? Birkin are working hard to play our part in changing the image of the industry and we
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"
Training is more important than ever before as the industry continues to evolve. Training provides the knowledge and background to empower people to succeed in their role. Clients expect the best standards and regardless of role or title, we all thrive on investment and training.
"
Paul Ashton, CEO Birkin Cleaning Services
have some real super stars coming up through the ranks. As we continue to grow, our challenge is to ensure that we have more and more people that we can develop and support to create successful careers for them.
What’s been your most memorable moment since becoming CEO? Attending the ‘Thank Your Cleaner’ event that we hosted at London Borough of Merton which was organised by my account-team in conjunction with the client. The support from the council was overwhelming in terms of recognising the great work that the team do on a daily basis. The absolute highlight was seeing all of my team dressed up in the finest
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outfits with specifically, Judith and Sharon having a cup of tea with the Mayoress talking about how much everyone in the building appreciates everything that we do. We also used the event to celebrate Sharon’s 20 Years Long Service Award. Seeing my team truly value the recognition, the smiles on their faces and the sheer kindness of the words shared left me floating on cloud nine! An absolute honour to host and sponsor such a worthwhile event.
What do you think the general future of the cleaning industry looks like? Challenging. There are so many external factors impacting upon our industry which mean change is inevitable. Technology is an
exciting aspect of our future as it is becoming increasingly intrinsic to so many aspects of how we operate – telematics, robotics, training, management reporting, auditing, HR, client communications, accounting, compliance, employee recognition, employee engagement and marketing. The pace at which each of these areas are becoming increasing innovative means that businesses need to be forward thinking, open-minded and essentially committed to embracing the change. The focus on sustainability and environment, employee well-being and the continued professionalisation of workplace management are helping us raise the bar. That said, you can have all of the best technology in the world but people will always remain the key
2019! #birkinclean #BeBICSc #Creatingacareerincleaning #CSSA
Who cleans your car? Me! I am a bit precious about my cars so it’s one of my guilty pleasures and find it therapeutic. Well apart from those occasions when my daughter likes to help but the stress of making sure she doesn’t drop the cloths does mean I have to watch like a hawk. On the plus side, her small hands are great for cleaning the wheels!
What couldn’t you live without?
component to everything we do. The key to the future success of our industry is the journey of how the industry utilises change to make our lives better.
the expectation that they know what to do. It forms a key aspect of my business – providing structured training at all levels delivers tangible results.
With workplace management being dominated by the large managing agents businesses and the multi-national FM orientated businesses, there is huge scope for more focused businesses who specialise in cleaning. It is critical that the cleaning industry attracts new talent by being recognised as forward thinking, exciting and rewarding with real opportunities to progress. Cleaning can and does provide huge scope for ambitious individuals so we need to ensure the younger generations are fully aware of the many different aspects of our industry.
Cleaning became one of the most biggest social media trends of 2018 - how important do you think social media is for our industry?
How important do you think training is for our industry? Critical. Training is more important than ever before as the industry continues to evolve. Training provides the knowledge and background to empower people to succeed in their role. Clients expect the best standards and regardless of role or title, we all thrive on investment and training. We have all seen too many people simply given a mop and bucket with
Social media continues to create huge opportunity for our industry. It’s certainly not just a place for your family and friends to share old and embarrassing photos. We have the ability to leverage these platforms to enhance communication, employee recognition, branding, marketing and customer service. As an industry, we can use these channels to showcase the best aspects of our industry to attract talent. The trends all indicated that social media is gathering pace, we should all ensure we have strategies in place to make the most of it. The usage of live video is increasing month on month, ‘chatbots’ are evolving and smaller businesses are really starting to increase their social media presence. Let’s ensure we all play our part to help cleaning remain a significant trend for
Music – it’s one of those things that I always appreciate and can create so many emotions. I will always try to listen to music as much as possible, whether it’s at home, in the office, in the car (when I am not on the phone as is most often the case these days) or even in the garden.
Favourite song? Tough question as music is a great passion of mine but a favourite would have to be Frankie Knuckles, You Got the Love. An amazing track that holds so many great memories – one of which was the first dance at our wedding last year.
When your career is over and you are enjoying retirement – what would you like your legacy to be? Ultimately, I would like everyone who worked for Birkin to look back on their years of employment as being the best of their career at every level. I would like Birkin to be recognised as a company who did things properly and played a worthwhile part in changing the perception of the cleaning industry. I would love to inspire other young ambitious people who are potentially working within other organisations to take the same leap of faith that I did and create a new wave of dynamic, quality-led cleaning companies to really move our industry for all of the right reasons.
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The benefits of practical training Why is BICSc Accredited Training still being delivered practically With Michelle IIand - PBICSc Marketing & Events Executive
This year at the London Cleaning Show I was once again part of the exhibiting team, as well as it being a part of the job I thoroughly enjoy, exhibitions also give us an excellent opportunity to talk to people face to face about the services of both BICSc and BBS. I don’t think any of us can deny that conversing and interacting ‘in the flesh’ is still (even with all other methods available) probably one of the most effective ways of communicating... We have all been on the end of a long-winded email and thought, we could have solved that with a quick conversation, couldn’t we? Hold that thought……. Whilst at the Cleaning Show this year, I heard a question from visitors to the stand (that prompted this feature) a number of times: ‘DO YOU OFFER ONLINE TRAINING?’
The Cleaning Professional's Skills Suite is a set of craft industry skills, where ‘rules of combination’ apply, all skills are delivered practically. Online delivery wouldn’t work particularly well here either.
In short, the answer to this question is:
Firstly, you would have to evidence that you have completed the Licence to Practice Unit before training in other skills (which are also delivered practically).
At present we have one online course available, Infection Control Level 2, this online training is offered in conjunction with the University of Northampton. This course looks at the scientific concepts underpinning the production and maintenance of hygienic environments, as well as covering the identification and control of hazards. Upon completion, candidates will be able to make informed decisions regarding the choice of procedures and materials in the appropriate situation. We will, in time introduce online training, however not in the way you may think. We wouldn’t transfer everything we currently offer to an online solution; it wouldn’t work. What we are looking at is adding an online solution to our prospectus that will complement and enhance our current offering. This may be in the shape of additional courses and workshops, refresher courses or retakes. Similar to a driving test – ‘theory before practical’. This could incorporate Standard Operating Procedures, which also ‘backs up’ the practical matters.
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For example - to achieve Specialist Unit SU1 (Body fluids and sharp objects), you would need to have completed Base Units BU2 (Damp mopping) and BU6 (Dusting/damp wiping of surfaces). Also required is the Additional Unit AU5 (Washing surfaces). Looking at SU2 (Biohazard decontamination cleaning), where rules of combination also apply, you would need to have completed BU2 (Damp mopping), AU3 (Machine scrubbing and drying, with a wet suction machine) and AU5 (Washing surfaces). Again, an online solution wouldn’t work, the candidate simply would not be able to evidence high enough levels of competency. Demonstrating competency is a major component of BICSc Accredited Training, it’s in our DNA! What level of competency can we really demonstrate when it comes to online training? How would you demonstrate competency when it comes to chemical dilution?
As I said earlier, face to face communication is still the most effective way of communicating, why should it be any different when it comes to training? This isn’t by any means saying that practical training is the only way to train people, and of course online training has its place. Having attended my fair share of training courses throughout my career to date, I started to think about the emergency & evacuation training I received some years ago (with a well-known British airline). The training sessions were very intense and varied from what to do in a real-life emergency, including dealing with a potential terrorist inflight threat to evacuating passengers and crew from a smoke-filled aircraft cabin, with breathing apparatus. We also covered exiting an aircraft via an emergency exit using the inflatable slide, thankfully not into water. Perhaps some of this training is now done online, I don’t know? However, at the time I do not believe I would have retained half of that information if I’d have been sitting in front of a screen. All of the training I received was of a practical nature, and it stuck, here I am some 20 years later recalling it. The BBS team spend a lot of time structuring our training sessions to suit the candidate (we know everyone has different ways of learning and retaining information), we do adapt our training to different learning styles where we can. Breaking the training process down into steps. Including questions to keep the candidates involved, checking throughout the session our candidates’ levels of understanding. We also consider possible learning difficulties and language barriers, again something that cannot be done well online.
Another question I was asked during an interview with Digitool at the Cleaning Show was “What would you say to anyone who wanted to start up their own cleaning business”. My reply - invest in your team and train them........you may think it’s expensive to train your team, but think about the cost if you don't train your people. You could have a team of cleaning operatives raring to go, you have spent time and money on marketing and setting up your business, you have invested in the best ‘kit’ available, you have stocked your cleaning stores with chemicals and cleaning equipment. You have a list of clients all prepared to engage your services……Then the tender document arrives! What would you do if within that tender document the question appeared “Are your operatives trained to industry standards? i.e. BICSc” (also something I heard whilst talking to people at the Cleaning Show). What then? Staff training (and evidencing it) is now becoming a stock tender question. We have recently seen a mandatory requirement for BICSc training in a support staff job advertisement, interestingly, the role was based at the British Antarctic Survey, with the Natural Environment Research Council. Investing in your team and training them has to be as important as procuring talent and sourcing the best equipment to do the job, doesn’t it? The talent within, keeps your organisation moving forward. If staff training isn’t in your business plan, perhaps now is the time to have a rethink? As always, we love to hear from you. If you would like to share your thoughts, please let me know marketing@bics.org.uk
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The Technical Edit With Denise Hanson, FBICSc Head of Technical Services Welcome back to the technical edit. I thought I would take this opportunity to look at commonly used personal protective equipment and how you judge the standards that these should be to suitably protect the cleaning operative in their work. It is a case that not all gloves and goggles are equally safe and indeed not all gloves are suitable for all products, so it is important that you check the SDS for the product range that you have chosen. (This information will be found in Section 8 of the SDS, regardless of the chemical manufacturer.) An example of this from a Diversey product SDS follows:
Personal protective equipment Hand protection:
Eye / face protection:
If the product is diluted by using specific dosing systems with no risk of splashes or direct skin contact, the personal protection equipment as described in this section is not required.
Safety glasses or goggles (EN 166). The use of a fullface shield or other full-face protection is strongly recommended when handling open containers or if splashes may occur.
Avoid direct contact and/or splashes where possible. Train personnel. Chemical-resistant protective gloves (EN 374). Verify instructions regarding permeability and breakthrough time, as provided by the glove’s supplier. Consider specific local use conditions, such as risk of splashes, cuts, contact time and temperature. The EN standards are agreed European standards of safety for the chemicals and it is vital that these are correctly followed, the EN 166 glasses for example are fitted to the face preventing splashes going behind the lens – not a safety feature that all safety glasses have! Gloves can seem a little more complicated as there are a wide variety of different gloves – Latex, Vinyl and Nitrile are probably the most commonly available. Of these 3 generally Nitrile have the greatest level of chemical resistance, so it tends to be Nitrile that achieve the EN 374 standard – this is the most commonly found identifier on popular chemical ranges. You need to ensure that the PPE that you supply is fit for purpose and will protect the operative so please check your SDS and look for the EN standards on the kit that you supply.
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Hello from Samantha Willson, ABICSc Business Development Manager Hello from Samantha Willson, our longest serving member of the team takes a look back at her time at BICSc. It’s an honour to be asked to write this feature for The Standard. I have seen many changes since I walked through the doors of number 9 Premier Court 8 years ago. With 7 Annual Awards Dinners under my belt I have met so many people from our industry and have enjoyed celebrating their successes. We have also as a team evolved, working together to make it all happen. I originally began my BICSc journey in 2011 as a part time Resource Desk Administrator, organising and booking audits for the Verification Team. By the end of 2012 I became a Customer Support Coordinator, in this role I organised audits and account managed a number of our Accredited Training Organisations, which gave me the opportunity to work closely with our Members. In 2012 BBS (BICS Business Services) was born, there has been big changes along the way, and I’m glad I have been around from the beginning to see it grow into what it is today. In 2016, we made some changes to number 9 Premier Court, adding a training area, making in-house training available. With this, came high levels of interest in our offering and our sales department began to grow. I began helping out with bookings and enquiries, I very much enjoyed working on this side of the business and in August 2017 I became the Business Development Manager for BBS. I have attended many exhibitions in my time at BICSc, my first was the Cleaning Show in 2017 as an exhibitor, I enjoy meeting our members and colleagues from the industry. More recently I have attended Interclean in Amsterdam and this year’s London Cleaning Show, where I was part of the exhibiting team on our biggest stand to date, where I’m pleased to say we also had a record number of visitors to our stand.
Samantha W
illson
Back at the ranch the BBS team continues to grow, we have welcomed a Training Logistics Coordinator and more recently a Training Logistics Administrator, with a skilled-up team of Training Specialists we really are making our mark as an industry leader when it comes to practical training. We are now in the final stages of completing the Training Suite, it really is looking fantastic, the Cleaning Labs are bright, airy and fully equipped to provide the best training possible. We have also added a dedicated Cleanlogic™ Hub, providing classrooms and work stations. You can find out more inside about the developments of the Training Suite. In what is a really exciting time for us all, I am proud to be part of Team BICSc and what I have achieved in my time here. We are definitely #Creating a Career in Cleaning.
Best Wishes
Samantha Willson
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A Record-breaking Cleaning Show On the 19-21 March, the 2019 Cleaning Show in London, ExCel opened its doors, welcoming more than 7,000 visitors over three days, including 347 international guests from 45 countries.
exhibition space to date. The stand had a brand-new design and featured a mock-up of an industry standard cleaning cupboard showcasing some of the essential skills that are learned on our popular ‘Licence to Practice’ course.
Alongside an exhibition showcasing the latest innovations in the cleaning sector, the show featured a conference programme as well as the ‘Innovation Awards’ recognising exhibitors in eight different categories of innovation. The profile of the event was raised further with national press and TV coverage on ‘This Morning’ of the first ever ‘Window Cleaning World Cup’, which was won by US window cleaner, Jeremiah Hickey.
One visitor commented, “As a qualified cleaning operative to basic level it would never have occurred to me to organise my cupboard in this way. I'd have put 'like with like'; i.e. cloths on one shelf, mop heads on another, wiping rolls on their own shelf, gloves on another and chemicals all together at the bottom (as they're heavier). It makes sense to adhere to the colour coding system not only in use but also in storage. This is a lesson I won't forget.”
If you dropped in on the conference programme over the three days, you may have seen one of our specialists speaking about different topics affecting the future of the cleaning sector. On day one, Dr Sally Messenger, our Head of Education shared her expertise on the future of skills for businesses, while James Marston, our Learning & Development Manager spoke about training, including a look at apprenticeships and proposed a progression route for a career in cleaning. On the last day of the show, Pete Gowers, our Head of International Business talked about the impact of food poisoning, and how we can reduce incidences with proper cleaning practices. Throughout the three days, the BICSc team were on hand offering help and advice on our largest
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Michelle Iland, our Marketing and Events Executive said, “We were so excited to unveil our brandnew stand graphics embracing the message ‘#Creating a Career in Cleaning’. The message has clearly made a strong impact amongst the wider cleaning industry as we received a record number of stand visitors enquiring about professional membership and accredited training, which is increasingly being seen as a necessity rather than a ‘nice to have’. Thank you to everyone who came to see us on our stand or at one of our conference sessions, we hope to see you at one of our other events later in the year.”
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What Darwin Clayton can do for you as members of the British Institute of Cleaning Science About Darwin Clayton Darwin Clayton has worked closely with the British Institute of Cleaning Science since it’s formation in the 1960’s. We pride ourselves on delivering an excellent service and offering market leading insurance solutions.
Summary of Cover Standard cover and limits:• Employers Liability - £10,000,000* • Public & Products Liability, including Damage to property being cleaned,Treatment Risks and security of customer’s premises - £5,000,000* • Employee Dishonesty - £250,000 (£50,000 for mis-use of telecommunication equipment) • Loss of Keys - £100,000 • Financial Loss - £250,000
Unique Benefits
• Discounted premiums and enhanced cover for BICSc members
• Professional Indemnity - £100,000* (increased to £250,000 for members of the BICSc) * Higher limits available on request Optional covers:-
• Discounts for robust risk management and good claims experiences/records
• Property, Business Interruption and Goods in Transit
• Premiums not subject to declaration adjustment – no charges at year end
• Terrorism
Additional Covers Available
We can offer a wide range of additional covers, such as Cyber & Data Risks, Directors & Officers Liability and Motor Fleet. For further details, please visit our website.
• Environmental Clean Up Costs
Call: 01892 511144 Email: cleaning@dcuk.co.uk Visit: www.darwinclayton.co.uk
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Perceived Cleaning Faults and their Possible Causes with James Marston Cleaning Method Failure CARPET STAIN REMOVAL
METHOD Limited investigation of the stain to arrive at the correct solution. Incorrect technique applied to remove the stain. Wrong chemicals applied or not used effectively to remove as much of the stain as possible.
CAU
SOLUTION
SOLUTION Operators must consider carefully the best solution to remove the stain. Identifying the carpet or surface the stain is situated on is critical so as not to cause further damage. The nature of the stain itself must be identified for the best results. Establish if the stain is wet or dry. If the stain is still wet apply paper towels or absorbent cloths to soak up the fluid. Continue to do this until colour or liquid is no longer evident on the towel or cloth. Use a dabbing motion from the edges towards the centre of the stain. This reduces the risk of spreading the stain further. Absorbing the stain can take several minutes. Small amounts of water or use of spot and stain solutions can be applied to reactivate the stain so dabbing can continue to absorb and lift the liquid. If the stain is dry, then start by vacuuming the area removing loose particles. Again, use water or stain
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remover solutions to activate the stain and begin to absorb. If using chemicals on stains always follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Check for colour fastness in a discreet area and choose less aggressive methods before applying stronger spot and stain removers which have the potential to cause more damage Patience and time are required to achieve the best results. Some stains cannot be removed entirely. In most cases good technique can reduce stain appearance especially if caught straight away. Some stains maybe permanent. Attempting to remove them often damages the surface and reduces appearance further. Leave the surface as dry as possible following stain removal. Training and assessment using the Cleaning Professional's Skills Suite (CPSS) Additional Unit AU7 Stain Removal will ensure your operators remain safe and use the right cleaning techniques for the best results.
EQUIPMENT & MATERIALS Correct materials not used or available when the stain was reported or found.
What is the Ishikawa Diagram? The Ishikawa diagram, is also called a cause and effect diagram or a fishbone diagram, is a visualisation tool for categorising the potential causes of a problem in order to identify its root causes... A fishbone diagram is useful in brainstorming sessions to focus conversation.
PEOPLE The person who created the spill often feels compelled to take action and attempt to remove the stain incorrectly quickly rather than seek help. An untrained person in stain removal attempts to remove the stain.
USES
PROBLEM
ENVIRONMENT Areas where the stain occurred can be busy and action to remove the stain quickly could be obtrusive to users of the building. Once a stain dries out it can be more difficult to remove. The stain may have been there for some time and has been contaminated further.
THE PROBLEM (HEAD OF FISH) An attempt to remove a new coffee stain on the carpet has increased the stain size.
What can BICSc training do to help? BICSc offers practical training in the skills required to clean effectively and safely in today’s modern facilities. Candidates who attend our courses understand the risks to themselves and the client.
They understand and comply with safe systems of work and systematic ways to achieve cleaning tasks. Candidates learn effective cleaning techniques to ensure quality results and continuously high standards. 18 | THESTANDARD
www.greatlittlebreaks.com
01905 972801
*Terms & Conditions: Oer ends midnight Friday 31st July 2020. To redeem this oer online enter VIP code BICSC10 at the checkout or quote BICSC10 when calling us. Discount cannot be used in conjunction with gift vouchers purchases, experience days or any other third party promotion. Excludes group bookings of more than four rooms. Subject to standard Greatlittlebreaks terms and conditions. 2018 Great Little Breaks is part of Hotelshop UK Ltd | ABTA Registered L8766
BCC Reports For the first time the BCC has also broadened the scope of its research to include data from across the cleaning, waste management, landscaping and FM sectors.
Combined, the BCC has calculated that these industries contributed £49.9bn to the economy in 2016, while the number of employees totalled 914,000.
management, landscaping and FM industries - also captures data relating to differing wage levels, skills and qualifications, business survival rates, regional differences, job roles and training.
The report further reveals that between 2010 and 2018 there has been a 38% increase in the number of companies involved in cleaning, waste, FM and landscaping services, rising from 45,970 to 63,490.
In addition, it looks at wider issues such as health and safety, the Labour Market Enforcement Strategy, business rates, technology and the environment.
With the potential impact of Brexit still uncertain, the BCC’s research also highlights that while 19% of employees working across the four sectors are foreign born, this rises to 28% within commercial cleaning.
Stan Atkins, Chair of the BCC, said: “With over twenty different trade and membership organisations within the Council that cover every facet of the cleaning, waste management and FM industries, we have decided to widen the scope of our research. However, we have also broken the data down to highlight each sector’s specific employment profile and its contribution to the UK economy.
Other key metrics linked to the cleaning, waste management, landscaping and FM sectors revealed in the sixty-page document include:
“What the report reveals is that regardless of which sector you are involved in, there are fundamental challenges facing everybody.
•
Between 2010 and 2018, the combined turnover within the four sectors rose by 34% - over twice as much as the UK average
•
Within the four sectors, 88% of businesses employ less than 10 people
“For example, we have calculated that tens of thousands of jobs are set to be created over the next few years but that we are also expecting a chronic shortage of people prepared to take them. Furthermore, as people retire from the industry, we are also losing a wealth of skills and experience.
•
29% of all vacancies within the four sectors were described as ‘hard to fill’
•
With a predicted growth rate of 9% over the next five years the four sectors are set to generate 93,000 jobs by 2024
•
With older people leaving the industry, a further 436,000 vacancies are set to be created through ‘replacement demand’
“Increased automation could help to plug some of these gaps, especially with regards to low-skilled, repetitive and monotonous tasks. But despite the great strides we are taking in the development of autonomous technologies no amount of robotic scrubber-dryers, IoT-enabled soap dispensers or window cleaning drones will be able to replace the skills we are haemorrhaging.” For a copy of the report email info@britishcleaningcouncil.org
The BCC’s research - which is broken down by individual sector as well as reporting on the collective figures from across the cleaning, waste
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2019
Events & Exhibitions
OUR BICSc LAB ON BUSINESS RESILIENCE IN ASSOCIATION WITH RUBBERMAID COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS TOOK PLACE ON THE 15 MAY AT THE QEII CENTRE IN LONDON. IT WAS ONE OF OUR BEST ATTENDED EVENTS TO DATE.
RESILIENT STRATEGIES, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS AND ‘MISSING FINGERS’: Highlights from May’s BICSc Lab on Business Resilience. On Wednesday 15 May our members joined us at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre in Westminster, London for our first BICSc Lab of the year. No corner of business resilience remained unexplored, with keynotes covering the importance of training, preventing accidents and the resilient routines of successful companies. Our Chief Operating Officer, Neil Spencer-Cook showed us how training can enhance your company’s resilience by keeping employees happy, motivated and productive while Darwin Clayton shared the harsh consequences of workplace accidents with a story of an
employee who failed to report losing his finger in a mincer at a pie factory – if our visitors weren’t vegan already they probably are now! At lunch, members gathered at the Rubbermaid Commercial Products’ customer open day to see demonstrations of the latest innovations in cleaning. It was inspiring to see the health and safety of the cleaning operative being put at the centre of many of these product developments, with solutions to minimise heavy lifting and touching hazardous waste. Our guest speaker for the day, Hanna-Maria Ahonen explored the difference of ‘deep’ work and ‘shallow’ work and proved that its ok to let yourself be bored as this is often when your most creative ideas come out. In a culture of being
constantly switched ‘on’, HannaMaria showed us the importance of switching ‘off’, by taking a breather from social media and utilising your time effectively – these are the traits of the most resilient leaders and companies. Our event closed with Rob Shaw sharing his expertise on the role of cleaning in preventing slips, trips and falls in the workplace, drilling home the significance of training your employees in not just ‘how’ to clean, but ‘why’. The day certainly gave us a lot to think about with so many key messages to take home. Join us at our next BICSc Lab event in July, in association with Citation, where we will be taking a look at the role of HR and health and safety for the cleaning sector.
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS FROM OUR BICSC LAB AT THE QEII CENTRE IN LONDON
We are exhibiting at the BACHE Conference and Exhibition in July, as well as hosting a series of member events called ‘BICSc Labs’. Join us and our business partners to take a look at a plethora of industry-related topics.
There are plenty of reasons to join us at one of our events Acquire knowledge from our keynote speakers. Learn from your industry colleagues, take the opportunity to participate in interactive Q&A sessions. Learn more about BICSc and our future plans, and we always encourage you to enjoy lunch & build your network. 23 | THESTANDARD
UPCOMING EVENTS BICSc LAB - SAFETY FIRST SO YOU LAST! In association with Citation
FREE MEMBER’S EVENT Date: Wednesday 17 July Location: Malmaison Hotel, 1 Wharfside Street, Birmingham B1 1RD (Close to Birmingham New Street Station and the Bullring shopping centre)
Join us for another insightful and interactive session, which will include the following keynotes
• SAFETY CHECKS – HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOUR ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT IS FIT FOR PURPOSE? • PAT TESTING – WHY? • BICSc TRAINING & HEALTH & SAFETY • KEY FACTS FROM THE HEALTH & SAFETY EXECUTIVE – 2017 • DO YOU KNOW YOUR COSHH SYMBOLS - ORANGE IS OUT OF FASHION!
REGISTER ONLINE
• KEEPING HOLD OF YOUR BEST PEOPLE • REDUCING EMPLOYEE ABSENCE AND INCREASING PRODUCTIVITY • KEEPING YOUR EMPLOYEES, CUSTOMERS & VISITORS SAFE • CREATING A POSITIVE WORK ENVIRONMENT WHERE PEOPLE CARE ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS PERFORMANCE
BICS.ORG.UK/TRAINING-AND-MEMBER-EVENTS
WE WILL BE HOSTING MORE BICSc LABS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR FURTHER DETAILS.
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The BICSc Annual Awards Showcase & Exhibition is a celebration of industry excellence within training and accreditation. This event is now one of the largest and most influential networking events in the cleaning industry’s calendar. Following on from the success of last year’s event we will be also be hosting a showcase & mini exhibition during the day, which will include keynotes from our members, and a mini exhibition where you can check out the latest products and innovations. Then it’s time to shine at the Annual Awards Dinner taking place the same evening.
THURSDAY 26 SEPTEMBER 2019, WHITTLEBURY HALL HOTEL & SPA NORTHAMPTONSHIRE
HERE ARE THE AWARD’S CATEGORIES:
The John Edwards Award (Outstanding Corporate Member)
Excellence in Training & Assessment (United Kingdom)
NEW FOR 2019
This award is for training and development within an Accredited Training Organisation, which is approved to deliver BICSc assessment schemes and training courses.
This award is presented to a BICSc Corporate Member for their outstanding corporate commitment to the Institute and through excellence in supporting the Institutes goal #CreatingACareerInCleaning
Client Commitment to Training This award is presented to a client who exhibits high levels of support for their contractors, helping them to achieve excellence in training.
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Excellence in Training & Assessment (International) This award is for training and development within an International Accredited Training Organisation, which is approved to deliver BICSc assessment schemes and training courses. Entrants must be based outside of the United Kingdom.
FOR TICKETS VISIT AWARDS.BICS.ORG.UK
Assessor of the Year This award acknowledges the success of an individual Assessor who has demonstrated an outstanding level of passion, professionalism and commitment to excellence for their students and themselves.
Outstanding Candidate of the Year This award reflects the achievement of an individual and their award of BICSc qualifications, with the main focus being on how the student has been able to achieve an award against adversity or has gone the extra mile to complete and receive the qualification within the workplace.
Winning a BICSc Award has opened up so many opportunities for me. It has encouraged participation amongst my colleagues, and they have shown more motivation to use best practice and industry standards across the board. Fern Soo. ISS Facility Services winner of the Outstanding Candidate Award 2018!
HEADLINE SPONSOR
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SILVER SPONSORS
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BBS Training Suite development update
BICS BUSINESS
Earlier this year BICSc finalised its plans for the development of a dedicated BBS Training Suite with the relocation of its headquarters to number 4 Premier Court, Moulton Park in Northampton. The move took place earlier this year, in March, allowing work to commence on the redevelopment of the Institute’s previous HQ at 9 Premier Court into an enhanced training suite. The move came as a result of a highly successful year for BICSc, which saw the delivery of a record number of training days. The new training suite will allow for a significant improvement in the facilities and learning experience we offer to candidates. Not only will we be able to offer a higher volume and variety of training programmes, but we will also have a greater ability to expand our capacity going forward.
The new BBS Training Suite will consist of six dedicated training areas: •
Cleaning Lab 1 – an area where candidates can complete ‘Licence to Practice’ and Skills training
•
Cleanlogic™ 1 – a dedicated area for Cleanlogic™ Courses and Workshops
•
Cleaning Lab 2 –a similar area to Cleaning Lab 1 but with a dedicated washroom area for candidates to train in washroom skills
•
Cleanlogic™ 2 – an additional area for Cleanlogic™ Courses and Workshops including Assessors
• •
Cleaning Lab 3 – an additional area for candidates to complete ‘Licence to Practice’ and Skills training
Floor Lab – a dedicated area for candidates to train in larger floor skills
Work has now completed on Cleaning Lab 1, the new ‘Licence to Practice’ and Skills training area, as well as our Cleanlogic™ 1 and 2 classrooms, with the rest of rooms due to be ready for training shortly. An official opening ceremony is planned for Friday 5 July. More details on this will be announced soon. As the BBS Training Suite takes shape, we have begun to stock it with an array of cleaning equipment, enhancing our training delivery. We would like to say thank you to Vermop who have kindly donated a collection of their Equipe Relaunch microfibre system trolley’s, which are fully enclosed and lockable, with detachable sections for waste collection, colour coded mop boxes for pre-moistened use of single sided microfibre flat mops and colour coded surface cloth boxes. Also, a big thank you to long-time supporters of the Institute Rubbermaid Commercial Products who have donated a number of Slim Jim recycling units, helping with our waste management. In addition to this we would like to thank; Rotowash for assisting us with a cylindrical brush floor machine, Tomcat for assisting us with a scrubber drier and an edge floor cleaning machine, Pac Vac for a Super Pro Battery Back Pack vacuum cleaner and Decitex for the selection of microfiber cloths. SYR Limited have generously supplied us with mops, mop buckets and broom heads. We have also added two Rug Doctor carpet and upholstery cleaning machines. If you would like to see your equipment being put to great use in our training centre, please contact us marketing@bics.org.uk
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Courses and Workshops Cleanlogic™ is a growing collection of supervisory and management Courses and Workshops, developed with BICSc technical knowledge and experience. These Courses and Workshops will provide the technical underpinning knowledge for you to progress in your career and ultimately have the understanding to manage a cleaning operation. The Courses and Workshops are designed for anyone wishing to increase their knowledge of the industry, whether you are a supervisor, team leader, manager, involved in quoting, or producing tenders, there will be one for you.
• Principles of Health and Safety Course • Control of Cross-Contamination Course • Principles of Cleaning Science Course • Work Rates and Work Loading Workshop
• Calculating and Costing Workshop • Cleaning Inspection Level 1 Workshop • Cleaning Inspection Level 2 Workshop • Specialist Workshop Resilient Flooring
BOOK ONLINE HERE 28 | THESTANDARD
International NEWS 2019 has been busy so far with international audits and training for our Associate Providers in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Dubai. We have booked international audit trips to United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia which have included new Accredited Training Member Set Up’s and Assessor Approvals. Here are a few pictures from what’s been happening in the region: Here’s a few pictures of the team at Khansaheb Group FM being trained in SU2 (Biohazard Decontamination Cleaning) by Carlos Alves, one of our Training Specialists, training the KFM healthcare requirement for SU2.
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New Corporate Members February – April 2019 24hour Cleaning Ltd
Meral Facility Management L.L.C
Alhajry Overseas Co.Ltd
Nationwide Property Clean Limited
Avalon Cleaning Systems Ltd
Ovenking Nationwide Ltd
BRS Cleaning Contractors Ltd
Premiserv Limited
COMO Facilities Management Services
RDT Support Services Ltd
Crest Commercial Cleaning Limited
SMC Premier Cleaning Ltd
Elan Sales Ltd
Stardust Cleaning Services
First Touch Cleaning & Hospitality Co
Tame Cleaning and Maintenance Limited
Goshen Green Cleaning Services
UKG Cleaning
Guardian Property Services Ltd
Walkers FM Ltd
KS Cleaning Solutions Ltd
Workplace Cleaning Limited
London Corporate Cleaning Services Ltd
New Accredited Training Members February – April 2019 Tafawuq Facilities Management LLC
Aramco
Eastern Recruitment
HMP Swansea
Dynamic Vision
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Need to reach us? Customer Support & Membership membership@bics.org.uk info@bics.org.uk Tel: +44 (0) 1604 678 711
BICS Business Services & Training bbs@bicsbusinessservices.com or
Book Online
www.bics.org.uk/training Tel: +44 (0) 1604 678 712
International Training international@bics.org.uk Tel: +44 (0) 1604 678 711
Marketing, Events & Annual Awards marketing@bics.org.uk Tel: +44 (0) 1604 678 713
General Enquiries info@bics.org.uk Tel: +44 (0) 1604 678 710
Have your contact details changed? Drop a quick message to membership@bics.org.uk or give us a call and we will be happy to update your details.
#Creating a Career in Cleaning
EDITION 1 | 2019 | THESTANDARD