Jan-Feb ’16
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Publisher cum Editor Rajneesh Sharma Resident Editor Sharmila Chand (Delhi) Ashok Malkani (Mumbai) Layout & Design Hari Kumar. V Abhishek Singh Rathore Production Assistant Mamta Sharma Advertising Sales Delhi: Debabrata Nath, Sumesh Sharma Director Sales Sanjay Anand Director Operations & Finance Rajat Taneja Editorial & Advertising Offices: Delhi: Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd. 206, Samrat Bhawan, Ranjeet Nagar Commercial Complex, New Delhi-110008 Phone: 91-11-45084903, 45093486, 25704103 Mumbai: Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd. 105, 1st Floor, Aarpee Centre, Gufic Compound, 11th Road, MIDC, Near Tunga Paradise, Andheri (E), Mumbai-400 093 Ph.: 91-22-28395833 Telefax: 91-22-28388947 Website: www.chrmag.com E-mail: info@hammer.co.in © 2016 Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
The working conditions of the sanitary workers in India have remained virtually unchanged for over a century. This is the finding of a research by experts who have meticulously looked in to the working conditions of cleaning professionals over the years. Why has it been so? This is perhaps because while the heroics of our soldiers defending the borders are often elaborately celebrated, and rightly so, the deadly battle with diseases and dangers that the army of cleaning professionals daily fight within the territory to maintain a hygienic environment often gets unnoticed at the best or ignored at the worst. While the professional cleaners make it possible for the layman to lead a healthy life and have a hygienic environment, they, themselves are at risk of several diseases. These men and women, who keep your surroundings clean, are prone to develop life-threatening diseases due to improper training and careless attitude. While everyone is making a song and dance of maintaining cleanliness, scant attention is being paid to the people who actually keep the environs clean. The professional cleaners – be it the city sweepers, the housekeeping departments of hotels or hospitals, the duct cleaners et al – who help maintain a semblance of cleanliness and hygiene do so at the risk of their own health. The risks that cleaners may be exposed to depend not only on the tasks they perform but also on the premises they work in. Moreover, the cleaning sector is under constant competitive pressure. In some cases where the cleaning work is sub-contracted, cleaning companies have to carry the burden of the cost-cutting efforts of their customers who give them very strong constraints regarding high work quality for reduced working hours and price. This leaves very little room for the cleaning company to be able to negotiate safe and healthy working conditions for its cleaning workers within the host company. Therefore, the employers, i.e. the cleaning companies, have difficulties in controlling the environment in which the cleaners work. But the Cover Story of this issue points out that increased awareness, greater precaution and optimum utilization of technology can help professional cleaners lead a better life – a dignified one. The “Cleaning” section of this issue of the magazine also explores the opportunities that one can look into the furniture cleaning sector. If you are already into carpet cleaning, adding furniture maintenance in your skill menu may bring in rich dividends without much of an investment. The other regular features of this issue – on laundry, waste management, indoor air quality, pest management -- also bring out novel perspective in this age-old profession that has gained tremendous attention in India in recent years. I hope that the news and report sections will also help you keep abreast with latest industry updates. Happy reading!
Clean & Hygiene Review is a bi-monthly magazine, printed, owned and published by Rajneesh Sharma from 313, Himgiri Apartments, J-Block, Vikaspuri, New Delhi. Printed at Print Creations, C-112/3, Basement, Naraina Industrial Area, Phase-1, New Delhi-110 028. Annual Subscription rate within India is Rs. 450 and overseas US $110, for surface mail. Single issue is available for Rs.90 in India and US $25 overseas. Cheques are payable to Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
Editorial Policy : Editorial emphasis in Clean & Hygiene Review magazine is on educational & informational material specifically designed to assist those responsible for managing cleaning & maintenance, Laundry, Pest Control, Water & Waste Management and Environment. Articles are welcome and will be published on the sole discretion of the editor.
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Jan-Feb ’16
Contents COVER STORY
PEST MANAGEMENT 14
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Professional Cleaners: The Unsung Heroes
Pest Control in Food Processing: Ensuring Safety, Preventing Loss
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CLEANING 12
LAUNDRY
Dividend from Furniture Maintenance
Washing off Worries with Efficient Equipment
ncreased awareness, greater precaution and optimum utilization of technology can help professional cleaners, who brave many diseases on a daily basis only to offers us hygienic environment, lead a better life
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f you are already into carpet cleaning, adding furniture maintenance in your skill menu may bring in rich dividends without much of an investment
esides ensuring safety of the ready-to-eat foods, an effective pest control program can help food processing units prevent economic losses caused by raw material contamination due to pest infestation
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rom manpower and water issues to that of contamination and efficiency, the laundry sector is grappling with many challenges. But thankfully, installation of smart equipment can address majority of these challenges including cost reduction
SECTIONS 4
News Scan
7 Report 20
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Product Preview
28 Interview
Waste Management
24 IAQ Jan-Feb ’16
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Eureka Forbes joins hands with PRO to provide drinking water solutions In a step towards providing customers with safe and healthy drinking water through cutting edge technologies and customized water solutions, Eureka Forbes Limited, India’s leading health and hygiene company, signed in February a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) towards forming a strategic partnership with Process Research ORTECH (PRO), Inc. - a leading privately owned Canadian company that incubates and commercializes innovative technologies for process industries. Through this collaboration, the companies will leverage their core competencies and skills to introduce a unique and innovative technology with Automated Variable Filtration (AVF), a high quality water filtration system, to India. This bilateral partnership between Eureka Forbes and PRO is in line with the “Make in India” philosophy in which Eureka Forbes will be setting up the manufacturing and infrastructural facilities in India and PRO will provide t h e c o re t e c h n o l o g i c a l k n ow h ow. In addition to this, Eureka Forbes’ institutional ultrafiltration (UF) system, which was successfully piloted in Canada, will be marketed by PRO for select applications in Canada. This association not only enables both companies to synergize their strategic strengths and complementary competencies but also leverage their expertise and presence in the global market. “We are pleased to partner with Eureka Forbes, the most trusted leader in water treatment,” said V.I. Lakshmanan,
Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Process Research Ortech Inc. “This technology also fits with the ‘Clean Ganga’ project of the Indian government as the operating costs are very low compared to membranes, while delivering excellent quality output water,” Lakshmanan noted. A u t o m a t e d Va r i a b l e Fi l t r a t i o n (AVF) is a state-of-the-art technology where the cleaning of the media is continuous- achieved by counter current flow of water and filtration media. This technology is highly effective in removing micro-organisms like Giardia and Cr yptosporidium that so far, required expensive membranes for removal. In addition to removing microbiological contaminants, AVF’s special engineered media also has the ability to remove contaminants like arsenic, fluoride, and sulfates from drinking water, an official statement said. Use of this technology can save over Rs 1 billion of microbial membrane cost which is currently being imported, the statement added. “With this strategic partnership, we will continue the tradition of leveraging the expertise of a leading company to provide best-in-class technology in India. The AVF technology will remain an integral part of our institutional technology portfolio which will offer differentiated and cost-effective solutions to our customers in both industrial and municipal space,” Suresh Goklaney, Executive Vice Chairman, Eureka Forbes Limited, said.
India e-waste market to grow at over 26 percent India’s electronic waste (e-waste) management market is anticipated to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 26.5% over five years, a new research report has estimated. The report entitled “India E-waste Management Market Outlook 2021” has been brought out by Research and Markets. E-Parisaraa Pvt Ltd, Attero India Pvt Ltd, E-waste Recyclers India, Eco Recycling Limited (ECORECO), Hi-Tech Recycling India Pvt. Ltd., Ultrust Solutions Pvt. Ltd., Earth Sense Recycle, Sims Recycling Solutions India, Ramky Enviro Engineers, Tech Logic (Unit II) E-waste Recyclers, etc are driving the organized E-waste management market in India, the repor t stated.
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The e-waste management market offers tremendous opportunities. However, managing continuous generation of e-waste is a big challenge for the country. Proper e-waste management is required in the country by developing infrastructure, growing awareness, strict legislation regarding e-waste collection, imports and recycling. Metro cities of India account for a considerable market share in the generation of e-waste and recycling of generated e-waste.
Jan-Feb ’16
N E WS SCAN
Half of air pollution deaths in world occur in India, China More than 5.5 million people die prematurely every year due to household and outdoor air pollution, and more than half of deaths occur in two of the world’s fastest growing economies, China and India. Power plants, industrial manufacturing, vehicle exhaust and burning coal and wood all release small particles into the air that are dangerous to a person’s health. The research found that despite efforts to limit future emissions, the number of premature deaths linked to air pollution will climb over the next two decades unless more aggressive targets are set. The researchers from Canada, the United States, China and India estimated air pollution levels in China and India and calculated the impact on health. Their analysis shows that the two countries account for 55 per cent of the deaths caused by air pollution worldwide. About 1.6 million people died of air pollution in China and 1.4 million died in India in 2013. In China, burning coal is the b i g g e s t c o n t r i b u t o r t o p o o r a i r q u a l i t y. Qiao Ma from Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, found that outdoor air pollution from coal alone caused an estimated 366,000 deaths in China in 2013. Ma also calculated the expected number of premature deaths in China in the future if the country meets its current targets to restrict coal combustion and emissions through a combination of energy policies and pollution controls. She found that air pollution will cause anywhere from 990,000 to 1.3 million premature deaths in 2030 unless even more ambitious targets are introduced. “Our study highlights the urgent need for even more
a g g re s s i ve strategies t o re d u c e emissions from coal and from o t h e r s e c t o r s ,” said Ma. In India, a major contributor to poor air quality is the practice of burning wood, dung and similar sources of biomass for cooking and heating. Millions of families, among the poorest in India, are regularly exposed to high levels of particulate matter in their own homes. “India needs a three-pronged mitigation approach to address industrial coal burning, open burning for agriculture, and household air pollution sources,” said Chandra Venkataraman, professor of Chemical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, in Mumbai, India. The findings were presented in Februar y at the 2016 annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). “Air pollution is the fourth highest risk factor for death globally and by far the leading environmental risk factor for disease,” said Michael Brauer, a professor at the University of British Columbia’s School of Population and Public Health in Vancouver, Canada. “Reducing air pollution is an incredibly efficient way to improve the health of a population,” Brauer said.
Call for Cleaning
The Pride Hotel, Kolkata had organized a Cleanliness Day with the theme “Cleanliness is next to Godliness. Lets join the Cleanliness Race” in the New Town area, Kolkata, on Dec 24, 2015.
30,000 bio-toilets in trains by next financial year The Minister of Railways Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu while presenting the Railway Budget 2016-17 in Parliament in February introduced a string of measures to improve the cleanliness on stations and trains. Clean my Coach service on pan India basis was introduced, where a passenger can request cleaning of his/her coach/toilets on demand through SMS. He proposed setting up of waste segregation and recycling
Jan-Feb ’16
centers at A1 stations in a phased manner. He has set a target of 30000 bio-toilets in the next financial year. The Railway Minister also proposed to undertake awareness campaigns to improve cleanliness at select stations, station approach roads and adjacent colonies. He also said that portable bio toilets will be provided at all platforms of select stations to cater to the demand of senior citizens, persons with disabilities and women passengers.
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NE WS SCA N
New device for monitoring indoor air quality Researchers at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland have developed a design accessory for monitoring the indoor air quality in facilities such as offices and classrooms. It detects carbon dioxide, temperature and humidity, and uses light signals to quide people to healthy space. The monitor resembles a sailing boat, and it is ideal for facilities where staff welfare and productivity are especially important. The sensor can also be programmed to detect other gases, movement, sound, and the amount of light. The monitor, which is based on IoT technology, uses comfort light signals to quide people if, for example, carbon dioxide levels in a room become too high. LEDs of different colours indicate when the level of gas measured by the sensor exceeds a certain threshold. ‘The light changes from green to amber to red as the level of gas increases, and vice versa when it drops’,
explains Senior Scientist Markus Tuomikoski from VTT. VTT’s Tiny Node platform can also be used to monitor the indoor air quality remotely and to communicate with other similar IoT devices. The sensor inside the device is based on infrared radiation at wavelengths that many gases (such as carbon dioxide) and volatile organic compounds (VOC) absorb. Users can access the data transmitted by the device using their mobile phones. The device can also be linked to cloud services and used, for example, to collect and send regular carbon dioxide readings to the cloud, where the data can be analysed. The indoor air monitor combines elements of VTT’s sensor, LEDs, and wireless communication technology. The hybrid integration technology makes the product cost-effective to manufacture on an industrial scale.
Blueair launches indoor air monitoring system Sweden’s air purifying company Blueair recently introduced an intelligent, fully connected indoor air monitoring, control and purification system. The system connects Blueair’s Sense+ -- an indoor air purifier, aware -- an air quality monitor and Blueair Friend app, which allows consumers to fully control the air they breathe, media reports said. “Called the home air defence system, the a i r p u r i f i e r h a r n e s s e s t h e In t e r n e t o f T h i n g s
technology (IoT) to connect our designercontemporary Sense+ air purifier with the sleeklooking Aware air monitor and Blueair Friend app to intelligently monitor, control and clean homes and workplaces of airborne hazards,” Bengt Rittri, founder and CEO, Blueair was quoted as saying. Rittri added that Blueair’s HEPA enhanced Ho m e A i r D e f e n c e S y s t e m e f f e c t i v e l y h e l p s consumers fend off airborne threats.
India driving growth in green buildings Emerging economies like India, Brazil, Saudi Arabia and South Africa will be engines of green growth, with development varying from twofold to sixfold over current green building levels, says a new report. The report based on observations in nearly 70 countries, demonstrates that global green building continues to double every three years. “International demand for green building, due in great part to the LEED green building program’s global popularity, has grown steadily over the years,” said Rick Fedrizzi, CEO and founding chair, U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), a contributing partner of the report Dodge Data & Analytics World Green Building Trends 2016 SmartMarket Report. “Countries are looking for tools that support stable and sustainable economic growth. International business leaders and policymakers recognize that a commitment to transforming the built environment is crucial to addressing major environmental challenges,” Fedrizzi noted. Increasing consumer demand has pushed the world’s green building market to a trillion-dollar industry, a surge that has led to a corresponding increase in the scope and size of the green building materials market, which is expected to reach $234 billion by 2019. The SmartMarket report also revealed that expansion will continue in developed countries such as the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom. Across all
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regions, many survey respondents forecast that more than 60 percent of their projects will be green by 2018. Economic forces were cited as the most important drivers for many of the countries surveyed. The report found that green buildings offer significant operational cost savings compared with conventional buildings. To this effect, respondents expect a 14 percent savings in operational costs over five-year savings for new green buildings and 13 percent savings in operational costs over five years for green retrofit and renovation projects. Building owners also report that green buildings— whether new or renovated—command a 7 percent increase in asset value over conventional buildings. Today, there are nearly 75,000 commercial projects par ticipating in LEED across the globe, with 1.85 million square feet of building space becoming LEED-cer tified ever y day. “ The growth of LEED reflects its global adaptability as the world’s most widely used and recognized system guiding the design, construction, operations and maintenance of green buildings,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, COO, USGBC. “LEED is a critical tool in creating structures that mitigate greenhouse gas emissions; create healthier indoor environments for workers, students and community members; and lower utility bills for building owners through reduced energy and water use.”
Jan-Feb ’16
REP OR T
Mysuru Remains the Cleanest City Surat, Rajkot, Gangtok, Vizag break into top 10 clean cities, Allahabad improves the most
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ysuru in Karnataka remained the cleanest city in the country while Dhanbad in Jharkhand came at the bottom of 73 major cities surveyed for sanitation scenario last month. Results of ‘Swachh Survekshan-2016’ were released by the Minister of Urban Development M. Venkaiah Naidu at a media conference on February 15. Fifty three cities with a population of above ten lakhs each and 22 capitals that do not have that much population were selected for the survey. NOIDA and Kolkata desired to participate in the next round of survey. The top 10 cities in terms of sanitation and hygiene in order of rank are: Mysuru, Chandigarh, Tir uchirapalli ( Tamil Nadu), New Delhi Municipal Council, Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), Gujarat’s Surat and Rajkot, Gangtok (Sikkim), and Maharashtra’s Pimpri Chindwad and Greater Mumbai. Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), Surat and Rajkot, and Gangtok improved their ranks to break into top 10 clean cities in this year’s survey. The bottom 10 cities are: Kalyan Dombivili (Maharshtra-ranked 64), Varanasi, Jamshedpur (Jharkhand), Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh), Raipur (Chhattisgarh), Meerut (Uttar Pradesh), Patna (Bihar), Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh), Asansol (West Bengal) and Dhanbad, ranked 73. Last cleanliness sur vey was conducted in 2014 among 476 cities with a population of one lakh and above each and results were announced last year. This survey was done before the launch of Swachh Bharat Mission by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in October last year. From the results of 2014 survey which was based on a large number of parameters, 476 cities were ranked based on their performance with regard to the components of Swachh Bharat Mission like construction of toilets, solid waste management and independent observation. This
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enabled comparison of results of both the surveys for assessing the impact of Swachh Bharat Mission. The 73 cities surveyed this year were also ranked based on the marks they scored in 2014 for arriving at their ranks in 2014 for further comparison with the results of this year’s survey. Based on the comparison of the marks and ranks of the two surveys, Naidu stated that: • Swachh Bharat Mission made a positive impact in urban areas in terms of enhanced efforts to improve sanitation, reorientation of attitudes of urban local bodies and citizens and improvement on ground; • Cities are at different levels in terms of progress towards sanitation and there is a churning going on to do better on ground in absolute terms and also in relation to others cities with new shakers and movers emerging; • Cities from South and West continue to do well over all but those in other parts of the country and particularly, in the North are beginning to catch up with the traditional leaders; • There is a need for significantly stepping up efforts by the identified slow movers in the East and some parts of the North; • Categorisation of cities as Leaders, Aspiring Leaders, those who need to accelerate their efforts and Slow Movers would help them plan future course of action and for the central government to assist with necessary monitoring, mentoring and hand holding as required; • Making the survey results public would further foster a healthy competition among cities as everything that gets measured gets done and competition makes one strive better; • Swachh Sur vekshan-2016 was thorough, professional, evidence based and participatory. Naidu stated that of the 73 cities surveyed, 32 have improved ranks since the last survey including 17 from the North, 6 from the West, 5 from the South and 2 each from the East
Minister for Urban Development, M. Venkaiah Naidu holding a press conference to announce the results of ‘Swachh Survekshan-2016’, in New Delhi on February 15.
and North-East. He said this is a clear evidence of enhanced efforts being made by the northern cities towards sanitation and new cities challenging the domination of cities from the South and the West among top clean cities. Of these 32, top 10 movers who have substantially improved their ranks in 2016 survey are : Allahabad (improved by 45 ranks), Nagpur (40), Visakhapatnam(39), Gwalior (34), Bhubaneswar (32), Hyderabad(31), Gurgaon (29), Vijayawada(23) and Lucknow (23). Among the municipal bodies in the NCT of Delhi, New Delhi Municipal Council improved its rank from 7 in 2014 to 4 in 2016, South MCD from 47 to 39 and North MCD from 47 to 43 while East MCD slipped from 47 rank in 2014 to 52 in 2016. Top 10 cities who moved down in ranks in 2016 are: Jamshedpur, Kochi, Shillong, Chennai, Guwahati, Asansol, Bengaluru, Ranchi, Kalyan Dombivili and Nashik. While Jamshedpur moved down this year by 53 ranks, Nashik slipped by 23 ranks. Regarding methodology used for Swachh Survekshan-2016, Naidu informed that out of the total marks of 2,000 for assessing the performance of efforts of 73 cities, 60% were assigned for solid waste management re l a t e d p a r a m e t e r s , 3 0 % f o r construction of toilets and 5% each for city level sanitation strategy and behavior change communication. n
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COVER ST OR Y
Professional Cleaners: The Unsung Heroes Increased awareness, greater precaution and optimum utilization of technology can help professional cleaners, who brave many diseases on a daily basis only to offers us hygienic environment, lead a better life By Ashok Malkani
W
hile the heroics of our soldiers defending the borders are often elaborately celebrated, and rightly so, the deadly battle with diseases and dangers that an army of men and women daily fight within the territory to maintain a hygienic environment so that we stay safe hardly draws attention. This army of men and women are the cleaning workers – they may be the sanitation workers of the municipalities, the street sweepers or the cleaning staff in a luxury hotel, a restaurant or a hospital. While the professional cleaners make it possible for the layman to lead a healthy life and have a hygienic environment, they, themselves are at risk of several diseases. These men and women, who keep your surroundings clean, are prone to develop lifethreatening diseases due to improper training and careless attitude.
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While everyone is making a song and dance of maintaining cleanliness, scant attention is being paid to the people who actually keep the environs clean. The professional cleaners – be it the city sweepers, the housekeeping departments of hotels or hospitals, the duct cleaners et al – who help maintain a semblance of cleanliness and hygiene do so at the risk of their own health. Cleaning is a generic job carried out in all sectors and workplaces, outdoors and indoors, in private companies as well as in public areas. It encompasses a wide variety of tasks. The risks that cleaners may be exposed to therefore depend not only on the tasks they perform but also on the premises they work in. Although cleaning is important to everyone’s health and wellbeing, it does not seem to be so in the case of the cleaners. In order to understand the working conditions
of the sector and the situation at stake with regard to occupational safety and health, it is important to take into account the specific socio-economic context in which the sector operates, the European Agency for Health and Safety at Work pointed out in a literature review on “The Occupational Safety and Health of Cleaning Workers”. The cleaning sector is under constant competitive pressure. In some cases where the cleaning work is sub-contracted, cleaning companies have to carry the burden of the cost-cutting efforts of their customers who give them very strong constraints regarding high work quality for reduced working hours and price. This leaves very little room for the cleaning company to be able to negotiate safe and healthy working conditions for its cleaning workers within the host company.
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C OV E R STOR Y Therefore, the employers, i.e. the cleaning companies, have difficulties in controlling the environment in
asphyxia. Epileptiform convulsions may occur and the individual falls apparently unconscious and may
carried out to study the respiratory function of sewage workers, with all of them reporting that respiratory
The cleaning sector is under constant competitive pressure. In some cases where the cleaning work is sub-contracted, cleaning companies have to carry the burden of the cost-cutting efforts of their customers. This leaves very little room for them to be able to negotiate safe and healthy working conditions for its cleaning workers within the host company which the cleaners work. Moreover, cleaning worker often lack training, tools and information in order to perform their work in the best healthy and safe manner, the review said. The professional cleaners do not work only in generic cleaning. It encompasses a wider sphere. There is a wide spectrum of activities that they perform and they are segregated and classified differently. They could be broadly categorized as sewage and sanitary workers, street sweepers, solid waste dispensers, and those who clean homes, offices, malls, hotels, etc (generic cleaners). The issues involving each of them are different.
Sewage and Sanitary Workers Rajnarayan R. Tiwari from National Institute of Occupational Health, Ahmedabad, Gujarat in a study published in Indian Journal of Occupational and Environmental medicine mentioned that the working conditions of the sanitary workers have remained virtually unchanged for over a century. Apart from the social atrocities that these workers face, they are exposed to certain health problems by virtue of their occupation. These health hazards include exposure to harmful gases such as methane and hydrogen sulfide, resulting in diseases like cardiovascular degeneration, musculoskeletal disorders like osteoarthritic changes and intervertebral disc herniation, infections like hepatitis, leptospirosis and helicobacter, skin problems, respiratory system problems and altered pulmonary function parameters, Tiwari pointed out. It may be mentioned that even at low concentrations, hydrogen sulfide has an irritant action on the eyes and the respiratory tract. Inhalation of massive quantities of hydrogen sulfide will rapidly produce anoxia resulting in death by
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die without moving again. This is a syndrome characteristic of hydrogen sulfide poisoning in sewer workers. Methane gas is an asphyxiant gas which reduces oxygen supply. Oxygen deficiency/asphyxiation is common in an enclosed space with displaced oxygen up to below 19.5% and results in the following health conditions -- choking, disturbed respiration, increase in pulse rate and breathing, muscular in-coordination, abnormal fatigue, vomiting, collapsing, inability to move, lack of consciousness, g a s p i n g f o r a i r, c o n v u l s i v e movements, respiratory collapse and in worst case scenario death. Besides hydrogen disulphide and methane workers are also commonly exposed to gases like ammonia and carbon monoxide. Ammonia and ammonium hydroxide are corrosive and can rapidly penetrate the eye and may cause permanent injury. Chronic oral exposure to ammonia can cause osteoporosis. Substantial exposures can cause burns of all depths in the oral cavity, nasopharynx, larynx and trachea, together with airway obstruction and bronchiolar and alveolar oedema. Exposure to a massive concentration of ammonia gas may be fatal within minutes. The smell of these gases, which these workers are exposed to, can result in sub-acute symptoms including sore throat, cough, chest tightness, breathlessness, thirst, sweating, irritability and loss of libido. Inhalation of massive quantities of hydrogen sulfide will rapidly produce anoxia resulting in death by asphyxia. Epileptiform convulsions may occur and the individual falls apparently unconscious and may die without moving again. This is a syndrome characteristic of hydrogen sulfide poisoning in sewer workers. Several studies have been
symptoms are common among this group of workers, Tiwari said. The respiratory symptoms may be due to exposure to endotoxins and airborne bacteria by way of bioaerosols. So how do these micro organisms enter the body? The most common way is by hand-to-mouth contact during eating, drinking and smoking, or by wiping the face with contaminated hands or gloves. It could also arise from skin contact, through cuts, scratches, or penetrating wounds. Certain organisms can enter the body through the surfaces of the eyes, nose and mouth. Micro organisms could also enter the body by breathing them in, as either dust, aerosol or mist. Since micro-organisms are an inherent part of sewage, the hazard cannot be eliminated. However, a proper assessment of risk is required, but this should not include analysis of sewage for micro-organisms as they can
constantly change. Exposure to sewage should be eliminated or minimized.
The following measures can reduce risk of infection and illness: • Ensure that employees and line management understand the risks through proper instruction, training and supervision. • Pr o v i d e s u i t a b l e p e r s o n a l protective equipment that may i n c l u d e w a t e r p ro o f / a b r a s i o n resistant gloves, footwear, eye and
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COVER ST OR Y respiratory protection. Face visors are particularly effective against splashes.
Street sweepers Street sweepers play an important role in maintaining the health and hygiene within the cities. This job exposes the street sweepers to a variety of risk factors such as dust, toxins and diesel exhaust pollution, which make them vulnerable to develop certain occupational diseases. The dust and other pollutants affect the respiratory system and eye of these workers. There is also the danger of accidents, injuries, cuts and wounds, skin infections, animal bites, etc. In India, the traditional culture has stigmatized street sweeping as a filthy and lowly occupation. The medical problems of these workers are further compounded by various socioeconomic factors such as poverty, lack of education, poor housing conditions and poor diet. According to a study conducted by Indian Journal of Community Medicine there was a high prevalence of chronic bronchitis among these workers which could be attributed to occupational exposure to dust. Other important morbidities include bronchial asthma, pterygium and conjunctivitis. It may be said that exposure to dust in sweepers has an immediate irritating effect on the respiratory tract, leading to some degree of lung function impairment. Protection of the workers with appropriate respiratory protective masks and educating them suitably are recommended. Effective dust-control measures such as wetting the surface before sweeping definitely reduce acute respiratory health hazards. Periodic assessment of pulmonary function by spirometry has to be done.
Solid Waste Management Workers There are potential risks to environment and health from improper handling of solid wastes. Direct health risks concern mainly the workers in this field, who need to be protected, as far as possible, from contact with wastes. There are several health hazards associated with waste handling. They are: • Eye and respiratory infections resulting from exposure to infected dust,
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especially during landfill operations. • Different diseases that result from the bites of animals feeding on waste. • Intestinal infections that are transmitted by flies feeding on waste.
Health Care Cleaning Staff Sa f e g u a rd i n g t h e h e a l t h c a re workforce against occupational health risks, arising from hospitalwaste management, calls for effective infectious waste control measures. In addition to protecting workers’ health, such control measures protect public health and the environment from the hazards posed by hospital waste. Unmanaged hospital waste constitutes a hazard to the personnel because it contains toxic chemicals and pathogens ready to enter the human body
This sector is mainly composed of small and very small companies. Most of the cleaning work is performed as contract cleaning where the cleaners are employed by a cleaning company but work within the premises of one or more “host companies”. The sector also has a large proportion of (sometimes undeclared) self-employed workers, who are mostly found in domestic cleaning. The workforce is predominantly female and most of the workers are working part-time. What are the ailments that affect these workers? Dermatitis or eczema, among professional cleaners is common. They are at risk of skin conditions for the following reasons: • They are exposed to a wide
The working conditions of the sanitary workers have remained virtually unchanged for over a century rajnarayan R. Tiwari through different routes of exposure. The disposal of this waste in dumping grounds can cause harm to those handling waste there. The recent fire at Deonar dumping grounds in Mumbai has raised further questions about the ill effect such wastes not only on the workers and rag pickers, but also on the environs. The rag pickers, who could also be called as managers of these dumps, as they are solely responsible for separating the recyclable waste from the wet waste are prone to dog bite and rat bite. They also often suffer from redness of eyes, headache, backache, and accidental injuries. Some health hazards associated with handling medical waste are: • Sk i n a n d b l o o d i n f e c t i o n s resulting from direct contact with waste and from infected wounds • Incineration operators are at risk of chronic respiratory diseases, including cancers resulting from exposure to dust and hazardous compounds. • There is also the danger of accidents due to several reasons like sharp objects, coming in contact with hazardous chemical waste, etc.
Indoor Professional Cleaners These are workers who work in hotels, malls, shops, and other establishments helping to keep them clean and hygiene.
variety of chemicals, including window, floor and carpet cleaners, fragrances, preservatives, ammonia, solvents, degreasers, bleach and hydrochloric acid. These can act as contact irritants and are sensitizing agents (potential allergens) • Cleaners have responsibility for a wide variety of cleaning tasks, such as mopping and windowwashing and more complex cleaning that requires training and use of highly toxic substances • High rates of “wet work”, i.e., work which requires repeated exposure to or immersion in water If skin conditions are a problem, the workplace should be assessed. Improvements could possibly include the following: • Changing or reducing the number of chemicals in use, or switching to less harsh chemical products • Changing cleaning methods or methods of mixing or diluting products • Educating workers on proper use of personal protective equipment, including gloves, aprons, etc • Providing employees with adequate washing facilities, safe means to remove oil or grease, and barrier creams to use as needed to protect the skin • Change work methods to isolate dangerous processes and reduce employee exposure to toxins n
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C OV E R STOR Y
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11
CLEANING
Dividend from Furniture Maintenance If you are already into carpet cleaning, adding furniture maintenance in your skill menu may bring in rich dividends without much of an investment
F
or some good reason, carpet cleaning is already a soughtafter service in the hospitality sector. But for some other reason, which cannot be qualified as good, there appears to be a laid back attitude towards furniture maintenance. This is despite the fact that the worn out look of the furniture can really damage the impression of a property. Absence of cleaning can also make furniture a den of a variety of allergens. Therefore, to earn furniture cleaning contracts, one needs to a show a little entrepreneurship and explain to the potential clients the
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benefits of upholstery maintenance. It is also now common knowledge that the upholstered furniture can harbour as much allergy-causing agents as the carpets can. Furniture that is not cleaned regularly may turn into a fine habitat for animal dander, pollen, dust mites and other allergens that can pollute the indoor air and increase risk of many diseases among the residents and employees. Since the fabric is closer to the breathing zone, keeping the furniture free of allergens is as critical as cleaning the carpet. Moreover, regular cleaning can also increase
the longevity of furniture materials. With proper communication and the right approach this very reluctance to include furniture cleaning as part of the regular cleaning process in a property can be turned into an opportunity for those who are in the business of cleaning. One need not forget that preserving or restoring the colours of that specially selected furniture item could mean a lot to the consumer with an eye for dĂŠcor. Moreover, the level of competition in the furniture cleaning business is still considerably less. This is an untapped market which is hardly a
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CLEANING focus of any cleaning company. Most of the professional cleaners perform absolutely no furniture cleaning at all. So the cleaners must find out how to make furniture cleaning a significant part of their income.
The Potential If you are not presently cleaning furniture, would a 10 to 25 percent increase in revenues have a welcoming effect on your bottom line? Consider the income potential cleaning furniture represents. Pricing will vary by your target market, the fabric being cleaned, soil level and so forth. According to the trend in developed countries, cleaners make equal or greater income cleaning furniture compared to their carpet cleaning business. Ac c o rd i n g t o a n e s t i m a t e , including furniture cleaning in your menu of cleaning services, the possibility of earning revenue per person can increase by 25 percent. And what’s more, to avail yourself of this additional income opportunity will require stocking just a few additional cleaning agents and the purchase of an upholstery cleaning machine of some sort, or simply a tool to attach to your extractor.
The Right Approach Will you be able to convince potential clients that furniture cleaning is a service they need? You can tell them, to avoid allergies they need to keep their upholstered furniture clean. Marketing your service to designers and furniture retailers can give you a big boost into the market. Demonstrating the amount of soil collected in the fabric can be a real eye-opener. Vacuum the seat of a chair or sofa using a powerful hand vacuum with a dark nylon cloth where the filter bag usually goes. Showing them the soil accumulated on the cloth with just vacuum should convince them of the value of thorough cleaning. As with any service you offer, once the customer trusts you enough to let you in and start cleaning the carpet, all we have to do is to make a sale!
Necessary Equipment As with cleaning carpet, there are a variety of systems and tools to help you accomplish the job. Furniture
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cleaning tools are available that attach to your portable extractor. This provides plenty of water, heat and vacuum for cleaning heavily soiled synthetics. But that may be too much for natural fibers and blends. Cut back on the water pressure and temperature and open the vacuum relief valve on the tool when dealing with more delicate fabrics. A portable unit designed for upholstery cleaning allows a separate technician to clean upholstery. Vacuum, water pressure and adjustable heat allow just the right touch for any fabric you encounter. A low moisture tool may be selected for faster drying times, or if bleeding or shrinkage are of concern. Some units permit cleaning with solvents as well as water. Hand tools along with fiber pads are available if you choose the upholstery cleaning equivalent of bonnet or pad cleaning. Misting a cleaning solution and toweling off by hand is another option for sensitive fabrics, light soil loads or if you wish to try your hand at furniture cleaning without purchasing a machine. Shampoo and dry foam methods are also used but are less common than other procedures. Many fabrics you will be asked to clean have moderate or heavy soiling. A cleaning solution formulated to remove the heaviest body oils, food spills and grease transferred from a mechanic’s jeans is not suitable for all fabrics. So in certain circumstances, cleaning professionals may need to educate their customers on the right cleaning approach and ask for remunerations accordingly. Products with a solvent booster are a good choice for that oily, greasy fabric, if the fabric type and condition allow it. High pH ammoniated cleaners are self-neutralising. They work well on a wide variety of heavy soils. Neutral or acid side cleaners often include ingredients to suspend soil particles. These less aggressive cleaners are safe for most fabrics.
Testing The variety of fibers, fabrics and construction methods increases the likelihood of a problem arising during cleaning. The client’s attachment to the piece increases the likelihood he
will notice any change. Thorough testing and inspection before you start cleaning should be mandatory! Do a complete inspection, looking for previous damage or problems that may come up during your cleaning. Analyse the piping, welting, skirting, etc. Open a zipper on a cushion (if available) to locate a strand of yarn that can be used for fiber ID and do a burn test. At the same time, inspect for manufacturing ink markings that could bleed out during cleaning. You should be able to determine if the fabric is synthetic, natural or a blend, if not the exact fiber itself. Test for colorfastness. Look carefully for any indication that dyes may have bled in the past. Apply the cleaner you intend to use to a white cotton towel. Dampen an inconspicuous area of the piece to be cleaned. Be prepared with a blow dryer and rinse agents just in case. If a fabric is likely to bleed you will probably see the first signs in five or 10 minutes. Many fabrics do not bleed until the final stages of drying, which is why some cleaners prefer to clean furniture in their shops. This is a good precaution when working with expensive pieces or those with many colours in the pattern. An alternative is to apply a product prior to cleaning that will stabilize the dyes. Do not neglect the colourfast test just because you have cleaned an item or a similar one before. Age, use and ultraviolet light degrade dyes. A fabric cleaned without bleeding one time may also bleed in the future. Deep, rich-colours, an abundance of colours and age are all indicators that a fabric has the potential to bleed. However, bleeders are rare. When you encounter one, consider solvent cleaning or use a dye block prior to cleaning. Low moisture with additional drying is another choice for some bleeders. The fabric can be saturated with a solvent before wet cleaning. The solvent prevents moisture f r o m p e n e t r a t i n g t h e f i b e r. With the right amount of training, experience and at times courage, you will find furniture cleaning to be safe and profitable. It is a natural add-on for carpet cleaners. n
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PEST MA N AG EM EN T
Pest Control in Food Processing: Ensuring Safety, Preventing Loss Besides ensuring safety of the ready-to-eat foods, an effective pest control program can help food processing units prevent economic losses caused by raw material contamination due to pest infestation By Ashok Malkani
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odern urban life is almost unimaginable without processed foods. Right from the cookies that people eat with their morning cup of tea to the meat steaks in dinner, processed foods have become integral part of our life. Therefore, ensuring safety of these foods should be of prime concern for the food processing units, especially because they are vulnerable to pest infestation. Moreover, besides ensuring safety, an effective pest control program can help these units prevent tremendous economic losses that the pest can cause by contaminating raw materials. The food processing industry,
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internationally, is subject to a number of regulating bodies. There are specific guidelines and regulations that dictate what products can be used, where those products can be used and what level of control must be achieved. The U S Food and Drug Administration ensures that food and medical products exported from India to the U.S. are safe and have good quality, and are effective. In India, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India inspects food production facilities and food warehouses, collects and analyses samples for physical, chemical and microbial contamination. Food is normally affected by pests which are easily attracted to food
and it is the responsibility of the producers to see that pests do not enter the food processing industry units or, if they do, to get rid of them immediately. Even the most rigorous inspection and maintenance protocols are sometimes not enough to keep insects from infesting a facility. Scientific advancements in professional pest management (PMP) are delivering new products to the marketplace that can be used to supplement any pest control program. Although a PMP will serve as the expert consultant when it comes to diagnosing a pest infestation and prescribing a treatment program, it is important for a facility manager
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P E S T M A N A GEMENT IPM approach in Food Processing Facilities Considered as one of the most successful methods for pest management in food processing units, an Integrated Pest Management System (IPM) strategy involves the following strategy: • Assessment • Development of Pest Management Plan • Plan Implementation • Evaluation of Plan • Adjustments. The pest management plan should encompass the following elements: • Building and materials design and retrofitting; • Exclusion practices • Good sanitation practices • Building maintenance • Inspections and monitoring • Pest identification • Physical and chemical controls. Key points to implementation of an IPM approach for food processing are: • An operational IPM strategy and pest management plan will need to be developed and tailored for specific locations and needs; • The key to success is a commitment by senior company management to proactively develop and implement an IPM strategy in a facility, and allocate expertise to lead, manage and fine tune an effective IPM program; and • Consistent and effective sanitation is the most important component of an IPM plan. to have a basic understanding of the products available. While there are a large number of pest species attracted to the food processing industries, major culprits include: Rats and mice (the main scourge of the F&B industry, which contaminate ten times more food than they consume), cockroaches (they often congregate in large numbers in food processing equipment and appliances), flies (if they manage to get into the food processing lines, they are able to cause bacterial contamination) and stored product pests To keep the pests at bay, it is necessary for the food industry to know which pests are attracted to different kinds of products. Here’s a list of pests you can expect: • Cockroaches • Flying insects • Pests of stored products • Rodents • Bird pests
Pest-controlling products Undetectable liquids: These pesticides (a new technology available to the food handling industry) can be applied as crack, crevice or spot treatments
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inside and outside the facility. Insect growth regulators (IGRs): These are products that interrupt or inhibit the life cycle of an insect. By inhibiting the maturing of insects, an IGR will keep young insect from reaching the critical adult stage, thus stopping the life cycle, killing the pest and reducing the infestation. Fumigant pesticides: They are in a solid or liquid form and after application a fumigant gas is released. The pesticide is able to permeate the facility and penetrate locations that other pesticides cannot reach. Heat treatments are growing in popularity as a chemical-free approach, despite the costs associated with this method. During a heat treatment a facility is heated to 130 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 to 20 hours using propane, electric or steam heaters. Heat treatments do not provide any residual control and do require a facility to be closed during the treatment. To prevent pests from entering the food establishments certain guidelines have been set by WHO and ISO 22000 regarding location
and surroundings, layout and design of food establishment premises, equipment, facilities, food operation controls, management and supervision, food testing facilities, sanitation and personal hygiene among others. Today, the global pest management industry has seen many advances in monitoring and baiting techniques with Green Pesticides; however, some of the pest management practices in India have not kept up with these new techniques for various reasons. Basic global guidelines for the pest management services in food processing facilities are: • Each food processing facility must have a documented pest control program. • It m u s t i n c l u d e a t r a i n e d designated pest management technician, scheduled frequency of services, as well as the following of the documentation and records. • These files need to be maintained on site all the time and should be available for internal and external inspection authorities. Proper pest control in an establishment is a daunting task. Not only have the existing pests to be exterminated, but subsequent arrival through carriers from neighboring premises have to be stopped and it is necessary not to allow favorable conditions for infestation to develop. What you need to know: • You need to know how to prevent pests from entering the premises. • You need to know how to starve them by keeping food unavailable to them. • Yo u n e e d to k now h ow t o deny them places to breed. • You must become thoroughly familiar with the techniques of dealing with each type of pests and how to exterminate them safely. Thus the pest control system is an essential part of processing unit’s food safety program. And the small food processing plants can also choose to hire a professional pest management service provider instead of having an in-house pest-control team due to lack of expertise or shortage of skilled personnel. However, there are positive and negative aspects of each approach, and, therefore, it is important to make a correct assessment of your needs and decide accordingly. n
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LAUND RY
Washing off Worries with Efficient Equipment From manpower and water issues to that of contamination and efficiency, the laundry sector is grappling with many challenges. But thankfully, installation of smart equipment can address majority of these challenges including cost reduction
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he laundry systems in a commercial laundry need to be highly productive and efficient. The operator must understand the need to achieve goals such as higher productivity, streamlining of laundry process,
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creating a more environmentally friendly operation, decreasing the number or hours of attendants, and slashing water and utility costs. The laundry must deliver high production with low operational costs. The washer-extractors, flatwork
ironers and drying tumblers should be highly programmable to meet the individual needs of special markets, including hospitals, hotels, drycleaners, schools etc. To source out the commercial laundry equipment having labour and energy saving
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L AUNDR Y features, that matter most, operator should carefully analyse the features offered by multiple brands vis-Ă -vis cost. Many institutions utilise commercial laundry facilities when they do not have their own laundry set up. These institutions prefer to use a commercial laundry facility to reduce investment and economies, the proper operations by reducing manpower and other related expenses needed for laundry operations. Laundry equipment may also be necessary for in-house laundry facilities as found in many hotels, hospitals, schools, and other organisation that requires laundry services on a frequent enough basis to justify investing in equipment under their own roof.
Types of Laundry Equipment Perhaps the most often thought-of laundry equipment is the washing machine, known as a washer extractor in industrial settings. Washer extractors differ from household washing machines in both their size and features. Whereas most household washing machines have an inlet valve, a standard rinse cycle, and relatively limited options as to cycle types, washer extractors often have up to 4 high-speed inlet valves for quick filling of the tub, a jet spray rinse cycle for thorough rinsing, extremely high speed spin cycles for effective extraction. Much larger capacities, and various features such as overnight soak, soft wash, or delayed start. Although specific details vary according to washer extractor models and manufacturers, they are almost similar in the ability to handle much larger loads of laundry and handling of special options necessary when running a commercial facility. Dr ying machines, or dr yer tumblers, are also found both in homes and commercial settings. Industrial dryer tumblers have a super fast drying capability for quicker drying of laundry, often have an energy efficient design, may have a tumbler that can be reversed manually or automatically, a self-cleaning lint system, and various mechanical parts that make possible features such as instant ignition and more. While dryer tumblers range in the size of load they can handle, the largest equipment
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can handle upwards of 75 pounds of laundry at a time, many times more than a standard household dryer. While homes may use a standard iron, this is not effective for a larger laundry facility. Thus most laundry equipment retailers offer a variety of ironing equipment, which may be heated roll or heated press. Heated roll ironers are preferred by smaller to medium size laundry facilities, while heated chest ironers are used by larger laundries who can afford the greater initial investment.
Special Features Depending on the setting for which the laundry equipment is intended, there may be special features that are desirable in the equipment being purchased. For example, larger versions of the stacked washers and dryers found in many institutions may be preferred for a small or medium size laundry that has very limited space. Coin laundries require equipment that is compatible with coin mechanisms. Many manufacturers of commercial laundry equipment offer machinery that already has coin features in place. Washers and dryers may be topload or frontload, a matter of personal preference as well as determining a fit for the particular application, and range in shape and electricity usage. The wide variety of laundry equipment available ensures that any facility, from the smallest property needing to wash towels to the largest hotel with huge quantities of linens that need to be laundered, can find the equipment right for them. The advent of computer and microprocessor controls in various laundry equipments revolutionised their performance and dramatically reduced the number of employees as well as working hours per employee.
hr. These wonder machines have overcome the two big disadvantages of the washer extractors, which due to their high speed (revolutions per minute) cause more wear and tear in the linen. In addition, these are batch processing systems which in fact set the working pace for the functioning of the laundry, resulting in easier handling of the work and less strain for the staff deployed there.
Industrial Laundries Critical to highly productive commercial and industrial laundries h a ve p ro p e r e q u i p m e n t m i x , machine programming, workflow, laundry design, labour, and loadtype. One should know how to improve laundr y productivity while reducing utilities and labour - to accomplish more, using less. In order to do so one must choose highest quality commercial laundry equipment that can assist in creating productive and efficient on-premise laundries. The supplier should provide proper laundry layout specifications, equipment options and ancillary products to meet specific needs. For pre-existing on-premise commercial laundr y facilities, laundry equipment with improved washing ability, cost-effective options for utilities and ancillary items, expertise in proper chemical usage, and topnotch service are the pre-requisites of the supplier. The laundry equipment should be packed with features designed to improve productivity, simplify the wash process and turnout a consistent, quality result with each wash and must be perfect for industrial laundries. Washers equipped with automatic
Tunnel Laundries The eighties witnessed the advent of the continuous batch processing systems, which are also known as the tunnel washing systems. The modern generation of tunnel washers, if set up and used correctly are designed to give vastly improved productive economics in situations where the loads to be processed are substantially high i.e. in the range of about 400kgs/
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LAUND RY
Best Practices in Hospital Laundry Process Proper laundering and handling are important in achieving and maintaining the hygienically-clean quality of healthcare fabrics and textiles delivered to the point of care, according to a new review that highlights evidence-based strategies to inhibit potentially serious contamination. The review, based on findings and recommendations from peer-reviewed studies, as well as current standards and guidelines, was published online in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA). “We asked the question if current industrial laundry processes are sufficient to interrupt patient-to-patient transmission via clean healthcare textiles (HCT). The evidence we examined suggests this is indeed the case; we found no evidence of microbial carry-over from one patient to the next for patient-care textiles when proper textile management and laundering specifications were used,” said study lead author Lynne Sehulster, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Outbreaks of infectious disease associated with laundered health care textiles are rare: only 12 such outbreaks have been reported worldwide in the past four decades, the study pointed out. However, analyses have identified inadvertent exposure of clean health care textiles to environmental contamination, including exposure to dust in storage areas, or a process failure during laundering. Recommendations on optimal infection-prevention strategies used during the laundering process of HCT include:
chemical injection, high-speed extract and optimum programmability can increase the total productivity and quality. The more productive laundry with lower energy and labour costs can prove to be highly profitable set up.
Hotel Laundry In order to create an on-premise commercial laundry that conserves utilities and labour, while improving productivity, careful selection of the equipment is necessary. One should know the kind of linen needs to be laundered and the load quantity. Mostly the hotels prefer frontload washers with higher extract speed, cutting dry time by as much as possible. A shorter dry time also reduces wear and tear on linens and sheets while simultaneously cutting labour and utility costs.
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• Adherence to Standard Precautions (gown and gloves) and minimal textile agitation when handling contaminated laundry in isolation rooms are considered sufficient to prevent the dispersal of potentially infectious aerosols. • Offsite laundries should carefully package or cover clean textile bundles prior to transport to prevent inadvertent contamination from dust and dirt during loading and unloading. • Laundered HCT must be stored in a manner to keep them dry and free from soil contamination. • If alterations occur in water temperature, agitation, chemical type and concentration, and duration of laundering cycle, the addition of a disinfecting laundry chemical can compensate for the anticipated loss of antimicrobial effectiveness of the overall process. • Laundry additives, such as hydrogen peroxide, peracetic acid and acetic acid, can provide extra disinfection options for short wash cycles of HCT or for those laundry situations in which chlorine bleach is not indicated. • Industrial laundering offers more control of the process and can be tailored to adequately disinfect HCT with more choices of detergent and laundry additives compared to home laundering. • The importance of temperature, relative humidity, and moisture control in storage areas is central to preventing microbial proliferation in and on materials that have some organic components.
The automatic chemical injection process also eliminates the need to add chemicals manually - cutting down on overuse and detergent waste. The drying tumblers and flatwork ironers also need to perfectly finish tablecloths, napkins and linens. In industrial laundries if linens are fed directly from the washer to the ironer, without drying, it can dramatically boost the laundry production, cutting labour and utility costs.
Hospital Laundry The importance of a clean environment and linen for optimal patient care has been stressed upon since the very inception of hospitals. It goes without saying that “supportive” services are indispensable for a hospital to perform in the true perspective and deliver good patient care; besides
going a long way in developing good public relation of the hospital. Studies have proved beyond doubt, that hospital acquired infections show an increase whenever laundry and linen services are inadequate. Production and hygiene is key when equipping a laundry in a hospital. Washers should have extract speeds that top out at more than 387-G force, cutting dry time by as much as 50 percent. In doing so, facilities also cut utility costs, power consumption and labour, while maximizing production. Automatic chemical injection ensures the right cleaning chemicals and softeners are used at the appropriate water temperatures and cycles. Washers should also be highly programmable with multiple program selections, pre-programmed options and user programmable options; creating a guaranteed clean! n
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WA STE MAN AG EM EN T
Managing Biomedical Waste Biomedical waste should be segregated and put into colour-coded bins or bags at the source or the hospital/healthcare facility itself, and they should be treated and incinerated in a separate plant By Jyotismita Sharma
D
ue to the highly hazardous nature of waste generated in hospitals and health care facilities, it poses serious environmental and health risks if not treated properly. Medical and biomedical wastes comprise hazardous liquids, chemicals, solids and sharp objects. Since hazardous waste management is a sensitive issue touching the lives of millions of citizens, it is governed by the guidelines and regulations set by the government for the welfare of its citizens. Due to the serious risks it poses to humans, treatment of medical waste must begin at the healthcare facilities itself. Medical waste in the form of contaminated needles, scalpels, syringes, blades and other sharp objects can be collected and segregated into labeled, colourcoordinated and sealed containers before sending it for disposal. While black bags should be used for collecting food waste, red bags are meant for plastic disposables such as catheter, gloves and IV fluid bottles. Yellow bags are meant for
disposing of human waste including used dressing pads, plaster, and needles and so on. Also needle tips need to be destroyed in needle cutters and hubs disposed of in red covers. Contaminated syringes and needles which are not disposed of correctly pose a particular kind of risk through unsafe use in future by hazardous recycling and repackaging. Contaminated objects like needles and syringes may be scavenged from dumpsites and can be either reused or sold to an unsuspecting buyer. Not only that, contaminated syringes and other equipment pose occupational hazards to health workers, waste handlers and scavengers. Where waste is dumped into areas without restricted access, children may come into contact with contaminated waste and play with used needles and syringes. Sterilization of reusable medical equipments is another prevalent way of medical waste management through microwaves, chemical cleaning etc. This process helps hospitals to cut costs through sustained
use of costly medical equipment. But the most popular disposal method in all leading hospitals for medical and biomedical waste is incineration. The process is simple enough where all the contaminated wastes are introduced to extreme heat and detoxified. However, this method has its share of controversies. Incineration leads to release of lethal materials into air such as dioxin or mercury, furans and other toxic air pollutants. In fact, dioxins have been classified as a “known human carcinogen” by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). So the question is ‘Is incineration safe enough?’
The Way Forward To ensure that incineration is done safely, best practices must be followed for optimal use. Best practices for incineration include constructing incinerators away from residential areas thereby minimising exposures to humans, properly engineered design, suitable construction to achieve optimal levels
Quantum of Biomedical Wastes The details of quantum of bio-medical wastes generation in the country during 2011, 2012 and 2013, as per information provided by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) are given below:Year Bio-medical Waste Generation
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2011
2012
2013
4,15,429 Kg/Day
4,16,824 kg/day
4,16,824 kg/day
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WA S T E M A N A GEMENT of combustion, proper maintenance and training to operators etc. Following the best practices for incineration will help to minimise public health risks as well as occupational hazards. Even before sending the medical waste to incinerators, waste can be segregated to ensure that only appropriate wastes are incinerated. Likewise, sharps can be shredded or melted down
to avert environmental mishaps. The management of both medical and biomedical waste necessitate due diligence and attention to avoid health and environmental risks. The trick is to select the correct course of action for different types of waste and set the priorities as per the best practices. The safe disposal of medical and biomedical waste is of utmost importance for patients to receive proper healthcare
and recover in safe environments.
Implementation Challenge The Government of India has promulgated Bio-medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998 (BMW Rules) under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 for ensuring environmentally sound management of bio-medical waste generated in the country. Further,
Hospital Waste and their Common Treatment Sharp Objects: Syringes and needles, blades, scalpels and glass which can result in health risks if not treated properly. Treatment: Sharp objects can be sterilised and special shredding equipment can be used for shredding. Plastics: Plastic items in the form of syringes, IV bottles, urine bags, tubes etc. are contaminated after use. Treatment: Autoclave, microwave as well as shredding to stop reuse. Pathological Waste: Cotton dressings, blood bandages, human tissue etc. Treatment: Proper disposal through incineration and deep burial. Microbiological Waste: Utmost care should be taken to prevent mixing of viral and bacterial polluted waste with uninfected waste. Treatment: Autoclaved or Hydroclaved plus incineration Liquid wastes: All body fluids be it urine, blood orsuctions. Treatment: Chemical disinfection though 1% bleach for 1 hourafter which it canbe discharged tosewer.
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WA STE MAN AG EM EN T Government of India amended the said rules in the year 2000 and 2003. According to the rules, it is the duty of every occupier of an institution generating biomedical waste including hospitals, nursing home, clinic, dispensary, veterinary institution, animal house, pathological laboratory, blood bank, etc., to ensure that such waste is handled without any adverse effect to human health and the environment. However, it has been widely re p o r t e d t h a t h o s p i t a l w a s t e management norms in most parts of the country are not properly followed and for evidence of them being dumped in the open, one need not go very far. A casual look around the waste dumping sites in the cities could reflect how callously the hazardous hospital waste is actually handled in the country, posing a serious threat to the well-being of its residents. In its recent report, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has observed that untreated liquid waste in discharged into municipal drains in Odisha and hospitals across the state are lagging behind in meeting the bio-medical waste management norms. The CAG found that the rules are given a go by in Haryana too. In fact, be it Patna or Panaji, Bhubaneswar or Varanasi, healthcare facilities in most cities and states are yet to come in terms with proper implementation of the biomedical waste management norms. The Central Government states that public health being a State subject, it is the primary responsibility of the concerned State/Union Territory governments to take appropriate actions for proper management and disposal of bio-medical waste at public health facilities through the State Pollution Control Boards in pursuance of Bio-medical Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 1998 of Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India. The Pollution Control Boards/Committees are empowered to ensure the compliance of provisions of these rules. Under National Health Mission (NHM), financial assistance is provided to State/UTs Governments within their resource envelope for Bio-medical waste management
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and infection control activities in public health facilities based on their proposals in Programme Implementation Plan (PIP) of NHM. This includes support for Civil Works for Operationalising Infection Management & Environment Plan at health facilities, Human Resource for Biomedical waste management activities such as Incinerator Operators, procurement of equipment such as trolleys, autoclaves, incinerators, colour coded bins, and buckets etc., IMEP training of medical officers, district and state programme managers, health staffs etc., in Biomedical Waste Management Practices, IMEP protocols and activities.
Further, Government of India has recently released ‘Operational Guidelines for National Quality Assurance in Public Health Facilities’ for supporting states’ efforts to improve the quality in District Hospitals, Community Health Centres and Primary Health Centres wherein all State/UTs have been requested to get their facilities certified as per National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) which inter alia requires the facilities to conform to Bio-medical waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998. A provision of incentives has also been made for the facilities which are able to achieve and retain the certification. n
Green operating rooms benefit the bottom line Efforts to “green” operating rooms can result in cost savings for hospitals and reduce the environmental impact without compromising patient care, argues an analysis published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). “The operating room is a disproportionate contributor to health care waste and represents a high-yield target for change,” said Yoan Kagoma, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, Ontario, Canada. Operating rooms produce approximately 20%-33% of all waste in hospitals, and much of this waste is subjected to specialized high-energy processing which is expensive and has negative environmental and health impacts. Figures from 2007 indicate that US health care facilities contributed 8% of total greenhouse gas emissions and disposed of more than 4 billion pounds of waste, making the sector the second-largest producer of landfill waste after the food industry. In 2008, Canadian hospital activities were the second most energy-intensive activity, consuming the energy of 440 000 homes. “In fact, a single operation may produce more waste than a family of four produces in a week,” the study authors wrote. “Operating rooms pose a particular challenge to waste management because of the need for absolute sterility,” they added. “Fortunately, technologies and waste-reduction strategies have emerged that satisfy the ‘triple bottom line’ (people, planet and profits), by reducing health care costs and environmental effects without compromising patient care,” the study said.
Principles for Greening Operating Rooms • Separating waste into normal waste and biohazard or medical waste streams, as the latter requires high-energy processing, and training staff to differentiate. An estimated 50%-80% of normal waste is disposed of as hazardous waste • Investing in closed collection systems to discharge liquid waste into sanitary sewers, which reduces the amount of waste needing high-energy treatment. • Using smart monitors to reduce energy use when operating rooms are vacant. • Partnering with medical equipment companies to promote greener packaging; a major contributor to waste is plastic packaging. • Reprocessing single-use devices to make them suitable for reuse. • Exploring alternative disposal methods to incineration, which is responsible for significant emissions of dioxin and furan in Canada. • Creating environmental stewardship staff teams to promote and coordinate greening activities.
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IAQ
Low Cost Solution for
Hotel Air Purification A cost effective way to control microbial and mould growth in room air conditioners and also on central air handling units is to install ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) modules around the cooling coils and in ducts By Ankur Parikh
A
ccording to the US Environmental Protection Agency, indoor air is often more seriously polluted than outdoor air. Given that many of us spend up
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to 90 percent of our time indoors or in vehicles, this is significant. Some of the common pollutants in air include dust and particles, odours, volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
While these pollutants may be the most obvious indicators of poor indoor air quality, there is another category of pollutants which is far more dangerous – microorganisms.
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IAQ These microbes include bacteria and viruses which are responsible for the spread of infectious diseases and also fungal contaminants which are common causes of allergies in humans. Hotels are often unique residential environments in that the living quarters are typically small and do not always have direct air supply, only air conditioning or heaters. Hotels will typically have one or more central air handling unit (AHU) providing air to various parts of the structure. Although this central AHU may have medium to low efficiency filters, in most cases the room ACs have simple dust filter fabric. As a result, these ACs tend to collect and develop spores over time. The condensation in the coils and filters provides an ideal climate for growth of microorganisms and leads to air quality problems in rooms, which manifests itself as a foul smell when the AC unit is turned on. It can also lead to a drastic reduction in efficiency as the mould growth reduces heat transfer efficiencies in the coil leading to higher energy costs. Regular maintenance of room ACs normally involves removing the unit and cleaning it with an acid or fungicide once a year. In a 200 to 400 room hotel where only a couple of units can be cleaned per day, this means that about half the units will have months of accumulation during the times of the year when they need it most – summer and monsoon. Changes and upgrades in maintenance schedules can help, but this is expensive.
Want a Cost Effective Solution? A more cost effective way to control microbial and mould growth in room ACs and also on central air handling units is to install ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) modules around the cooling coils and in ducts. UVGI is a disinfection method that uses 254 nanometer ultraviolet (UV) light to kill microorganisms. It is effective in destroying the nucleic acids in these organisms, leaving them unable to perform vital cellular functions including multiplication. This is relatively easy to accomplish for larger AHUs but can be sometimes tricky in smaller room units due to lack of space. In a study performed by Alfaa UV,
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a leading manufacturer of stainless steel UV purification systems, the installation of UVGI modules in a hotel decreased the presence of airborne mould spores by over 90% in only two weeks of operation!
UVGI and Health To reduce the chances of cross contamination, disinfection of the air passing through the air handling unit (AHU) of the HVAC system is important. History has shown that the use of UV light in purification of air reduces multiplication of pathogens and with it, associated diseases. UVGI units placed in ducts disinfect contaminated air as it passes through the ducts and reduces the chance of cross contamination as air circulates through the HVAC system.
UVGI and Energy Savings Cooling coil irradiation systems have been among the most successful applications of UV, largely due to the fact that they can save significant energy. The photo shows a typical installation designed for irradiating cooling coils while simultaneously irradiating the airstream. Since a biofilm on a cooling coil reduces the space between the coil fins (increasing pressure loss and reducing airflow) and decreases the heat transfer coefficient, keeping these surfaces clean is necessary to maintain design performance. In typical cooling coil disinfection systems, UV lamps are located so as to irradiate either the upstream and/or downstream surface of the
coil. In the example shown in the image, UV lamps are positioned on both the upstream and downstream sides of a cooling coil. More often however, only one side is irradiated. Often, the target microorganisms for cooling coil disinfection are spores, including fungal spores and bacterial spores. Common fungal spores like Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Cladosporium, and bacterial spores like Bacillus subtilis, may be used as indicator organisms. A combination of UVGI units in coils and ducts has the dual effect of creating safer and cleaner indoor air quality as well as significantly lowering running costs of HVAC systems. It can be the differentiator between an environment conducive to health with lower costs, or one that can rapidly multiply infections and allergies along with high running costs. n
(The author is Director – Industrial Sales, Alfaa UV)
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PRODUCT PREVIEW OFFERING CUSTOMISED SOLUTIONS
Established in the year 2000, at Bengaluru, Karnataka, Uniclean Equipments are the leading manufacturer and supplier of Vacuum Cleaners, Mega Trap for Mosquitoes, Scrubbers, Sweepers and High Pressure Washer. Uniclean hold the expertise in manufacturing and supplying a wide assortment of Industrial Vacuum Cleaner. In order to assemble this range of vacuum cleaner, they use the finest quality components that are tested to ensure the quality of the end product. The offered range finds usage in various sectors such as engineering, foundry & abrasive industries, hospital, institutions, automobile & service center, hotels & halls, etc. Further, they provide this range to clients in various specifications at market leading prices. The wellorganized team of professionals assists in providing innovative techniques to save time and resolve housekeeping applications. They ensure that the offered products are manufactured using premium quality raw material in adherence with the international quality standards. Optimum quality, superior performance, long lasting service, less maintenance cost and user friendly interface makes their offered products highly popular amongst clients. In addition to this, these undergo several tests on well-defined parameters to assure their flawlessness and quality before supplying to clients. The company offers after sale support and customized solutions as per the details provided by the clients. Owing to hi-tech transportation facility and proficiency of delivery agents, they deliver these products to clients in timely manner across the country. Managed under the leadership of our mentor Thyagaraj (Director), the organization has reached the apex of success and has gained appreciation from all over the country. He motivates the workforce to strive hard and achieve the predefined goal of organization. Uniclean Equipments Pvt. Ltd. sales@uniclean.in www.uniclean.in
CLEANING THROUGH MICRO FIBERS
Partek offers its Micro Fiber High Performance Cleaning Cloth, which can make a perceptible change in your cleaning process for the better. It can facilitate you to prevent crosscontamination in a much better way than a conventional cloth. The product has been designed to give you enormous cleaning power with just plain water. The micro fibers in this cleaning cloth are 200 times thinner than hair, which enables them to reach every micro pore of any surface that needs to be cleaned. And when you wash it, the cloth releases dirt really fast, unlike the conventional cotton cloth. With this cloth, you have no need to use soap or costly detergents, thereby making it an environment-friendly product also. Partek’s micro fiber cloth is available in two types — regular & life. The product comes in four colours; blue, green, red and yellow. Cleaning through this cloth leaves no room for lint, and even if you forget to wash it after use, there will be no bacterial build-up. Besides the utilitarian, hygienic and environmental aspects, the soft and plush feel of the cloth gives you a unique pleasure while cleaning; without the need for scratching even the delicate surfaces. The micro fiber cloth could last 300 -500 washes, which gives it a durable character. Nutech Jetting Equipments India Private Limited info@nutechgroup.org
SKY HAS THE DEPTH OF QUALITY
The journey of Sky Enterprises did begin in the pre-independence era. The company has come a long way from the days of Raj to the cyber age. However, over the years, its endeavour to provide quality products has not changed. It has never compromised on is the quality of cloth and dress materials used. The product range of Sky Enterprises is valued for its high quality products and fine stitching. The company uses high grade raw materials, which are sourced from its trusted vendors. Today Sky Enterprises is regarded as a pioneer in the field of manufacturing and supply of uniforms and uniform related accessories, and hand-made zari embroidery in India. The company’s product range include waiter uniforms, Chef uniforms, uniforms for Indian Air Force and Indian Navy, school uniforms, reception uniforms, uniforms for air hostesses, security uniforms, housekeeping uniforms, and all other types of corporate uniforms. The company’s prestigious clientele list includes Indian Air Force and Indian Navy among others. Besides institutional uniform tailoring, the company also executes complete job of drapery and stitching on order. SKY Enterprises skyenterprisesindia@gmail.com
The information published in this section is as per the details furnished by the respective manufacturer/distributor. In any case, it does not represent the views of Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
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INTE RVIE W
‘Housekeeping is Synonymous with Passion and Excellence’ By Sharmila Chand Starting her career in 2003 as a Housekeeping Associate, Shilpa Kampani has, over the years, worked with multiple companies, brands and hotels in different geographical locations across the country. Each of these adventures gave her an enriching exposure to this extravagant world of housekeeping, making her realize that she has a natural inclination towards building the department from scratch. Thus grew her love towards preopening of properties. During this journey, she has also realized that running the operations, however, is altogether a kind of experience in itself. And her experience has helped her develop the expertise in both pre –openings as well as managing operations. Excerpts from an interview with this accomplished Executive Housekeeper currently serving the Goa Marriott Resort & Spa: How important in your opinion introduction of modern equipment What elements do you take into is housekeeping to hospitality? has allowed better rationalization account while recruiting staff in The plush interiors, expensive and optimization of manpower. housekeeping department? artwork, dazzling surfaces are all Both draw our focus towards higher Attitude -- just an attitude -- denotes a part of a regular hotel setup. Yet efficiency at a much reduced cost. the sole passion to serve. Technicalities a speck of dust or an unwanted can be improved with the kind of crease could ruin your total elevating Please name any one tool training structure we have at Marriott’s. experience. Having said this, what which has made the operations the growing hospitality industry in much easier? What is the role of the India really needs is a simple clean A s i m p l e c l o t h D u s t e r . housekeeping staff in the toilet, clean linen and clean air to context of security? breath. I feel that a good housekeeper Housekeeping, as complex as With the extent of access and tends to focus on these aspects. the function, requires rigorous areas covered by housekeeping, training. How much of an we are specially trained on every What is the modus operandi emphasis does the hotel place aspect of safety and security of housekeeping operations on this? How significant is the -- be it for guest or the staff. role of training in this area of at your hotel? We have a training program called A typical day at home on an off day management? “See Something, Say Something” would amount the same work as a Training is the backbone for efficiency which every housekeeper undergoes day at work – cleaning, beautifying and consistent high quality delivery. from safety and security point of view. and enhancing the environment of Every associate not only gets trained for my lobby, my corridors, my rooms an initial period of three months before Would you like to give any and my restaurant. Providing facilities taking over his/her responsibilities, other input in the context of to my colleagues / subordinates, but supervisors themselves impart housekeeping in your hotel? who need to be given a clean and training daily through a concept Housekeeping is synonymous with pleasant environment at work, practiced at Marriott Global, called passion and excellence. But without can also be added to the list. as 15 minutes training program a team, even a person as passionate during routine/daily briefings. as me, we can never accomplish What are the new trends excellence. My team is my strength. in housekeeping? Please How does India compare with c o m m e n t o n t h e l a t e s t the international scenario with What are the challenges that regards to housekeeping? housekeeping scenario. you have to face in your job From a technical standpoint, ever From an international perspective responsibilities? improving/ innovating technology, housekeeping is a technical job My only challenge is to overcome my upgradation and inventions have that delivers a clean and crisp inhibitions to deliver consistently, given tools to perform varied tasks environment. Whereas, for us as but there I have my team as my in a conducive atmosphere and even an Indian housekeeper, we work support. There is very little to say more efficiently (i.e. from automated towards delivering a product, where that I don’t like about my job, brushes for carpets, to ionizers to clean our guest feel like “home, away as I love every aspect of what I the air). From a productivity point of from home”. That is why we follow do. It has been a passion since I view, combination of training and the mantra of “Atithi Devo Bhava”! decided to be a housekeeper. n
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Regd. No. R.N. DELENG/2001/7213
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