Clean & Hygiene Review ( Mar-Apr 2014)

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Publisher cum Editor Rajneesh Sharma Resident Editor Sharmila Chand (Delhi) Ashok Malkani (Mumbai) Layout & Design Hari Kumar. V Narender Kumar Production Assistant Mamta Sharma Business Co-ordinator Pooja Anand Advertising Sales Delhi: Debabrath Nath, Sumesh Sharma Mumbai: Rajesh Tupsakhre Subscription Sales Dattaram Gangurde Director Sales Sanjay Anand Director Operations & Finance Rajat Taneja Editorial & Advertising Offices: Delhi: Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd. 1202, Pragati Tower, 26, Rajindra Place, New Delhi-110008 Phone: 91-11-45084903, 25854103 / 05 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: hammerpublishers@vsnl.net © 2014 Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd.

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.

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In a recent award ceremony in London that was organised to honour the top 50 restaurants of the world, Danish restaurant Noma regained its number one position. Considered the Oscars of fine dining, the San Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurant Awards, however, did not feature a single restaurant from India, although Gaggan, an Indian restaurant in Bangkok ranked 17th in the list.

Organised by UK-based Restaurant Magazine and sponsored by Italian drinks manufacturers San Pellegrino and Acqua Panna, the list was decided by votes compiled from 900 prominent restaurant industry figures from across the world.

While the list sufficiently displays that global interest in Indian cuisine is far from diminishing, many may find the absence of a restaurant from India as a poor reflection on the standards of Indian restaurants. However, hardly any global list can be considered as a final say on the quality of food that some of the best Indian restaurants serve.

The utility of the list may be that it could encourage a few of the Indian restaurants to get even better. However, one aspect that perhaps deserves the attention of all is that people always do not visit a restaurant just to have food and that it is not always the quality of food that solely determines how good a restaurant is. Cleanliness of the place and hygiene of the restaurant employees is equally important to earn the reputation as safe dining destination.

The Cover Story of this issue elucidates the significance of keeping hygiene in the restaurant. It notes that while controlling the pests may rightly become your priority, it is not just the pests that can put you on a spot if a restaurant is what you run for climbing the ladders of success in the hospitality business. From designs of the interiors to personal hygiene of the kitchen staff and those who serve at the table, the routes that one must not miss to reach the destinations of hygiene and cleanliness in a restaurant are many.

The Business Story of this issue unravels the growing opportunities for the facility managers in the fast expanding horizons of shopping malls driven by the affluence of the swelling middle class population. As malls are now expanding beyond the boundaries of metro cities and consolidating their foothold in the tier II and tier III cities, facility managers can hope to open new channels of revenue generation as most of these malls would not be able to do without the services of the facility managers.

The Report of this issue discusses the implications of the findings by WHO that air pollution today has emerged as the single largest health risk in the world. A feature that offers a comprehensive guide on carpet care is a highlight of this issue.

And as the summer sets in and you get charged up to embrace a new government at the Centre, I hope, the other regular features of the magazine too will offer new insights into some of your pressing needs.

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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Mar-Apr ’14

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COVER STORY

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BUSINESS

FLOOR

Contents ontents SECTIONS 4

Event

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News Scan

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Cleaning

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Laundry

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West Management

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IAQ

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Product Preview

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Interview

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MAINTENANCE

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PEST MANAGEMENT 3

HOSFAIR Guangzhou 2014: Leading International Exhibition for the Hospitality Industry HOSFAIR Guangzhou 2014— the 12th Guangzhou International Hospitality Equipment & Supplies Fair 2014, is slated to be a leading global show for hospitality, food service, and food & beverage industries.

The 12th Guangzhou International Hospitality Equipment & Supplies Fair will be held during 26th-28th June 2014 at Area A, China Import and Export Fair Complex, in Guangzhou, China. It is believed that this annual show will have an impressive display of the latest products and innovations pertaining to the hospitality industry.

The show will represent several sectors, which will be segmented under Hotel Equipment & Supplies and Food & Beverage. The sectors will include food service, kitchen equipment, hotel furniture, freezing equipment, tableware & accessories, clean and laundry, interior supplies, intelligence & POS systems, hotel lighting, hotel textile, wine & spirits, ice-cream, canned & processed food, coffee & tea, bakery

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products and dairy food. The 12th Guangzhou International Hospitality Equipment & Supplies Fair is expected to keep the visitors up to date with the key trends across hospitality sector in Asia.

HOSFAIR Guangzhou 2014 will have concurrent events like Guangzhou International Coffee Carnival and (Barista) Latte Art Championship, 2014 Cocktail Open Bar Operation and Champion Bartenders Show.

Here it deserves a mention that the 11th Guangzhou International Hospitality Equipment & Supplies Fair (HOSFAIR Guangzhou 2013) was held during 27th -29th June 2013 at China Import and Export Fair Complex, across Hall 1.1-5.1. The show garnered excellent suppliers and purchasers from the hospitality industry, all across the globe. The event was spread across 63,000 sq m exhibiting space, and attracted 1308 exhibitors. During the-three-day show, 61,088 trade professionals gathered from more than 70 countries and regions.

Mar-Apr ’14

NEWS SCAN

An Educative Session

Based on the various concerns raised by the multi-speciality hospitals and other nursing homes with regard to keeping the premises not just clean but hygienic, Partek has recently come out with specialised Hygieiology Systems targeted towards the abovementioned concerns.

Focussing on effectively cleaning, disinfecting and sanitising the various areas in a hospital along with keeping the environment germ-free, Partek Hygieiology Systems has been carefully designed while keeping the critical healthcare environment challenges in mind, which could be hazardous if not addressed urgently and with dexterity.

A training session on systematic and efficient housekeeping endeavours was successfully conducted at Fortis Escorts in Jaipur during 15th- 16th April 2014. The session was carried out

by Ravindra Bhatia (MD, Nutech Group) and CK Singh (Head Marketing, Nutech Group).

The two-day-long session consisted of detailed practical exposure to the house-keepers in the presence of Arti Trivedi (Housekeeping Manager, Fortis Escorts Hospital). With the expert guidance of Ravindra Bhatia, the session included imparting systematic approach towards carrying out day-today cleaning duties along with using the cleaning tools and machines in an optimal and economical way.

Also, new ways of hygiene management were disseminated to the employees with hands-on demonstration, using Partek’s tools and machines. Furthermore, tackling the concerns and doubts of the housekeepers, facilitating them to work efficiently and help them cope up with the changing cleaning patterns and technology were addressed. Overall, it was an empowering session leaving housekeepers better equipped to maintain optimum levels of hygiene at Fortis Escorts Hospital.

Philips Introduces Air Purifiers In view of the increasing health risks that exposure to indoor air pollution poses to people in developing countries, Philips has now introduced air purifiers in its consumer lifestyle portfolio of products. “ T h e s e products have been developed keeping in mind the need of developing countries,” A Krishna Kumar, Philips India Vice Chairman and Managing Director, was quoted as saying.

This first-of-its-kind product for Philips to be marketed globally, was designed and developed at the company’s innovation centre in Bangalore.

“As a health and wellbeing company, we aim to deliver meaningful innovations in personal health and well-being to improve people’s lives,” Krishna Kumar said.

Waste to Energy Solutions Mailhem Engineers, a leading Indian waste management and renewable energy company, has joined hands with Lhotellier Ikos, a French-based group specialising in infrastructure and renewable energy as well as in water management and treatment for providing waste to energy solutions in India.

The joint venture — Mailhem Ikos Environment Private Limited — will provide centralised solutions for waste management. The joint venture will establish a large scale (up-to 500 tonnes) waste management bio gas plant in India.

The joint venture will specialise in energy production from organic as well as household waste, turnkey bio gas plant and recycling solutions including design, construction & operations, and landfill restoration, and degassing.

Commenting on the potential of waste to energy solutions, Paul Lhotellier, President, Lhotellier Ikos Group said, “Creation and execution of the waste to energy solutions are a win-win situation, both economically through production of energy and environmentally through reusage of waste.”

Mar-Apr ’14

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NEWS SCAN

Kerala Gets Its Largest Industrial Laundry To cater to the long-term demands of the booming hospitality industry in and around Kochi, Munnar and Kumarakom, Magnamind Ventures, promoted by a group of UAE-based professionals, has set up Kerala’s first large scale industrial laundry at KINFRA’s Small Industries Park in Nellad near Muvattupuzha.

Set up with an investment of Rs. 15 crore, the 20,000-sq ft laundry complex with a capacity of 15-tonnes per day is the largest of its kind not only in Kerala but in India’s southern region, company officials reportedly said.

Magnamind would also start linen rentals and have collection points in Kochi and Thrissur initially “Once our operations are in full stream, we will expand the number of collection centres up to 50 across the state,” Sreejith Narendran, Managing Director of Magnamind Ventures was quoted as saying.

Laundry Project set to Spread Wings Chennai-based launderer Laundry Project India is all set to expand its operations to Gurgaon and Pune by raising funding of Rs 10 crore by the end of 2014 through Unitus Seed Fund.

Besides Chennai, the company, which owns the brand Wassup, currently operates in Bangalore.

To cash on the growing laundry market in India, the Laundry project would also add 40 Wassup retail outlets through franchisee model.

It would invest around Rs.2 crore each in the Gurgaon and Pune projects with a washing capacity of four-five tonne a day, said R. Balachandar, founder and CEO of laundry Project.

“In Chennai we will be setting up another unit at a similar outlay,” he added.

Having garnered corporate clients in the hospitality sector, Laundry Project also announced plans to venture into related areas – leasing of linen for hotels and corporate uniforms.

Although in India taking linen on lease is a relatively new area, business pundits feel such concepts would soon catch up in the country.

C.R.I Pumps acquires Italian company Coimbatore-based C.R.I. Pumps has acquired Fabbrica Italiana Pompe Sommergibili Srl (FIPS), Milan, Italy, which has an established track record of performance in waste and sewage water pumps, across the globe.

The company, which plans to invest Euro 2 million in the coming year, did not disclose the acquisition amount.

“With the acquisition of FIPS Italy, CRI will be launching the complete range of sewage and waste water pump solutions in India using the technology transfer advantage from FIPS Italy,” said G. Soundararajan, Vice Chairman, CRI Pumps Pvt Ltd. “CRI with its strong manufacturing and R&D capability, will be able to offer world class technology to meet the growing industry demands,” Soundararajan added.

This acquisition would enable CRI to offer new and innovative technologies in sewage, effluent, drainage and waste water handling solutions for municipal, industrial, residential and building applications, said the company.

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Mar-Apr ’14

Mar-Apr ’14

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COVER S T O R Y

Pathways of Keeping

Restaurant Hygiene

By Ashok Malkani

Pests are problematic, but it is not just the pests that can put you on a spot if a restaurant is what you run for climbing the ladders of success in the hospitality business. From designs of the interiors to personal hygiene of the kitchen staff and those who serve at the table, the routes that one must not miss to reach the destinations of hygiene and cleanliness in a restaurant are many

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not so str ange fact that some studies have substantiated is that more than the comfort of sitting arrangements and the taste of the food it is the cleanliness of the place and hygiene of the staff that the diners care more while choosing a restaurant. Given the hazards that contaminated food can cause, it is

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not very difficult to understand why hygiene tops the priority lists of the discerning diners.

Therefore, a restaurant must be built, positioned and designed in such a way as to ensure that every activity related to food is performed safely and under strict parameters of cleanliness.

Inter ior design, choice of

equipment, sanitary products and training of the restaurant staff, all play a crucial role in achieving good sanitary practice in a restaurant.

Every mistake made in these areas could cause you trouble as they may lead to some type of contamination.

Moreover, it is important that best practices to keep hygiene are followed by the staff everyday without fail.

Restaurant design and regular monitoring is also important to keep the common pests, that offer a constant threat to invade the kitchen and ruin your reputation, at bay.

Maintaining Kitchen Hygiene According to experts, up to 40 percent of food poisoning cases are attributed to poor hand washing and cross-contamination in the kitchen.

Two ways to prevent this are -- ensure hand-washing supplies are in stock, and clean and sanitise equipment and surfaces between tasks properly.

Using properly diluted sanitisers and disinfectants will assist in keeping food preparation surfaces clean and free of food-borne bacteria such as salmonella.

Also, designating colour-coded cleaning tools and kitchen supplies such as cutting boards for specific tasks will help to reduce the opportunity for cross contamination.

Like many cooking surfaces, kitchen drains can also harbour harmful bacteria such. To limit opportunities for bacteria growth, establish a regular drain line maintenance program to keep drains free of debris and odours. Further, a maintenance programme will help to prevent buildup that can cause drain backups and provide breeding grounds for drain flies.

Mar-Apr ’14

C O V E R STORY Some of the factors that multiply bacteria are: warmth and moisture. Bacteria can multiply every ten minutes and grow in the danger zone (between 5 o C and 63 o C).

One bacterium becomes one thousand in only 1 hour 40 minutes. Their preference for growth is 37 o C - blood heat. To keep food in good condition high risk cold food should be kept below 5 o C and high risk hot food over 63 o C.

Best Practices for Servers Thos who serve food at the table come in contact with food as much as the kitchen staff does. Therefore, it is extremely important for them to adhere to sanitary guidelines so as not to put health of customers at risk through food contamination.

Management must make sure that the staff is educated on all sanitary procedures: The following rules can be of help to the servers: • Hair must be up to prevent it from falling into food.

• Uniform, apron, hands and especially nails must always be clean.

• Hands must be washed after every possible contamination: handling of money, use of the restroom, handling dirty dishes, sneezing, coughing, smoking, eating, etc.

• Hands must be washed properly and thoroughly and never dried with an apron or a dish cloth.

• Staff should not come to work if they have an open wound or if they are sick.

• Staff should not come to work if they have Hepatitis A, Escherichia Coli, Salmonella Typhi or Shigella until they receive an official confirmation from a doctor that they are cured.

• Clean dishes must be held so as not to touch areas where customers will put their mouths. Therefore, utensils are to be held by their handles, glasses by the lower end near the bottom, plates by their rims, etc.

• Napkins and tablecloths must be held in a clean and dry area, far from

Mar-Apr ’14

the floor, protected from flies, dust, or other harmful conditions.

• Polishing cloths are to be used for that purpose only and must be kept in sanitary conditions as well.

• Utensils that have fallen to the floor must be replaced with clean ones.

• Dirty dishes must be completely separated f rom the food that is served.

• All the meals are to be served from a tray before something else is placed on it.

• If the food is held on a low temperature, the temperature must be low enough, and if the food is kept on a high temperature, it must be high enough so as to prevent harmful microorganisms from developing.

Food kept on display must be stirred in a timely manner.

• When pouring from a pitcher or a bottle it is important to avoid contact with the glass, especially if the customer has already used it. This prevents cross-contamination.

• It is important to notify customers to use a clean plate every time they go to a buffet table to get food. A polite way to do this is to remove their dirty plates which will entice them to use clean ones.

Training Staff to Maintain Hygiene Training for ensuring cleanliness standards in the kitchen focuses on three main aspects: the basic kitchen hygiene and how to clean the kitchen which is essentially a part of kitchen stewarding, food safety and hygiene for chefs that covers the requirements at different stages of the processing of food from receiving to storing to preparation and cooking as well as holding, display and service

and the very essential personal hygiene component.

Perhaps one of the most neglected areas is the kitchen stewarding. Knowing at what steam and temperature levels a dish-washing machine is supposed to operate is vital so that equipment and utensils that come in contact with food are in keeping with the food safety requirements.

Kitchen Pest Management Besides personal hygiene, keeping pests at bay is another crucial factor in determining food safety. Pest management in kitchens of hotels is considered one of the toughest jobs for most Pest Management Professionals (PMPs).

Common pests that generally infest the kitchens are cockroaches, houseflies, rodents, mosquitoes, spiders and lizards.

Good management practices are aimed at excluding these pests. When proper management is ignored, these pests, which have been feeding and reproducing in food left over, can infest into new foodstuff stored in kitchens. To have a better pest management, one should be aware of the basic biology and control methods of these pests.

Cockroaches: These pests shed, and their waste products can get into the air you breathe. Indoor cockroach infestations may worsen allergy and asthma symptoms. Cockroaches are pests of poor hygiene and hence cleanliness and hygienic conditions prevent cockroach infestation.

Mere use of insecticides without proper hygiene gives only temporary relief. Several insecticides belonging to different class of compounds (Organo phosphate, carbamate, synthetic pyrethroid, etc) are currently available in the market.

Products containing propoxur give good flushing action.

When the infestation level is high, one should use products having properties such as above.

For maintenance, one can prefer to use products having long residual activity. In most of the hotel kitchens, the surfaces are covered with tiles and in such situations products having

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COVER S T O R Y adsorption properties generally give good results.

Cockroach gel baits are new to Indian market and they are ideally suited for cockroach control in sensitive situations like those of kitchens in restaurants. Boric acid powder baits are also commonly used. Making dough balls with boric acid, sugar and wheat or maida flour and placing them in cockroach infested areas can work wonders.

Ammonia is a known irritant to cockroaches and makes them vacate their zone. Add two cups of ammonia in a bucket full of water and flush it through the sink that reaches the main drain. This ammonia concentrated water will

chase the cockroaches away.

Flies: A long-term fly control can be achieved by environmental sanitation which includes the elimination of fly breeding sources and practicing good sanitation in and around working areas in the kitchen.

W hile cleaning the kitchen counters and table tops, sprinkle salt on a damp cloth to wipe the areas. This will keep flies at bay.

Another simple way is to add two table spoon vinegar to the water used for mopping floors to keep the kitchen free of flies.

You could also place satchets of mint around the kitchen which will discourage the flies from entering

the place. The use of insecticides due to their rapid action is an important component of fly control. The chemical control methods mainly used in kitchens of hotels are residual sprays, insecticide impregnated strips and cords. Depending upon the conditions, fly baits and space spraying could also be thought of.

Ants: They are a very common sight in many places. Once they start entering the kitchen, it is very tough to get rid of the long line of ants which crawl up to the cupboards and almost any food item which is kept open.

On their way to getting into the food, ants also carry a lot of infection from the ground which can

Managing Pests, Comprehensively Recently, CHR had a chance to interact with Siddharth Sarangpani, General Manager, PCI Pvt. Ltd. The excerpts of the interview are given below: What are the preventive measures Restaurant Managers need to take to keep pests at bay?

As they say, prevention is the best cure. Restaurants should take a cue from this age old saying. Hiring a professional PCO (Pest Control Operator) is imperative to facilitate management of pests and their prevention.

Controlling pests by chemicals and traps is an issue which falls under the purview of PCO. At the same time, preventing conditions which are congenial for pests’ breeding should be attended to in consultation with an experienced, professional PCO. More often than not structural deficiences such as cracks in walls, holes, etc. can form entry points and breeding spots for different pests. In this regard, I would like to say that seeking out the source of pests’ infestation and not allowing pests to either breed and/or get shelter in the restaurant should be the focus of the Restaurant Managers.

There are many such aspects which a Restaurant Manager can adhere to for bringing the pest population at his/her restaurant at manageable level.

Kindly elaborate on the crucial role of PCOs in the restaurant business Mostly the housekeepers are not trained to handle and use pest control products, hence they should leave pest management activities to the professionals. A lot of training and experience is required for effective and safe pest management. For holistic pest management, deep understanding of pest behaviour and managing all aspects of interiors to rule out pest harbourages and breeding areas are needed, tasks which need professional expertise.

Safety is critical since contamination could cost a restaurant more than just a reputation. At the same time, indiscriminate usage of chemicals is not the answer. Some chemicals can be harmful to both staff and guests if not correctly used. Therefore the role of pest control professionals becomes very important in checking restaurants from pest invasions and maintaining safety at the same time.

A yearly contract with a professional PCO is the best option for Restaurant Managers to check pest infestation. The competent PCOs are expected

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to have the knowledge and experience to use the right treatment, make optimum use of chemicals, and employ non-toxic methods wherever they are appropriate. They are also expected to have a valid license. Always ask your PCO for his license - it is your right.

At what point should restaurants seek professional help to get rid of pest invasion?

The Restaurant Manager should seek professional advice from a reputed and established PCO right from the time he identifies the property to set up the restaurant.

The partnership should ideally continue during the interior renovation work where all the entry points of pests should be closed and proper proofing measures must be undertaken before the restaurant operations commences.

From the point of view of pest control, what are the points one need to take into account while planning a new restaurant?

From pest control point of view, during the planning stage, the interiors of the restaurant have to be simple with no possible areas for harbourages for cockroaches & ants. The structure should be proofed against any possible rodent entry.

A proper waste collection system like garbage containers with tight fitting lids and daily waste disposal procedure should be in place. The drains should be provided with chilly traps instead of nani traps to prevent cockroach entry from the drains into the restaurant.

Furthermore, the kitchen furniture of the restaurants should be well constructed to rule out cracks and crevices. There should be no hollow pipes. The corners of walls need to be fitted with steel plates to avoid breakage. The gaps in storage cupboards should be eliminated. There should be neatness in storage and handling of food, irrespective of whether it be raw food or finished cooked food. Besides these, cleaning the premises twice in a day; morning and night, employing deep cleaning once a week, having pest control treatment once a month, and initiating programmes to raise awareness of employees from time to time are some of the important exercises that need to be taken care of while planning a new restaurant.

Mar-Apr ’14

C O V E R STORY ultimately infect your food. You can use ant-prevention chalks to get rid of ants. Draw a line around the area and wait for some time.

The ants will die soon and then you can sweep them away. You can also get rid of ants by mopping them away with a cloth that has been soaked in soapy water. If you are lucky enough to spot their nesting place or the ant hills, pour boiling water over them. Ants also get repelled by baby powder, vinegar, cinnamon, lime juice, black pepper and bay leaves.

So just place any of these in the corners where ants can be found.

Ants are mostly attracted to sweets though they can practically eat anything. So make sure that you never keep sweets opened. They should always be kept in tightly covered containers.

Rodents: Usually, the first clue of a serious rodent problem is their droppings on the kitchen counter or drawers.

Trapping of rodents (by mesh and glue traps) is most widely accepted and practiced method to manage rodents in the kitchen place of a hotel. Glue boards have a sticky surface that holds any rodent that attempts to cross it.

They have become an important part of pest management, because they can be used in areas where no other control products are allowed or suitable and because they seem to be green as they contain no toxic chemicals.

Poison baiting has its limitations in managing rodent populations in sensitive areas such as kitchens. Use of anticoagulants can be effectively done around kitchen areas to bring down the population of rats.

There is a concept of using electronic devices which broadcast sound waves above the range of human hearing. Because rodents quickly become accustomed to repetitive sounds, there is little evidence that sound devices will drive established rats or mice Lizards: They are another common sight in Indian kitchens.

They usually hide themselves behind tube lights and other things that are kept on the wall. Usually these

Mar-Apr ’14

insects are helpful as they help to get rid of other insects such as houseflies and flying insects. But if they come in contact with food or any part of the kitchen which is used for cooking, they are equally dangerous as lizards also carry dirt and infection.

If we control the insects we can automatically reduce the lizard infestation. Periodic cleaning of ceiling corners and around light bulbs will also help reduce lizards.

Mechanical removal of lizards by using glue traps is also being practiced in some cases.

Spiders: A bite from a black widow spider can really make you sick. You can control them by spraying spider insecticide. You need to spray those places where the webs or spiders are seen. In case you are suffering from serious spider infestations, use release aerosol foggers. This will help you to kill even hidden spiders.

There are two steps needed to eliminate them. Step 1 is prevention.

When it comes to prevention, inspection is very important. You need to know where to focus all your efforts. Inspect all the premises and find out where black widow spiders are hiding. Webs of black widow spiders can be built in and around piles and boxes of clutter. Step 2 is insecticides. If the infestation is especially heavy, you can try dust applications that will be a perfect treatment.

Storage Pests: They usually comprise the red flour beetle, sawtoothed weevil and khapra beetle.

They are usually found in dry food items such as rice, grains and pulses.

It is tough to recognise them as one will not know that while buying the grains and pulses from the store itself, the eggs of such pests might be dwelling inside the grains.

The eggs wait inside the packets containing the food until it gets a humid and warm temperature which promotes its hatching. So when you take the grains out for cooking, check for any tiny holes in the grains to avoid problems of storage pests.

Dry food items which have been stored in cupboards and cabinets for a long time are most likely to get infected. Even one egg can cause the

Handy Tips: When to wash hands As far as personal hygiene is concerned, hand washing plays an important role.

Hands must be washed by the restaurant employees regularly and always in the following circumstances: • When you visit the toilet • On entering the food room and before handling any food or equipment.

• Between handling raw and cooked food.

• After combing or touching your hair.

• After eating, smoking, coughing or blowing your nose.

• When you handle waste food or refuse.

• When you handle cleaning chemicals.

The food prepping stations are the more critical areas to keep clean. These areas are known to contain the most bacteria due to the excessive handling of raw foods. entire damage.

Mosquitoes: They are basically a nuisance problem in kitchens. Most of the mosquitoes enter kitchen areas during evening time (between 6 - 8 pm). By closing the entry points such as doors and windows during this time will help to block the entry of mosquitoes. Installation of air curtains at entry points will also help reduce the mosquito nuisance. Use of indoor residual sprays will give additional protection.

Professional Touch For managing the pests commonly occurring in kitchen areas, a professional approach is a must.

Employment of a Pest Management Professional (PMP) is advisable. A PMP who is having contract with the hotel management for pest control should be able to make the kitchen staff understand the importance of pest management in kitchens to get full co-operation during the insecticidal spray activities Strong compliance to food safety and hygiene standards would become a unique selling proposition for hotels and restaurants going forward and would enable them to derive higher return on investments. 

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BUSINESS

Mushrooming Malls: New Opportunities for Facility Mangers

With malls now expanding beyond the boundaries of metro cities and consolidating their foothold in the tier II and tier III cities, facility managers can now reap the benefits of having a large number of organised shopping centres by facilitating the managers of these malls with their numerous services

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alls in India are not just shopping centres that offer a one stop destination for all retail needs, be it buying your designer dresses or getting a gift for your friend’s marriage or sprucing up the decor of your home. They have now captured the imagination of the families who prefer to eat out occasionally as the food courts, as they often called, line up the best of the food chains and restaurants in the town that offer delectable food for the diners to savour. They are also the favourite hang-out places for the youngsters.

All these factors have contributed to the rise of footfalls to the malls by leaps and bounds and they are now fast expanding beyond the boundaries of metro cities to reach the tier II and tier III cities.

With the entry of multi-brand retail made much easier in some parts of the country, it is now expected that

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By Ashok Malkani 2014 will see much more action on the retail front. According to a study by global consultant Cushman & Wakefield (C&W), mall spaces in 2013 saw a 39 percent jump over the last year. It is reported that from just about 50 malls in 2005, India today has close to 600 malls, including both the operational and the underconstruction ones.

The mushrooming of malls in India have opened up new areas of opportunities for the facility managers as without professional services keeping up with the cleanliness and hygiene standards expected of the these shopping centres is next to impossible. Besides housekeeping the mall managers require professional help on various fronts: technical maintenance (high and low end) soft services (pest control, horticulture, landscape, façade cleaning, garbage disposal and civil maintenance), security management (common area security, parking security, fire safety

and maintenance of fire systems, fire audit and drills), support services (front / help desk management and back office support) and specialist ser vices (EHS support, energy audits, etc.)

O p p o r t u n i t y f o r F a c ility Managers The malls in India have evolved to a great degree and as such visitors are today unlikely to compromise on the hygiene standards and the aesthetic appeal. With a large number of people visiting the food courts/ multiplex/shopping areas, it becomes imperative that the cleaning practices are prompt and effective. And when it comes to safety and security, a different set of skilled team is required to maintain the mall.

Common Area Management Depending on the time of the year, malls can be chock-a-block with people — touching everything,

Mar-Apr ’14

BUSINESS sneezing and coughing, eating and using restrooms.

Things that people touch in shopping malls include: doors, handles, ATM machines, elevator buttons, escalator hand rails, chairs or seats, table tops, public bathrooms; all of these are found in your local mall as part of the large common areas. The best way to manage cleaning these areas is to hire a professional. This is where the business opportunities for the facility managers open up.

While cleaning of the stores inside the mall is usually the responsibility of the tenant. But what about the large common areas like hallways, walkways, bathrooms and food courts? These become the responsibility of the management.

Public places are full of bacteria like staphylococcus, streptococcus and E.coli, cold and flu viruses, HIV, hepatitis and even the worst super bug of them all methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

Therefore, common area

Mar-Apr ’14

m a n a g e m e n t ( CA M ) occupies a place of priority in the malls. But while cleaning and making it germ-free is one of the tasks of the FMs there is another factor to be taken into consideration.

It is found that over 60 percent of the common area management cost is towards power. Therefore the emphasis is to plan for equipment and machinery – be it DG sets or the HVAC plant, the lifts or the pumps which are high on efficiency and low on running cost.

The new energy saving design specifications of the sets along with efficient predictive and preventive maintenance by the FM technical team in a mall bring down the cost of energy to a great extent.

Regular training imparted by the SMEs (Subject Matter Experts) increase the output of deliverables

of the site team. Regular tech audits according to laid down schedule will diagnose the problem at the inceptive stage before it actually happens and enable rectification of the same.

Cleaning Glass Facades Another responsibility of the FMs is to keep the glass façade and floors clean. The presence of glass

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BUSINESS

in the Indian design industry was primarily felt in the 1990’s when its usage started progressing from a mere aesthetic/decorative material to a structural material aiding in flow of spaces, establishing transparency in architecture and making nature merge naturally into designs.

Some of the tools used for cleaning the glass facades and window panes are: Chamois & Scrim: Chamois is used to loosen and remove dirt, followed by a buffing with cheesecloth, or scrim.

Water & Squeegee: Generally, chemicals are added to water, and a device such as a brush or clothcovered handle is dipped into the resulting solution and used to scrub glass. A glass squeegee is then used to sluice dirt and water mixture from glass.

Water-fed Poles: Any of a variety of types of telescopic poles, fitted at the upper end with a brush and water jets, fed either from vehicle-borne tanks of deionised water or by onsite production of deionised water using a domestic or commercial water outlet.

Maintaining IAQ It may be mentioned that good indoor air quality is also essential for malls. Unlike the popular perception that an enclosed air conditioned zone is free of all pollutants and dirt, it has been discovered that indoor air is more polluted than the outdoor air, particularly in malls.

Ozone generator is one of the common methods of keeping the indoor air clean. This can be used

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for: • HVAC System to improve indoor air quality & also achieve Energy Efficiency.

• Removing Food Court odor.

• Removing restroom odour.

• Removing garbage room odour.

Removing odour is one of the basic issues in the mall.

Food Court Odours: The counters of multiple food vendors who indulge in preparing and ser ving food activities in the food courts make this area of the shopping mall most susceptible to generating, retaining & spreading of odours all around the shopping mall. Food flavours from exotic meals, molds from expired dishes, and the musty stench from the garbage disposal are just a few of the smells that can emanate from the pantry. It can also get into the ducts of a forced air HVAC system and spread across the mall, so it is very important to have a planned and customised solution.

Ozone Generators are absolutely the best way to get rid of these odours. They are simple to use, require very little maintenance and last for years.

Restroom odours: Unpleasant restroom odour has a major impact on the image of your shopping mall.

It can also get into the ducts of a forced air HVAC system.

Ozone is effective in preventing the growth of bacteria and mildew in bathrooms and neutralizes unpleasant bathroom odours.

Ozone generators fitted into public restrooms maintain low levels of bacteria and deodourize the area, creating the most sanitary conditions

possible for clients and guests.

Garbage odour: Garbage rooms in the malls are high odour areas and removal of these odours is difficult for cleaning products. Food waste, trash cans, trash bins, garbage cans, trash compactors, garbage disposals, roll out containers, and trash dumpsters all have consistent persistent odours and lingering odours after you remove the trash and refuse from the receptacle.

Garbage is such a general term that is it difficult for most cleaning and air freshening products to be able to produce a cleaning product for effective garbage odour removal.

Use of Ozone Generators is an ideal solution to remove the garbage odour. It will completely eliminate the entire garbage odour.

Security and Safety As already mentioned, safety and security are also part of the FMs duties in malls. The security threats in today’s environment are a challenge to any service provider, more so in a public place, which gets a minimum footfall of approximately 50,000 to a lakh per day. Sensitivity to possible threats is very high in a mall and the availability of trained, vigilant security guards, supervisors and officers go a long way in making a visitor feel secure. Security staff members have to be trained to keep an eye for any suspicious movement, at the same time check the regular visitors with a polite, yet firm attitude. This is easier said than done, as the staff does not necessarily have the sensitivity nor the finesse required for dealing with guests arriving in malls.

Training is thus extremely important not only for the security personnel but for the entire FM team. To ensure that the laid down processes are being followed diligently regular audits are required.

These audits – internal, external or both – will showcase the gaps in operation.

Mall management is thus an intricate task which requires a meticulous approach to ensure that the visitors do not face any irritants in the mall and leave with a pleasant smile signifying pleasant  experience.

Mar-Apr ’14

Mar-Apr ’14

15

FLOOR

B

esides daily maintenance, interim measures, such as buffing a n d b u rn i s h i n g a n d restorative procedures such as a full strip and re-coat of a floor also need to be done for enhancing the building’s image, protecting the health of its occupants, ensuring public safety, as well as sustaining, if not increasing, the life of the floor

A

floor is often the first thing a person notices upon entering a building and therefore floor care is an integral part of keeping a facility’s appearance pristine.

Most commercial buildings today have various types of flooring s u c h as wood, stone or

terrazzo in the lobby and quarry or ceramic tile in the restrooms, making floor maintenance, protection and restoration challenging. In such circumstances, even routine maintenance can require various methods and chemicals; as for example, stone and terrazzo floors should be cleaned with true pH-neutral cleaners, marble floors should not be cleaned with acid based chemicals and wood floors do not like water.

The first step for a facility manager is to determine the manufacturer’s recommendations for maintaining a particular floor. As an example, some

16

For a

Be�er Floor

By Abhay Desai

customers may request that a floor be made shiny because they think it should be, when the floor is actually designed to have a matte or natural finish. Improper maintenance can lead to floor damage and ultimately, expensive restoration. When a building is constructed or renovated, a BSC can be the perfect source for helping to

determine the best type of flooring to fit the building’s needs.

Cost-effective Approach Routine maintenance procedure which is designed to catch dirt at the door is the finest and least expensive approach to floor maintenance.

The best way to remove soil from a building is not to let it in, in the first place. A housekeeper or BSC should know what type and how many entrance mats are needed at every door and therefore, should serve as a good consultant for the facility manager to advise the best way to entrap soil and water.

Howe v er, e v en with dail y maintenance, interim measures, such as buffing and burnishing and restorative procedures such as a full strip and re-coat of a floor also need to be done. Frequency of the various types of maintenance is determined by the type of building, building traffic, weather, type of floor and other factors. Therefore, it is ver y important a facility manager work closely with a BSC to understand and establish a floor care maintenance plan that is the most effective and cost efficient for a building’s floors.

Stripping and Refinishing Prior to stripping, maintenance workers should be diligent in removing debris from floors. When using a stripper, it’s important to ensure all of the old, yellowed, damaged finish is removed.

To effectively strip and refinish floors means an investment in staffing hours. When looking at the stripping process, there are several steps necessary, including thoroughly cleaning the floors and applying the stripper, to wet vacuuming and applying a clean rinse.

When refinishing, it is important to remember that floor finish dries from the top down. Even though the top film may make the floor

Mar-Apr ’14

floor care programme because soil prevention is much less expensive than soil removal. By placing mats at all entrances, it is possible to prevent some of the damaging soils from being tracked onto the floor finish.

Dust mopping helps remove as much of the loose dirt and soil as possible. Particulate soil is the largest cause of floor wear; so removing the various types of grit and grime that track in each day can make a huge difference in extending the life of a floor finish.

One effective way to get rid of remaining soils after dust mopping is to use a floor cleaner that is both effective at removing this particulate soil and has a “neutral impact” on floor finishes. This is critical to extending the gloss life of the finish.

With any cleaner, auto-scrubbing (with vacuum pick-up) is much more effective at soil removal than damp mop cleaning.

a p p e a r d r y, n o t allowing enough time for the entire layer of finish to dry can make the floor appear murky. It can also make the finish less durable, meaning it would not wear as long and the staff will need to repeat the process sooner than normally needed.

Rule of thumb states that a proper floor finish requires three to four coats to ensure durability throughout the year. Because of the effects of humidity and low airflow on the refinishing process, it is extremely critical to apply thin, even coats and make sure each of these coats is completely dry before applying the next.

Applying these coats in thin, even layers will enable each layer to dry more thoroughly and cure into a stronger, more durable film with a higher gloss and clarity. The finish will last longer – ultimately saving time and money.

Beyond Finishes: Daily Care Daily care is critical to maintaining the floor finish throughout the year.

Matting is the first step in a sound

Mar-Apr ’14

Professional Approach Today, numerous advances in floor cleaning equipment and chemicals have changed the way floors are maintained. Facility managers today want a superior floor care plan that delivers high productivity and less cost. Floor care programmes have changed to accommodate the advances in technology. Once a floor care program is determined, the property manager should expect a floor care schedule from the BSC that meets the specifications agreed to and which should be used as a tool for accountability and communication. That way, a property manager will know when and what to expect.

A beautiful, clean, properly maintained floor will give back in value by enhancing the building’s image, protecting the health of its occupants, ensuring public safety, as well as sustaining, if not increasing, the life of the floor.

The author is Regional Sector Sales Director –BSC (AMAT), Diversey India Pvt. Ltd.

17

MAINTENANCE

Essentials of

 CC What constitutes a meticulous carpet care programme that helps maintain its elegant appearance, enhance life period and fight odors?

H

ave you ever wondered why most of carpeted hotel rooms in a city like Mumbai which has a tropical wet and dry climate with high level of humidity, have some degree of musty / moldy odor?

18

It goes without saying that the sources of such odour are many. One is the humidity in outside air. Lack of ventilation, old furnishings and poorly maintained synthetic carpets seems to make it worse.

The smell goes away or at least

By Tony Chazhoor

subsides after the air conditioner is put on for a few hours – things get stirred up and dried out a little and it filters out the smell. But in certain cases, the bad smell refuses to subside or go away as it could be emanating from a poorly maintained carpet.

Lack of periodical maintenance also results in dirt and soil accumulation that leads to untimely damage of a carpet. In most of the cases, carpets “ugly out” before their time.

To ensure prolonged life and to maintain the appearance of carpets, it is important that a proper carpet care regimen is in place.

A good carpet care program will not only have a positive impact on the environment but also on the indoor environment and on the bottom lines as well.

Because of its particle trapping ability, a well maintained carpet reduces indoor pollutants and allergies. A properly designed programme enhances the effective life of the carpet helps maintain its original elegance. It also reduces the use of water and detergents in the long term.

Needless to say, as it improves the life of carpets, a maintenance programme leaves a positive effect on overall costs of operation.

Preventative Maintenance Stopping soil from entering the building is the key to a successful

Mar-Apr ’14

MAINTENANCE carpet programme, as industry studies estimate that as much as 94 percent of the soil in any given facility was tracked in from the outside. The more soil we stop from entering the building, the less we have to clean.

Sweeping Outside: Sidewalks, entry ways and parking lots should be swept and kept clean. Additionally, parking lots should be pressure washed regularly to remove oils that accumulate from atmospheric pollutants, leaking cars and other sources.

Matting Outside Entrance Areas: The more matting that can be installed, the more effective your preventative cleaning will be. Place bi-level scraper mats outside all entrances. These will help absorb large particles, soil and moisture that might otherwise be tracked inside.

Matting Inside Entrance Areas: Place carpet mats just inside entrances for wiping and drying of shoes. Select a carpet mat that provides enough length for a minimum of 4-5 footsteps before stepping onto the floor.

Matting Maintenance: Mats should be vacuumed at least daily and extracted on a regular basis to keep them clean and ready for service.

Daily Maintenance Daily maintenance of carpet includes vacuuming and spotting. The carpets should be vacuumed on a regular basis, though not all areas have the same maintenance needs. The key to a successful daily program is identifying high, medium and low traffic areas and constructing your carpet care program to reflect the traffic volume. For example, a carpeted lobby that receives traffic

all day long will need to be vacuumed daily, while a lower-traffic office at the back of the building may only need vacuuming 1 or 2 times per week.

Vacuuming: Vacuuming is the most effective way to remove unbonded dry soil. Dry soil is a major cause of carpet wear because, if not removed, it can be abrasive and harmful to carpet fibers.

Under the weight and movement of foot traffic, soil can scratch and cut the fibers, leading to de-lustering or scratching abrasion.

Dry soils are most effectively removed in a dry state through vacuuming, with a high quality vacuum. An upright vac with roller

to spot-clean are over-scrubbing and using too much water.

Scrubbing destroys carpet fibers.

Excess water gets below the carpet into the pad, which leads to mildew and a funky smell.

Spills should be addressed immediately in order to reduce the possibility of a permanent stain.

First, spills should be blotted and rinsed with water right away. Always pre-test spotting chemicals in an inconspicuous area for color removal.

Keep in mind that chemical should be used sparingly - whatever goes into the carpet must be extracted out or the spot will re-occur. Apply

brushes for deep agitation does the best job of removing deep-down dirt in comparison with the conventional tank vacuum as the carpet tool provided with the machine is not designed to agitate/comb.

For large areas, carpets used in airports or big convention halls, a step- on machine where the operator can stand on and run the machine is more effective.

Spotting: The most common mistakes people make when they try

just enough chemical to remove the spot, and rinse completely with neutralising rinse or water and tamp dry. A steam vac is also very effective for spotting and can help obviate the use of chemicals.

Why do we use carpets as a floor?

Insulation: Carpets give warmth and insulation. It retains warm air longer, thus separating the coldness of the floor from your body while giving you comfort.

Safety: It cushions our steps and reduces chances of slipping and falling.

Aesthetic: Its color and texture can decide the atmosphere of a room.

Acoustics: Carpets provide sound insulation and helps reduce disturbing noise as it absorbs sound. Carpets help to block noise between floors & masks the sounds of constant foot traffic.

Cost-effective: Relatively easy to clean than hard floors – carpets are 25-35 percent less expensive than hard floor coverings.

Air Quality: As the dirt & dust gets trapped, there is an improvement in the indoor air quality.

Mar-Apr ’14

Interim Maintenance In order to extend the time between scheduled extractions, interim maintenance helps improve carpet appearance and is best accomplished with encapsulation c leaning.

Encapsulation provides a way to get your carpet cleaner, faster, and with longer lasting results. A good programme of interim maintenance can extend the time period between scheduled deep extractions by 6 to 12 months, depending on your specific facility needs.

The Encapsulation Process: • A cleaning solution (encapsulation chemical) is lightly sprayed onto the carpet and Is agitated and distributed onto the carpet pile with a dual counter-rotating brush machine • The chemical is allowed to dwell

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MAINTENANCE

Types of carpets The basic ingredient of a carpet is fiber. Around 97 percent carpets are made from synthetic fibers. The type and construction of a fiber will determine how well the carpet will perform.

There are 5 types of carpet fibers.

• Nylon – long lasting and most common • Polyester – Luxurious, soft and could be cleaned easily.

• Acrylic – Looks and feels like wool. Low static level and is moisture resistant.

• Wool – Famous for luxury and performance – more expensive than synthetic.

• Olefin or Polypropylene – Next best seller after nylon. They are colorfast, strong mildew, moisture resistant and easy to clean – suitable for high traffic areas.

Other than the above types, blend fibers are also available. They are typically made from nylon and olefin.

in the carpet, breaking down and surrounding soils and other residues • The chemical dries into a hard, non-sticky crystal, encasing the soil, in about 20 minutes • The dried crystals can easily be removed by the daily vacuuming schedule The result is a carpet that is clean and dry in about 20 minutes. This process not only restores the carpet quickly, but also cuts down on water and chemical usage. Interim maintenance is a key ingredient in your carpet maintenance program; time-saving, cost-effective, and good for the environment. Carpet is left clean and neutral with no chemical residue to cause re-soiling.

Major Carpet Manufacturers do not

recommend using bonnet system or shampooing the carpet & running a single disc machine on them as this process • Drives Soil deeper into the carpet.

• Leaves a residue on the carpet.

• Uses and leaves behind too much moisture.

• Potential to separate direct glue carpet from the floor.

• Carpet pile / fibers are damaged there by reducing the life of carpet

Scheduled Maintenance The goal of scheduled maintenance is to removed deeply embedded soils and restore the appearance of the carpet to as close to its original state as possible. This can be achieved

through deep, restorative cleaning via hot water extraction. The process involves the following steps: Soil Suspension: Pre-spray your carpet to allow the chemical time in contact with the bonded soils that are adhered to the carpet fibers. This is commonly referred to as “dwell time”.

The chemical will pull the soils from the fibres into suspension so they are ready for removal.

For virtually all synthetic carpets, the pre-spray chemical should be alkaline so that it can most effectively neutralise the soils in the carpet, which are usually acidic in nature.

For wool or natural fiber carpets, the pre-spray should be neutral or slightly acidic.

Rinse and Extract: The next step is rinsing the suspended soil out of the carpet through extraction. Keep in mind that the best extractors only recover about 80-85 percent of the original solution put into the carpet.

If left to dry, those detergents will aid re-soiling.

The chemical for this step should be an acidic or neutralising rinse.

While many people try water, it is not effective in removing the residues and soils from the pre-spray. Rinsing with hard water will only remove about 15 percent of the residue, and rinsing with soft water will only remove 30 percent. But rinsing with an acidic or neutralising rinse will remove over 90 percent of the residue.

Dry: The last step is to dry the carpet as quickly as possible to prevent wicking. ( The author is National Sales Manager, Karcher Cleaning Systems Pvt Ltd)

Setting up a Cleaning Schedule Once you have determined how to classify each area of your facility, you need to determine how frequently to maintain each area. Every facility is different and needs different maintenance so the following chart and blueprint is simply a guideline.

High Traffic Medium Traffic Low Traffic

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Vacuum lobby daily

Encapsulate monthly with iCapsolation machine and solution, vacuum next day during scheduled vacuuming

Scheduled deep extraction on a monthly basis

Vacuum daily with hallways in cubicle areas

Encapsulate quarterly with iCapsolation machine and solution, vacuum next day during scheduled vacuuming

Scheduled deep extraction on a quarterly basis

Vacuum twice a week

Encapsulate in 6 months with iCapsolation machine and solution, vacuum next day during scheduled vacuuming

Scheduled deep extraction on a quarterly basis

Mar-Apr ’14

Mar-Apr ’14

21

CLEANING

Applications Pressure Washing of

H

igh pressure cleaning and pressure washing have become essential for most maintenance programmes, and potential markets for them are immense. This is

F

rom power generation facilities and petrochemical plants to car washing and apartment cleaning, the ‘touch-free’ method of high pressure cleaning and pressure washing have become the preferred washing systems across several verticals

22

primarily because pressure cleaning improves the efficiency and the time of commercial cleaning process. The system is relatively free from hazards and regarded as a safe method for the cleaning staff. With proper training and a little common sense, t h e potential for success in the pressure cleaning business is immense as well.

Although the terms “high pressure washing” and “pressure washing” are often used interchangeabl y and refers to a similar process, in industry parlance, the two terms bear a slight different meanings. While a high pressure washing system generates a pressure of 5,000 pounds per square inch (psi) or more, pressure

washing systems generally generates less than 5,000 psi.

Some of the common places where pressure cleaning can be used include cleaning and maintenance of buildings, walkways, parking lots, heavy equipment and vehicles, truck and automobile fleets, trailers, engines, warehouse floors, machinery, kitchen areas and sanitary areas. Businesses, residences and apartment complexes also often need this service.

Application of high pressure cleaning is widespread in pulp and paper mills (for cleaning of tanks, vessels, and process piping, etc.), power generation facilities (for cleaning of boilers, ash removal), petrochemical plants (cleaning of heat exchangers, etc.), marine vessel maintenance (surface preparation, c o a t i n g re m ov a l ) , a n d h e a v y construction.

Mar-Apr ’14

CLEANING The pressure cleaning process (in both high pressure and pressure washing), h ow e v e r, entails much more than simply re n t i n g o r purchasing a machine and then finding the right place to clean.

One should take enough care to use the right equipment and methods for each application to ensure optimum results and profit.

Building Cleaning As in the carpet cleaning industry, building cleaning can be divided loosely into two areas: residential and commercial. Residential buildings appear appealing to the industry because of the sheer volume - the large number of buildings that make up this potential market.

Commercial building owners, on the other hand, are more conscious of the need for a bright building exterior.

Whichever market you choose to focus on, you will need to invest in some basic tools of the trade.

Your best bet is to consult with several distributors in your area to determine what equipment will be most effective for the residential or

commercial market you want to enter. Decisions concerning use of a hot or cold pressure washer and what accessories (nozzles, wands, and so on) and chemicals will have to be made, and a knowledgeable distributor can be your trusted counsel at this time.

Once the market for residential or commercial buildings is tapped, you can move on to the side work, which can be very profitable in its own right. S ide work can inc lude outbuildings, gutters, roofs, walkways, swimming pools, brick or stone walls and patios, vinyl, steel and aluminum siding, wrought iron, grills, and decks and wood fencing. Since wooden decks, fencing and shake shingle roofs all are subject to attack by moss, insects, sun and water damage, foot traffic, physical wear and tear, and ground-in dirt, one can explore plenty of opportunities for pressure cleaning.

Customers require a variety of services. If you can offer all of those services to them in one stop, your business and your profits is most

likely to grow. By offering multiple services you will also be able to decrease travel time and maximize the use of your employees’ time, thus saving labor costs, the biggest single expense of most service businesses.

Flat-surface Cleaning Every town has acres of parking lots and other flat surfaces such as sidewalks and “drive-thrus”. In most cases most of the entities including banks, libraries, service stations, religious places, markets, hotels and restaurants have some form of parking lot or flat surface area that needs periodic cleaning.

A wide variety of operating parameters is used for flat-surface cleaning. These range from steam cleaners to cold water machines.

When specialising in any pressure cleaning application, new contractors should use existing equipment while exploring with their dealers and distributors answers to the specific problems encountered in this work.

Pressure cleaners have three variations: basic wands, water brooms and water mowers. When it comes to pressure cleaning, individual contractors have their own preferences about equipment and techniques. As you branch out, you are sure to develop your own likes and dislikes. A fairly good number of companies are today manufacturing pressure cleaners and related equipment for dedicated purposes. The market is in fact floated with various models with different specifications so that every hospitality unit can choose their equipment as per its needs.

Brick Cleaning Brick cleaning can be a bit more challenging than other types of pressure cleaning. As brick is very sensitive, the wrong process, chemical or pressure could cause major problems. However, proper training can make this ser vice the backbone of your cleaning business.

These applications barely scratch the surface of opportunities that exist for advancing your business into the  pressure cleaning industry.

Mar-Apr ’14

23

PEST MANAGEMENT

Pest Control in

Food Processing

By Ashok Malkani

To ensure the safety of ready-to-eat products, processing units need to get the existing pests exterminated, subsequent arrival stopped, and deny all favourable conditions for infestation to develop

W

ith changing lifestyles the consumption of processed food is increasing by leaps and bounds. But many of the food processing units may come under the influence of the unseen pests, and thus contaminating the packaged foods. It is therefore imperative that adequate care is taken to pest management in the processing sector.

The food processing industry, 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

24

Mar-Apr ’14

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.

Mar-Apr ’14

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 programme. 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 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 “ The available options for commercial users for stored product pests vary with the site. For instance, there are new and novel protectants as well as fumigants for managing insects in raw commodities, and there are several chemical and non-chemical options for use in food processing facilities and retail environments,” Dr. Bhadriraju Subramaniyam, Professor, Department of Grain Science &

25

PEST MANAGEMENT

Industry, Kansas State University, was quoted as saying.

“Spinosad (not yet commercially available), several formulations of diatomaceous earth, Diacon II, Storcide II, phosphine, phosphine plus carbon dioxide, sulfuryl fluoride, and vacuum are suitable for use on raw commodities. For structural treatments methyl bromide, sulfuryl fluoride, and heat are commonly used options. In retail environments,

hydroprene or cyfluthrin can be used,” Subramaniyam said.

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

IPM approach in Food Processing Facilities The steps involved in an IPM strategy are: • 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.

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Pest-controlling products Undetectable liquids: These pesticides (the newest technology available to the food handling industry) can be applied as crack, crevice or spot treatments 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.

To d a y, t h e g l o b a l p e s t 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 programme.

• It must inc lude a trained Mar-Apr ’14

PEST MANAGEMENT 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 favourable 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.

• You need to know how to deny them places to breed.

• You must become thoroughly familiar with the techniques of dealing with each type of pests and

Mar-Apr ’14

how to exterminate them safely.

Said a facility management expert: “Integrated Pest Management System is one of the most successful methods for pest management in food processing units. IPM comprises of four steps: • Keeping pests from entering the facility (Physical Exclusion and Access Denial).

• Making the location unattractive to pests (Habitat and Harborage Modification).

• Utilising traps and deterring mechanisms (Physical and Mechanical Controls).

• Limited or Focused Material Application, only when necessary

and in conjunction with the first 3 levels.”

Methyl bromide has been an effective and important tool for controlling pests in food processing facilities, stated the Industr y Government Working Group of Canada. However, methyl bromide has been identified as an ozone depleting substance under the Montreal Protocol, and targets have been set for reduction and phase out of most uses of methyl bromide. With elimination of Methyl bromide, it is now necessary to have a combination of preventative and treatment practices for effective pest  management.

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LAUNDRY

Dryers: 

 

F

From saving labour costs to churning out sparkling clean linens without any creases, a dryer is an indispensable part of a laundry

system. The sensors hooked to the microprocessor can make the drying process automatic as they can sense the moisture in the clothes and stop the operation when the laundry is dry. This system can help prevent fire accidents as “hot air blowing on ‘bone dry’ fabrics can easily set it on fire”.

The dryer may have a post-drying cool down cycle that also reduces the fire hazard as well as prevents the formation of wrinkles in noiron fabrics.

Types of Dryers They are categorised generally on the basis of different energy sources:

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hat garnishing a delectable dish with the most appropriate flavor does to our ttaste aste buds, finishing equipment performs something similar for a laundry. They help a laundry facility to present clothes in a span of short period and in appropriate manners.

With the ability to dry a large load, the tumble dryers can also help save a lot of labour costs that a facility would otherwise need for presenting

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the clothes in right manners. Dryers are specifically useful for items that do not require pressed finish.

Dryers are defined as “machines that dry laundry by tumbling it slowly in a perforated drum exposed to hot air ranging from 40º Celsius to 60º Celsius in low capacity dryers and going right upto 85º Celsius in an industrial dryer”.

These finishing machines are generally equipped with a microprocessor computer control

Electric-heated Dryers Electric-heated dryer is amongst the expensive processes for drying clothes. Usually, the efficiency of a dryer is measured by its energy factor i.e. pound or kilogram of linen dried per hour. Usually, the minimum rating of a standard capacity of an electric dryer is 9-10 kw/hr. The dryer consumes more electricity than any other equipment. First, dryer needs energy for its motor to make it tumble and secondly, to heat the airto dry the linens.

Furthermore, electric-heated dryers require more safety guards to prevent fire accidents. Thus, one needs to install enough number of fire extinguishers in the laundry area as a precautionary measure.

Gas-heated Dryers The gas-heating dryers are generally run on Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG). Usually, gas dryers are less expensive to operate than the

Mar-Apr ’14

LAUNDRY electric dryers, due to the minimum consumption of gas or the efficiency of the machines even though it is to be accepted that they are used in huge industrial units and not the commercial laundry available in a city environment.

The consumption of gas differs from model to model var ying according to its capacity. Many machine suppliers have a united view that a gas-heating dryer has the best heating efficiency. The dryer capacity must be on the higher side to ensure that the high performance airflow systems of the latest machines can be used to the best advantage.

Gas heating is recommended for economy.

Steam-heated Dryers Steam heatingt dryer is operated, obviously, by using steam pressure.

Generally, imported steam-heating dryers have more efficiency than the indigenous ones. The maximum capacity of dryer is 100 kg. In imported dryer one cycle takes 20 to 25 minutes. On the other hand, the indigenous dryer requires 45 minutes to one hour to complete one cycle.

Most of the starred hotels prefer to use steamed-heated dryer as they are safer. The laundry is generally located in the basement area and other dryers are not as safe to use.

New Age Dryers Nowadays, the demand for good dryer is immense. So to make the

Dryer Use: Best Practices • Dry full loads. Small loads are less economical; but do not overload the dryer.

• Locate the dryer in a heated space.

Putting it in a cold or damp basement will make the dryer work harder and less efficiently.

• When drying, separate your clothes and dry similar types of clothes together.

Lightweight synthetics, for example, dry much more quickly than bath towels and natural fiber clothes.

• Dry towels and heavier cottons in a separate load from lighter-weight clothes.

• Don’t over-dry your clothes. If your machine has a moisture sensor, use it.

• Dry two or more loads in a row, taking advantage of the dryer’s retained heat.

• Use the cool-down cycle (permapress cycle) to allow the clothes to finish drying with the residual heat in the dryer.

product better than the latest means adding on features that enhance the process it is meant for. Moisture sensor, efficient airflow, etc. are some feature that are making dent into the mind of laundry professionals ensuring better output.

Inefficiencies of indigenous arise from a number of factors including the lack of international openness, cultural barriers to consumption, regulations, and cartel-like behaviour on the part of firms. Thus international products are high on the lists of purchases by the laundries in India.

The new range of dryers, with

Pressing needs There is no dearth of finishing equipment for those articles that require a pressed finish. Some such equipment are: Flatwork Ironer / Roller Iron / Calender: These equipment are useful for items like sheets, pillowcases, tablecloths, serviettes, aprons, sarees, etc. They are passed through heated rollers for ironing.

Press: Operation on electricity or steam, presses are most commonly used for shirts, trousers, etc. However, there are special presses to perform specific functions .

Cabinet Dryer or Drying Room: It is a chamber where low-crease garments are suspended on hangers and steam or hot air is circulated through the cabinet.

Puffer or Suzie: For coats and articles that do not crease heavily, puffers are useful.

The articles are put onto a dummy that is inflated with steam to remove creases and then with hot air to remove the moisture created by the steam.

Tunnel Dryer: Clothes are hung on conveyor belts that pass through a tunnel. Hot air blowing in the tunnel makes the articles completely dry by the time they exit. The fully automated process also transfers the linen to the next area of activity.

Mar-Apr ’14

• Periodically inspect your dryer vent to ensure it is not blocked. This will save energy and may prevent a fire.

Manufacturers recommend using rigid venting material, not plastic vents that may collapse and cause blockages.

• Make sure your dryer is vented properly. If you vent the exhaust outside, use the straightest and shortest metal duct available. Do not use flexible vinyl duct because it restricts the airflow, can be crushed, and may not withstand high temperatures from the dryer.

• Check the outside dryer exhaust vent periodically. If it doesn’t close tightly, replace it with one that does to keep the outside air from leaking in. This will reduce heating and cooling bills.

• Clean the lint filter in the dryer after every load to improve air circulation.

Regularly clean the lint from vent hoods.

highly mechanised functioning and relatively easy process systems are eventually taking over the indigenously manufactured laundry equipment in spite of their lowcost.

Washed clothes contain 45 to 50 percent moisture after extracting water from the hydro-extractor or washer-extractor. The function of the dryer is to heat and aerate washed clothes. The different types of dryers as discussed tumble dries the linens quickly. These dryers are available in varied capacity from 15 kg to 200 kg.

The capacity of the dryer should be 25 percent greater than that of the washer to allow the right level of load movement in the dryer drum for maximum water evaporation and less wrinkling.

One should look for a dryer with a cycle that includes a cool-down period, sometimes known as a “perma-press” cycle. In the last few minutes of the cycle, cool air, rather than heated air, is blown through the tumbling clothes to complete the drying process.

Modern dryers are equipped with high tech features such as signal lights, self-cleaning lint screens, reverse cylinder drums as well as energy-saving devices like extra insulation and heat  reclaimers.

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WASTE MANAGEMENT

With manufacturers now offering bins that are worthy of your interiors and custom made for the convenient use of different sectors and sections, you do not have to hide them anymore

Coun� y No for

Old Bins

By Jyotismita Sharma

A

home essential, bins or dumpsters or dustbins, in common parlance, have become so ubiquitous that we tend to ignore them. Whether you are visiting a mall or hitting the beach; or whether you are dining out or paying a visit to someone in hospitals, you are bound to come across varieties of bins in different sizes and

shapes. shapes.

In fact, taking a stroll in your neighborhood can be a ‘bin opener’ for you.

Waste bins or simply bins were earlier thought to be an eyesore meant to be kept hidden under the kitchen sink or at the back of the house. But as sustainable development and environmental protection became all the more important in the new millennium, waste management products like bins quickly hogged the limelight.

They now play a pivotal role in proper segregation and recycle of waste generated in different sectors.

And with manufacturers now offering bins that are worthy of your interiors and custom

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Mar-Apr ’14

WASTE MANAGEMENT made for your convenient use, you do not have to hide them anymore.

The marriage of technology and aesthetics in these bins have forced people to push the age-old trash cans to the gutters, paving way for the new-age bins to take their right positions.

Types of Bins Bins come in various sizes and forms.

In fact with an eye on specialisation, bins are getting manufactured with a specific industry in mind viz. industrial houses, malls, hotels, restaurants, hospitals, etc.

It is now getting harder for people to overlook the bins with their special logos, labels and markings.

Bins for Luxury Hotels and Restaurants Hotel Bedroom Bin: A bin with a steel body, an anti-scuff base, black coloured interior and leather grain vinyl exterior, the luxury hotel bedroom bin can complement the stylish look of the property.

Waste Paper bin: An unobtrusive bin that helps to keep the luxury bedrooms clean and healthy is the waste paper bin.

Bathroom Steel Bins: This type of bathroom steel bins are very much ideal for bathrooms and toilets.

This easy to clean bin makes it easy for the housekeeping staff to clean and empty it.

Pedal Waste Bins: Pedal waste bins are objects of high utility.

These pedal dustbins are luxurious

Mar-Apr ’14

merchandise for hotel rooms and bathrooms. Known for their durability and enduring quality, high end properties make use of them for their looks.

Waste Bucket Trolley: Mostly used by the restaurants and catering industry, waste bucket trolleys help maintain the hygiene of the property.

Push Bins and Swing Bins: Push bins and swing bins have been in use in hotel chains, food service outlets, and entertainment facilities for so long that we tend to overlook them.

Quiet and inconspicuous, these bins provide value for money to the

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WASTE MANAGEMENT

Aamir Khan Leads the Segregation Charge

U

sually known for bringing to the forefront most neglected issues of the country, actor Aamir Khan devoted an episode of his show, SatyamevJayate 2 (3rd episode) to the problem of mounting wastes in India and how they could converted to wealth with not so difficult to adopt methods. He suggests ways for eco-friendly waste management through recycling and re-using of products from garbage.

Though most of us think as inane, the show highlighted that the waste we generate never really leaves us, quite literally as it gets changed into something else. The show focused on some of the relevant points for proper garbage disposal, viz. to separate the dry and the wet garbage as well as to isolate biodegradable waste from non-biodegradable waste.

Aamir Khan concluded the show by emphasising the importance of waste segregation at source and egged others to join him in thezz mission a cleaner and healthier tomorrow.

The humble bins enjoyed a place of pride in this very topical episode. customers with their easy to clean and abrasion resistance qualities.

Bins for high-end commercial establishments and malls Mobile Garbage Bin: In order to have proper transportation and disposal

of waste generated at malls and commercial establishments, mobile garbage bins that come in different colours and sizes help to maintain proper hygiene in such properties.

Easy to clean, these bins are preferred by customers world over.

Heavy D ut y Bins: M a l l s , commercial establishments like offices and shopping complexes generate quite a heavy amount of waste per day. In such cases, multipurpose heavy duty bins come in handy that are typically used to collect garbage in malls, offices and other organizations.

These heavy duty bins are designed to tolerate heavy load and impact. These bins fulfill the complete needs and necessities of commercial establishments.

Wheeled Waste Bin or ‘Wheelie Bin’: In order to ferry heavy loads of garbage generated at malls, offices and luxury hotels to the pickup point, wheelie bin that is available in either two or four wheels can be of great use.

What is more, the hinge on the top of the bin can be used to hoist it onto a garbage truck. Meant for commercial and industrial purposes, these bins are best suited for luxury hotels or other commercial establishments that generate / accumulate waste in huge quantities.

Bins for hospitals and care centres Waste Bins for Biohazards: Hospitals and nursing homes have to take special care in disposing of waste due to the infectious and hazardous nature of some of the wastes. Common practice has been to invest and make use of biohazard

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Mar-Apr ’14

waste bins or containers for secure and professional disposal of biohazards or infectious waste generated within the property. But is it safe enough?

As outlined by the Ministry of Health & Family Affairs, medical or biomedical waste pose serious health hazards to humans, and its secure removal and disposal is of utmost importance.

Treatment of bio-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, color-coordinated and sealed containers before sending it for disposal/reuse.

Bio-Medical Colour Coded Bins Black Bins: Syringes and needles, blades, scalpels and glass can result in health risks if not treated properly. As such, if segregated proper ly, sharp objects can be sterilised and special shredding equipment can be used for shredding.

Red Bins: Red Bins can be used for treatment of pathological pathologic al and microbiological waste such as cotton dressings, blood bandages, human tissue, urine, blood bags etc. Subsequently, proper

Mar-Apr ’14

disposal through incineration and deep burial can be ensured for such waste.

Green Bins: A lot of wastes generated in hospitals and health care facilities can be treated for reuse. Such waste can be collected in the green bins. Sterilisation of reusable medical equipment 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.

The management of both medical and bio-medical waste demand due diligence and care to avoid health and environmental risks. The trick is to select the correct bins for different types of wastes and set the priorities as per the best practices. The safe disposal of medical and bio-medical waste is of utmost importance for patients to receive proper health care and recover in safe environments.

For easy segregation and disposal of waste, the importance of bins is hard to ignore.

With bins getting manufactured in stylish interiors and colourful hues of metallic grey, platinum, brilliant steel combined with a touch of elegance, you can now rather flaunt them, instead of hiding. 

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IAQ

Dust Dangers: Prevention and Control

Living in a dustfree environment may not be possible in a strict sense, but adaption of regular dust prevention and control measures may improve indoor air significantly, paving way for healthy living

By Jyotismita Sharma

A

ir pollution is now the world’s largest single environmental health risk, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed in its latest estimates of air pollution risks published in March this year. Globally, air pollution causes deaths of seven million people every year, one in eight deaths.

The WHO estimates based on 2012 data also confirm that indoor air pollution is a bigger killer than outdoor air pollution. Out of the seven million deaths due to air

34

pollution, 4.3 million were attributed to household air pollution while 3.7 million deaths were attributed to ambient air pollution.

Indoor air pollution poses health risks of stroke, ischaemic heart disease; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), acute lower respiratory infections in children; and lung cancer, among other risks. Some more common heath problems caused by indoor air pollutants include sore eyes, headache, burning in the nose or throat and fatigue.

It is therefore very important to take care of the air that we breadth even inside our home or office.

Dust control is regarded as one of the major steps in that direction as the dust particles in the indoor air can carry a lot of pollutants that can threaten our heath. It can be noted here that it is indoor air that we breadth most as we spend most of our time indoors, approximately 90 percent, as various reports show.

Children who are exposed to higher levels of dust are more likely to have allergies and asthma. “This

Mar-Apr ’14

IAQ

is because allergic triggers (e.g. dust mite allergen, pollen) can build up in household dust and cause asthma symptoms,” a report of the Asthma Society of Canada said.

Defining Dust Indoor dust consists of a combination of cotton fibers, cellulose, mattress parts, human and animal hair and dander, mould spores, dead insect bodies and minute scraps of food, says the Asthma Society of Canada.

While moulds can grow on damp walls and shower curtains inside your home or hotel, blankets, pillow covers, teddy bears and stuffed animals can have dust mites. Hairs of pet animals are often found on the floors or carpets.

“Human skin scales, animal dander, insect parts from cockroaches and dust mites, saliva, molds and mildew, bacteria, and viruses are all released into the air as people go through their daily activities,” wrote Jackie LaMuth of Ohio State University Extension.

Continued use of mattresses, pillows, quilts, and upholstered furniture causes fibers found in these items to weaken and eventually break down into small enough particles that can be inhaled, LaMuth wrote.

Thus while the source of what is called “house dust” is generally living organisms, tobacco smoke, powdered detergents and cosmetics can also add to the dust.

In the absence of regular cleaning and maintenance programmes, moulds, dust mites and animal hair and dander can trigger asthma, leading to symptoms including coughing, chest tightness, wheezing, breathing problems, and sometimes

Mar-Apr ’14

even asthma attack, which can be fatal.

Dust Mites Considered as principal irritant in house dust, dust mites are microscopic spiderlike insects. Although they can be found anywhere, indoor environments where humidity is high (dam buildings, for example) are ideal for their growth and spread. In places where humidity is above 4-50 percent, dust mites thrive. Carpets, beddings and upholstered furniture are the places where dust mites that feed on skin flakes and other organic compounds in the dust love to live.

Lifespan of a dust mite is approximately a month and its body disintegrates into small fragments when it dies. This gets stirred into the air and the people living in that environment are hardly left with options but to breadth it, unless air purifying measures are taken.

Mould Dampness, high humidity and moisture are also ideal for growth of moulds. While some moulds are indeed beneficial for the environment, they can also produce toxic substance called mycotoxins. They produce spores to reproduce. Spores need moisture, still air, warmth and food source to thrive. Spores bloom where there is leakage and seepage of water.

So controlling moisture, keeping the building clean and dry and ensuring that there is no seepage of water are some of the ways to reduce mould and spores growth.

Continued exposure to mould can result in headaches, breathing difficulties, skin irritations, and allergic reactions.

35

IAQ

Mould Prevention Tips Controlling moisture is the best way to prevent mold growth.

Some such tips, as per the United States Environmental Protection Agency are: • Fix leaky plumbing and leaks in the building envelope as soon as possible.

• Watch for condensation and wet spots. Fix source(s) of moisture problem(s) as soon as possible.

• Pr e v e n t m o i s t u r e d u e t o condensation by increasing surface temperature or reducing the moisture level in air (humidity).

To increase surface temperature, insulate or increase air circulation.

To reduce the moisture level in air, repair leaks, increase ventilation (if outside air is cold and dry), or dehumidify (if outdoor air is warm and humid).

• Keep heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) drip pans clean, flowing properly, and unobstructed.

• Vent moisture-gener ating appliances, such as dryers, to the outside where possible.

• Maintain low indoor humidity, below 60 percent relative humidity (RH), ideally 30-50 percent, if possible.

• Perform regular building/HVAC inspections and maintenance as scheduled.

• Clean and dry wet or damp spots within 48 hours.

• Don't let foundations stay wet.

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Provide drainage and slope the ground away from the foundation.

Other Dust Control Methods Dust can hardly be eliminated completely, it can only be controlled.

Some such measures include:

• Filter indoor air with highefficiency particulate (HEPA) filter.

• Encase mattresses and box springs in airtight covers after vacuuming them.

• Wash scatter rugs and furniture covers regularly.

• Wet-mop or wet-wipe hard surfaces such as floors, walls, and ceilings.

• Wet vacuum is a preferred method, but steam cleaning can be an alternative for carpets and some upholstered furniture. 

Dust Control at Home The Asthma Society of Canada recommends the following measures for controlling dust inside home: • Place a mat right outside the front door to brush off heavy dirt from your shoes and/or place a washable mat just inside the door and wipe shoes on that mat (wash weekly).

• Make sure to remove shoes and other footwear at the door.

• Remove outdoor clothing and put on ‘at home’ wear as soon as you get home; make sure to leave outdoor clothing in closet with door closed or launder them immediately.

• Damp mop and damp wipe all smooth surfaces twice a week; make sure to damp wipe commonly missed places, like window sills, tops of door frames, and baseboards.

• Vacuum twice a week using a HEPA filter vacuum cleaner, or a central vacuum that is vented to the outside.

• If possible, remove all wall-to-wall carpeting and replace with tile, linoleum or wood flooring.

• Remove all heavy fabric drapery and replace with washable curtains or, better still, a washable roll-down blind.

• Change furnace filters regularly and, if you have a forced gas furnace, place a filter over the bedroom vents.

• Remove all clutter (e.g. ornaments, mobiles, silk flowers, etc) to reduce the number of places that dust can collect.

• Store books in cabinets with doors closed.

Mar-Apr ’14

Mar-Apr ’14

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PRODUC T P R E V I E W NEW POLISHING MACHINE FROM ROOTS MULTICLEAN he Roots PD 43 Single Disc machine is a high-quality, high torque belt-driven machine from Roots Multiclean (RMCL). It comes with a 320 RPM motor which offers quiet and vibration-free operation. The chassis is strong and fitted with large wheels for easy transportation. The handle is fitted with multiple safety features like dead man switch, vertical handle lock and Switch locking bottom. Working with PD 43 is a pleasure because of its simple loading and unloading of brushes. It is an ideal suit for dry buffing and polishing. It is an able work horse for daily cleaning too. The PD 43 also comes with a solution tank and a pad holder in a standard package. RMCL is one of the largest manufacturers and exporters of cleaning equipment in India.

Roots Multiclean Ltd. rmclsales@roots.co.in

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HACCP MANAGER KIT he HACCP Manager Kit provides the software, hardware and PC interface for the collecting, reporting, analyzing and storing of product temperature records and checklist documentation.

The Handheld is a datacollecting instrument designed to simplify the gathering of temperatures and the documentation of corrective actions as well as managing standard checklist processes. The database software allows for customizing up to 300 menu items and the Handheld can store up to 3000 temperature readings.

The handheld also holds up to 1500 checklist records (150 questions) with yes/no or numeric answers, and corresponding corrective actions.

The HACCP Manager software is the most important and powerful component of your HACCP Manager system. Data can be quickly transferred between the Handheld and a PC. The database is fully customizable. Critical control points and corrective actions can be defined to ensure a detailed and solid HACCP workflow tailored to your facility.

Mittal International sales@mitalin.com

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WET/ DRY VACUUM CLEANER 7 vacuum cleaner - is specially designed for car seats shampooing. It has solution tank through which solution/chemical can be sprayed on car seat, to make seat completely wet. Rub the seats manually and remove the dirty water. M7 is a perfect way for cleaning, washing and drying of any type of floor and upholstery. It has kit with specific extraction accessories and removable solution tank. The machine also works as wet and dry vacuum cleaner, making it equally effective for Wet / Dry vacuum cleaning job.

Aman Cleaning Equipments Pvt. Ltd. aman_marketing2002@yahoo.co.uk

M

the the

BRUSHING UP MATTERS enerally the brush filling industry consists of household brushes and industrial brushes. Both these segments have different brushes for various applications. The ideal machine depends on the product mix that the customer would like to cater to. Borghi India’s Alpha 113, which is a Three Axis model one filling, one drilling machine, is ideal for making both household and industrial brushes. Here it deserves a mention that Borghi India, a joint venture between Borghi Italy and Satellite Plastic Industries, India, is engaged in the production of state-of-the-art brush filling machines.

Borghi India has three different options in the household brushes segment.

The first option comprises Radial Brushes which are flat and plain. The second option comprises Round Brushes like the round head toilet brushes and the third is Double Hockey, which is fast gaining popularity in the Indian market.

Borghi Brush Machinery Pvt. Ltd. borghi.india@gmail.com

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T

he information published in this section is as per the details furnished by the r e s p e c t i v e m a n u f a c t u r e r / d i s t r i b u t o r. I n a n y c a s e , i t d o e s n o t r e p r e s e n t t h e v i e w s o f Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd.

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Mar-Apr ’14

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

A D V E R T I S E R S COMPANY

PAGE NO.

I N D E X

COMPANY

PAGE NO.

AMAN CLEANING EQUIPMENTS PVT. LTD.

......................27

QUARTZ HOME CARE (I) P LTD.

......................35

APPLIANCES EMPORIUM

......................33

SIDDHARTH IMPEX

......................25

DIVERSEY INDIA PVT. LTD.

......................01

SNOOZER BEDDING LTD.

......................FIC

GRAND CHEMICAL WORKS

......................31

SUPESHINE LAUNDRY SYSTEMS PVT. LTD.

......................BIC

HELPLINE FACILITY MANAGEMENT PVT. LTD.

......................05

UNIQUE TRADING COMPANY

......................17

HOSFAIR 2014

......................21

PRODUCT PREVIEW

......................38

JMR CHEMICAL (WORLD)

......................13

KARCHER CLEANING SYSTEM PVT. LTD.

......................BC

NAVIN POLYCON

......................04

NUTECH JETTING EQUIPMENTS INDIA PVT. LTD.

......................GF, 15

PEST CONTROL (INDIA) PVT. LTD.

......................07

* BC - BACK COVER

Mar-Apr ’14

* GF-GATE FOLD

* FIC - FRONT INSIDE COVER

* BIC - BACK INSIDE COVER

39

INTERVIEW

‘Housekeeping is Indispensable to Great Guest Experience’

S

oon after graduating from Institute of Hotel Management (IHM) Mumbai in 2003, Neha Gairola was picked up by ITC in their management trainee program. She worked with ITC from 2003-2010. Gairola was a part of pre openings of ITC Grand Central Mumbai and ITC Gardenia Bangalore. In 2010, she joined the pre opening of Moevenpick Hotel and Spa Bangalore as Executive Housekeeper and was promoted as Rooms Division Manager in 2013.

Neha believes in working as a team and keeping people working under her happy. Excerpts from an interview:

By Sharmila Chand How important in your opinion is housekeeping to hospitality?

Housekeeping is one department in the hotel that can be referred to as the backbone of the property.

Every task that a housekeeping staff does plays a big role in making the stay of a guest pleasant.

Cleanliness and hygiene are two things which help largely in building the reputation of the hotel. So it is safe to say housekeeping is indispensable and intrinsic to great guest experience, and extend life of a property.

What is the modus operandi of housekeeping operations at your hotel?

Traditionally, housekeeping has always been considered as a back of house department.

Whereas, at Mövenpick Hotel and Spa Bangalore, we always try and encourage our teams, right from entry-level associates to confidently interact with guests rather than just stick to housekeeping tasks.

Since we understand the routine of guests, especially guests with extended stay, our room teams play a critical role in providing unobtrusive service, and coordinate with other departments as well to keep it consistent.

This comes only with planning. The basic modus operandi is thus sound planning, execution and training – consistently.

What are the new trends in housekeeping?

The largest emerging trend at this point is outsourcing. Another key trend would be

40

incorporating Six Sigma tools in daily operations.

A lot of hotels have started outsourcing the laundry and other aspects of cleaning except accommodation. It helps in controlling capital expenditure.

Moreover, green initiatives and responsible operations is taking a position of prime importance, thus making a difference in protecting the environment we operate in.

Mövenpick Hotel and Spa Bangalore is the country’s first green globe certified hotel.

Other than this, simplicity is a new feature in vogue where the emphasis is on simple designs that are also practical. For example, a simple flower arrangement is more preferred than an extravagant arrangement. Rooms are also de-cluttered to provide space.

Please name any one tool which has made the operations much easy?

Six sigma inclusions in housekeeping have made operations easier and more efficient. It has helped streamline and run a lean operation. It also helps remove any non-value activity which just consumes time, and most importantly, it helps us arrive at the root cause of a problem in a scientific manner; using 5 Why tool, for example.

Housekeeping, as complex as the function, requires rigorous training. How much of an emphasis does the hotel place on this?

We have associates in our teams who come from various backgrounds. So training is the key differentiator that ensures that all of them are in the desired level of understanding tasks and expectations.

Training impacts operations in many ways and first and foremost is quality of service.

Another important aspect of training is to teach and inculcate safe and secure work procedures for the benefit of employees and the business.

Training improves profitability. If team members are not trained, we would not be able to use our resources optimally and contain wastage.

Training also helps in balancing experienced associates and freshers. Since in room teams, it is critical to handle situations such as do not disturb request, sick guest situation, and possible language barriers from diverse nationalities staying with us, training and continuous measure process is critical for a successful housekeeping operations.

How does India compare with the international scenario with regards to housekeeping?

In India the operations are still largely driven by manual effort whereas overseas operations are significantly induced with technological support.

They also work on complete outsourced manpower solutions where they hire and manage manpower based on demand pattern. We continue to have a

larger part of operations run through manual work as cost of labour is more efficient domestically than overseas.

What elements do you take into account while recruiting staff?

Attitude is the most important factor. A willing and positive approach is more important than existing skills. This is because we can train a person on skills, but we cannot teach or instill a positive attitude or will. It has to come from within. Prior experience, reference check, certified training in housekeeping course are additional value additions.

What is the role of the housekeeping staff in the context of security?

Housekeeping has a significant role in security as it is one department which has access to the entire hotel. That is why they are trained to notify about suspicious things, fighting fire, DND rooms, sick guests etc.

This is also one reason that we do not recruit people without a water tight reference and background check. Housekeeping is the extended ears and eyes for entire hotel’s security.

What are the challenges you have to face in your job responsibilities?

Our teams, especially our foot soldiers, who really are the ones making a difference every day in the shop floor, come from different cultural and economic and educational backgrounds and exposure levels. So to get them to acclimatise to an upscale urban environment as a first step and then to train them to desired skill and efficiency levels takes time, consistent efforts and repeated focus.

We also have to deal with attitude issues that can crop up due to various reasons.

What do you like about your job?

No two consecutive days in my job are same for me. Every day I have a new challenge and that really keeps me motivated for work. When I see people in my team growing and being appreciated, it’s a joy that I cannot explain.

What is it that you would like to change about your job?

I would like involvement of higher levels of technology and automation in daily operations.

Any other input you would like to give in context to housekeeping in your hotel?

It’s a heart of the house activity largely, so it is very important to keep employees motivated.

Mar-Apr ’14

Mar-Apr ’14

Jan-Feb ’13

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Regd. No. R.N. DELENG/2001/7213

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