? Cleaning: Will Robots Rule the Roost? ? Keeping Floors Forever Young ? Management of Hospital Laundry
REVIEW Mar-Apr ’15 VOL. XV No. 2 ` 90
Make Hay by Keeping Pests at Bay ? How to Manage Toxic Hospital Waste ? Drop the Dampness ? When Fear of Flies Blow in the Wind ®
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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 © 2015 Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
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A
re the good days for the Indian economy here again? Going by the growth projections made by various international agencies and institutions, the gloomy days appear to have dissipated. Major international credit rating agency Moody’s has already upgraded its outlook on India to ‘positive’ and according to the economists this upgrade could facilitate huge capital low to the Indian economy. Likewise, according to the World Bank, India’s economic growth is expected to rise to 7.5 per cent in 2015-16, followed by further acceleration to 7.9 percent in 2016-17 and 8 percent in 2017-18. These projections suggest that investment “sentiment” is gradually improving and we are once again at the cusp of high economic growth. Therefore, the time could just be right for investors to loosen the purse strings and foray into the road that leads to further expansion of the existing businesses. And even for those who wish to start a new business, getting investment might have just got a bit easier. As the Cover Story of this issue points out, the pest control service market is also set to bloom in the coming years on the back of robust economic growth and increasing urbanization. The fact that there are only a few reputed domestic and multinational players in the Indian pest control market could be quite deceptive. According to industry estimates, the market is well over Rs. 1,000 crores, growing at 15-20 percent annually. So even those who think the scope of expansion is limited in this market, the double digit growth figures could be quite sobering. Moreover, to assume that pest control services would be very expensive or unaffordable to many due to the perceived dominance of the limited number of reputed players would also be wrong. There are a large number of local players that have been offering pest control services in India. So both in terms of its size and the number of players, the pest control market in India is far from small. What is more, to keep pace with the fast pace of urbanization and economic growth in the Indian states, some of the reputed pest control services are now also offering franchisee options, thus opening the door for even more entrepreneurs to make a killing from pest management. Not just in economy, even on the technology front, major advancements are expected. As the Trends section of this issue highlights, robots, or automated devices, are making quick inroads into the Indian cleaning industry. So finding robots in greeting guests in hotels or segregating wastes in hospitals is not something that could not be common in the future. They may have special significance for the housekeeping industry which is continuously grappling with skilled manpower issues. Robots could easily carry out menial jobs without a fuss, especially those for which it is difficult to find and retain people. Moreover, they also show promise in increasing efficiency and cutting labour costs. With a focus on hospital waste management, dealing with dampness to improve indoor air quality, controlling pest flies in the pre-monsoon season, hospital laundry and floor maintenance, I am sure you will find other regular features of this issue equally stimulating.
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 ’15
Contents 8
COVER STORY
CLEANING
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Make Hay by Keeping Pests at Bay
Keeping Floors Forever Young
ith a few of the national and international players offering franchisee options, low investment and high returns make pest control services an attractive proposition for the entrepreneurs
few easy-to-implement precautions and customied routine maintenance can help stone floors, hardwood floors and concrete floors provide a lifetime of excellence, beauty, and shine
TRENDS
PEST MANAGEMENT
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Cleaning: Will Robots Rule the Roost?
W
ith advancement in technology and usage of robots evolving fast, they are expected to make quick inroads into the Indian cleaning industry
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24
When Fear of Flies Blow in the Wind
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anitation is the most effective and important step in controlling the pest flies that can not only create nuisance, but also spread diseases
SECTIONS 4 Event
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5
34 IAQ
News Scan
Waste Management
7 Report
38
28
40 Interview
Laundry
Mar-Apr ’15
Product Preview
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HOSFAIR Guangdong 2015 10th to 12th, Sept. 2015 in China Import and Export Fair Complex, Guangdong
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s the hotel industry for imported hotel supplies products continues to expand, Xinji Group, the largest hotel supplies commercial operator and the president unit of China Hotel Supplies Association, together with Guangzhou Huazhan Exhibition Co. Ltd. to establish Guangdong Xinji Huazhan Exhibition Co., Ltd. and will organize The 13th China (Guangdong) International Hospitality Supplies Fair. Through making the respective advantages complementary to each other and cooperation, inviting hotel supplies producers, agents and distributors from home and abroad to visit and purchase during the fair, it can offer a solid foundation to every hotel supplies industry in China for achieving globalization trade. The 13th China (Guangdong) International Hospitality Supplies Fair will be held during 10th to 12th, Sept. 2015 in China Import and Export Fair Complex. There are 10 series of exhibits covers an area of 600 thousand sq.m (100 thousand sq.m for Pazhou Venue, 500 thousand sq.m for Xinji Shaxi Hospitality Supplies Expo Center) with eight wonderful activities. There are 4000 exhibitors displaying the professional technology and newest products of hotel supplies stage, so that to create the most effective business stage and biggest hotel supplies fair. The show will feature Kitchen Equipments, Refrigeration & Freezers, Interior products, Furniture, Textiles, Tableware, IT products, Laundry & Cleaning products, Lighting Systems and Food & Beverage products. Guided by the spirit of innovation, cooperation and internationalization, HOSFAIR Guangzhou makes every effort to build a brand fair in hospitality industry. Aim to honing it the most effective media for hotel supplies, manufacturers and traders to introduce their brands into home and international market.
Air Quality Index Launched to Disseminate Air Quality Information
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ational Air Quality Index (AQI) has been launched to disseminate air quality information. The AQI has six categories of air quality, viz Good, Satisfactory, Moderately polluted, Poor, Very Poor and Severe with distinct colour scheme. Each of these categories is associated with likely health impacts. AQI considers eight pollutants (PM10, PM 2.5, NO2, SO2, CO, O3, NH3 and Pb) for which shortterm (upto 24-hourly averaging period) National Ambient Air Quality Standards are prescribed. Presently, air quality data for 10 cities are connected to AQI system which is available on the website of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Central Pollution Control Board. The Government has taken various measures to contain air pollution in New Delhi, which interalia include, supply of cleaner fuels as per auto fuel policy, use of gaseous fuel for public transport, pollution under control (PUC) certificate system for in-use vehicles, stringent source specific emission standards and their compliance, use of beneficiated coal in thermal power plants, strengthening public transport, expansion of metro train system, implementation of revised emission norms for gensets etc.
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Mar-Apr ’15
NE W S SCAN
Now, Robot to Clean Hospital Rooms
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an a robot clean a hospital room just as well as a person? According to an Indian-origin researcher, that is indeed the case. Chetan Jinadatha, assistant professor at the Texas A&M College of Medicine in the US, is studying the effectiveness of a germ-zapping robot to clean hospital rooms, which could hold the key to preventing the spread of “superbugs” - in turn, saving money and, most importantly, lives. Keeping hospital rooms c lean is important to prevent the spread of infections from one patient to another. Surfaces in hospital rooms such as tray tables, bedrails, call buttons and grab
bars can be reservoirs for bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which can be difficult to treat, and in some cases, fatal. “A typical 100-bed hospital sees about 10-20 hospital-acquired infections a year,” Jinadatha said. “Our goal is to get to zero infections.” Since the current method of cleaning hospital rooms relies heavil y on housekeeping staff, who often have a high turnover rate, Jinadatha has focused his research on using technology to prevent hospital-acquired infections. In particular, he is studying the effectiveness of a pulsed xenon ultraviolet (UV) light system that was developed in
Texas. Jinadatha has been among the first to study the system since it was introduced in 2011. The device - which Jinadatha admits bears a striking resemblance to the fictional robot in Star Wars film series known as R2-D2 - has a large saucer-shaped head on top of a column that rises up to reveal a bulb filled with xenon gas. When the system is switched on, highvoltage electricity passes through the bulb and releases a spectrum of UV light that binds to the DNA of organisms and kills them. Jinadatha earlier published a study that compared the effectiveness of manual disinfection alone to manual disinfection plus the use of UV light. This study found that manual cleaning plus UV light killed more than 90 percent of the bacteria, compared to 70 percent with manual cleaning alone. Of particular note was the fact that manual disinfection plus UV light killed 99 percent of the bacteria that cause MRSA. Jinadatha’s latest study, which was published earlier this year in the American Journal of Infection Control, looked at the effectiveness of UV light disinfection by itself. This study found that in just 12 minutes, the UV light system cut the amount bacteria in the room by about 70 percent - roughly the same level of effectiveness as manual disinfection.
Steps to Ensure Cleanliness in Indian Railways
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nder the “Swachh Rail Swachh Bharat Mission”, regular events on cleanliness are planned to be organized at all railway premises. “The focus of Indian Railways is to ensure clean and hygienic toilets, maintenance of cleanliness at stations, trains etc., tree plantation, and removal of encroachments, improving drainage, public awareness campaign and periodic monitoring of the mission, ” said Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha on March 13. Detailed instructions regarding waste management have been issued to Zonal Railways for prompt disposal of waste arising out of catering services at stations
Mar-Apr ’15
and in trains in order to maintain hygiene and cleanliness at all catering units. In order to segregate the garbage, the refuse bins (with three colours) so nominated are prominently painted in green (for Bio-degradable waste), white (for recyclable waste) and black (all other waste i.e. other than bio-degradable waste and recyclable waste) of sufficient size to ensure all collections. “Disposal of garbage is done by handling over the garbage to Municipal Authorities, through incineration, dumping in identified landfill sites and composing pit etc. Similarly, hazardous waste is also disposed off as per extant statutory guidelines,” Sinha noted.
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NEWS SCA N
Disinfectant Wipes Curb Food Poisoning
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ashing hands and wiping your kitchen clean with disinfectant wipes after preparing poultry can help reduce food poisoning risk caused by harmful bacteria by over 99 percent, researchers have said in a study published in the Journal of Applied Microbiology. According to the new findings, the risk of Campylobacter food poisoning can be cut by up to 99.2 percnt by using disinfectant wipes in the kitchen after preparing poultry. Dr Gerardo Lopez and his colleagues at the University of Arizona in the US used antibacterial wipes on typical counter top materials - granite, laminate, and ceramic tile - to see if they reduce the risk of the cook and their family or guests ingesting
harmful bacteria. “The scary thing about Campylobacter is that you really don’t need to ingest that many bacteria to get a nasty illness, so we have to wipe clean our kitchen surfaces and wash our hands after preparing poultry,” said Dr Lopez. Campylobacter infections are common, causing vomiting and diarrhoea, and can be very dangerous for young children, older people, and anyone with a compromised immune system. Even though cooking the meat thoroughly, until the juices run clear, will destroy the bacteria, there is still a chance that bacteria left behind in the preparation area could cause illness. Advice to consumers includes refraining
from washing poultry under the tap, which can spread the bacteria through splashing and spraying. This new research suggests that cleaning up with a disinfectant wipe straight after unwrapping and/or preparing poultry meat could further protect people from infection. “We found that it’s not just the physical removal of bacteria by the wipe that helps - the antibacterial solution left behind on the counter surface continues to disinfect over the next few minutes,” Dr Lopez explained. “It’s also important that consumers clean up with a wipe straight after preparing poultry. If drips and splatters from the meat remain, bacteria can transfer to other foods from dirty surfaces and utensils. If the area is allowed to dry, the bacteria can sometimes stick to the work surface making it even harder to get clean, later.” There is every chance that disinfectant wipes would also be effective to reduce the risk of other food poisoning illnesses, including those caused by E.coli, Salmonella, and noroviruses. new research out of the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, that is indeed the case.
Gujarat Leads Swachh Bharat Mission
T
he state of Gujarat has led others in the implementation of Swachh Bharat Mission during 2014-15. Out of the 2,70,069 household toilets constructed during the last financial year, Gujarat alone accounted for 60 percnet of them having built 1,65,376 household toilets. Madhya Pradesh has constructed 99,151 household toilets followed by Karnataka with 4,697. In promoting Solid Waste Management also, Gujarat led others having reported 100% collection and transportation of municipal solid waste in 120 of the 195 towns in the state. Odisha has done so in respect of 107 towns and Karnataka in 40 towns. In all, 329 of the 4,041 statutory towns have reported 100% collection and transportation of municipal solid waste. In the construction of community toilet seats, Odisha was ahead of others having constructed 740 seats during 2014-15. Andaman & Nicobar Islands reported
6
construction of 200 and Karnataka has built 100 community toilet seats. A total of 1,222 community toilet seats have been built during 2014-15. Swachh Bharat Mission was launched on October 2, 2014 with the objective of ensuring cleanliness in all the 4,041 statutory cities and towns of the country by October 2, 2019 which marks the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi who had emphasized the importance of cleanliness soon after his return to India from South Africa. The five year Swachh Bharat Mission is to be implemented at a total cost of Rs. 62,009 cr with a targeted construction of 1.04 cr household toilets, 2.51 lakh community toilet seats and 2.55 lakh public toilet seats besides assisting 37 cr urban people in solid waste management. Construction of toilets is accorded priority under the Mission to enable ‘open defecation free’ urban areas.
During 2014-15, a total of about Rs.900 cr has been sanctioned by the Union Ministry of Urban Development and an amount of about Rs.700 cr has been released to States/UTs based on proposals received under Swachh Bharat Mission. Implementation of the Mission is expected to pick up momentum from the current financial year onwards.
Mar-Apr ’15
REPORT
New Measures to Ensure Cleanliness After Public Meetings Organisers of public meetings and gathering, including hotels, restaurants, marriage halls and farm houses, have been made accountable for ensuring cleanliness and they will be required to pay security deposit of Rs.10,000 to Rs.1,00,000 for obtaining permission for the events
I
n a leg up to the implementation of Swachh Bharat Mission, the Ministry of Urban Development has issued Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) to ensure cleanliness during and after public meetings and gatherings. Under the SOP, approved by the Minister of Urban Development M.Venkaiah Naidu, organisers of such events have been made accountable for ensuring cleanliness and they will be required to pay security seposit for obtaining permission for the events. In case of default by the organizer, concerned municipal bodies will undertake cleaning operations using the deposit money. The Ministry has taken a serious note of spoiling of public places through littering of water bottles, left- over food items, used flowers, packaging material, wrappers etc. during public gatherings and meetings besides nonprovisioning of public conveniences adversely affecting the hygiene in the surroundings. Under the new norms, organisers will have to furnish an undertaking for ensuring cleanliness and have to deposit money to be used in case of default by them. Security deposit to be made will be Rs.10,000/- for a gathering of up to 500 persons, Rs.50,000 for 50,000 persons and Rs.1,00,000 for a gathering of above 50,000 persons. Permission will not be given by the concerned agencies if security deposit is not made. The organiser shall ensure adequate garbage collection bins and adequate public conveniences as per the norms
Mar-Apr ’15
indicated at his own cost through agencies designated by the municipal body or through his own alternative arrangements. Adequate number of cleaning staff should be deployed to ensure proper cleanliness of the premises. After the event gets over, the organiser would ensure transportation of the garbage to the nearest waste storage location designated by the municipal body. Organisers would have to ensure
handing over of clean site to the owner of premises within six hours after the conclusion of the event. If the cleanliness was ensued by the organiser, security deposit in the form of demand draft shall be returned to him in three days by the municipal body. For events to be held on public/open spaces not earmarked for gatherings, where permission is taken directly from the police, organiser shall furnish the said undertaking and security deposit to the police. The following norms are to be followed while making various provisions to ensure cleanliness:
FACILITY
TYPE OF VENUE
NORM
P u b l i c Conveniences
Premises like hotels, restaurants, marriage halls, farmhouses etc
1 toilet seat for every 75 people
For gatherings/meetings at public places like parks/ gardens etc.
Up to 25,000 people – 1 seat for each 500 people More than 25,000 people- 1 seat for each 1,000 people
Hotels, restaurants, marriage halls, farmhouses etc.
Up to 200 people – 4 dustbins of 150 litre capacity in the premises and additional 2 of 100 litre capacity each outside the premises.
Parks, gardens etc.
Upto 1,000 people – 5 dustbins of 100 litres capacity each and one of 1,100 litre capacity Between 1,000 and 5,000 people- 10 dustbins of 100 litres capacity each and 2 dustbins of 1,100 litres capacity Above 5,000 people – 1 dustbin of 100 litres capacity for every 500 people and one of 1,100 litre capacity for every 5,000 people.
Dustbins
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C OV ER ST O R Y
Make Hay by Keeping Pests at Bay With a few of the national and international players offering franchisee options, low investment and high returns make pest control services an attractive proposition for the entrepreneurs By Ashok Malkani
T
8
he fact that there are only a few reputed domestic and multinational players in the Indian pest
control market could be quite deceptive. First, it might lead one to assume that the pest control market in India is ver y small. But the figures say other wise.
According to industry estimates, the market is well over Rs. 1,000 crores, growing at 15-20 percent annually. So even those who think the scope of expansion is limited in this market, the double digit growth figures could be quite sobering. Secondly, to assume that pest control services would be very expensive or unaffordable to many due to the perceived dominance of the limited number of reputed players would also be wrong. There are a large number of local players that have been offering pest control services in India. For example, the Indian Pest Control Association (IPCA), a trade association of professional pest management companies in India, alone boasts of close to 250 members throughout the countr y today. So both in terms of its size and the number
Mar-Apr ’15
COVER STORY
of players, the pest control market in India is far from small. The reasons for the robust growth of this seemingly lowprofile market are also many. Long driven by a large and growing ur ban population, improving awareness of health and safety issues and commendable growth of the economy accompanied by rising levels of income, this market is now set to get a new impetus from the policy priorities of the new government at the centre. With sanitation being at the core of the recently launched Clean India Campaign and approval being granted for the setting up of 100 smart cities, players in the pest management market can hope for even better days. Such projects are meant to build a better image of India at the world stage which would ultimately help attract more tourists and investments into the country, ensuring higher growth for the hospitality industry in the process. It goes without saying that growth of the hospitality segment is closely linked with that of the pest control businesses. The increasing urbanization is also likely to increase the demand for pest control services not just in the metro cities, but in all the states across the country and that too not just to meet the demand for agriculture but also for
Mar-Apr ’15
the growing number of restaurants, schools, hotels, hospitals, shopping malls, office spaces and such other properties. What is more, to keep pace with the fast pace of urbanization and economic growth in the Indian states, some of the reputed pest control services are now also offering franchisee options, thus opening the door for even more entrepreneurs to make a killing from pest management. “Pest control is a good business option as it involves low investment,” Deepak
Chauhan, Director of Mumbai-based brand Pest O Stop very succinctly pointed out. Navreet S Pruthi, Director of Mumbai-headquartered Pest Control M Walshe concurred when he said, “The pest control industry has seen unprecedented growth in recent years, on the back of an increasing number of pests and growing consciousness around health issues. D ue to increasing health issues, people are becoming more cautious about the
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COVER STORY chance to improve only if you know your customer. So the important thing is to figure out your target audience.
Prospective Clients
environment around them.” Therefore, while the time seems to be now ripe of existing pest management players to strengthen t h e i r p o s i t i on s e v e n f u r t h e r and brace for expansion, new entrepreneurs could also look for a window of opportunity to step into the shoes of their predecessors.
owners to address and improve their online presence. However, online business has the
Pest control ser vices in India are a relatively new field, which means there are a lot of business opportunities for the new entrants. However one aspect they must pay attention to is: the clients. They have to be aware about who their prospective clients are. Briefly they could be: Residential segment: It is the largest and the most important segment in the countr y. The affluent community anywhere in the world is constantly looking for better living standards and India is no exception. Leading a healthy, pest-free life is every man’s
Marketing Your Services The pest management industry has a “huge scope if we develop a better marketing system”, Chauhan noted. With changing times marketing would definitely involve online marketing, e ven for existing players. One needs to be creative with online marketing. It is very important for pest control business
History of Pest Management
It may be mentioned that pest control is at least as old as agriculture, as there has always been a need to keep crops free from pests. In order to maximize food production, it is advantageous to protect crops from competing species of plants, as well as from herbivores competing with humans. Chemical pesticides date back 4,500 years, when the Sumerians used sulphur comp-ound as insecticides. The Rig Veda, which is about 4,000 years old, also mentions the use of poisonous plants for pest control. It was only with the industrialization and mechanization of agriculture in the 18th and 19th century, and the introduction of the insecticides pyrethrum and derris that chemical pest control became widespread. In the 20th century, the discovery of several synthetic insecticides, such as DDT and herbicides boosted this development. Chemical pest control is still the predominant type of pest control today, although its long-term effects led to a renewed interest in traditional and biological pest control towards the end of the 20th century.
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prerogative. According to Pruthi, “ The specialised services offered for the residential market are mainly for cockroaches, black / white ants and rodents, on an annual and one time basis. Unlike, most services we do not use harsh chemicals.” This is a hassle free service offered without much usage of liquid pesticides as the pest control operators, nowa-days, depend mainly on third generation pesticide molecules. Corporate and Office Space: Pest control is vital to corporations, as property damage from pests can lead to huge losses in business. Further, corporations conduct businesses on a much larger scale
Mar-Apr ’15
COVER STORY
making this one of the most lucrative segments in the pest control market. Entertainment Market: It comprises of cinema halls, discotheques, immersive virtual reality stations, shopping malls, museums, theme parks and other entertainment zones. Catering to
such clientele requires a deeper understanding of architectural and interior related issues before solutions can be provided. Retail Market: The retail space as a whole in the Asia-Pacific region is growing at between 2530 per cent, making it one of the fastest growing segments in the
region. Apart from the present players like Reliance and Birlas, hundreds of would-be retailers like Woolworth from Australia and Watsons from Hong Kong, Chinese retail giants including Yolo, an electronic retailer with 150 stores across China, are planning to launch in India. Catering to this segment requires the same competencies as those of the entertainment market. Education Market: The presence of more than 800 professional institutes offering MBA, Engineering and other streams of academia along with thousands of schools and other training institutes makes this a very lucrative market segments. The main function of pest control services within this sector is to provide value for money and ecofriendly solutions.
E n t r y i n t o Pe s t C o n t r o l Business There are various ways to enter into the lucrative Indian pest
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Mar-Apr ’15
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COVER STORY control market. If you are one with ample capital, you might find it convenient to buy an already running infrastructure. Buying a complete setup would save you from various complexities. Apart from it, it may also provide you a rich network of clients. However, in such a scenario, it is important to make sure to visit an attorney to initiate relevant paperwork. Get the business legally transferred under the guideline provided by the attorney to ensure an error-free transfer deal.
Types of Pest Control
There are three main types of pest control. They are: Biological Pest Control is done through restraining and managing natural predators and parasites. For example: mosquitoes are often controlled by putting Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) ssp. israelensis, a bacterium that infects and kills mosquito larvae, in local water sources. The treatment has no known negative consequences on the remaining ecology and is safe for humans to drink. The point of biological pest control, or any natural pest control, is to eliminate a pest with minimal harm to the ecological balance of the environment in its present form. Mechanical Pest Control is the use of hands-on techniques as well as simple equipment, devices, and natural ingredients that provide a protective barrier between humans and insects as well as between plants and insects. For example: weeds can be controlled by being physically removed from the ground. This is referred to as tillage and is one of the oldest methods of weed control. Physical Pest Control is a method of getting rid of insects and small rodents by removing, attacking, setting up barriers that will prevent further infestations of pests. The Pest Control industry in India is witnessing unprecedented growth and competition. Bigger corporate houses are entering the fray, eating into the market shares of the traditional SME players.
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You may also be interested in a pest control chain business known to offer franchisee to interested people. You can make an online research in this direction and shortlist some renowned companies for further business negotiation. A franchisor generally supports the entrepreneur with its brand name and vast industry/business knowledge and experience. As such, a typical entrepreneur has the best of both the worlds, the satisfaction of running his own business and the support of a wellknown organisation. For example, the Godrej HiCare franchisee provides a complete pest control system. Godrej HiCare has developed a specially designed formula to manage pest problems.
“ We opted for franchising because franchisee being a local person understands the customer’s requirement better thereby ensuring a better customer experience. Franchise model assists in a faster scale up of business and also helps in spreading out the reach across the country at a good pace,” Joydeep Sarkar, Business Head of Hicare was quoted as saying.
Challenges Though pest control is a low investment, high returns business, it has its own challenges. A major one is availability of skilled workers. “Pest Control Industry n e e d s s k i l l s , k n ow l e d g e a n d awareness because this affects directly on health and reputation of customers,” noted Dr R. S. Tomar, Vice President- Operation, Spy Fumizix Pest Control. The managers across different pest management companies have also voiced the lack of awareness about pest control services as one of the challenges. But then, every business has its challenges. If you are willing to face them, you have the opportunity of enjoying the fruits of its success. .
Mar-Apr ’15
SMS PEST to 54242 l Toll Free: 1800 212 2125
Mar-Apr ’15
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TREND S
Cleaning: Will
R
bots
Rule the Roost? With advancement in technology and usage of robots evolving fast, they are expected to make quick inroads into the Indian cleaning industry
By Ashok Malkani
F
rom helping doctors in the operation theatres to precisely carry out difficult surgeries to selling goods in the showrooms, robots are slowly but surely becoming parts of our everyday lives. Scientists are now also making these automated “ intelligent � de vices per form myriad other functions, including cleaning jobs. There are indications that some such robots are already
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on the path of replacing menial cleaning tasks traditionally done by humans. So will robots one day find widespread application even in hospitals, hotels and hospitality properties? Looking at the speed with which science and technology is advancing and the infinite possibilities that these devices promise, the chances are, well, finding robots in greeting guests in hotels or segregating
wastes in hospitals is not something that could not be common in the future. They may have special significance for the housekeeping industry which is continuously grappling with skilled manpower issues. Robots could easily carry out menial jobs without a fuss, especially those for which it is difficult to find and retain people. Moreover, they also show promise in increasing efficiency and cutting labour costs.
Mar-Apr ’15
T REND S
Nitin Motani
History of Robotic Cleaning Although, the kind of robots that we come across in the movies or science fictions are not yet commonplace in the housekeeping i n d u s t r y, t h e u s e o f v a r i o u s automated devices is not at all uncommon. It has been stated that the first robot cleaner to be put into production was Electroluc Trilobite by the Swedish household and professional appliances manufacturer, Electrolux. It took its name from the extinct anthropod, which scoured the ocean’s floor. In 1997, one of Electrolux’s first versions of the Trilobite vacuum was featured on the BBC’s science programme, Tomorrow’s World. It was the world’s first commercially available autonomous vacuum cleaner, introduced as a product in 2001. T h e Tr i l o b i t e c on t a i n e d a vacuum cleaner and a removable roller brush capable of working on deep-pile carpet. It had the ability to map rooms and avoid obstacles by using ultrasonic sensors. It recharged itself on a charging b a s e, w h i c h i t a u t om a t i c a l l y found when it had completed its cleaning task or its power ran low.
Mar-Apr ’15
Electrolux has discontinued the Trilobite, removing any product information from its website. In 2002, the American advanced technology company, iRobot, launched the Roomba floor vacuuming robot. Roomba is a series of autonomous robotic vacuum cleaners. An autonomous robot is a robot that performs behaviours or tasks with a high degree of autonomy, which is particularly desirable in fields
such as cleaning floors, mowing lawns, waste water treatment, delivering goods and services and space exploration. T h e R o o m b a immediately struck a chord with the consumers. Since 2002, new variations of robotic vacuum cleaners have appeared in the market. In 2014, British engineering company Dyson announced its comeback to the robotic vacuum industry with the Dyson 360 Eye.
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TREND S
The Indian Scenario The robotic cleaner market in India is still in its early development stage, but manufacturers are excited because of customer curiosity. M i l a g r ow H u m a n Te c h , a Gurgaon-based firm claims that the market is ripe for robotics cleaning. Its founder director, Rajeev Karwal claims Milagrow Redhawk 2.0 – with its Robotic 6th Sense, extra dirt sensors and robotic
Purchasing Tips • Consider the overall ease-of-use of the model • Another consideration is what type of floors the robot cleaner can effectively manage • As with all technology durability can be an issue. When choosing a robot cleaner, make sure the brand and specific model have a proven track record of reliability. • One of the most convenient features is the ability of the machine to automatically recharge itself at the docking station. This ability to recharge itself should not be overlooked • Another factor to consider when choosing a robot cleaner is what type of maintenance it requires. • If you are considering an international brand that’s been imported to India, you will be shelling out far more. • An imported brand may not provide satisfactory after sales service. Dust is a problem peculiar to India, making maintenance vital.
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suction power control, scheduling, charging, etc – has caught the imagination of customers. The company has a wide range of robotic products. Besides floor cleaning robots, window cleaning robots, pool cleaning robots and lawn mowing robots, among others, it also offers body massaging robots. Nitin Motani, Chairman of Mumbai-based S.K. Robotics (India) dec lares, “ The Indian robotic market is at a ver y nascent stage. People still do not differentiate between a remote control machine and a robot. Robot is supposed to have a certain level of intelligences and ability to perform autonomously without human intervention. Hence robots are yet to become popular in India, though
they are slowly and steadily finding favour among the urban populace.” Among robotic cleaning products, S.K. Robotics offers floor cleaning, window cleaning, duct cleaning swimming pools cleaning, and the latest addition of robotic dustbin which can come to people to collect the garbage instead of people reaching the dustbin for dumping the garbage. “The company’s 10 litre dustbins with security features, the first robot dustbin in the country, will be used in 60 railway station platforms across North India. Once it runs successfully,” S.K. Robotics said in a statement. Motani expects Maharashtra and the southern states will also use robots on railway platforms. “They are already in use on the Sabarmati
Rajeev Karwal
River Front in Ahmedabad over nine kms,” the statement mentioned. “Currently, robots play a major role in floor cleaning, window cleaning, swimming pool cleaning, A/C Duct cleaning. Also there a re v a r i o u s m o d e l s a v a i l a b l e for doing these jobs. There are smaller versions available for doing household cleaning to larger models available with more capacity to do industrial cleaning. However as robotics industry today is in a stage of high growth hence there are new developments practically every day. In future we will have robots to do the cleaning of the complete house right from vacuuming to moping to cleaning the toilets,” Motani said. Motani believes that robotics is going to touch ever y single field right from the household
Mar-Apr ’15
Mar-Apr ’15
17
TREND S chores to country’s defense system, from nursing at the hospitals to hazardous job conditions. It may be mentioned that the sales of domestic robot products in 2014 was small compared to what will be achieved by 2020. According to varied sources, about 2.2 million robots for personal and domestic use were sold, back in 2010 and the projected market size of this segment by 2018 is expected to reach $1.8 billion. The market size of Indian durables and electronics industry is estimated at Rs 370 billion and the scope for robots segment to grow in the foreseeable future is very much possible. “Over the next five years, the robotics industry will reach the heights similar to what software and hardware industry has achieved in 25 years,” Motani was quoted as saying.
Reasons behind Popularity of Cleaning Robots Motani believes that the future of robotics in the cleaning industry is bright and the reason is obvious. He explained, “Cleaning industry is one of the industries which have the lowest respect from the employee point of view, especially in India. Traditionally people involved in cleaning industry were considered as backward class and
18
were not allowed a respectable place in the society. With the new generation of the same backward class being educated, they do not want to take up the same old same dirty job of cleaning. This is where I see that India will offer great scope for robots to replace humans for doing these dirty jobs.” “Robots will replace the cleaning labour not because of cost saving but as the country progresses the availability of labour for doing this kind of dirty and/or risky jobs will not be available. Hence in future it will not be a matter of choice between a cheap labour and a robot but a matter of compulsion where you will be compelled to deploy robots due to non-availability of labour. In a way it is a kind of Industrial revolution. Like in the past when various kinds of machines were invented for production which was meant to assist humans similarly robots will be meant to assist humans in daily life to do the mundane jobs,” he
noted. “This is as far as the routine cleaning is concerned. Then there is another niche area where cleaning by human is either very dangerous or inconvenient or impossible. From duct cleaning, swimming pool cleaning, water tank cleaning, and drainage cleaning, such activities extend to high risk industries to even nuclear plants. Hence we see a huge scope of introduction of robots in cleaning industry in India as and when the awareness increases,” Motani told. Karwal from Milagrow Human Tech concurs with the idea of robots replacing human as far a cleaning chore is concerned. He said, “People have less time on their hands. More women are joining the workforce, and efficient domestic help is tough and expensive to find. It is only natural for technology to step in.” However, it must be mentioned that though many companies are introducing robotic products in India, they are yet to make a big impact. The market is very niche. Besides, although they make life easier, the after sales ser vices are still poor. “This is because most brands are using imported equipments and reselling without providing any after sale service and support. As far as S.K. Robotics is concerned, there have been no complaints. I may mention that we have the capacit y to produce 2,500 robots per month at our R&D and manufacturing centre in Vapi, Gujarat,” Motani concluded. .
Mar-Apr ’15
May-June ’13 Mar-Apr ’15
53 19
C LEANING
Keeping Floors
Forever Young A few easy-to-implement precautions and customied routine maintenance can help stone floors, hardwood floors and concrete floors provide a lifetime of excellence, beauty, and shine
M
uch of your efforts to make the interiors emanate that special youthful aura that instantly sends a positive vibe to your guests as soon as they enter the property may not yield great results if the floors fail to shine. For floors constitute up to 70 percent of area to
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be cleaned and maintained in most of the m o d e r n buildings and facilities. So even beautifully done decorations, lights and furniture cannot compensate for the neglect of such large areas. In fact, it would not be an exaggeration to say that nothing attracts more than a floor in any facility, especially in public areas. It is an essential constituent that adds
Mar-Apr ’15
C LE ANI NG beauty and warmth to any internal or external area. If one wants to make that beauty last, it requires special effort to maintaining these floors. By properly maintaining and caring about the floor, one can ensure it looks as wonderful as the day it was installed. The floor maintenance process is often very detailed, involving many stages of technical applications and therefore it is a much specialised cleaning task. However, this process has not changed drastically over the past few years. But the machines have improved to save time and money and increase productivity. One of the major tasks of floor maintenance is polishing. It brings the upper coat of a floor to a higher gloss, improve slip resistance and remove marks. Areas with high traffic require polishing as these areas can lose their shine easily. Floor polishing is a very technical process in terms of the equipment that is manufactured for the task, and what it does. Floor polishing can be done with single disk machines, running at 350 rpm or more, and ultra high speed machines. The choice of machine depends on the kind of task at hand, the time available to do it and the type of floor being worked on. The most common floors that require polishing, and protection, are vinyl, linoleum, and some wooden flooring. Also necessary to protect are marble, terrazzo and granite stone floors. On marble, terrazzo and limestone, a technical process that was used a lot in the past was ‘vitrification’. With this process a high gloss on the floor was obtained. Although this gloss could last for a very long time, creating it was a time-consuming process. Nowadays, in order to save money, contract cleaners prefer to use contemporary methods across the range of floor materials instead.
How to Make a Stone Floor Shine?
The diamond polishing process offers several advantages over traditional chemical-based cleaning methods. It increases slip resistance, promotes safe and hygienic floor surfaces at reduced costs, and also increases
Mar-Apr ’15
life of the floor. The diamond maintenance system is very costefficient as maintenance or labour costs come down. The end result is a gleaming, non-slip, long lasting finish - quality that you can’t help but notice. The system eliminates the need for polishing compounds with toxic components. In most cases, once treated, it is recommended that the floors are allowed to breathe naturally. Diamond polishing can be carried out at any time. The floor polishing process is dust and dirt-free so there is no inconvenience or disruption. Using diamond pads means safe and hygienic floors that are easier to maintain and naturally become more stain resistant. All of these benefits can be achieved within a fraction of the time and cost of a full floor chemical seal. It is a common misconception among most people that natural stones such as marble, granite, and other finely polished natural stones have a shining surface polish, this is added to them. However, this is not
the case. The sparkle in natural stones is due to crystals and these crystals are usually made up of different minerals where each mineral makes a different crystal shape. Furthermore, the stone is made up of several of these interlocked crystals. A freshly quarried stone had a very rough and lack-luster texture and appearance. However, stone manufacturers grind the stone by using a series of graduated grinders. These grinders are made from industrial diamonds and the initial polishing process is started using a very rough diamond. Gradually, diamond studded pads are used to get a fine and finer shining finish. Diamond studded stone grinders cut the rough edges off the stone by scratching it and as the diamonds become smaller in size the scratches become finer and finally microscopic. These intense scratches provide a very smooth surface and high gloss to the stone. The surface of the stone is now made perfectly flat so that it can reflect light uniformly just like a
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C LEANING Maintaining Concrete Floors
glass surface. When old stone surface loses shine, use scrubbing pads made of natural fibres such as wool, or other materials which are used to strip the stone floor completely of any polish or wax. Then grind the surface using floor cleaning machines to expose the original shiny surface. Not only does this ensure that floor remains clean and look good, but it also restores the shine. Remember, the harder the stone, the more difficult it is to grind it. But a greater degree of shine can be achieved for hard stones such as granite followed by marble and then limestone. Using traditional chemical-based cleaning methods will turn the stone brown and which need to be removed after 10 years. With grinding, using diamonds, the stone would not have to be removed. Treating floors with some kinds of marble with chemicals can block the pores, which means the stone cannot breathe.
Maintaining Hardwood Floors
With a little care and effort wood floors can last a lifetime and provide elegance, style, and sophistication. It is important to know what type of finish the floor needs - a polyurethane covering or a wax finish. No matter what type of finish it needs, one rule remains the same - water is most damaging to hardwood floors. There is just no getting around it. If water penetrates the surface finish of floor and works its way into the boards, the floor will be damaged. Therefore, it is recommended that use a slightly damp mop when cleaning hardwood floors. A slightly damp mop will 22
effectively clean the surface of the floor without allowing the water to penetrate through the finish. A very
high glossy sheen on wood floor means that it has a polyurethane finish. If the floor looks matte, then it is a wax or oil based finish. There are specific hardwood floor cleaners designed for both finishes; so make sure that you use an appropriate cleaner. D usting and vacuuming are important to maintain the beauty and shine of the floor. Dirt can work its way into the crevices of your floor and cause damage. By dust mopping and vacuuming one can keep the high gloss appearance of finish without investing too much effort, time, or money. Using a soft brush attachment or a dust mop will pick up loose debris and dirt and protect floor from damage. On average, expect to dust floors weekly and when there are unexpected messes.
Once the floor has been sealed and waxed, concrete floor should last for many years to come. However, as with any flooring, concrete floor will need some maintaining. If the floor begins to lose luster or shine, clean floor with one or two coats of a mop-on floor finish to bring back the floor’s original appearance. Once a year, consider buffing and re-waxing. Dry dusting weekly or as needed will help remove particles that can scratch the wax coating over the sealer. Wet mopping monthly or as needed with water and very mild detergent can go a long way in keeping concrete floors in good health. Avoid heavy cleaners with ammonia or bleach. If foot traffic is heavy and continual, floor maintenance may be required two or three times monthly. If you notice a powdery white or splotchy appearance; especially after rain, the sealer is doing its job of repelling dirt dust and pollen. Rinse with a garden hose followed by a leaf blower to remove excess water. Pressure washing is generally not needed. Rinsing and a blowing will remove most things on the surface. If there was a spill, use a mild soap like Ivory liquid in some warm water to loosen the material. Rinse and blow back to a clean surface. The manufacturers of sealants recommend resealing every one to two years. How often surface should be resealed depends on the amount of rain and sunlight it receives. When you start to notice that water does not bead up it could be time to reseal. However, it should be noted that the floors should be protected from surface damage. High heels, the legs of heavy furniture may all pose a threat to the shine of floor. Unfortunately, they are also sources for gouges and permanent scuff marks as well. Protect floor by placing area or throw rugs in high traffic areas, and by adding furniture pads to the bottom of your furniture, chairs, and table legs. By taking a few precautions and using a commercially prepared floor cleaner and polisher designed for floor’s finish, one can ensure that floors will provide a lifetime of excellence, beauty, and shine. . Mar-Apr ’15
CITIE
Guangdong·China 2015
The Largest Hospitality Exhibition in the World
The 13th China (Guangdong) International Hospitality Supplies Fair 10-12 September, 2015 China Import & Export Fair Complex, Guangzhou
600,000+ sq.m 70+ countries and regions 4,000+ exhibitors 61,088+ professionals gathered
Official Website
Contact us: Guangdong Xinji Huazhan Exhibition Co., Ltd. Tel：+86-20-85645910 E-mail：hosfair@hosfair.com Web：www.hosfair.com/en Organizers: People's Government of Guangdong Province China Hotel Supplies Association Kitchen Utensils Chamber of Commerce of
Mar-Apr Feb-Mar’15 ’15
All-China of Industr y and Commerce
Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review
41 23
PES T MA N AGE ME N T
When Fear of
Flies Blow in the
Wind Sanitation is the most effective and important step in controlling the pest flies that can not only create nuisance, but also spread diseases
A
s the spring session gets ready to say goodbye and monsoon not much far away, flies of several kinds are likely to pay visit to your facility in good numbers. While most 24
of these flies are mainly nuisance creators, some of them can also spread diseases. “These pests breed in animal wastes and decaying organic material from which they can pick up bacteria and viruses that may cause human diseases. In addition, adult stable flies (sometimes called “biting
flies”) feed on mammalian blood and can give a painful bite,” states a University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources study. However, controlling these nuisance creators requires some familiarity with the different types of this species. This is because Mar-Apr ’15
P E S T M ANAG E M ENT identification is regarded as the most important tool when dealing with flies. Secondly, sanitation is the most effective and important step in controlling them, especially the garbage flies. All outside trash areas must be kept clean. Garbage should be drained and wrapped in plastic bags before being placed in trash receptacles or dumpsters outdoors. By placing garbage in bags, odours will be reduced, therefore attracting fewer egg-laying flies. (Reduce attractive odours by routinely scraping out and thoroughl y cleaning food residues from garbage containers.) Use garbage cans with tight fitting lids lined inside with plastic bags. Locate the garbage cans or trash receptacles as far away from the house or building as possible to reduce nuisance flies nearby. Dispose of garbage regularly. Eliminate all potential breeding materials such as rotting straw or mulch, manure, garbage and animal excrement. Avoid damp pet foods left
Mar-Apr ’15
outdoors for several days. Eliminate carcasses of dead animals and birds. One interesting point to note here is that fly problems very often are the result of rodent control programmes! Waste piles can be covered with black plastic which will heat the organic matter. Use adequate screens of 10 mesh on windows and doors to prevent fly entry or 18 mesh to exclude mosquito-size flies. Screen doors should open outward and have fitted springs for tight closing.
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PES T MA N AGE ME N T
Pre-monsoon Flyinginsect Prevention Checklist • Do the garbage containers have tight fitting lids? • Is garbage being collected in containers? • Are garbage containers cleaned regularly & dried? • Have you ensured that door closures are functional? • Have you closed all gaps around doors and windows? • Have you replaced broken glasses in doors & windows? • Have you screened all vents and openings? • Have you ensured prevention of fly breading on exteriors by eliminating garbage and organic matter? • Have you ensured that night illumination shines light onto your facility, rather than from your facility? • Have you switched from mercury vapour to sodium vapour lamps? • Have you completed a survey of your facility to identify the fly entry points and pathways? • Have you purchased enough insect light traps for ensuring that you have one trap every 25 feet? • Have you replaced all one-year old tube lights in the ILT’s? • Have you ensured that ILT’s are placed 5 feet or below from ground level? • Have you checked whether air curtains are functional? • Have you checked whether puddles form around your facility after rain? • Have you made sure that drains have been cleaned and are free of solids? • Have you ensured removal of sludge from the ETP? • Have you educated and alerted employees and visitors of their role in preventing flying insect entry into your building?
energy) with a 50 watt high pressure sodium vapor light or dichrome yellow non-insect attractant light. Place lights away from potential points of fly entry. At picnics and cookouts, keep foods covered and protected from flies until eaten. Remove fermenting overripe fruits from the ground. Flies may move several miles within a day or two, often originating from unsanitary sites. Use of sticky flypaper is a good option as well. Insect light traps (ILTs) such as Pest-O-Flash and Spider enable to capture specimens for identification, reduce adult fly populations and monitor the effectiveness of control programs. Some traps use bait to attract and capture flies. In most cases, heavy fly populations are best controlled by a professional pest control firm. Homeowners often do not have the experience, availability of certain insecticides and equipment needed to perform the control job effectively on certain fly species.
Insect Light Traps (ILT’s) for Integrated Fly Management (IFM)
Houseflies and other fly species likely at your facility are active during day. Further, they are influenced by and respond to UV-A spectrum of sunlight. Natural attraction of UV-A light to houseflies is useful fly management for attracting and trapping houseflies. Insect Light Traps (ILT’s) are designed to attract houseflies by emitting UV-A light and are very useful indoors to assess type of flies entering a structure and source of such infestation. ILT’s are a powerful tool for monitoring and trapping fly species at food handling facilities.
Difference between Blow Flies and Flesh Flies
The big flies you sometimes find buzzing loudly and crazily around in your basement, garage, barn, or even your living room, are not overgrown houseflies. They are Blow flies and Flesh flies. Of the several
A double set of doors is best where adult fly populations are heavy. If doors are opened constantly, use an air stream with a velocity of 1,600 feet per minute or more. Drain wet, low areas by using clean gravel and other fill. Eliminate any standing surface water through proper surface grade and tiling if needed. It is best and cheapest economically to replace a 100 watt mercury vapour light (ultra violet 26
Mar-Apr ’15
P E S T M ANAG EMENT species, the most common are the Blue Bottle & Green Bottle Flies and Flesh Flies. Blow flies, (also spelt Blowflies or Blowflies) and also called bottle flies, belong to the family Calliphoridae. They usually have a metallic blue or green colour or both on the thorax and abdomen. The name blow-fly comes from the fact that recently deceased corpses swell up from bacterial decomposition in the intestinal tract, causing them to become bloated, or “fly-blown”. These flies are important in nature in the decay process of animal carcasses and are usually the first insects to arrive—within hours or even minutes—after an animal dies. They are strong fliers, ranging many miles from breeding places and abundant during the warm summer months. They breed on dead rodents and birds in attics or wall voids and also in meat scraps, animal excrement and decaying animal matter around houses. Adults are quite active, make a
Mar-Apr ’15
loud, droning buzz and are strongly attracted to light. The mature larvae are often a problem when they migrate from breeding areas to pupate. Blow flies usually lay eggs on dead animals or decaying meat. Garbage cans have been known to produce 30,000 blow flies in one week. The life cycle usually lasts 9-21 days from egg to adult. Flesh flies belong to the family Sarcophagidae (from the Greek sarco = corpse, phage = eating). Most flesh flies breed in carrion, dung or decaying material, but a few species lay their eggs in the open wounds of mammals; hence their common name. They are larger than houseflies but are darkcolored (gray or black). Common species have three dark stripes on the thorax and a checkerboard pattern on their grayish abdomen, which distinguishes them from the four dark stripes and light brown abdomen of the common housefly. Some of the other more common nuisance flies are the house fly
Best practices • Prior to planning purchase of ILT’s make an assessment of the number and type of traps needed by inspecting your facility. • ILT’s shall be needed along the path of flay entry and movement at 1 trap every 25 feet. • ILT’s perform best when placed five feet or below from ground level. • raps should be placed perpendicular to entrances so that they are not visible on the exteriors. • A series of traps are required to trap most flies entering your facility. • Replace UV-A tubes once every year. • Dark corners are an excellent location for trap placement. (Musca domestica), the face fly (Musca autumnalis), the stable fly (Stomoxys calcitrans), and the little house fly (Fannia canicularis). ( W ith inputs f rom cour tesy Pest Control (India) Pvt. Ltd.)
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LAUNDRY
Management
of Hospital
Laundry
Whether one goes for on-premise or outsources services, the primary aim of hospital laundry is to help reduce risks of cross-contamination and hospital acquired infections for the patients standardise the linen and laundry process, and eliminate the need for investing capital into new equipment. Many healthcare organisations want to focus more on their core business and therefore outsource noncore services as much as possible. They may think that it is more beneficial to outsource the function and create more revenuegenerating opportunities in its place.
Making On-premise Laundry Efficient
L
ike most facilities in the hospitality industry, hospitals or healthcare centres too have the option of either going for an in-house laundry or availing the services of an outsider specialized in providing laundry services. Whether one goes for an on-premise laundry or an outsourced one would depend on several factors including the size of the facility both in terms of availability of space for installing laundry machines and daily demand of clean linens, availability of capital and willingness to invest, among other factors. For some hospitals, it becomes imperative to have in-house laundry because the linen is often blood stained or it may be infected. And there has to be a continuous change of linen in hospitals. Without proper and timely supply of
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clean and disinfected linen, there may be delay in delivering various services in a hospital which may often prove fatal to the patients. Clean and disinfected linen in healthcare facilities not only contributes to comfort and aesthetics, but also assists in infection control. However, maintaining an on-premise laundry comes with its own challenges, the foremost among them being recruiting, training and retaining the people to look after the laundry services, which for some facilities can become a huge burden that they have the option of getting rid of. These healthcare organisations believe that it is better to wash their hands off the linen and laundry service by shifting the responsibility to an outsourcing company. The move can also help them free up valuable space, streamline and
When doing the right things is not always the option, making them right could be a compulsion. For some hospitals, depending on others or as important a service as laundry may not be an option, but they still have the provision of maintaining the onpremise laundry in such a way as to make it a values-for-money proposition. The choice of equipment and their maintenance could play a crucial role in this regard. Hospitals planning to install on-premise laundry or already having an on-premise laundry and looking to replace outdated equipment will be pleased to learn the market is brimming with innovative options with more sophisticated models. Today’s laundry systems are increasingly advanced, with features that allow greater cycle flexibility, programmability and reliability—all of which goes a long way in promoting better fabric care and cleanliness, more efficient use of utilities and chemicals, and better use of laundry personnel’s time. Labour is the laundry’s biggest operating
Mar-Apr ’15
LAUND RY expense. So it is important that systems have higher load capacities and can lower drying and cycle times to make the most of staff ’s time. With regard to utility costs, which represent the second highest expense, market reports indicate that requests for machines with higher G-force are picking up speed. Higher G-force is becoming more important than ever, noting that less water retention accelerates drying speed and can significantly cut utility costs. Greater cycle range and programming flexibility also help stretch valuable resources. Such features give laundry attendants better control over the process by allowing them to select the best cycle option for different types of fabric and load weights. This can reduce water and power consumption, cut drying time and reduce the cost of replacing linens.
Leveraging Technology The use of the right technology is another important factor to consider. Ozone technology is gaining momentum by promising better deodorisation, less hot water consumption, shorter cycles and improved sanitation. Ozone also dissolves more quickly than other bleaching agents and has been shown to promote whiter, fluffier linens. Ozone laundry systems are really beginning to catch on in hospitals. Healthcare organisations recognise that dingy, frayed linens quality is becoming very apparent to patients. Ozone systems are becoming more popular because they work effectively in cold water, which helps linens look cleaner and brighter, and last longer. Ozone laundry systems have also been shown to reduce laundry water and sewer consumption by 15-25 percent annually. Another benefit of ozone systems is that they don’t require healthcare facilities to scrap their current laundry equipment. The systems can be added directly to existing washers, which eliminate capital outlay and allows for immediate positive cash flow. The use of information technology has also skyrocketed in the modern laundry systems. Now many institutional laundries are not alien to the concepts of computer programmable washer hydro-extractors or Programmable Logical Controllers or PLCs (‘keys’ used to control operation). Such programmes collect and transmit information to a central computer regarding the actual processing,
Mar-Apr ’15
Soiled linen may or may not be sorted in the laundry before being loaded into washer/extractor units. Sorting before washing protects both machinery and linen from the effects of objects in the linen and reduces the potential for recontamination of clean linen. On the other hand, sorting after washing minimises the direct exposure of laundry personnel to infective material in the soiled linen and reduces airborne microbial contamination in the laundry. Protective apparel and appropriate ventilation can minimise these exposures. quality and any disturbances which occur. For its effectiveness in improving efficiency and cost savings, the tunnel washing system, or the use of continuous batch processing systems, has also gained currency. Modular finishing machines with automated feeders, ironers, folders and stackers are coming into use for their ability to provide the linen a more hygienic and acceptable look. In areas of quality control, the use of electronic camera has led to a lot of improvement. It is often observed that the laundry operators cannot detect holes or a stain in the linen with their naked eye because of the speed at which the linen passes through an ironer. But with electronic cameras in operation, the laundry operators can easily have a better re-look. Thus technology has come in the aid of laundry services to provide an efficient supply of clean and disinfected linens.
Control Measures It is important to develop guidelines and ‘Quality Control Plan’ enabling laundry personnel to determine how to inspect and evaluate linen items. Soiled linen can be transported in the hospital by cart or chute. Bagging linen is indicated if chutes are used, since improperly designed chutes can be a means of spreading microorganisms throughout the hospital.
The Way Ahead Whether a hospital decides to install a new laundry or revamp an on-premise laundry department or outsource the function entirely, partnering with vendors that understand unique needs and don’t follow a one-size-fits-all approach is key to maximizing value. Hospitals should work with vendors that assess their individual needs based on load and linen, and devise a plan best suit their current usage requirements. At the same time, hospitals should be careful of over-buying equipment. If the hospital only need a 50-kgs capacity machine, they should not waste money on an 100-kgs machine, because both under and over utilisation of a machine can put stress on bearings and shorten its life. If outsourcing is what appeals you, look for companies that tailor their programmes to your needs. The benefit lies in basing usage measurements on cost per patient per day rather than the traditional loads per patient per day approach. Usage per patient per day is a far better formula for benchmarking and assessing utilisation. They also want a broader range of service options and better guarantees. Outsourcing is a careful process. It isn’t enough just to provide a service. Today ’s healthc are organisations are t ying performance to patient and customer satisfaction. Facilities should demand more from their outsourcing partners by requiring guaranteed, on-time delivery, more product choices, better quality and competitive prices. In both cases – on premise or outsourced laundry services -- the yardstick of success is increased productivity. However, the primary objective must be to provide clean linen that can play a role in preventing hospital acquired infection. .
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WASTE M A N AGE ME N T
How to Manage
Toxic
Hospital Waste Instead of dumping them in the open, biomedical waste should be segregated and put into colourcoded bins or bags at the source or the hospital/ healthcare facility itself, and they should be treated and incinerated in a separate plant By Jyotismita Sharma
I
n gener al ter ms, waste management represents gathering of waste produced by human actions, its proper segregation according to nature (liquid, solid, gaseous or
30
radioactive) and suitable disposal. By definition, “waste Management is an inclusive waste avoidance, recycling and disposal programme. It involves local need, conditions and stakeholders and then
Mar-Apr ’15
WAS T E M ANAG EMENT
selecting and combining the most appropriate activities. The most preferred method for managing waste is reducing at source through reduction and reuse, which also reduces costs�. Due to the highly hazardous nature of waste generated in hospitals and health care facilities, it poses serious environmental and health risks if not treated properly. Medical and biomedical wastes comprise hazardous liquids, chemicals, solids and sharp objects. Since hazardous waste management is a sensitive issue touching the lives of millions of citizens, it is governed by the guidelines and regulations set by the government for the welfare of its citizens. Due to the serious risks it poses to humans, treatment of medical waste must begin at the healthcare facilities itself. Medical waste in
Mar-Apr ’15
the form of contaminated needles, scalpels, syringes, blades and other sharp objects can be collected and segregated into labeled, colourcoordinated and sealed containers before sending it for disposal. While black bags should be used for collecting food waste,
red bags are meant for plastic disposables such as catheter, gloves and IV fluid bottles. Yellow bags are meant for disposing of human waste including used dressing pads, plaster, and needles and so on. Also needle tips need to be destroyed in needle cutters and hubs disposed
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WASTE M A N AGE ME N T
Hospital Waste and their Common Treatment Sharp Objects: Syringes and needles, blades, scalpels and glass which can result in health risks if not treated properly. Treatment: Sharp objects can be sterilised and special shredding equipment can be used for shredding. Plastics: Plastic items in the form of syringes, IV bottles, urine bags, tubes etc. are contaminated after use. Treatment: Autoclave, microwave as well as shredding to stop reuse. Pathological Waste: Cotton dressings, blood bandages, human tissue etc. Treatment: Proper disposal through incineration and deep burial Microbiological Waste: Utmost care should be taken to prevent mixing ofviral and bacterial polluted waste with uninfected waste. Treatment: Autoclaved or Hydroclaved plus incineration Liquid wastes: All body fluids be it urine, blood orsuctions. Treatment: Chemical disinfection though 1% bleach for 1 hourafter which it canbe discharged tosewer. of in red covers. Contaminated syringes and needles which are not disposed of correctly pose a particular kind of risk through unsafe use in future by hazardous recycling and repackaging. Contaminated objects like needles and syringes may be scavenged from dumpsites and can be either reused or sold to an unsuspecting buyer. Not only that, contaminated syringes and other equipment pose occupational hazards to health workers, waste handlers and scavengers. Where waste is dumped into areas without restricted access, children may come into contact with contaminated waste and play with used needles and syringes. Sterilization of reusable medical equipments is another prevalent way of medical waste management through microwaves, chemical cleaning etc. This process helps hospitals to cut costs through sustained use of costly medical
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equipment. But the most popular disposal method in all leading hospitals for medical and biomedical waste is incineration. The process is simple enough where all the contaminated wastes are introduced to extreme heat and detoxified. However, this method has its share of controversies. Incineration leads to release of lethal materials into air such as dioxin or mercury, furans and other toxic air pollutants. In fact, dioxins have been classified as a “known human carcinogen” by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). So the question is ‘Is incineration safe enough?’
The Way Forward To ensure that incineration is done safely, best practices must be followed for optimal use. Best practices for incineration include constructing incinerators away from residential areas thereby minimising exposures to humans, p r o p e r l y e n g i n e e re d d e s i g n , suitable construction to achieve optimal levels of combustion, proper maintenance and training to operators etc. Following the best practices for incineration will help to minimise public health risks as well as occupational hazards. Even before sending the medical waste to incinerators, waste can be segregated to ensure that only appropriate wastes are incinerated. Likewise, sharps can be shredded or
melted down to avert environmental mishaps. The management of both medical and biomedical waste necessitate due diligence and attention to avoid health and environmental risks. The trick is to select the correct course of action for different types of waste and set the priorities as per the best practices. The safe disposal of medical and biomedical waste is of utmost importance for patients to receive proper healthcare and recover in safe environments.
Implementation Challenge As per the Bio-Medical Waste (Management Rules), 1998 it is the duty of every occupier of an institution generating biomedical waste including hospitals, nursing home, clinic, dispensary, veterinary institution, animal house, pathological laboratory, blood bank, etc., to ensure that such waste is handled without any adverse effect to human health and the environment. However, it has been widely repor ted that hospital waste management norms in most parts of the country are not properly followed and for evidence of them being dumped in the open, one need not go very far. A casual look around the waste dumping sites in the cities could reflect how callously the hazardous hospital waste is actually handled in the country, posing a serious threat to the well-being of its residents. In its recent report, the Comptroller and Auditor General
Mar-Apr ’15
WAS T E M ANAG EMENT (CAG) of India has observed that untreated liquid waste in discharged into municipal drains in Odisha and hospitals across the state are lagging behind in meeting the bio-medical waste management norms. The CAG found that the rules are given a go by in Haryana too. In fact, be it Patna or Panaji, Bhubaneswar or Varanasi, healthcare facilities in most cities and states are yet to come in terms with proper implementation of the biomedical waste management norms. The Central Government states that public health being a State subject, it is the primary responsibility of the concerned State/Union Territory governments to take appropriate actions for proper management and disposal of bio-medical waste at public health facilities through the State Pol lution Control Boards in pursuance of Bio-medical Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 1998 of Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India. The Pollution Control Boards/ Committees are empowered to ensure the compliance of provisions of these rules. Under National Health Mission (NHM), financial assistance is provided to State/ UTs Governments within their resource envelope for Bio-medical waste management and infection control activities in public health facilities based on their proposals in Programme Implementation Plan (PIP) of NHM. This includes support for Civil Works
Mar-Apr ’15
for Operationalising Infection Management & Environment Plan at health facilities, Human Resource for Biomedical waste management activities such as Incinerator Operators, procurement of equipment such as trolleys, autoclaves, incinerators, colour coded bins, and buckets etc., IMEP
training of medical officers, district and state programme managers, health staffs etc., in Biomedical Waste Management Practices, IMEP protocols and activities.
Further, Government of India has recently released ‘Operational Guidelines for National Quality Assurance in Public Health Facilities’ for supporting states’ efforts to improve the quality in District Hospitals, Community Health Centres and Primary Health Centres wherein all State/UTs have been requested to get their facilities certified as per National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) which inter alia requires the facilities to conform to Bio-medical waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998. A provision of incentives has also been made for the facilities which are able to achieve and retain the certification. The government has also stated that in so far as major hospitals like AIIMS are concerned; they are managing their bio-medical wastes in accordance with Biomedical Waste Rules 1998 and Central Pollution Control Board guidelines. .
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IAQ
D
rop the ampness
Moisture control is a key step towards doing away with dampness and mould growth that can trigger and worsen asthma and many other diseases By Jyotismita Sharma
D
ampness in buildings provides the perfect breeding ground for moulds, spores, bacteria, dust mites and many biological contaminants to grow and spread. They not only make the interiors of damp buildings look bad, but also put the health of the human occupants and workers at greater risk of respiratory diseases by increasing the levels of indoor air pollution.
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Mar-Apr ’15
According to a study by the Indian Council of Medical Research, 13,00,000 Indians die every air because of diseases arising out of indoor air pollution, far more than the 6,20,000 who die of diseases resulting out of outdoor air pollution. Therefore, although the problems caused by indoor air pollution are subtle and people often do not recognise the danger that indoor air pollution poses, an attempt to understate the importance of indoor air quality will only add to the number of deaths resulting from indoor air pollution. While there are several factors that may contribute to indoor air pollution, dampness in buildings is certainly one of them. The microscopic particles that moulds and bacteria can release into the air include spores, besides the fragments and moulds that they release in much higher numbers. Spores are reproductive agents produced by some bacteria and
Heal Hazard
Dampness in buildings and growth of mould go hand in hand, putting you at increased risk of the following diseases: • Worsening of asthma • Coughing • Wheezing • Nasal congestion • Sore throat • Sneezing • Rhinitis • An uncommon disease known as hypersensitivity pneumonitis has been associated with exposure to indoor mold in people who have weakened immune systems.
Mar-Apr ’15
moulds. These particles that people can inhale may contain toxic chemicals that can cause inflammation in respiratory tissues and may also adversely affect the functioning of the immune system and the central nervous system. The mould odour in damp buildings may lead to the release of microbial volatile organic compounds into the air. Due to dampness, the levels of indoor air humidity increases significantly inside the room, leading to a rise in the levels of house dust mites and house dust mite allergens. 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. When such allergens are airborne, people residing in a damp building have no option but to inhale them and invite unwanted complications in the functioning of their health and lifestyle, often unknowingly. The wood products and floor products containing polyvinyl chloride in a room may release non-microbial gaseous chemicals and volatile organic chemicals into the air under the influence of dampness. When inhaled, these nonmicrobial gaseous chemicals may prove harmful to human bodies. Although not yet established conclusively, scientists believe that damp indoor and high humidity lead to a prolonged survival of respiratory viruses, putting the occupants at greater risks of embracing respiratory infections and allergic diseases. Some moulds and bacteria in damp buildings can also produce highly toxic chemicals called mycotoxins, which scientists believe may have adverse implications for living beings.
Better Prevent than Cure Design, construction and maintenance are three critical aspects that can prevent and control excess moisture and microbial growth due to dampness in buildings. Making provisions for effective distribution of ventilation and having measures for proper control of temperature can help avoid moisture in materials, condensation in surfaces and excess humidity. According to a WHO report, while mould has the capacity to grow on all materials, proper selection of materials can check the growth of mould, besides preventing dirt accumulation and moisture penetration.
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IAQ As a healthy workplace and living environment is critical for enhanced performance and productivity of workers, it is the responsibility of building owners to provide space free of excess moisture or mould
Best Practices
• Ensure that there are no water leaks in roofs, walls and plumbing systems. Regular building maintenance should be performed to ensure that chances of developing water leaks are minimal so that mould does not find enough moisture to grow. • Whenever any water leak is identified, it should be fixed without any delay. • Ensure that rain can’t damage building construction material. • In case of flooding, make sure that that the affected rooms are cleaned and dried meticulously within as short span of time as possible and without any delay. The cleaning and drying activities should be preferably over before 48 hours after flooding. • Ensure that all exhaust fans are working in kitchens, bathrooms, washrooms, laundry rooms and in all such areas that produce moisture. Activities like cooking, showering and laundry produce maximum moisture. • To prevent floor dampness, it is important to direct the drainage from roofs and groundwater as far away from building foundation as possible. • Maintaining the right level of humidity, especially in coastal areas and in other areas during the summer is very important. Having the right equipment for dehumidification is therefore necessary to avoid dampness. • Proper ventilation can also help reduce mould growth. • Adding mould inhibitors to paints before painting the building can also help prevent mould growth. • Soaked carpets and upholstery that can’t be dried should be replaced at the earliest. It is better to not use carpets at all in areas where there is lot of moisture, especially in bathrooms and basements. • Housekeeping staff may use mouldkilling products to clean bathrooms. • Soap, water and bleach solution mixed with water in right quantity can be used to remove moulds from hard surfaces. Bleach solution should not be mixed with ammonia or other house cleaning products.
36
odour. However, the occupants and workers of the buildings too need to act responsibly so as to avoid water leakage suffocation due to lack of ventilation. They should also bear the responsibility of managing heating and other appliances in such a way
indoor environments is to eliminate or limit the conditions that foster its establishment and growth,” it said. Maintaining proper ventilation is of utmost importance for having high indoor air quality. It is now observed that increasing the rate of outdoor air
that does not encourage growth of dampness and mould. As mentioned in the Indoor Air Quality Resource Bank of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory of the U.S., an Institute of Medicine Committee reviewing the risks of damp and mouldy buildings also drew attention to the importance of design, construction and maintenance of buildings. “When water intrusion or moisture accumulation is discovered, the source should be identified and eliminated as soon as practicable to reduce the possibility of problematic microbial growth and building material degradation. The most effective way to manage microbial contaminants, such as mould, that are the result of damp
supply is a very easy and cost-effective measure to diminish the concentration of many indoor air pollutants emitted by sources such as dampness inside the building. With the improved indoor air quality, the comfort level of workers in an office building or hotels goes up significantly, leading to lower rate of absence from work and higher level of work performance. Preventing dampness and maintaining good indoor air quality in a commercial building, be it an office or hotel, is therefore intricately linked to increasing productivity of employees and profitability of an organisation, besides of course, offering the workers and occupants of the building an opportunity to lead a healthy life. .
Mar-Apr ’15
Mar-Apr ’15
Nov-Dec ’14
37 55
PRODUCT PREVIEW
Steam of Freshness
W
ith more and more housekeepers realizing the importance of steam cleaners in ensuring deep cleaning and eliminating many challenges that conventional cleaning methods cannot adequately deal with, Aman Cleaning Equipments has introduced TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS Lavorwash GV KATLA, an Italian-made professional Max steam pressure 9 bars steam cleaner. With this 175 °C steam cleaner, housekeepers Temperature can maintain hygiene of Boiler abs power 3000 W/230 V-50 Hz SPA, pools, saunas and Steam production 4,62 Kg/h Turkish baths-beauty farm and beauty salons with ease Water tank/detergent tank capacity 5/5 l. as it cleans deep below the surface, effectively lifting dirt and grime and sanitizing the whole space. With a stainless body and just seven minutes required for complete heating and activation, this steam cleaning model can also be equally effective for cleaning in the automotive and transportation industry. It has steam gun with low voltage controls, light to warn lack of water, adjustable steam, drain valve and pressure gauge. The wheels make it suitable for use in food environments. Aman Cleaning Equipments Pvt. Ltd. info@amancleaningequipments.com
Sanitising Hands, Cleanly
E
coGreen Health & Hygiene Pvt. Ltd. has come up with
Cleaning Through Micro Fibers
P
artek offers its Micro Fiber High Performance Cleaning Cloth, which can make a perceptible change in your cleaning process for the better. It can facilitate you to prevent cross-contamination in a much better way than a conventional cloth. The product has been designed to give you enormous cleaning power with just plain water. The micro fibers in this cleaning cloth are 200 times thinner than hair, which enables them to reach every micro pore of any surface that needs to be cleaned. And when you wash it, the cloth releases dirt really fast, unlike the conventional cotton cloth. With this cloth, you have no need to use soap or costly detergents, thereby making it an environment-friendly product also. Partek’s micro fiber cloth is available in two types — regular & life. The product comes in four colours; blue, green, red and yellow. Cleaning through this cloth leaves no room for lint, and even if you forget to wash it after use, there will be no bacterial build-up. Besides the utilitarian, hygienic and environmental aspects, the soft and plush feel of the cloth gives you a unique pleasure while cleaning; without the need for scratching even the delicate surfaces. The micro fiber cloth could last 300 -500 washes, which gives it a durable character. Nutech Jetting Equipments India Private Limited info@nutechgroup.org
an instant hand sanitiser. It will help in eliminating 99.99 percent of the most common germs within its application of 10-15 seconds, without drying the skin. Moreover, its usage will leave the hand with no sticky residues. The product is prepared while adhering to the WHO guidelines and has 70 percent alcohol content. This gel-based instant hand sanitiser, known as PuroDrop Instant Hand Sanitizer, is also spruced with added moisturisers and fragrances, and does not splash and vapourise. The product is easy to carry and is convenient for briefcase, table top, automobile, desk drawer, locker, sports bag and many other applications. This user-friendly product can be used anytime, anywhere. The product comes in two packages; the flip top cap bottle, and pump bottle. EcoGreen Health & Hygiene Pvt. Ltd. info@ecogreenhygiene.com
T
he information published in this section is as per the details furnished by the respective manufacturer/distributor. In any case, it does not represent the views of Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
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Mar-Apr ’15
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ADANI WILMAR LTD.
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APPLE BAKERY MACHINERY PVT. LTD. COMPANY BUNGE INDIA PVT. LTD.
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CRAFT AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT ORGANISATION (CSDO)
AMAN CLEANING EQUIPMENTS PVT. LTD.
CREMICA FOOD INDUSTRIES LTD. DABON INTERNATIONAL (P) LTD.
ATLANTIC PASTE & GLUE CO. INC.
MADHAV ENTERPRISES
NAGPAL BROTHERS (REGD.)
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RANS TECHNOCRATS (INDIA) PVT. LTD.
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REMINGTON STEEL ARTS
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STEC STAINLESS STEEL PVT. LTD. STERN INGREDIENTS INDIA PVT. LTD.
IFB INDUSTRIES LTD.
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THE NEW INDIA ELECTRIC & TRADING CO.
KARCHER CLEANING SYSTEM PVT. LTD.
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COMPANY
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PEST CONTROL (INDIA) PVT. LTD.
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QUARTZ HOME CARE (I) P LTD.
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ROOTS MULTICLEAN LTD.
.......................FIC
BIC BC 33 09 14
FIC
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SK ROBOTICS
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SNOOZER BEDDING LTD.
.......................BIC
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SUPESHINE LAUNDRY SYSTEMS PVT. LTD.
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.......................BC
UNIQUE TRADING COMPANY
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10 11
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Feb-Mar 39 ’15
I NTERV IE W
‘Housekeeping Sets the First Impression’ S
uman Bhandari completed her B.Sc. degree in hospitality and hotel administration from Dr. Ambedkar Institute of Hotel Management, Catering and Nutrition in 2008. Diving straight into the hospitality industry to commence a career in the housekeeping division, Suman proved her competence at the Marriott International - Goa Marriott Resort, Miramar, Panjim as a voyager. Suman has built her experience across the finest functions of housekeeping, handled the pre-opening property at the Marriott International- Courtyard by Marriott Gurgaon and later worked at JW Marriott, Mumbai. Subsequently, she proved to be an asset to the management at the JW Marriott New Delhi Aerocity, handling the property at the pre-opening stage as a Manager, Housekeeping. Suman is leadership personified, motivating her team to move ahead with a positive attitude. She has a charming personality and always works with positive energy, inspiring one and all around her. These qualities helped her climb the ladder of success so fast that today she is the Housekeeping Manager at the Courtyard By Marriott, Bhopal within a span of five years of commencement of her career. Excerpts from an interview with this dynamic manager:
By Sharmila Chand How important in your opinion is housekeeping to hospitality?
Housekeeping sets the first impression as it establishes a hotel’s reputation for cleanliness and quality and sets the hotel apart from its competitors. It is important to have a strong housekeeping department in the hotel industry for the guests’ health, safety and comfort. To ov e r l o ok t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f housekeeping is a huge mistake since the rooms department generates the most profit for a hotel and the cleanliness and condition of room and public spaces are the most important factors in customer satisfaction ratings. Housekeeping department also takes care of laundry, pest control and horticulture. They now are more than a department that takes care of cleanliness and maintenance but they are the one who style the hotel to present the brand in the right way.
What is the modus operandi of housekeeping operations at your hotel?
The standards followed in our hotel are strictly as per our brand guidelines. The cleanliness standards, the quality of linen and the brand of various products used is set by Marriott international and is same across all the courtyards. We focus on providing guest “a home
40
away from home” that has a warm and friendly touch to make sure they don’t feel lonely in our hotel but find a friend at every step to have a “WOW experience” during their stay.
What are the new trends in housekeeping? The housekeeping scenario has changed over years. It is now more of a skilled manpower and professionals with a new fleet of young housekeepers in the industry who consider housekeeping as more than just a cleaning and maintenance job. The name of the position has also changed from a room boy to a more professional version what we call in Marriott “a guest service associate.” The equipment and machinery used is in line with advancement in technology, easy to use and time-saving.
Housekeeping, as complex as the function, requires rigorous training. How much of an emphasis does the hotel place on this?
Marriott strongly believes that training and career development are vital for a company or organization that aims at progressing. The whole process starts right from the time they join with an orientation. This training familiarizes them with the organizational mission, vision, rules and regulations .There are technical skills and soft skills training by
the department and the training manager which helps them to perform their job responsibly in an efficient way. Refresher training is an ongoing process. Apart from this, Marriott has many other tools for self-learning online resources e.g. Marriott Global Source (MGS), Ashridge etc.
How does India compare with the international scenario with regards to housekeeping?
We at Marriott already have standards which are same across all the courtyards in all the countries. In India we do have an edge over other countries due to the warm hospitality that is in our blood and which we follow with all our heart, “Atithi Devo Bhava”. In the end hotels are remembered for the service they provide and India does it a lot better.
What elements do you take into account in recruiting housekeeping staff?
The first initial lookout is for a pleasant, honest and a friendly person with a positive attitude. An eye for detail, physical strength due to the laborious job profile and fluency in spoken English is our second lookout. We do a complete background check for associates. Technical skills are something an associate can be trained on when he joins but it is an added advantage of course.
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Mar-Apr ’15
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Regd. No. R.N. DELENG/2001/7213
Efficient solution for clean results. Economical, time-saving, innovative. Three succinct reasons for using Karcher appliances on hard surfaces. From deep cleaning and routine maintenance cleaning to polishing - we provide the right solution for every need. Perfectly matched cleaning agents clean floors hygienically and with sparkling results without attacking sensitive surfaces. Karcher Cleaning Systems Private Limited Head Office: D-120, Sector - 63, Noida - 201301, Uttar Pradesh, India. Ph: +91 120 7111800 I Fax: +91 120 7111900 I Email: clean@karcher.in www.karcher.in Toll Free Number: 1800 1234 180 A h m e d a b a d I B e n g a l u r u I C h e n n a i I C o c h i n I K o l k a t a I M u m b a i I N o i d a I P a n c h k u l a I S e c u n d e r a b a d I Va d o d a r a www.facebook.com/karcher.india.33
Mar-Apr ’15
www.youtube.com/KarcherTV
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