Clean & Hygiene Revew (Sep-Oct 2013) The magazine for Cleaning Professionals.

May-June ’13

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Sep-Oct ’13

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E Publisher cum Editor Rajneesh Sharma Resident Editor Sharmila Chand (Delhi) Ashok Malkani (Mumbai) Layout & Design Hari Kumar. V Narender Kumar 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 © 2013 Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd.

Clean & Hygiene Review is a bi-monthly magazine, printed, owned and published by Rajneesh Sharma from 313, Himgiri Apartments, J-Block, Vikaspuri, New Delhi. Printed at Print Creations, C-112/3, Basement, Naraina Industrial Area, Phase-1, New Delhi-110 028.

Annual Subscription rate within India is Rs. 450 and overseas US $110, for surface mail. Single issue is available for Rs.90 in India and US $25 overseas. Cheques are payable to Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd.

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In her first interview to an Indian network, Pakistani teen activist and global icon of courage Malala Yousafzai, who was shot by the Taliban, told NDTV, “Those girls who dance, who are dancers, people enjoy and go and see their dance but when it comes to respect, they don’t respect them. In our society we love to wear shoes but hate the people who make those shoes. We don’t respect them.” These words of Malala, who was also nominated for the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize and was a favourite to win the prestigious prize at the age of 16 (which ultimately went to Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons), do not only reflect the hypocrisy of the Pakistani society in which she grew up, but also the societies of most South Asian countries, including India. And to find out the truth, we do not need to go far; all we need to do is a little introspection.

The cat will be out of the bag if we look closely at the functioning of the hospitality industry itself. Do the housekeepers of the hotels, who work tirelessly to keep the property clean so that others can breathe easy, get equal respect from the employees and the guests as, for example, a manager of the hotel gets? The answer is a clear no and their roles in turning the random guests of the hotels into regular customers often go unnoticed. The Cover Story of this issue highlights this irony as it dissects the heavy responsibilities that the housekeepers carry in their slender soldiers.

Our Feature on heath & hygiene brings to light the social cost, which we regularly bear, both as a civil society and as individuals, for our neglect on something as paramount to human welfare as health, hygiene and sanitation. The decision of the Municipal Boards across the country to take the required initiatives, as highlighted in our Report, to provide facilities for safe and hygienic production of meat during the sixth Mayors Conference is, therefore, a step in the right direction.

What, however, makes this issue a collector’s choice is our detailed focus on the challenges that the healthcare facilities in our country faces in meeting their housekeeping needs, including laundry management, pest control and bio-medical waste management. While it goes without contested when we say that the standards of hygiene and sanitation in most healthcare centres of our country is poor, to say the least, the success story of King George’s Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow, in managing its bio-medical waste that has brought it special recognition from United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is celebrated by the entire industry. Our case study on KGMU shows how effective waste management programme, proper training and dedicated work of the medical staff have helped transform this hospital in Lucknow from an ordinary institution into a regional model for sound bio-medical waste management practices over a period of just three years.

I hope the other regular features of this issue which are packed with helpful tips to meet the housekeeping challenges will also keep you glued.

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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Contents 12 18

COVER STORY

FEATURE

SECTIONS 4

News Scan

8

Report

11

Profile

30

Hygiene

34

Waste Management

38

IAQ

42

Product Preview

44

Interview

Sep-Oct ’13

22 PEST MANAGEMENT

26 LAUNDRY 3

NEWS SCAN

Indian Railways to add 42 mechanised laundries In order to continue the supply of hygienically neat and clean bed rolls (linen) to air conditioned class passengers, Indian Railways has announced plan to further set-up more state-of-the-art mechanised laundries on 42 new locations.

Out of 42 new locations, eight laundries are planned to be set-up in the current year. These eight locations are Bikaner, Hatia, Chakradharpur, Hubli, Mysorre, Surat, Mumbai and Dibrugarh.

These mechanised laundries will be in addition to the 21 existing mechanized laundries set up on Railways’ land at Mumbai, Howrah, Sealdah, Kamakhya (2 nos.), Lucknow, Varanasi, Jammu Tawi, Secunderabad, Hyderabad, Tatanagar, Indore, Junagarh, Durg, Bilaspur, Samstipur, Danapur & Jabalpur including 3 state of the art laundries on Built Own Operate Transfer (BOOT) model through private investment at Chennai, Ahmadabad and Wadi Bunder (Mumbai) Nearly 30 percent of linens supplied on Indian Railways have been brought under these existing laundries. Once the additional 42 laundries are set-up in near future, about 90 percent of linens will be covered under this scheme.

In view of complaints about poor quality of washed linen, Indian Railways had revamped its strategy and started setting up its own state-of-the-art mechanised laundries at various locations across India with a missionary zeal. With the introduction of such mechanised laundries there has been significant reduction in the number of passenger complaints on linen.

Indian Railways is one of the largest users of linen in the form of bed rolls for air conditioned class passengers. It handles approximately 90 million sets of bed rolls per annum.

India’s Attero in Global Cleantech 100 list Attero Recycling, India’s leading integrated end-to-end electronics asset management company, is the country’s only company to make it to the fifth annual Global Cleantech 100 list. Picked from over 9,000 nominations, the Global Cleantech 100 represents the most innovative and promising ideas in clean technology, the companies that, according to their research and recommendations of the expert panel, are best positioned to solve tomorrow’s clean technology challenges.

However, what highlights Attero’s niche is that among all the e-waste management companies, the Noida-based is the only company to feature in the prestigious list.

Terming the global recognition for Attero “a significant validation of India becoming a source of innovation” CEO of Attero Recycling Nitin Gupta said it was also an endorsement of the company’s “unique and disruptive technology” which helps it set up low-cost metal extraction facilities from electronic waste.

Among the services that Attero (Latin for waste) offers to the electronics industry include customized solutions for e-waste management, electronics asset recovery, data security and electronics reverse logistics along with repair, refurbishment and retailing of electronics. The company’s success is based on its widespread collection system, now operating in 22 states across the country, and its innovative, fourstage recycling technology, which recovers valuable metals – rare earths, precious metals and base metals –without fouling the local environment,” The Guardian said in its Cleatech 100 case study of Attero on October 10.

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Indian hotels celebrate International Housekeeping Week With the spirit of recognizing the efforts of the housekeepers and opening an opportunity to everyone in the hotel to pay their gratitude to the people who tirelessly keep the hotel clean, a number of hotels this year celebrated the International Housekeeping Week from September 8-14.

DoubleTree by Hilton G urgaonNe w Delhi NCR celebrated the by opening a message board. It allowed the people to write their heart out to pay their gratitude to the housekeepers.

As a token of respect to the housekeepers, ITC Grand Chola, Chennai organized a number of events during the week including team building games, movie screening and a gala dinner. Highlights of the week were sports day, team building games, cultural programmes, Gala dinner, and movie screening.

To bring the housekkeping staff together at one platform, The Keys Hotel, Thiruvananthapuram organized various competitions among the staff so that they can showcase their skills acquired over the years. The competition was followed by an award distribution programme.

Similar events marked the International Housekeeping Week in hotels across India.

Coriander emerges as a natural water purifier QUALITY ASSURED COMPANY

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Researchers in the United States have found that coriander, the humble herb used widely in Indian kitchens for garnishing dishes, have its use in purifying drinking water. According to the study, the coriander leaves “has the ability to drink up heavy metals like lead and nickel that have leaked into ground water”, and therefore it can emerge as a potential “biosorbant”. Studies are now on to find out whether the herbal remedy would be effective in purifying water contaminated with other heavy metals such as mercury and arsenic.

Douglas Schauer, a scientist of Ivy Tech Community College in Indiana, US presented the discovery at the 246th annual National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS) on September 12. The objective of the research team led by Schauer was to find out low-cost materials that have the potential to filter industrial pollutant in ground water.

As coriander is easily and cheaply available, the findings of the research team are now viewed as an important discovery for developing countries like India where potable drinking water is a major issue.

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REPORT

From modernisation of abattoirs to safe and hygienic production of meat and meat products, the two-day sixth Mayors Conference in New Delhi saw the participants discussing some of the stinging issues of the food industry, paving the way for more initiatives towards ensuring hygiene in all meat products that we eat, be it in a hotel or in a healthcare centre, or for that matter in our neighbourhood street stall or in a fine dining restaurant

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nsuring hygiene in meat products is critical and yet a difficult proposition, considering the dismal state of slaughterhouses in various parts of the country. But all these worries may soon become things of the past as the Municipal Boards across the country have resolved to take the required initiatives to provide facilities for safe and hygienic production of meat during the sixth Mayors Conference organised by National Meat and Poultry Processing Board (NMPPB) in association with Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) on September 13-14, in New Delhi.

They have also agreed to address the problem of availability of suitable land for modernisation of abattoirs (slaughterhouses) head on during the two-day conference.

The conference was inaugurated

by Dr. Charan Das Mahant, Union Minister of State for Food Processing and Agriculture. Mayors and Chairmen from a large number of municipalities and their municipal commissioners participated at the conference.

These decisions assume significance in the light of the Supreme Court order last year through which all the State and Union Territory Governments were directed to constitute committees for modernisation of slaughterhouses, check child labour, close illegal slaughterhouses, etc.

The State of Meat Production in India The meat industry in the country has defied the economic downturn and grown at a brisk pace of 13 percent in 2011-12 over the previous year as per the latest data compiled by the Department of Animal Husbandry Dairying and Fisheries under Ministry of Agriculture. The growth rate of meat production during the past four years of 11th Plan (2008-09 to 2011-12) was 7

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REPORT

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he Supreme Court in its order on August 23, 2012 directed all State Governments and Union Territories to constitute committees for slaughterhouses to fulfill mandatory requirements under various legislations dealing with the functioning of slaughterhouses in the country. percent compared to growth of 4 percent during the 10th Plan.

There is a growing demand for meat and meat products, supported by a young population and changes in the food consumption pattern with shift from simple grain based diet to a diet which includes more vegetables, eggs, milk, fruits and meat, especially among the middle class.

Another trend visible of late is the increasing demand for “convenience items” such as semi cooked readyto-eat, ready-to-cook meat food products. Some frozen meat and poultry products are already available in the market and their demand is increasing.

Yet the meat sector’s output is way below potential due to a multiplicity of reasons. Slaughter of animals for food is a State subject and regulated by local bodies through licensing of slaughterhouses and retail meat shops.

However, most of the municipal slaughterhouses lack modern machinery and equipment. The facilities for effluent treatment and waste disposal in these traditional slaughterhouses are far from satisfactory. Most slaughterhouses also lack proper sanitation facilities.

They are, therefore, ill equipped to guarantee safety and hygiene of meat products.

The utilisation of slaughter house by-products such as skins, edible offal, blood, bristles, etc. is low and lacks the desired level of quality; this has limited the prospects of downstream industries that can address both domestic as well as external markets and can be

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a source of gainful employment.

The Supreme Court Order on Regulation of Abattoirs Alarmed by the present condition of slaughter establishments, a number of Public Interest Litigation PILs were filed in the Supreme Court of India seeking directions to the State Governments as well as the Government of India to effectively implement the statutory rules relating to prevention of cruelty to animals and pollution control.

The Supreme Court in its order on August 23, 2012 in the Writ Petition (Civil) No. 309 of 2003 Laxmi Narain Modi versus Union of India and others – directed all State Governments and Union Territories to constitute committees for slaughterhouses to fulfill mandatory requirements under various legislations dealing with the functioning of slaughterhouses in the country.

The functions of the State Committees as mandated by the court include preparing database of slaughterhouses, recommending

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n the 12th Plan, under the National Mission on Food Processing, the Ministry of Food processing Industries has introduced a scheme for modernisation of meat shops, under which a grant of Rs. 5 lakh can be given by State Governments for modernisation of each meat shop. State Governments have been asked to identify cities where this scheme will be started in 2013-14.

modernisation of old slaughterhouses, identification of unlicensed and unlawful slaughterhouses and to crack down on these with the help of local administration and law enforcing agencies and to check for child labour.

The court directions are expected to spur the State Governments to review the condition of existing slaughterhouses and to take up plans for their modernisation.

On its part, Government of India has taken several steps to enhance production of safe meat and generate awareness about issues related to food safety, standard, hygiene, and animal welfare, backward and forward linkages. Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has been implementing an infrastructure scheme for modernisation of abattoirs since the 11th Plan. Also, in the 12th Plan, under the National Mission on Food Processing, MoFPI has introduced a scheme for modernisation of meat shops, under which a grant of Rs. 5 lakh can be given by State Governments for modernisation of each meat shop.

State Governments have been asked to identify cities where this scheme will be started in 2013-14.

Government has also set up the National Meat and Poultry Processing Board as a registered society. The mandate of the Board which was established in 2009 is to create an enabling environment for the development of the meat & poultry processing sector and production of healthy and hygienic meat and meat products.

The Board has been taking up awareness generation programmes for development of the meat sector on sustainable basis. 

Sep-Oct ’13

PROFILE

Scaling a New High How Aman Cleaning Equipments has steered clear of the challenges to script a success story in the Indian cleaning industry

By Jyotismita Sharma

S

trolling around the plush fivestorey building of Noida-based Aman Cleaning Equipments, one breathes an air of ease and

comfort which is hard to find these days in the cluttered lives that many of us lead and the pigeonholes in which many of us work. Spread over an area of 24,500 sq. fit., this new office of Aman Cleaning, a leading manufacturer and supplier of cleaning equipment, does not only provide comfort to the workers and instills a sense of pride among them, but also symbolizes the grand vision of the man who founded the company over a decade ago: Anjum Wahid Khan.

A qualified mechanical engineer and a keen observer of the world inside him and outside, Khan didn’t take long to realize his niche in the universe of entrepreneurship. His vision and courage of conviction has helped the company emerge as one of the leading manufacturer and supplier of equipment for the growing cleaning industry in India.

Today, the ISO 9001 : 2008 certified company manufactures floor scrubber machine model Speed –S-425/525

Sep-Oct ’13

in its Noida plant and for all other cleaning equipment, it has tie-ups with three Italian companies Lavorwash Italy for Its FASA brand

cleaning industry across the length and breadth of the country,” said Khan outlining his vision for Aman Cleaning. The company would also add a range of new products to its portfolio, including a range of floor cleaning chemicals, he said.

What has helped the company in its successful journey, according to Khan, is its focus not on having clients, but building relationships.

“Our USP lies in our response to our client’s queries and the prompt and effective solutions that we provide to their doubts and problems.

Whenever there is a need, we give demonstration so that the clients get to know the functionalities of the products and can also clear their doubts,” Khan said.

Another aspect that has worked in favour of Aman Cleaning is its focus of products, Ghibli Italy for its floor on after-sale services, which many scrubber, and Fimap Italy for its companies often neglect to their own peril. “Our after-sale service is scrubber drier and floor sweepers.

“With the new office in place, very regular and sincere. We believe that making instant we have enough space response to a client’s for augmenting our call is the key to production. Therefore, success,” Khan, who we are planning to himself heads the produce the fast moving after-sales services machines like single disc division said. machine, auto scrubber In scripting the drier, etc. in our own success stor y of place. For achieving Aman Cleaning, this target, we are in Khan has found an talks with a leading able company in the foreign company for dynamic leadership forming a joint venture,” Anjum Wahid Khan of V ikas S axena Khan, who is also the who heads the sales Managing Director of division and has been instrumental Aman Cleaning Equipments, told in making the products of the Clean & Hygiene Review. company reach to the varied sectors Aman Cleaning has 10 dealers of the cleaning industry such as across major cities in India. But auto workshops, multiplexes, hotels, to have a pan-India presence, it is hospitals, schools, colleges, railway planning to add more dealers to its list.

“Soon we will have presence in every stations and platforms, housekeeping part of India so that we can serve the agencies and corporate houses. 

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COVER S T O R Y

Housekeeping:

Long Row to Hoe A

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very time Amrit Singh, a Mumbai-based sof tware engineer, visits Bangalore for a business meeting, he calls up the same hotel for

accommodation. He is doing so for the last five years not because Amrit’s budget doesn’t allow him to be adventurous, but because of a deep sense of loyalty that he has developed towards that hotel.

Ashok Malkani brings to light the extraordinary contribution of ordinary housekeepers in turning random guests into loyal customers

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Such loyalty is not easy to come by in this age of cut-throat competition.

From the polite receptionist to the watchful bouncer of the bar, turning random guests into loyal customers involves the concerted effort and unflinching dedication of every employee of the hotel.

However, one department that often goes unrecognized even after their immense contribution to this whole exercise is the housekeeping department. In fact, it is nearly impossible even to contemplate that the guests would be satisfied and make repeat visits if they find anything wanting in the housekeeping services of the hotels. It would, therefore, not be an exaggeration when people say that

Sep-Oct ’13

C O V E R STORY it is the housekeeping department that endows a hotel its competitive advantage.

The housekeeping staff works behind scene in cleaning, disinfecting and remaking the rooms and premises of the property spic and span. As Aashima Sharma, Hotel Manager of Sofitel Mumbai BKC points out, “Housekeeping is an operational department of the hotel. It is responsible for cleanliness, maintenance, aesthetic upkeep of rooms, public areas, back areas and surroundings.” And how well they do that is one of the main parts of a guest’s experience.

Dail y Drill There is hardly any short-cut in housekeeping. That aura of fresh feel that the rooms and corridors of a well-maintained hotel offer is a result of the meticulous work that housekeepers carry out every day without miss. As Ashima reveals, all the 120 Sofitel Hotels around the world follows a daily rote to ensure a standard level of clean, hygienic and comfortable environment.

This daily exercise is not limited only to the occupied rooms of

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coordinate with outsourced the hotels. “Rooms which services like carpets and are not occupied also get marble maintenance, refreshed daily to ensure f a ç a d e c l e a n i n g, p e s t that it is not neglected and control for planning the the room ambience and cleaning schedule. feel is fresh,” says Uma H ow e v e r, f o r m o s t Mahesh Rao of Courtyard hotels, the commitment

by Marriott Pune.

A b h i l a s h K a p o o r, to hygiene doesn’t end Executive Housekeeper, Aashima Sharma only on the daily drill. As Sunila Patnaik, Executive Westin Mumbai Garden City, agrees with Uma and states Housekeeper of Double Tree by that cleaning of rooms in hotels Hilton Hotel Pune, points out, is done on a daily basis under “Apart from daily cleaning, we the supervision of the managers. have a monthly schedule for deep “ They personall y inspect the cleaning which is followed and rooms for optimum results and recorded by our team leaders. Each guest satisfaction. Housekeeping team leader is given a monthly personnel assigned to each room target for deep cleaning and they are expected to properly complete schedule the deep cleaning of their a series of cleaning and sanitising allotted areas as per the occupancy of the rooms.” duties,” he adds.

Meenal S himpi, Executive Housekeeper of Hotel Shantai, Changing Room Linen Pune, states that all good hotels Everyone states that the linen carry out cleaning of not only rooms is changed every day as a routine. but also public areas and guest However, Sunila states that Double rooms on a day-to-day basis.

Tree by Hilton Hotel also has a At Double Tree by Hilton Hotel ‘Reuse and Reduce’ program for Pune too checking of rooms for their guests, through which it cleanliness and maintenance is a appeals to the guest to reuse the regular feature. The managers also linen for another night.

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COVER S T O R Y This helps in monthly basis to keep conser ving water and sufficient stock. We are minimising pollution” maintaining the par Abhilash adds. “ We level of linen and guest change the linen every supplies.” day unless the guest is Meenal states that opting for ‘Make a Green stocking of linen depends Choice’”. on the size of the hotel.

A similar policy is “A normal stock of 4 par in place in Courtyard is done,” she adds.

by Marriott Pune too.

The scenario is hardly “ The Courtyard by any different in Courtyard Abhilash Kapoor Marriott Pune Chakan

by Mariott as it too keeps is a Gold Certified Hotel by a close eye on the stock. “We discard LEED (Leadership in Energ y out linen every 15 days and fresh and Environment Design) and we new linen is put into circulation. strive for a cleaner and greener Through a vigorous and efficient environment. Also as a Marriott system in place, we ensure that our initiative, we are participants of the par stock never falls down and there ‘Line Re-use Programme’. is no shortage of linen in operations. imperative that these places are “Through this programme, we Additionally, every week inventory clean at all times,” explains Uma. Meenal agrees that lobby and extend the possibility of changing of stocks for cleaning agents is reception areas demand utmost the linen of a room every alternate also taken up and we estimate a attention.

“Since lobby and reception day. If the guest wishes to participate shortage or consumption pattern, is the place where the guests are in the programme, the linen of the and order for more, accordingly. As received first, utmost care must be room is changed every alternate Marriott has global tie-ups, we get taken to keep this area clean. The day. Having said that, the linen all deliveries within 48 hours which lobby must not only look clean and is changed daily if the guest so helps us in getting our products be dust free but it must also smell desires,” Uma says. early and on time,” Uma declares. good.

This area needs On the other hand, Aashima says to be dr y-mopped at that if there is a necessity, the Sofitel When to Clean the Common Areas & frequent intervals,” she Hotel changes the linen even more How adds. than once a day. “The most basic A housekeeper’s job is not But due to the heavy responsibility of housekeeping is limited to keeping the movement of guests in providing fresh, clean and odor-less linen and the rooms clean. the common areas, the linen in the rooms. Hence at Sofitel The overall cleanliness of housekeeping staff faces Luxury Hotels we change linen on common areas is just as the challenge of cleaning daily basis and in special cases, if it is important as keeping the t h e s e a re a s w ithout stained or soiled we change it more guestrooms clean.

Guests obstructing the guest than once in the day.” oversee and evaluate the movements.

Therefore, Besides the room linen, Hotel in most hotels, major Shantai changes the towels and foot common areas before they Meenal Shimpi get to see their rooms. cleaning of public areas mats too on a daily basis, Meenal Therefore, keeping these areas spick like lobby restaurant and bar is points out. and span forms a very important done during the night. “During the But to change the linen regularly part of a housekeeper’s job. day, we maintain the areas,” says there has to be sufficient stock. A “As a premier hotel, it is our Abhilash. record of this has to be maintained Sunila states that Double Tree by by the housekeeping staff. For continuous endeavor to ensure that the experience of a guest is Hilton Hotel Pune also undertakes this “it is very important to take memorable and pleasurable and cleaning of public places at night. monthly inventories of stock in we understand the importance of “Intensive Cleaning of public areas hand to understand your monthly hygienic conditions and cleanliness is mainly done during the night consumptions. We maintain a par in the same.

Therefore, we have shift.

The weekly cleaning schedule stock of these items to regularise housekeeping supervisors around is monitored by the team leaders the ordering system. Also, one the clock at the hotel taking regular and supervised by the executives. must consider the lead time of the rounds of the property and taking Fortnightly schedules for carpets and vendor for each of these items and the necessary steps to keep the marble maintenance are prepared for then decide on the par stock”, says hotel sparkling.

Areas like lobby and the outsourced agency,” she adds.

Sunila. reception have the maximum guest “At S ofitel Mumbai BKC, Abhilash concurs with this and movement and thus it becomes we resort to scientific cleaning states, “We do the inventory on

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COVER S T O R Y and hence we fumigate, products in the premier path stagnates.” The importance of clean and dry the areas hotels of India is points training is so much at Double Tree through machines,” says towards such a change. by Hilton that they “have a target Aashima.”We do this on a Most of the housekeepers of monthly training sessions and try regular basis to ensure no say “yes” to eco-friendly to complete them even during high inconvenience is caused to occupancy and busy periods”. products. the guests by water-stains, The training imparted at As Uma avers, dust, etc.” she adds.

“Marriott has a global the hotel is based on Standard But there is more to t i e - u p w i t h E c o l a b, O p e r a t i n g P r o c e d u r e s a n d Sunila Pattnaik keeping the premises which is the wor ld ’s behavioral training which help the clean, than merely keeping the leading chemical manufacturer for workers improve communication, rooms and lobby clean. It also all streams. In housekeeping, all the leadership, team building, problem entails maintaining areas like garden chemicals which we use are water h a n d l i n g, h a n d l i n g d i f f i c u l t and the pool areas. But this, in based or alkaline products which are situations/guests, up-selling, fire most hotels, does not come under very eco-friendly and user-friendly. fighting, first-aid, etc. the purview of the housekeeping In our hotel, 95 percent of chemicals “We also have a career development department. which we use are alkaline and eco- course for our employees to create a Says Uma Mahesh: “In Marriott, friendly.” talent pool. Double Tree By Hilton horticulture and maintaining pool Abhilash disclosed that nearly pioneered the ‘Travelers Reward’ comes under the Engineering 90 percent of the cleansers are (an I-PAD based Training) in Department; but overall reporting eco-friendly. And ecothe hospitality industry and guiding them is done by the friendly products need throughout Asia. We also housekeeper. We employ gardeners not always make holes emphasise on soft skills and horticulturist and make sure they in the budget of a hotel. and guest relations skills take care of garden and landscaping. “Eco-friendly products regarding non-verbal cues We undertake regular checks of pool save on cleaning costs as and phraseology,” Sunila. water and carry out chlorine test of the dilution ratio is high.

Aashima say s that water every day so that there is no These cleansers come at Sofitel, all the staff algae formation and guest does not in highly concentrated members are regarded have any allergy to water when they form, so they save on as Ambassadors of the Uma Mahesh Rao use pool facility.”

French art de recevoir. your storage place. They Sunila feels that good maintenance mostly have neutral PH She says that “inspired of gardens and horticulture is very values and are safer to use with easy by a passion for excellence, they do important as it can change the methods. We use only eco-friendly their utmost to offer the guests a look and image of a property. “We cleaners.” personalised experience and make have assigned a public area team Meenal states that she believes the stay absolutely magnifique”. leader who inspects these areas in using standardised products like However, it is “our regular training regularly during the course of their Johnson Diversey or Amway. She programs that help our Ambassadors rounds. Deep cleaning schedules are adds, “I have trained my staff to to reach the next level and imbibe regularly followed,” she adds. use these on various surfaces like new skills”, she adds.

Abhilash feels “Training based on granite, marble, stone finish wooden What Products to Use employee performance can consist surface, steel and glass.” of everything; from going back Like most other departments of the hotels, housekeeping departments Imparting Training, Inspiring to basics for improvement of low performers, to advanced accelerated too have embraced change to respond the Talented to the contemporary challenges. Sunila believes that “ without training for high performing The rising use of eco-friendly training, the progress of the career employees. This review process is

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C O V E R STORY

effective because it determines what areas of improvement are needed for the employee to move forward in their development.”

For Uma Mahesh too, regular training modules are absolutely necessary to improve the skills of the workers. “We at Courtyard by Marriott Pune Chakan have an allotted 8 man-hours of compulsory training for each associate in a month,” she says.

Meenal states that training of the housekeepers basically comprises teaching them proper usage of the cleaning tools and materials, shampooing of carpets and upholstery and even ironing.

“Training”, she discloses, “also includes inculcating proper etiquettes of keeping the tools in their proper places after the work is done. Personal grooming and behaviour with guests too form important part of the training programme.”

However, more importantly, as Meenal points out, the housekeepers also need to be taught the dignity of labour. “No job is to be looked down upon; whether it is cleaning toilets or making beds. No job is demeaning. You must do it with the right spirit and attitude. This has to be drilled into them,” she declares.

Keeping a Watchful Eye A watchful eye is kept to see that the juniors fulfill their job obligations.

This is done as per the senior housekeeper’s thinking processes.

Sunila does it by monitoring the results and through a regular appraisal system.

Aashima does it by having regular meetings and reviews to check that each delegated task has been successfully completed. “We also conduct regular check-ups and

Sep-Oct ’13

audits to ensure that each and every corner of the hotel is clean.”

Abhilash monitors the work by taking a round with the supervisors and Assistant managers on a daily basis to see the follow-ups are completed.

Uma Mahesh prefers to have regular team briefings in which he meets with all his managers, and together takes stock of all activities.

“Apart from this, I am personally on shop floor every day to ensure that the Marriott Standards are met.

I also give them regular feedback for improvements as well as their productivity.”

Value of Feedback Just as a mirror reflects the appearance of our face, honest feedback from strangers helps us understand our own achievements and shortcomings which can go a long way in improving our work. In the housekeeping department too, the feedback system works wonder in terms of improving both the process and output.

“To ensure that our guests have an enjoyable experience every time they visit our hotel, we conduct a feedback from the guests. We ask our guests to fill a form which covers F&B, overall appearance of the hotel, services and request for suggestions. We try and follow up on suggestions and feedback as much as possible,” says Aashima.

Sunila claims that her hotel has a feedback system wherein guests can put in their comments on the basis of ambience, cleanliness and maintenance, service standards and comfort. “We have trained our team members to communicate with guests, when they meet them while refreshing the room, to understand their likes and dislikes,” she adds.

The Courtyard by Marriott

has an online survey called ‘Guest Satisfaction Survey’ (GSS) where all guest feedbacks are recorded and tracked. “These surveys are randomly sent to guests who have stayed at the hotel after their departure. This survey has questions ranging from arrival, satisfaction, ser vice experience, safety and security, food, maintenance and environment for relaxing, etc,” Uma Mahesh says.

“Apart from this, we also ensure that guests are met at the hotel and regular feedback is taken from them during their stay,” he adds.

The Tough Job of Housekeeping It is imperative for any hotel company to set high benchmarks in housekeeping if it wants to attract new guests and repeat clientele.

One can say that housekeeping is the backbone of the hotel. It is the intangible barometer that defines the success and position of any hotel.

Therefore, the daily task of ensuring a clean and hygienic environment in the hotel is a process that needs a continuous vigil. Housekeeping executives, or managers, have to be on their toes 24/7. They have to prepare work schedules in advance and also prepare inventories to ensure that there is no shortage of any item.

The housekeeping staff also plays an important role in the safety of the guests. They are the ears and eyes of the hotel. Though there are surveillance cameras in the corridors, the vigilant housekeeper has an upper hand. Sensitising the team members to the aspect of security/safety is part of the housekeeping executive’s job.

But the housekeeping executives face a lot of challenges, ranging from budget cuts to hiring and training staff, meeting increasing work demands, keeping customers happy, and communicating effectively with staff and customers.

So the next time you encounter a housekeeper, pay him the due respect he deserves. For, he not only keeps the place clean, but also helps  keep you safe.

17

FEATURE

Health

and

Hygiene Challenges

I

n India, improper drainage systems are complemented with garbage inflicted rivers; food infected with harmful dosage of pesticides is a common occurrence as is unclean drinking water; mushrooming slums and the lack of toilet facilities co-exist together with filthy public toilets; environmentally unfriendly cooking procedures only indicate the sorry state of feminine hygiene in our country; unclean hospitals with abundance of roaming pests and inadequate healthcare facilities are huge challenges for India’s healthcare as is the lack of basic hygiene facilities in our schools for our education system; our rampant deposits of industrial waste are only supplemented with huge irresponsible disposal of biomedical waste; and overall we as a society do not give much thought on these things.

Succinctly, even after six decades of its independence, the country is characterised by its chronic apathy towards health and hygiene issues.

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Of course, these decades of neglect on something as paramount to human welfare as health, hygiene and sanitation has a huge social cost, which we regularly bear, both as a civil society and as individuals.

Unhealthy Neglect Take the case of our healthcare.

Adequate healthcare facilities can

cure most of the diseases, and a good public hygiene system can prevent many of the diseases. Sadly, both of them are severely lacking in India, in terms of their reach to the vast multitude of unfortunate, underserved Indians. India only spends 4.1 percent of its GDP on health, and a major chunk of this spend (70 percent) is channeled

Sep-Oct ’13

FEATURE from private spending.

A great majority of India’s healthcare services is routed through the private sector, and private healthcare in India can be afforded by few. According to an observation made by Oxford University some years ago, about one million Indians, a figure which comprises of mostly women and children, die each year; not because of incurable diseases, but because of inadequate healthcare.

Sorry State of Sanitation Inadequate healthcare doesn’t only pertain to the sheer paucity of massive and affordable healthcare infrastructure. It also means paucity of adequate prevention measures in the route of diseases. If the by and large appalling state of public healthcare system in India is contrasted by our corporate hospitals, which is giving an impetus to medical tourism, it is only supplemented by the callous public concern towards our public hygiene.

According to the UNESCO World Water Development Report 2009, eighty percent of health problems and five million deaths per year in the developing countries were linked to inadequate water and sanitation. And the sanitation scenario has hardly improved in our country during the last four years.

India’s sanitation infrastructure has not been able to keep pace with its revolution in mobile telephony.

India still can have the dubious distinction of being the open-air toilet capital of the world. Almost 60 percent of the people across the globe who defecate in the open

Sep-Oct ’13

belong to our great country. When you combine this day-to-day fact of life with the statistics that 88 percent of incidences of diarrhea across the globe are attributed to unsafe water supply, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene, and diarrhea, which is easily curable by the way, still leads to the death of 1.5 million children under the age of five years every year, we know how seriously our state is taking the state of our health and hygiene.

The humiliating practice of relieving oneself in the public for the lack of basic toilet facilities is doubly taxing for our womenfolk and girls.

Besides compromising human dignity, and greatly compromising on hygiene, the lack of toilet facilities result in the drop out of lots of girls from school education in India, every year. The appalling state of feminine hygiene in India is reflected in our high maternal mortality rates, and also through the paucity of private sanitation facilities for women. During as late as 2010, India’s maternal mortality rate was a shameful 200 deaths per 100,000 live births. It is alarming that still more than 60 percent of our rural women cannot even afford sanitary napkins.

Clean Measures Of course, the state and as well as the Union governments should take more proactive and effective steps to provide clean and ecofriendly toilets in every urban and village locality; catering to the multitude of teeming millions, for whom even a toilet is a luxury, but these infrastructural developments should be complemented with

huge housekeeping initiatives, which are ver y much required for the maintenance and upkeep of the toilets. Of course, hygiene awareness among large swathes of people, who have been compelled to adopt unhygienic practices since their childhood, is also necessary to drastically improve the depressing sanitation scenario in the country.

Water pollution is a sordid reality of our environment and consequently, of our lives, paving in the possibility of a number of water-borne diseases. In order to holistically tackle the challenge of water pollution, our state and Union governments need to invest huge amounts for provision of clean water and for cleaning of our rivers, which happen to be a huge source of water for many cities.

Besides finding comprehensive solutions to water and toilet problem, the right disposal of solid waste is also ver y much necessary for ensuring a clean and hygienic society. The sewerage system of most cities of India needs to be drastically improved.

In this context, Delhi’s deplorable sewerage system calls for attention.

In Delhi, a few days of heavy torrent after scorching summers hardly calls for a celebration. It frequently leads to the flooding of streets with dirty water, leading to lots of potential for dengue and other water-borne diseases, and prospects of increased air pollution due to snarling traffic jams.

Education without Hygiene?

The hygienic levels in hospitals and schools are also by and large not

19

FEATURE

that encouraging in the twenty-first century India. Still many schools in India do not have a toilet, and as a society we are quite casual about this shameful reality. And toilets without water facilities are common features of Indian schools, in both rural and urban areas.

This situation is as usual, more shocking in rural areas of the country. According to the Annual Status of Education Report 2012, only 38.2 percent of the schools in the rural areas of Andhra Pradesh did have toilets that the girl students could use. It is alarming that almost one third of the schools in the rural areas of the state (32.6 percent) were not equipped with separate toilet facilities for their girl students.

However, this pathetic situation is not germane to Andhra Pradesh only. According to the same Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2012, published by an NGO named Pratham, 9.5 percent schools of rural Jharkhand lacked even drinking water facility and 12.5 percent of them did have this facility but without the availability of drinking water.

Here it deser ves a mention that ASER is the largest annual

20

household survey of children in rural India that focuses on the status of schooling and basic learning.

ASER 2012 reached 567 districts, more than 16,000 villages, covered nearly 3.3 lakh households and about 6 lakh children. A total of 14,591 schools were visited during ASER 2012.

It is no less shocking that according to ASER 2012, 16.4 percent schools in the rural areas of Jharkhand were not endowed with even toilet facilities. According to the report, only 37 percent of schools in rural areas of Jharkhand had usable toilets. The exhaustive study revealed that among the schools in rural Jharkhand having toilet facilities, around 25.3 percent schools did not have separate provision of toilets for girls. Moreover, only 32 percent of the girls’ toilets in the schools across rural Jharkhand could be used.

Even a developed state like Maharshtra doesn’t fare much better as far as school sanitation goes. According to the same survey conducted by Pratham, it was found that almost 30 percent schools of rural Maharasthra were operating without dr inking water. The comprehensive survey unearthed

that 40.8 percent of the schools located in the rural areas of this industrialised state had to do with unusable toilets. Though these figures pertain to 2012, but it is highly unlikely that these shameful statistics on India’s school sanitation has improved much in a year or so.

Overall, only 73 percent of all schools visited by the survey across the country had availability of drinking water. Though according to the study, the proportion of schools with useable toilets in rural India did increase from 47.2 percent in 2010 to 56.5 percent in 2012, but despite the impressive enhancement in this direction within two years, the percentage of schools with usable toilets in the country is simply pathetic.

This pathetic state of school hygiene is not only rampant in schools of interior rural India, but it may also be very much present in the capital. In early 2012, a study on the condition of toilets in Delhi’s government schools revealed that we are compromising on the health and hygiene of lakhs of school going children in the capital. An eye-opener of a survey that was carried out across 318 toilets in 44 schools during January and February of 2012, by Alliance For People’s Rights & its Associates with support from CRY, revealed that many government schools in Delhi were lacking in terms of even basic hygienic amenities.

About 37 percent of the schools visited through the survey were having unclean and spotted toilets, or their toilets were in a state that made them unusable for children. According to the survey, in 21 percent of the schools covered, the toilets were laden with infrastructural lacunae such as blocked sewerage lines, broken doors or cracked walls. Yes, the survey also found that many toilets in the schools of Delhi were lacking mugs or buckets. Only 39 percent of the schools covered in the survey undertook cleaning of their toilets on a regular basis, though most of those schools in the survey had permanent cleaning staff. Yes, this happens in Delhi too.

Sep-Oct ’13

FEATURE

Action and Awareness

Without the shoving of parents, it is unlikely that the authorities would wake up to the needs of this pressing reality. The parents of the children should be much more vocal in demanding cleanliness in the schools where they send their children to, for in India’s welfare sector without a sustained clamour any supply is not likely to be met.

If basic hygienic standards are not met in the schools; that is if separate toilets for boys and girls with basic facilities, and the provision of adequate supply of clean drinking water are not provided, if sanitation infrastructure in schools are on the verge of crumbling and nothing is being done about it, parents of those children should take their concerns to the concerned authorities in the government without delay, and compel our slumbering public machinery to take corrective actions.

At the same time, basic health and hygiene should be introduced as part of the curriculum in schools so that the importance of cleanliness and hygiene is instilled among the impressionable minds, which in turn would influence them to adhere to basic hygienic standards in their adult lives; an essential feature of global civic life which is sadly not that commonly found in India.

Pest Menace in Hospitals However, the deplorable standards of public hygiene in India is not only limited to the inaccessibility of drinking water and toilet facilities for millions of underprivileged Indians, which include school going children, and the singular apathy towards feminine hygiene by the

Sep-Oct ’13

state and civil society at large. Any person who has to bear a night in a rat-infested public hospital would vouch for this. However, by this I am not at all inferring that only government run hospitals have this ‘distinction.’ The pests do coexist with patients in many private hospitals of India too.

Though a normal fact of life in India, it should nevertheless be borne in mind that the presence of pests in hospitals can be hazardous to the health of the patients and also the staff of the hospitals.

Instead of getting cured of his ailment, the patient may get some additional diseases from a pest inflicted hospital. Sometimes this nonchalance towards pests in hospitals can also result in serious health catastrophe, thereby harming the reputation of the management of the hospitals concerned.

For attaining enduring results in hospital hygiene through pest management, one should not go for indiscriminate usage of pest control products. It is common knowledge that rampant usage of pesticides often has detrimental effects on the environment. Specially, in the sensitive environment of hospitals, pest management practices should be executed with utmost prudence and care.

An integrated approach to pest management, which involves inspection, identification, establishment of threshold levels, adequate control measures, and appraising of the progress of pest control measures employed, can facilitate in securing the health of the hospital and its human inmates from the pest menace. Though the answer to curing the hospitals of pests can be found in integrated pest management practices, but this is not the complete answer. The IPM should be backed up by regular day-to-day hygienic practices by the housekeeping staff and the patients concerned.

Pests are however not the only hygiene challenge that many hospitals’ staff and inmates face on a regular basis. For example, the disposal of bio-medical waste is a critical issue in hospital hygiene,

which if not properly done, can germinate many diseases as they could be contagious.

Biomedical and Industrial The biomedical waste, which broadly includes human anatomical waste, animal waste, used bandages and cotton, severed body parts, used needles, syringes, glasses, blades, discarded medicines or medicines which are beyond the expiry date, etc. and chemical waste, must be handled by the healthcare workers with great circumspection, so as to not only safeguard the health of the patients and the general public visiting hospitals, but also the health of the healthcare and sanitation workers themselves; who are routinely exposed to biomedical waste as an occupational hazard.

In India, despite comprehensive legislation in this direction, in the way of Bio-Medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998 and its subsequent revision to make it more stringent through Bio-Medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011 the overall standard of disposal of bio-medical waste in India still leaves much to be desired.

More than 25 percent of our daily generation of bio-medical waste is still left untreated, which can have serious health repercussions in our society.

Then there is the menace of industrial waste, whose shameful deposits here, there and everywhere give a sad commentary on our lack of seriousness towards the pressing concerns of public hygiene. In India, mountains of industrial waste are having detrimental effects on our environment, which in turn are compromising the public hygiene in a significant manner, as they have the potential of paving the way for a number of diseases, both of chronic and lethal nature.

Untreated industrial waste could result in air and water pollution, which can facilitate a number of tropical water-borne diseases and breathing related disorders. If we do not force the corporates to recycle their industrial wastes effectively, the occurrence of another Bhopal Gas Tragedy in the future can’t be  ruled out.

21

PEST MANAGEMENT

Beware of

Bird

 It is important for property owners to understand the complex range of control options available and select the most effective and the most cost-effective product, or combination of products to meet their needs

O

f all the problems associated with birds, lack of awareness among the property owners about the cost that they can cause is regarded as the most severe. The birds that come for a roost in the vicinity of your property not only spoil the beauty of the building with their frequent droppings; the health risks associated with birds are also real. The bird droppings, feathers and debris under an active bird roost give birth to a lot of disease organisms. And even when the birds leave a nest carefully built at the balcony of your hotel or hospital, they do not generally fly away with all the pest problems associated with them. The insects that live on

22

them or on their droppings slowly invade the building in search of their livelihood and in the process irritate the inhabitants, be they your important guests or patients.

The two most common diseases associated with bird droppings are histoplasmosis and cryptococcosis which can be fatal in the absence of early diagnosis and specific treatment.

“Pigeons and sparrows also have been implicated (along with many other species of birds) as sources of encephalitis viruses transmitted by mosquitoes,” says a study by New Jersey Department of Health & Senior Services.

Besides the health hazards, the birds bring several other problems along with them. Bird faeces

contain high concentrations of uric acid that are highly corrosive to wood, metal and concrete. Bird droppings that accumulate over long periods of time can cause significant damage to the building or structure.

One of the most easily overlooked hazards associated with birds is fire.

House sparrows, for example, build loosely constructed, grassy nests supplemented with human debris, including cigarette butts. What is the fire potential from one smoldering cigarette butt placed into a dry, grassy nest in an eave or air-handling vent is anyone’s guess.

Conventional Bird Controls Traditional methods of bird control (particularly pigeon control) have

Sep-Oct ’13

been largely unsuccessful due to lack of understanding of the species. Various methods including the use of poisons and narcotics, shooting with air rifles, trapping and killing operations and the installation of deterrents are tried to control pigeons.

With the possible exception of deterrents, all of these methods of control have failed to have the desired effect and in most cases these methods have actually resulted in an increase in bird infestation.

Therefore, the business of selling deterrents to clients is a highly

profitable one. Anti-perching devices can be most effective in the control of bird populations but many of the commercially available products have a very short life span. It is also seen that they are often installed inappropriately and as a result they require replacing, in some cases, after only a few months. Most of these products are also extremely expensive.

Therefore, it is important for property owners to understand the complex range of control options available and select the most effective and the most cost-effective product, or combination of products to meet their needs.

Independent advice should always be sought prior to instructing a pest management contractor in order to ensure that the right option is chosen. Most contractors are either tied to specific products and services or will recommend products that are profitable, but not necessarily the

Sep-Oct ’13

most appropriate in order to service the needs of the client.

Most contractors normally recommend traditional methods of controls to a client. It is also possible that a contractor will recommend a mix of lethal controls and deterrents; although the deterrents may have some impact, it is generally observed that the lethal aspect of the recommended system hardly produce any positive result.

Narcotic Bait In this method, birds are fed untreated grain in a secluded area for approximately seven days and on the eighth day the untreated grain is substituted with grain treated with a narcotic substance, the purpose being to induce stupor in the bird so that it can be easily caught and killed.

The reality of these operations is that few birds are actually caught by contractors and a majority of the birds that have taken the bait fly away to die of starvation, dehydration or hypothermia. This draconian measure still fails to resolve pigeon-related problems. On the other hand, the dangers associated with the use of narcotics are considerable. Moreover, many non-target species also take the bait and die a long and agonising death. This method of control is now by many as indiscriminate, inefficient and ineffective.

Cage Trapping Trapping as a means of control is widespread. With this method birds are lured into a trap that is placed in their roosting or feeding area and that is either baited with a live bird or, more commonly, with grain. Once a certain number of birds have been trapped, they are removed and killed. The traps will then be re-set. Cage trapping is considered as an expensive method of bird control, as pigeons breed faster than they can be trapped and killed.

Deterrents Anti-perching Devices Anti-perching devices are used extensively to deter pigeons from roosting on specific buildings. These

23

PEST MANAGEMENT then move as the wire is attached to the posts by springs, and the bird then feels unsafe and flies away.

As the product is not prominent to the eyes, it attracts the property owners.

However, it is not at all robust

devices can be extremely effective and are favoured by property owners wishing to discourage pigeons from roosting and perching on their property.

Anti-roosting Spikes This product is considered one of the most effective stand-alone bird deterrents on the market. The product is simple to install and does not necessarily require the services of a specialist contractor unless being installed at a very high place. If installed as per the recommendation of the manufacturer, the product turns out to be very effective and has an extremely long lifespan. It is also inexpensive, certainly in relation to other available products, and is completely reversible. Should an area that is already protected by antiroosting spikes need to be decorated or have essential maintenance carried out, the spikes can be easily removed, works undertaken and then the spikes can be re-installed.

Spring Wire Systems (post and wire systems) This anti-perching device is commonly recommended to property owners primarily due to its aesthetic values rather than its effectiveness.

The product consists of vertical steel posts installed on a flat surface, where birds are causing problems. As a result of perching, these posts are spanned by steel wires provided at a height of approximately two inches and joined to the posts by small springs.

When a bird attempts to land on the surface, its feet touch the wires, which

24

and the average life span of the product is short, in some cases just weeks. The product is often badly installed causing the vertical posts to cave in and render the product totally ineffective. The steel wires also continually snap or become disconnected from the posts; again, rendering the product ineffective.

Nylon Netting It is comparatively expensive to install nylon netting and its lifespan, relative to the cost of installation, is poor. Installation of this product is also invasive in relation to the fabric of the building upon which it is to be installed and in the case of Listed Buildings it should never be used other than in exceptional circumstances where no other product will resolve the problems of bird management.

The product degrades rapidly, in some cases only months after installation and when it becomes ripped the entire net needs to be replaced, as repairs are rarely successful.

Sonic Devices and NoiseRelated Devices There are a lot of sonic devices on offer for bird control, and for some species of bird they can be effective, assuming that the species has a distress call. Where pigeon control is concerned, however, hardly any sonic or noise-related devices display any effect.

Gels These products have a very short lifespan, can cause very considerable damage to the surface upon which

they are provided and are usually completely ineffective as an antiperching device. T h e s e products have also been known to glue pigeons and other birds to the surface upon which the product has been installed (if the sealant coat has not been installed, which is common) causing massive distress to the bird and potentially resulting in legal action where the property owner is concerned.

Electric Wire Systems These products are now becoming more common but are confined to places where animal protection laws are virtually non-existent. The product consists of steel wires that are attached to the surface to be protected and then a low current of electricity is passed through the wire in order to give the bird landing or walking on that surface an electric shock.

The system is powered by AC, DC or by solar power. For all purposes, the product seems, at first glance, to tick all the boxes. It is aesthetically pleasing as it is low-level; it consumes less power and manufacturers make fantastic claims about how inexpensive it is to install. However, in reality, the product may turn out to be expensive relative to conventional products and requires maintenance cost, not to mention the cost of power used to run the system.

Bird management can be a highly lucrative segment of pest control business, provided proper time and effort is put in to plan services. Bird management projects, for the most part, are one-time events with little recurring revenue. Understanding and explaining the key selling points for bird management services to potential clients dramatically increases bird management sales.

So time, experience and patience are required when bidding these  services.

Sep-Oct ’13

Sep-Oct ’13

25

LAUNDRY

Hospital Laundry:

Twin Challenges of

C standCare

In both on premise and outsourced laundry services, the yardstick of success is increased productivity T h e importance of running a laundry service at a reasonable cost to the patient by the hospital needs no emphasis. The importance of a clean environment and linen for optimal patient care has been stressed upon since the very inception of hospitals.

A sick person coming to the alien environment of the hospital gets tremendously influenced and soothed by the aesthetics or cleanliness of the surroundings and the linen. Clean linen is an aid to reduction of hospital acquired infections.

— All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), New Delhi

F

or all healthcare centres, as the above paragraph from a document prepared by the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) so

26

succinctly points out, providing clean linen is not simply a matter of aesthetics, but an important part of their patient care programme.

Another important keyword to

note in the same paragraph is “reasonable cost to the patient”.

So, all healthcare facilities face the challenge of providing clean linen without making the patients pay

Sep-Oct ’13

LAUNDRY

through their nose for the laundry service.

The hospitals do not see laundry services as a revenue generator as it is not part of their core function.

On the other hand, it is a necessary expense that they need to incur in order to deliver quality patient care.

Therefore, they seek out innovative ways that can at least reduce some of the associated costs.

For some, reducing cost means maintaining on-premise laundry facilities and incorporating innovative equipment that can help staff do the job more efficiently and effectively.

For others, cost reduction means outsourcing the function to contract laundry service companies and firms that can provide either on or off-site management.

Equipment Options Hospitals planning to install onpremise laundry or already have 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 expense. So it is important that systems have higher load capacities and can lower drying and

Sep-Oct ’13

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.

Ozone technology is also 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

27

LAUNDRY

Vendor Responsibility in Hospital Laundry The healthcare facilities that outsource laundry services generally expect the following minimum services from their vendors: • Collection of dirty linen from different user areas and transport the same to laundry complex.

• Sorting, processing of used linen with standard laundering processes including repairing (if required), finishing and packing.

• Identifying torn linen at the time of collection and confirming with client whether to wash them or replace.

• Having the expertise and required license from the concerned authority to either treat or safely disposal of the discarded chemicals & other washing materials and garbage produced in the laundry.

• Not violating any bio-medical waste management rules.

Adequate protection for workers.

to focus more on their core business and therefore outsource non-core services as much as possible.

Hospitals are now more tuned in to evaluating the true costs of providing services in-house versus the cost of having someone else do it for them. After evaluating these true costs, many realise it is more beneficial to outsource the function and create more revenue-generating opportunities in its place, prompted by overall vision for growth.

The Solution 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

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.

Outsourcing Laundry Despite the innovative equipment options on the market, some healthcare organisations believe that they can opt to wash their hands off the linen and laundry service by shifting the responsibility to an outsourcing company. It is largely understood as a move to free up valuable space, streamline and standardise the linen and laundry process, and eliminate the need for

28

investing capital into new equipment.

Many healthcare organisations want

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 100kgs 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

Sep-Oct ’13

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 healthcare organisations are tying 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.

Control Measures It is important to develop gu.idelines 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.

Soiled linen may or may not be

Sep-Oct ’13

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 laundr y.

Protective apparel and appropriate ventilation can minimise these exposures.

The microbicidal action of the normal laundering process is affected by several physical and chemical factors.

Although dilution is not a microbicidal mechanism, it is responsible for the removal of significant quantities of microorganisms. Soaps or detergents loosen soil and also have some microbicidal properties.

Hot water provides an effective means of destroying microorganisms, and a temperature of at least 71 C (160 F) for a minimum of 25 minutes is commonly recommended for hot-water washing. Chlorine bleach provides an extra margin of safety.

A total available chlorine residual of 50-150ppm is usually achieved during the bleach cycle. The last action performed during the washing process is the addition of a mild acid to neutralize any alkalinity in the water supply, soap, or detergent. The rapid shift in Ph from approximately 12 to 5 also may tend to inactivate some microorganisms.

Recent studies have shown that a satisfactory reduction of microbial contamination can be achieved at lower water temperatures of 22-50 C when the cycling of the washer, the wash formula, and the amount of chlorine bleach are carefully monitored and controlled. Instead of the microbicidal action of hot water, low-temperature laundr y cycles rely heavily on the presence of bleach to reduce levels of microbial contamination.

Regardless of whether hot or cold water is used for washing, the temperatures reached in drying and especially during ironing provide additional significant microbicidal  action.

29

HYGIENE

Safety Lies in Your Hands

Handwashing is an important habit for remarkably reducing the cross transmission of infection in healthcare centres and thus enforcing a cut on hospital associated infections.

By Jyotismita Sharma

E

very day, the world mourns the death of 1400 children from diarrhoeal diseases c aused by lac k of safe water, sanitation and basic hygiene, latest figures from UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) suggests. However, it also says that the simple act of handwashing can save the lives of many children who would otherwise die from diarrhoeal diseases. The UN Programme that celebrates October 15 as

30

the Global Handwashing Day every years is also of the view that ingraining the habit of handwashing is more effective than a single vaccines in preventing deaths of thousands of children across the world. It is also the simplest and most inexpensive way to prevent the spread of infection, says UNICEF that celebrated Global Handwashing Day this year with the theme ‘The power is in your hands’.

“Washing hands before e a t i n g and after

defecation drastically reduces the spread of diarrhoeal disease and has far reaching effects on the health and welfare of children and communities,” said Sanjay Wijesekera, Global Head of UNICEF’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene ( WASH) programmes, on the occasion of the sixth annual United Nations-backed Global Handwashing Day this year.

“The evidence is clear. Each individual—every mother, every child, every teacher, every member of every community—can contribute to the health of all by just washing their hands,” Wijesekera said adding, “If you knew of something monumental that could benefit the world,

Sep-Oct ’13

HYGIENE you would do it. Everyone has this power – simply wet, lather and rinse - with soap and water.”

Even as India joined the world in promoting the habit of handwashing through the celebration of the Global Handwashing Day on October 15, this goes without saying that much is still wanted in terms of achieving the hand hygiene targets primarily due to lack of proper infrastructure and awareness.

When it comes to healthcare centres, impor tance of hand hygiene gains a greater proportion as probability of spreading infection due to lack of hygiene among healhcare professionals is maximum in a hospital. As the hands of the healthcare professionals, especially those who frequent the Intensive Care Units (ICUs), are colonized by various pathogens washing hands simply with soap and water, a practice that the UNICEF rightly promotes primarily among children, may not always work.

However, it does not mean that handwashing is a complicated process for the healthcare professionals. It remains a simple act even for them, and of course and very significant habit for remarkably reducing the cross transmission of infection in hospitals and other health care facilities and thus enforcing a cut on hospital associated infections. All they require is greater awareness about proper washing agent, when they need to wash their hands and how.

From the Pages of History Although practices of keeping hand hygiene has been present in all

Sep-Oct ’13

cultural and religious communities throughout the ages, it was only in the mid 1800s that the world woke up to take serious note of the importance of hand hygiene when studies

by O liv er Wendel l Holmes, Sr. of Boston, USA and Ignaz Semmelweis of Vienna, Austria conclusively established that improper hand hygiene of healthcare workers were responsible for transmitting the hospital acquired diseases. In his quest for finding out the reason behind the higher mortality rate of one of the clinics of the University of Vienna Allgemeine Krankenhaus, Semmelweis observed that the hands of the doctors and medical students, who frequented the delivery suits after performing the autopsies, retained a disagreeable odour even after washing their hands with soap and water before entering the clinic. Semmelweis, therefore, hypothesised that the puerperal fever that caused the higher mortality rate in the clinic was the result of the transmission of “cadaverous particles” through the hands of the doctors and students who visited the delivery theatre after performing the autopsy.

In order to test his hypothesis, Semmelweis recommended the doctors and the students to scrub their hands in a chlorinated lime solution after performing the autopsy and before entering the delivery theatre.

As the healthcare workers followed Semmelwels’ recommendation, the mortality rate in the clinic fell from sixteen percent to three percent.

Semmelweis is since then recognised as the father of hand hygiene and his intervention is still regarded as a model in formulating strategies in preventing infection. Recognising the importance of hand hygiene, several countries from the 1980s started publishing national hand hygiene guidelines.

What the World Health Organisation (WHO) Says The WHO guidelines recommend that healthcare workers should perform hand hygiene before and after touching the patient, before handling an invasive device for patient care, regardless of whether gloves were used or not, after

31

HYGIENE

contacting body fluids or excretions, mucous membranes, non-intact skin or wound dressings, and after contacting inanimate surfaces and objects, including medical

Hygiene Matters Healhcare professionals must ensure that they wash their hands when • Hands are visibly dirty.

• Hands ontaminated with proteinaceous material, blood, excretions, mucous membranes, nonintact skin, and wound dressings or other body fluids.

• Exposure to Bacillus anthracis is suspected.

• Before and after having food.

• After using restroom.

• Before and after coming in direct contact with patients.

• Before donning sterile gloves for inserting a central intravascular catheter.

• Before inserting any invasive devices that do not require a surgical procedure.

• After touching patients surroundings, including medical equipment.

After removing gloves and after moving to a noncontaminated site from contaminated surrounding.

32

equipment, if they are stored in the vicinity of the patient.

The healthcare workers are further advised to wash their hands in case they move from one contamination body site to another site while taking care of the same patient. It is also essential to perform hand hygiene, according to WHO guidelines, after removing sterile and non sterile gloves.

Hand cleaning process should, however, differ according to the level of exposure. After using the toilet or when the hands are visibly dirty or soiled with blood or other body fluids, soap and water should be used to wash the hands. The same method should also be preferred in washing the hands, when they are exposed to potential spore-forming pathogens.

In several other clinical situations, alcohol based handrub can be used as the preferred means.

Before preparing food or handling medication, hand hygiene should be performed using an alcohol based handrub or with plain or antimicrobial soap and water.

However, it must be kept in mind that either soap or alcohol based handrub should be used; they shouldn’t be used together.

When and How of Hand Hygiene The hands of healthcare workers should be cleaned with utmost care. While washing hands with soap and water, it is necessary to wet hands with water and then apply the required liquid, bar or powdered form of soap to cover all surfaces. Hands should be dried in a single use towel after rinsing them in clean running water. For turning off the faucet and tap, it is better to use a towel. If you use soap bars, etc. they should be kept in a rack that allows the water to drain off so that the soap bar remains dry. When alcohol based handrub is used, a palmful of the product should be used to cover all surfaces. Hands should then be rubbed until they become dry.

The WHO recommends that as part of surgical preparation, the healthcare workers should remove

artificial nails, rings, wrist-watch, and bracelets before beginning the surgery. Natural nails should also be cleaned with a nail cleaner under running water, and visibly soiled hands should be washed with plain soap and water. For performing surgical hand antisepsis, a suitable alcohol based handrub or antimicrobial soap should be used.

An alcohol based handrub is especially recommended when the quality of water is doubtful. Alcohol based handrub should only be used in dry hands and application time for the alcohol based surgical handrub product should be as per the instruction of the manufacturer, and enough of the product should be used to keep the hands and forearms wet with the product, throughout the cleaning process.

However, it is essential not to sequentially combine surgical hand scrub and surgical handrub with alcohol based products. After following the above mentioned procedure, hands should be dried thoroughly before putting on the sterile gloves. Apart from following the correct procedure, it is also important to select the right range of hand hygiene products.

The most common hand hygiene products are alcohol based hand rub, antimicrobial (medicated soap), antiseptic agent, antiseptic hand wipe, detergent (surfactant), plain soap and waterless antiseptic agent. The purchase managers of the healthcare facilities should undertake a comparative cost analysis of the products; solicit information from the manufacturers and healthcare workers about the skin tolerance and irritancy potential of the products before buying them.

Some of the important factors involved in improving hand hygiene are behavioural changes, education and training, availability of tools, glove use and reuse, water quality for hand washing, religious and cultural aspects of hand washing, proper hand washing agent, advocacy campaigns, affinity with national and WHO guidelines on hand hygiene, and proper monitoring of services. 

Sep-Oct ’13

Sep-Oct ’13

33

WASTE MANAGEMENT

The

C

How effective waste management programme, proper training and dedicated work of the medical staff have helped transform a hospital in Lucknow from an ordinary institution into a regional model for sound biomedical waste management practices over a period of just three years

34

urious ase of

KGMU

By Jyotismita Sharma

Sep-Oct ’13

WASTE MANAGEMENT

I

ndia often grabs the headlines in waste management related reports for the wrong reasons.

As per recent estimations, “only just over 50 percent of the country’s 84,809 hospitals and healthcare facilities in India properly treat their waste and properly segregate infected waste from non-infected waste.”

But in March this year, the King George’s Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, offered a pleasant surprise not only to the medical fraternity, but also to the whole of the country when it received a Special Recognition Award from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Health Organisation for the outstanding work of KGMU

Sep-Oct ’13

medical staff in transforming the hospital from an institution without any effective waste management programme into a regional model institution for sound bio-medical waste management practices over a period of less than three years.

So until just three years back, KGMU was just like any other hospital with a rich legacy but poor waste management facilities. One of the largest hospital complexes in north India, KGMU today generates less than one-fifth of the infectious waste it used to generate three years ago.

Much of the credit for this rare feat of KGMU in its 100 year legacy goes to the hospital’s participation in the Global Healthcare Waste Management project, an initiative funded by the Global Environment Facilit y and implemented by UNDP. With a view to reducing the health and environmental risks of waste generated in hospitals, the project, which is currently underway in seven countries, aims to demonstrate and promote best practices in bio medical waste management. Argentina, Latvia, Lebanon, Philippines, Senegal and Vietnam are the other six countries where the project is being implemented.

The project is supported by the World Health Organization and the international NGO,

Healthcare Without Harm. The Indian component of the project was executed by the Ministr y of Environment and Forests, Government of India.

Transforming Waste Management, Changing Lives According to the World Health Organisation, waste generated by health care activities includes a broad range of materials, from used needles and syringes to soiled dressings, body parts, diagnostic samples, blood, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and radioactive materials.

Therefore, the importance of healthcare waste management, which also includes infectious waste, can hardly be understated. As per the World Health Organisation, poor management of health care waste potentially exposes health care workers, waste handlers, patients and the community at large to infection, toxic effects and injuries, and risks polluting the environment.

“It is essential that all medical waste materials are segregated at the point of generation appropriately treated and disposed of safely,” states the world body.

However, violation of medical waste management rules laid down by the Ministry of Environment, Government of India, is not at all uncommon. So, in such a situation,

35

WASTE MANAGEMENT the example of KGMU, that has reduced the generation of infectious waste by 80 percent in a span of just three years, augurs well for the country and would perhaps inspire many health care institutions to follow the ‘treated’ path.

The case of KGMU As mentioned earlier, the 3000bed KGMU has one of the largest hospital complexes in the entire northern part of India. With 49 buildings in its complex and over 500 resident doctors, the hospital caters to 2,000 out patients on an average every day. For such a large hospital that provides a wide range of health care facilities at bare minimum costs, implementing the

best practices of bio-medical waste management was a huge challenge, owing primarily to human and financial resource constraints.

Before KGMU got involved with Global Healthcare Waste Management project of the UNDP, it used to generate 2500 kgs of waste every day. According to Global Environment Facility (GEF), the organisation that funded the project, KGMU hospital used to simply dispose of the waste “in the open with the risk that it would find its way into the rest of the city’s municipal waste.”

Such an approach that doesn’t put stress on segregation of the waste at

responsibility of sweepers and waste handlers who had no training on the infectious potential of the wastes nor given any protective gears. Bins of overflowing waste lying around were a common sight,” GEF said in its report.

Speaking of the situation at KGMU, the United Nations Development Programme said in a statement, “Bags and bins containing infectious wastes were often not well-controlled and were routinely opened so that potentially recyclable materials could be removed and later sold. All waste from the hospital complex was then incinerated or dumped into an open pit, a situation

Components of Biomedical Waste • Human anatomical waste (tissues, organs, body parts etc.)

• Animal waste (as above, generated during research/ experimentation, from veterinary hospitals etc.)

• Microbiology and biotechnology waste, such as, laboratory cultures, micro-organisms, human and animal cell cultures, toxins etc.

• Waste sharps, such as, hypodermic needles, syringes, scalpels, broken glass etc.

• Discarded medicines and cyto-toxic drugs • Soiled waste, such as dressing, bandages, plaster casts, material contaminated with blood etc.

• Solid waste (disposable items like tubes, catheters etc. excluding sharps) • Liquid waste generated from any of the infected areas • Incineration ash • Chemical waste

36

Photo Courtesy: UNDP India

the place of origin, an approach which is still not abandoned by many healthcare institutes in different parts of the country, poses a lot of health risks to the residents of the city or town because around 10-20 percent of hospital waste can be considered as hazardous or infected waste. “If you don’t segregate this infected waste from general waste, similar to say household waste, then you will actually need to treat 100 percent of the waste generated in your hospital,” Dr. Kirti Srivastava, Member Secretary, Bio Medical Waste Management Committee, KGMU, was quoted as saying by GEF. “ The hospital complex had no systematic bio-medical waste management programme in place to segregate bio-medical waste from ordinary waste. Handling infectious waste was considered the

common at most healthcare facilities across India.”

However, after three years intensive efforts under the Global Healthcare Waste Management project, the waste management scenario at KGMU transformed completely. The project helped the hospital to build the infrastructure for treating waste and trained the hospital staff to segregate the waste and use specially designed storage containers. The hospital now has special trolleys for collection and transportation of waste.

“KGMU is now internationally recognized as a model institution for sound healthcare waste management practices,” UNDP said in a statement. “Bio-medical wastes are routinely segregated from other wastes at the point of generation thereby reducing potentially infectious wastes by

Sep-Oct ’13

WASTE MANAGEMENT Health Risks of Poor Healthcare Waste Management • Injury from sharps to staff and waste handlers associated with the health care establishment • H o s p i t a l Acquired Infection (HAI)(Nosocomial) of patients due to spread of infection • Risk of infection outside the hospital for waste handlers/scavengers and eventually general public • Occupational risk associated with hazardous chemicals, drugs etc.

U n a u t h o r i s e d repackaging and sale of disposable items and unused / date expired drugs

Sep-Oct ’13

more than 80 percent. This waste is then sterilized using a steam autoclave, permitting safe recycling which produces a revenue stream for the hospital. Bio-medical waste is no longer incinerated, thereby minimizing emissions of hazardous air pollutants,” it said.

“The KGMU Bio-Medical Waste Management Committee recruited a doctor from each of forty-nine departments to monitor progress of each unit. In addition, training in proper waste management practices is regularly provided to all hospital staff,” reported GEF. As a result of such intervention, the hospital has been able to not only cut down the generation of hazardous waste drastically but also earn a handsome amount of Rs. 18,00,000 per annum from the 500 kgs/day of infectious waste it generates.

The hospital has now taken initiatives to deal with its general waste and e-waste as well. “A general waste collection area

and a programme to compost organic waste are being initiated.

In addition, KGMU is shifting to non- mercury thermometers, sphygmomanometers, and other medical instruments, and is developing programmes to collect and manage its e-waste and liquid waste,” GEF said in its report.

KGMU was honoured with the global recognition because of the enormous challenge that it overcame with the dedicated work of the medical staff in putting in place the sustainable and sound bio-medical waste management practices.

Fo re s t s a p p l a u d s t h e transformation of KGMU’s hospital into a regional resource centre and model that can support efforts to implement sound bio-medical waste management practices across northern India,” Dr. Subba Rao, Director, Hazardous Substance Management Division, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, said. 

37

IAQ

Risks of

Radon

Concentration of this colourless, odorless and tasteless gas in the indoor air of a building depends on the amount of uranium underlying the foundation of the building, the amount of radon that such uranium emits as also the routes through which the radioactive gas enters indoor

By Jyotismita Sharma

T

he scientific community and physicians across the world now do not dispute the fact that there is positive relation between exposures to radon and the growing cases of lung cancer. According to the World Health Organisation ( WHO), “There is sufficient evidence to conclude that radon causes lung cancer, even at concentrations typically found in indoor air. There is

38

suggestive evidence of an association with other cancers, in particular leukaemia and cancers of the extrathoracic airways.”

In fact, scientists now consider radon exposure as the second most important cause of lung cancer in the world, after smoking. “In the US alone, there are 20,000 radoninduced lung cancer deaths annually,” according to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the US.

India hardly offers a better scenario, if not worse.

For the uninitiated, before going any further, let us briefly state what radon is. It is a toxic colourless gas.

According to EPA of the U.S., it is a “gaseous radioactive element” that

Ironically, radon, exposure to which is now definitively linked with growing cases of lung cancer, has its use in the treatment of cancer. It is used in radiography and also as a tracer in leak detection.

Therefore, any talk of indoor air quality in healthcare centres inevitably brings up the issue of health risks that radon poses

Sep-Oct ’13

IAQ What is radon?       

“can be condensed to a transparent liquid and to an opaque, glowing solid”.

However, ironically, this toxic gas, exposure to which is now definitively linked with growing cases of lung cancer, has its use in the treatment of cancer. It is used in radiography and also as a tracer in leak detection. Therefore, any talk

Sep-Oct ’13

of indoor air quality in healthcare centres inevitably brings up the issue of health risks that radon poses.

As stated earlier, people who spend most of their time inside home are not immune from the risks of radon exposure. “Any home may have a radon problem”, concludes EPA, based on findings of several studies. The cracks at concrete floor-

wall junctions, floor gaps, drains, and pores in hollow-block walls gaps or any other hole in the foundation of your building can serve as a window to emit radon that occurs naturally from the breakdown of uranium in soils and rocks. The colourless and odourless gas, thus tapped inside the home can build up.

“Radon from soil gas is the main cause of radon problems. Sometimes radon enters the home through well water. In a small number of homes, the building materials can give off radon, too. However, building materials rarely cause radon

39

IAQ Lessons from India’s first LEED certified hospital The Kohinoor Hospital at Kurla in Mumbai is one of India’s few hospitals which meet the highest ‘green’ standards. Set up in 2009 as a futuristic hub of healthcare, this multi-specialty hospital was awarded 54 points by the US green Building Council; making it the only LEED Certified platinum rated hospital in Mumbai.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a Green Building Rating System, developed by the US Green Building Council to recognise environmental leadership in the realty industry. It is also the first LEED Platinum Certified hospital in Asia.

The measures put in place by this hospital, in terms of ensuring good indoor air quality, therefore, has much relevance for all healthcare centres in India that strive to meet the best IAQ standards.

To keep indoor air quality in check, the hospital has installed Demand Control Ventilation and Variable Air Volume (VAV) systems. The Demand Control Ventilation system uses sensors to monitor the quality of air and keep it fresh. VAVs have high-end sensors to provide the right quantity of cool air required for specific building zones.

Providing provisions for sufficient ventilation can reduce the risk from radon inhalation and ingestion to a large extent.

The hotel uses solar energy pavers and panels to prevent an ‘Urban Heat Island Effect’, where a particular area becomes hotter than its surroundings.

problems by themselves,” sates the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

Applying the same logic, it can be inferred easily that the problems arising out of this radioactive gas that can affect any home, be it a new or old home, can also affect any commercial property, and be it a healthcare centre or a hotel, unless, of course, all precautionary measures are taken in its construction.

Radon concentration in any

40

building depends on the amount of uranium underlying the foundation of the building, the amount of radon that such uranium emits as also the routes through which the radioactive gas enters indoor. How well ventilated the indoor air is, can also influence radon concentration.

All structural areas in contact with soil, including basements and cellars, generally have a higher possibility of high radon concentration.

WHO Guidelines on Radon Level As an important tool to manage radon problem, the WHO International Radon Project has approved the utility of a reference level. “In view of the latest scientific data, WHO proposes a Reference Level of 100Bq/m3 to minimize health hazards due to indoor radon exposure. However, if this level cannot be reached under the prevailing country-specific conditions, the chosen Reference Level should not exceed 300 Bq/m3 which represents approximately 10 mSv per year,” it said.

The WHO further states that, besides the radon reference level, the building codes, measurement protocols and other relevant components of a national radon programme are also important to deal with the radon problem.

Thewor ld body states that measurement of radon over a period of three months to one year is important to have a reliable estimate of radon risks at home or workplace. Short-term measurement

of radon can be of use only during radon screening surveys that seek to identify areas with high radon concentration or at the time of remediating a house with a known radon risk.

Adequate preventive measures at the time of designing and construction of a building can help mitigate the risks of radon.

However, existing buildings can also reduce the risks of radon by taking up simple alterations in the building to ensure increased underfloor ventilations and sealing floor gaps to prevent emission of the gas from soils. In case of healthcare centres, it is important to ensure that radioactive gas such as radon which may be of use in one chamber does not mix with the indoor air of another chamber inhabiting the patients.

Professional help can also be sought to deal with the problem of radon in areas with high radon concentration. However, before that one can get the radon test done with a reliable radon test tool kit.

In spite of such deadly risks that radon exposure poses, it will be an understatement even if we say that awareness about health hazards associated with radon exposure is low in India. And considering the important role that reduced or permissible levels of radon exposure plays in maintaining good indoor air quality, it is high time the health professionals increased public consciousness about radon and reduce health risks associated with  its exposure.

Sep-Oct ’13

Sep-Oct ’13

41

PRODUC T P R E V I E W COMPACT LINEN TROLLEY

For hotels and hospitals

with small corridors, Galileo Associates has come up with a modern solution in the form of a compact linen trolley called the Space Saver Linen Trolley.

Made from heavy duty fibre material, the trolley has six wheels and is easy to handle as its turning radius is also very small. Being compact in size, it can be transported to various floors even with small lifts, leading to a lot of savings for hotels with budget constraints. It is also suitable for boutique hotels and VIP rooms in hospitals. One Space Saver Linen Trolley can accommodate storing material for 3 to 4 rooms, depending on the items used in the hotel. It has two inner shelves to store linen and other items. Toiletries can be stored on the top of the trolley which also has space to hold the writing pad / instructions for the handler. The trolley comes with lockable facility.

Galileo Associates info@galileo.net.in

ECO-FRIENDLY MULTI-SURFACE CLEANER

Neem is widely used and accepted as a very effective disinfectant in the cleaning industry. The Neem Clean multi-surface cleaner from Organo Biotech Laboratories is a neem-based liquid cleaner with anti-microbial capacity. It is formulated using Isopropyl alcohol, neem oil, sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, white vinegar, Hydrogen peroxide and tripple deionized water. This liquid cleaner is not only cost-effective but also has an attractive light green colour and a pleasing odour. It is basic in nature and eco-friendly as pH of this product is 7.5 – 8.5.

This multi-surface cleaner can be used on floor, sealed granite, sealed marble used or synthetic, exterior surface of appliances like microwaves, stove tops, refrigerators etc. It is also effective for cleaning kitchen sinks, Wash basins, toilet seat, stainless steel, glazed ceramic tile, windows, plastic and glass.

Available in packets of 1.5 litre, Neem Clean caters to the dayto-day cleaning needs of hospitals, research labs, hotels and industries.

Organo Biotech Laboratories Pvt. Ltd. rjndrchopra@yahoo.com

CITRA CLEAN CONCENTRATE

Charnock offers quality cleaning solution to maintain the optimal standards of hygiene at your premises. To take care of all your cleaning requirements, the company has introduced biological compounds from bio-productions. It provides best in class solutions that are efficient, durable and eco-friendly. Citra Clean may be used successfully for all types of janitorial and most industrial cleaning applications. In undiluted form it will remove chewing gum and tar from carpets as well as grease, ink, adhesive and sealant from almost any surface. Citra Clean is great on walls, painted surfaces, concrete and terrazzo and will quickly remove sticky finger marks as well as black shoe scuffs. For the caterer, Citra Clean lifts grease and carbon from ovens, cleans griddles, BBQ’s and all types of ducting and extraction filter equipment. In the industrial market, this remarkable product removes greasy grime and oil from machinery, vehicles and work areas, as well as oil and diesel spillages from drives and floors. It is a low-foaming and easily rinsed, bio-degradable, highly dilutable product.

Charnock Auto Products sales@charnock.biz

CLEANING THROUGH MICRO FIBERS

Partek offers its Micro Fiber High Performance Cleaning Cloth, which can make a perceptible change in your cleaning process for the better. It can facilitate you to prevent 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

T

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

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Sep-Oct ’13

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

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

PAGE NO.

I N D E X

COMPANY

PAGE NO.

AMAN CLEANING EQUIPMENTS PVT. LTD.

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NUTECH JETTING EQUIPMENTS INDIA PVT. LTD.

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APPLIANCES EMPORIUM

......................29

PEST CONTROL (INDIA) PVT. LTD.

......................09

ATLANTIC PASTE & GLUE CO., INC.

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

QUARTZ HOME CARE (I) P LTD.

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

BORGHI BRUSH MACHINERY PVT. LTD.

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

RAMSONS GARMENTS FINISHING EQUIPMENT PVT. LTD. ................FIC

COSMIC HEALERS PVT. LTD.

......................15

ROOTS MULTICLEAN LTD.

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

GRAND CHEMICAL WORKS

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

SINTEX INDUSTRIES LIMITED

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

IFB INDUSTRIES LTD.

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

SUPESHINE LAUNDRY SYSTEMS PVT. LTD.

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

JMR CHEMICAL (WORLD)

......................39

UNIQUE TRADING COMPANY

......................23

KARCHER CLEANING SYSTEM PVT. LTD.

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

WASHROOM HYGIENE CONCEPTS PVT. LTD.

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

MIRACLEAN TOOLS (P) LIMITED

......................43

PRODUCT PREVIEW

......................42

NAVIN POLYCON

......................06

* BC - BACK COVER

Sep-Oct ’13

* GF-GATE FOLD

* FIC - FRONT INSIDE COVER

* BIC - BACK INSIDE COVER

43

INTERVIEW

‘Scope of Housekeeping has Widened Greatly’

By Sharmila Chand

A

n ever smiling personality, V. Karthik completed his AHLA (American Hotel & Lodging Association) diploma from Chennai and joined the hotel industry after completing his BBA and diploma in Human Resources.

Karthik chose housekeeping as his foray due to his eye for detail attribute as well as his desire to be at the helm of affairs. He made a humble start as Housekeeping/Laundry Assistant with Trident Hilton, Cochin in 2002. He then moved on to take the role of Service Leader – Housekeeping at the Accord Metropolitan (formerly Traders Hotel), Chennai in 2005 and was promoted as Executive – Housekeeping, in 2006.

His big break came when he joined as Assistant Housekeeping Manager in Hyatt Regency Chennai. For his expertise on effective budgeting, employee training, laundry mechanisms and implementing innovative cost and energy saving practices, Karthik was soon promoted and since August 2012, he has been serving as the Housekeeping Manager of the hotel. He was instrumental during the pre-opening phase of the hotel. Excerpts of an interview:

How important in your opinion is housekeeping to hospitality?

Housekeeping is the nerve center for any hospitality industry as it is this domain that is reflected at each guest touch point, from arrival to departure. Housekeeping has also come a long way from its conventional meaning. It is no longer restricted to keeping the area clean but it also includes the unsaid job description of having the desire to cater to the unspoken needs of the guests.

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

We have two team models that take care of floor operations and public area operations.

The floor operations team handles core guest

44

room requirements, guest services and lodging related tasks. The public area team manages the overall maintenance and cleanliness of the hotel including restaurants, facade, employee areas, rest rooms, and all back-ofthe-house housekeeping functions. Along with the two internal teams we also have a team of third party support that takes care of the glass cleaning, pest control, florist and more intermediary functions and services which our internal team cannot handle.

What are the new trends in housekeeping? Please comment on the latest housekeeping scenario.

Today, we have a lot of new innovative tools that makes our daily work much easier. There are a lot of agencies that are specialised in certain aspects of cleaning. There are specialised professionals to only clean the expensive art installations in the hotel. Glass spider web cleaners are another type. For the imported marble and granite maintenance, there is a special team that visits us weekly.

The scope of housekeeping services has widened greatly with the advent of technology and advanced tools in housekeeping and the precision and efficiency has also increased due to the support of machinery and equipment.

Housekeeping, as complex as the function, requires rigorous training.

How much of an emphasis does the hotel place on this?

In Hyatt, trainings are an integral part of any employees’ development plan. We have our weekly and monthly training schedules that are in place for all levels of our people and are being followed regularly to deliver the quality that we intent to.

Our training modules include web-based to classroom sessions to ensure comprehensive understanding of the subject. We have routine evaluation tests as well so that all our associates are up to date with their job related information. On periodic intervals, we also send our employees to other Hyatt hotels for a cross training exposure.

How does India compare with the

international scenario with regards to housekeeping?

Though there is a general perception that quality of housekeeping in India does not match international standards, that perception is now changing and the numerous number of happy foreigners travelling to & from India are the proof for the same. India might still not have the best of tools and technology as compared to those available abroad but the passion and desire to please the guests is inherent in the Indian mindset and helps overcome the technological hurdle.

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

Being in housekeeping, we have access to all major areas of the hotel including guest rooms.

We need to be attentive and follow all security protocols, assuring safety to our colleagues, customers and the organisation. We need to also keep looking for anything unusual and timely alert security to prevent any accidents & mishaps.

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

Good Housekeeping provides clean, fresh, safe and healthy environment. We at Hyatt focus on contributing to the green and eco friendly environment.

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

Getting good man power is becoming an increasingly difficult thing and that remains a big challenge.

What do you like about your job?

Everything; I believe that through my work I am not only contributing to the organisation, employees and customers, but also to the world by going green.

And what do you dislike about your job?

Again, the perception of housekeeping in a common man is very different from what it is actually and that lets me down at times.

Sep-Oct ’13

May-June ’13

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

Sep-Oct ’13

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