June/July 2019

The pan-European magazine for the professional cleaning sector

JUNE/JULY 2019

SPECIAL REPORT

FOOD HYGIENE

TECHNOLOGY

European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards 2018 winners news Starts page 17

Window cleaning opportunities

Being seen to be clean

Facilities services on demand

Page 52

Page 26

Page 34

CONTENTS

June/July 2019 | Vol.27, No.3

BUSINESS

SPECIAL REPORTS

49 Time to review your marketing?

26 Being seen to be clean

Hartley Milner takes a look at the vast array of marketing channels now available to business.

Kitchens on view to the public must be visibly clean and well organised.

31 Wiping away food risk How the right wipes can improve hygiene and sustainability in foodservice.

34 Right time, right place Swiss Post has developed a smart solution for its facilities services operation.

37 Indispensable dispensing Are there particular environments where dosing systems are vital?

03 News

41 Concerned about cleanliness An insight into Taiwan’s cleaning industry from ECJ’s correspondent.

12 European reports

43 Where’s that wiper?

The best way of organising a workspace to give staff easy access to wipes.

17 ECH Award winners

52 The window of opportunity What are the most challenging aspects of a window cleaner’s everyday life?

56 New product review

55 Be smarter in the washroom Digital water management systems could be key for washrooms.

Criterion Publishing Ltd PO Box 299, Chesham, Buckinghamshire HP5 1FP UK T +44 (0)1494 791222 F +44 (0)1494 792223 info@europeancleaningjournal.com www. europeancleaningjournal.com Subscriptions UK - £60 / Continental Europe - £70 / International - £80

Editor Michelle Marshall Features Writer Ann Laffeaty Advertisement director Chris Godman Advertisement sales executive Laura Bell

Circulation Marie Payne

Italy, Spain & Switzerland Fabio Potesta Mediapoint & Communications Corte Lambruschini, Corso Buenos Aires, 8 V0 Piano, Interno 7 16129 Genova, Italy T +39 010 570 4948 F +39 010 553 0088 info@mediapointsrl.it www. mediapointsrl.it

European Cleaning Journal is published six times a year by Criterion Publishing Ltd. Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of material published in European Cleaning, Criterion Publishing Ltd and its agents can accept no responsibility for the veracity of claims made by contributors, manufacturers or advertisers. Copyright for all material published in European Cleaning remains with Criterion Publishing Ltd and its agents.

ISSN 0968-901X ©Criterion Publishing 2019

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Co-located with Healthcare Cleaning Forum, a global initiative for changing the view on hospital environmental hygiene.

Inclusive Complete overview of the industry to stay ahead in your professional field International Connect with 35,000 professionals Innovative Easily accessible and applicable knowledge and innovations Interclean is a trade show created by and for the industry since 1967 Organized by:

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NEWS & EVENTS

Latest News & Events from ECJ

Majority of healthcare workers can’t recall hand-washing guidelines

Compliance with the World Health Organisation’s “Five Moments for Hand Hygiene” approach among healthcare workers is poor, according to a study published in the American Journal of Infection Control.

When observed by researchers, staff were only seen to practice hand hygiene at the prescribed times around 35 per cent the time.

And of the 218 staff members questioned in the US study, only 29 per cent were familiar with the WHO’s five hand hygiene moments - while only 21 per cent were able to recall all five.

Researchers used a modified version of the WHO hand hygiene observation form to examine compliance with the organisation’s Five Moments for Hand Hygiene. Introduced in 2009 to reduce the burden of healthcare-associated infections, these state that staff should wash their hands before touching a patient, before carrying out any aseptic

procedure, after any exposure to body fluid, after touching a patient and after touching the patient’s surroundings.

The study authors also used a 26-question survey to gather healthcare workers’ knowledge and opinions on hand hygiene.

Five elements Researchers observed that given 302 hand hygiene opportunities in 104 healthcare worker-patient interactions, staff only performed hand hygiene on 106 of those occasions around 35 per cent.

When asked about the importance of each of the five moments, 46 per cent of participants ranked “before aseptic procedure” as the most important hand hygiene moment while 86 per cent identified “after touching patient surroundings” as the least important. WHO considers all five elements in the list to be “key moments” for hand hygiene and does not rank them.

Seul le cinquième des travailleurs de la santé est capable de se rappeler les cinq directives de l’OMS pour le lavage des mains, indique une nouvelle étude.

The finalists for the 2019 European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards will be announced in August. Hosted by ECJ, these are the only pan-European awards for our industry. The winners will be announced in London on October 17.

Join them and the rest of the industry at the celebration dinner - visit www.echawards. com to find out about tickets

EVENTS September 24-27

May 12-15 2020

CMS

Interclean Amsterdam

Berlin, Germany www.cms-berlin.com

Amsterdam, Netherlands www.intercleanshow.com

September 25-26

October 14-15 2020

CMS World Summit

Budapest Cleaning Show

Berlin, Germany www.cms-berlin.com

Budapest, Hungary budapestcleaningshow.hu/en

October 15-17

Middle East Cleaning Tech Week Dubai, UAE mectw.com October 17

European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards London, UK www.echawards.com November 12-14

Hygienalia Pulire Madrid Madrid, Spain www.hygienalia-pulire.com November 18-21

ISSA North America Las Vegas, USA www.issa.com

To have your event included in Events, contact ECJ via email at: michelle@europeancleaningjournal.com

Aus einer neuen Studie geht hervor, dass sich nur 20 Prozent aller im Gesundheitswesen tätigen Personen an die fünf Richtlinien zum Händewaschen der WHO erinnern können

A quanto emerge da uno studio recente, soltanto un quinto dei lavoratori del settore sanitario riesce a ricordarsi le cinque linee guida per il lavaggio delle mani stabilite da WHO.

June/July 2019 | ECJ | 3

NEWS EFCI priorities published

CMS World Summit programme

The European Cleaning and Facility Services Industry (EFCI) - the organisation representing the contract cleaning and facility services industry at EU level in Brussels - has highlighted the main priorities it will be working on to ensure the best conditions for a competitive sector in the EU and enable a modern labour market.

It advocates a businessfriendly policy environment, which respects the autonomy of social dialogue at all levels as well as the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality.

Four priorities have been identified: • Encouraging high quality

Organisers of the CMS World Summit, which takes place alongside the CMS professional cleaning exhibition in Berlin this September, have published a preliminary conference programme.

The key themes are Cleanliness and Hygiene in a Sustainable World, and Future Technologies and Business Opportunities.

procurement, focusing on quality criteria • Preventing unfair competition and ensuring a level playing field • Supporting and recognising Vocation Education and Training (VET) in the sector

Circular economy • Supporting services contributing to the circular economy.

More details were being revealed at the EFCI’s 2019 conference “Cleaning and Facility Services: shaping the industry for the future” which took place in Brussels in June.

For details on EFCI’s priorities visit www.efci.eu

• L’EFCI, l’organisation qui représente le secteur européen de la propreté, a fait connaître ses priorités principales pour le restant de l’année.

• À l’occasion du salon CMS de Berlin prévu plus tard cette année, un Sommet mondial se tiendra les 25 et 26 septembre.

4 | June/July 2019 | ECJ

• Die EFCI, die Organisation, die die Reinigungs- und Facility-Management-Branchen auf EU-Ebene repräsentiert, hat ihre Hauptschwerpunkte für den Rest des Jahres bekanntgegeben.

• Neben der später in diesem Jahr veranstalteten Reinigungsfachmesse CMS Berlin wird vom 25. bis 26.

September ein World Summit stattfinden.

Topics to be covered include circular economy; Work 4.0; power pricing; digital networking; the future of cleaning; and digital solutions.

The CMS Summit takes place from September 25-26. CMS exhibition will be held from September 24-27. Visit www. cms-berlin.com for more information about registering.

• La EFCI, l’organizzazione che rappresenta il settore europeo del cleaning, ha evidenziato le sue principali priorità per il resto dell’anno.

• In contemporanea con la fiera CMS Berlino, dal 25 al 26 settembre si terrà anche il vertice World Summit.

NEWS Essity invests in wheat straw Essity, one of the world’s largest tissue manufacturers, is investing €37 million in technology that will enable it to produce hygiene tissue products from wheat straw.

This process will offer major sustainability benefits since wheat straw is an agricultural by-product and a renewable resource.

It will come into effect in the second half of 2020 at Essity’s manufacturing plant in Mannheim, Germany, with the wheat straw being sourced from farms in and around Mannheim.

Essity has signed a license for exclusive rights with US-based Sustainable Fibre Technologies

Tennant’s Walmart robot deal

(SFT) that will give Essity access to SFT’s Phoenix Process. This technology converts plant-based renewable sources to pulp suitable for manufacturing tissue products.

Wheat straw is the term used to describe stalks left over after grain has been harvested from wheat. While some wheat straw is used as animal bedding or ground cover, around half of it worldwide goes to waste.

By-products from the production of pulp from wheat straw can be used for fertiliser and soil enhancement, providing an alternative to the petroleum used in synthetic products and creating a circular outcome.

• Essity va investir 37 millions d’euros en technologies devant lui permettre de produire des produits d’hygiène en papier de soie à partir de la paille de froment.

• Aux États-Unis, Tennant a obtenu un contrat auprès du succursaliste Walmart pour la fourniture de machines de nettoyage de plancher autonomes.

In the US, floor cleaning machine producer Tennant has won a contract with major retailer Walmart to supply its autonomous floor cleaning machine the T7AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robot) equipped with Brain Corp’s self-driving operating system BrainOS. “We are proud to partner with Walmart, the first major global retailer to introduce autonomous cleaning robots to deliver operational efficiency, cleaning performance and customer value on a broad scale across a retail platform,” said Chris Killingstad, Tennant Company’s president and chief executive officer.

• Essity investiert 37 Million Euro in Technologie, die es dem Unternehmen ermöglichen wird, Hygienepapierprodukte aus Weizenstroh herzustellen.

• In den US hat Tennant einen Auftrag des Einzelhandelskonzerns Walmart gewonnen, bei dem es um die Bereitstellung autonomer Bodenreinigungsmaschinen geht.

John Crecelius, Walmart senior vp of central operations commented: “This cleaner is another great example of technology helping make the Walmart job better. Rather than riding on a floor cleaning machine for several hours, the associate is now working with robotics to complete their duties. The machine allows our associates more time to focus on completing other tasks within the role but most importantly it frees them up to serve our customers better.”

Stay up to date with news at the ECJ website

• La Essity sta investendo 37 milioni di Euro in una tecnologia che permetterà all’azienda di produrre articoli in carta per l’igiene prodotti con la paglia del frumento.

• Negli Stati Uniti d’America, la Tennant ha vinto l’appalto per la fornitura di macchine per il lavaggio dei pavimenti al gigante della distribuzione Walmart.

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June/July 2019 | ECJ | 5

NEWS Hand hygiene as vital for patients as for nurses, says study Better hand hygiene among hospital patients is crucial to curb the spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria - according to latest research from the USA. A study from the University of Michigan (UoM), published in Clinical Infectious Diseases, found that almost a third (29 per cent) of objects that patients commonly touch - such as nurse call buttons, bedside trays and other ‘high touch’ surfaces in patients’ hospital rooms - were contaminated with a multi-drug resistant organism.

The research team visited the rooms of 399 general medicine inpatients at two hospitals in Michigan and took samples from

their bodies and often-touched surfaces as early as possible in their stay.

Fourteen per cent had multidrug resistant organisms on their hands or nostrils during the early part of their time in hospital.

UoM lead researcher Lona Mody said: “Hand hygiene narrative has largely focused on physicians, nurses and other front-line staff, and all the policies and performance measurements have centred on them, and rightfully so.

“But our findings make an argument for addressing transmission of multi-drug resistant organisms in a way that also involves patients.”

• Pour enrayer la propagation de bactéries résistant aux antibiotiques dans les hôpitaux, il est crucial d’améliorer l’hygiène des mains des patients.

• Le groupe italien Seko, un spécialiste des technologies de dosage et de contrôle chimiques, a achevé la reprise de Brightwell Dispensers au Royaume-Uni.

6 | June/July 2019 | ECJ

The researchers found that of the six patients in the study who developed an infection with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) while in hospital, all had positive tests for MRSA on their hands and hospital room surfaces.

Using genetic fingerprinting techniques, the researchers examined whether the strains of MRSA bacteria on the patients’ hands were the same as the ones found in their rooms. They discovered that the two matched in nearly all cases - suggesting that transfer to and from the patient was occurring.

A separate study examining multi-drug resistant organisms

• Eine bessere Handhygiene unter Krankenhauspatienten ist von entscheidender Bedeutung, um die Ausbreitung von antibiotikaresistenten Bakterien einzudämmen.

• Der in Italien ansässige Spezialist für Chemikaliendosier- und Steuerungstechnologie Seko Group hat die Akquisition des britischen Unternehmens Brightwell Dispensers abgeschlossen.

in skilled nursing facilities by the same team found that privacy curtains - often used to separate patients on a ward - are often colonised with superbugs.

Seko purchase Italy-based chemical dosing and control technology specialist Seko Group has completed the acquisition of Brightwell Dispensers in the UK. Brightwell manufactures soap and paper dispensers, chemical dilution systems and dishwash and laundry dosing solutions.

The company will continue to operate under its own name as a separate entity to Seko.

• Una migliore igiene delle mani fra i pazienti degli ospedali è cruciale per limitare la diffusione dei batteri resistenti agli antibiotici.

• La Seko Group, specialista nella tecnologia di dosaggio e controllo dei prodotti chimici con sede in Italia, ha completato l’acquisizione della Brightwell Dispensers nel Regno Unito.

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NEWS AI captures unhygienic practices Autonomous road cleaners

Chefs in China who smoke in the kitchen or fail to wash their hands before preparing food could soon be caught in the act by artificial intelligence.

Authorities in Shaoxing, a city in Zhejiang, have developed a new system capable of recognising poor hygiene habits. These are then caught on camera and sent to the administrators via a mobile alert.

The technology has been created as part of a six-year “Sunshine Kitchen” project aimed at helping businesses to improve their operations while allowing consumers to see how their food is being prepared by caterers, restaurants, hotels and school canteens.

The system combines artificial intelligence algorithm analysis with Internet of Things technology to search camera footage for 18 “risk management” areas. It

can identify eight kinds of misbehaviour including smoking and playing on mobile phones, and recognise four positive habits such as regular hand washing and disinfecting the kitchen.

Super-brain Director of the Shaoxing Food Service Supervision Department Zhou Feng says the system is like giving the city a “superbrain”. At the Xianheng Hotel where the system is currently in use, a large screen with a dashboard shows footage of any irregular behaviour caught on camera along with the number of misdeeds detected in the kitchen that day.

Eighty-seven catering companies in Shaoxing have trialled the system so far and the developers aim to roll it out across more than 1,000 large-scale caterers and school canteens in 2019.

• En Chine, les chefs qui fument dans leurs cuisines ou ne se lavent pas les mains avant de préparer des aliments pourraient bientôt être pris en flagrant délit grâce à l’intelligence artificielle.

• À Singapour, deux consortiums ont reçu un financement pour la conception, le développement et la mise à l’essai de véhicules de service environnemental autonomes pour le nettoyage des rues.

• La gamme Probio de produits de nettoyage probiotiques de la société Greenspeed a reçu la certification d’Or Cradle to Cradle. Il s’agit d’une première mondiale.

8 | June/July 2019 | ECJ

Singapore’s National Environment Agency (NEA) and Ministry of Transport (MOT) have awarded projects to two consortia for the design, development and trial of Autonomous Environmental Service Vehicles (AESVs) for street cleaning there.

The flagship projects are the first to be conducted under the NEA’s Environmental Robotics Program. This aims to better optimise resources, drive innovation, push widespread technology adoption, and improve productivity across the

Environmental Services sector.

Both projects will apply autonomous vehicle (AV) technology to commercial mechanical road sweepers.

The objective is to improve productivity in utility operations and alleviate traffic congestion by shifting utility operations to off-peak hours.

Each of the projects will be carried out over a duration of 18 months, and will comprise a development phase over a period of 12 months, followed by a proof-of-concept (POC) trial over a six-month period.

Cradle to Cradle for Greenspeed Sustainable cleaning solutions specialist Greenspeed has been awarded Cradle to Cradle Gold certification for its line of probiotic cleaning products - the first worldwide. Greenspeed Probio was also the first range of professional probiotic cleaning agents worldwide to be awarded the EU Ecolabel.

Based in the Netherlands, the company launched the new range last year. Probio products consist of benign microorganisms of natural origin. These bacteria produce

• In China könnten Köche, die in der Küche rauchen oder vor der Zubereitung von Nahrungsmitteln die Hände nicht waschen, bald durch künstliche Intelligenz auf frischer Tat ertappt werden.

• In Singapur wurde zwei Konsortien die Finanzierung für den Entwurf, die Entwicklung und die Erprobung von Autonomous Environmental Service Vehicles (AESV = Autonome UmweltServicefahrzeuge) zur Straßenreinigung zuerkannt.

• Die Produktreihe Probio mit probiotischen Reinigungsprodukten von Greenspeed wurde als weltweit erste mit dem Cradle-to-Cradle-Goldzertifikat ausgezeichnet.

enzymes which, both during and after cleaning, break down the microscopic dirt into tiny pieces. This allows the probiotics to absorb the small pieces and digest them as food.

Greenspeed ceo Michel de Bruin commented: “This Gold certification is the reward for our work, in which we continue to innovate with sustainable detergents. This new generation of cleaning products fits perfectly into our goal of circular cleaning with a positive impact on people and the environment.”

• In Cina, gli chef che fumano nelle cucine o che non si lavano le mani prima della preparazione del cibo, verranno presto colti sul fatto dall’intelligenza artificiale.

• A Singapore, due consorzi hanno ottenuto dei finanziamenti per la progettazione, lo sviluppo e la sperimentazione dei veicoli autonomi Autonomous Environmental Service Vehicles (AESVs) per il lavaggio delle strade.

• La gamma di prodotti di pulizia probiotici Probio della Greenspeed ha ricevuto la certificazione Cradle to Cradle Gold (dalla culla alla culla), la prima ricevente a livello mondiale.

NEWS Dirty London tube carriages Hundreds of London Underground trains are delayed every year because staff have to spend time cleaning soiled carriages, Transport for London (TFL) has revealed.

Last year more than 800 trains were delayed because they had become unacceptably dirty, according to TFL. More than a quarter of them - 221 - were on the Northern Line while the Jubilee Line was second dirtiest with 113 incidents and the Central Line was third with 101.

General secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union Mick Cash blamed the issue on inebriated passengers and on the Night Tube, a 24-hour service introduced in August 2016.

“These shocking statistics show just what a dirty and disgusting job our cleaner members have to do, mopping up the mess left behind by drunks on the Underground.

“There is no question that the introduction of the Night Tube has seen an increase in this sort of behaviour, which has appalling consequences for staff and passengers alike.”

A cleaner on the District and Circle lines confirms that he and

his colleagues often have to face very difficult working conditions.

“Sometimes it is disgusting, especially on weekends and nights,” he said. “Some passengers just don’t care about the cleaners.”

A spokeswoman for TFL said: “We aim to deal with any incidents of this nature on our network as soon as possible, with specialist staff available to undertake cleaning as required.”

Hygiene system ‘unsatisfactory’ An electronic hand hygiene monitoring system employed in a tertiary care teaching hospital has been criticised for being both inaccurate and inconvenient.

The system, which was introduced into the ICU unit of an unnamed US hospital, was designed to detect healthcare staff’s movements in patient areas and provide alerts on missed hand hygiene opportunities.

A network of radio frequency transmitters was connected to a central computer collecting realtime data.

But a staff satisfaction questionnaire revealed that 51 per cent of staff were unhappy with the system. It was found to consistently underestimate staff performance and opportunities for hand hygiene when compared with a human observer’s findings.

• Des centaines de rames du métro londonien sont retardées chaque année par la nécessité de nettoyer leurs voitures de détritus.

• Un système électronique de suivi de l’hygiène des mains, installé dans un hôpital universitaire, a été critiqué pour son manque de précision et de commodité.

• Hunderte von Zügen der London U-Bahn sind alljährlich verspätet, weil Mitarbeiter verschmutzte Waggons reinigen müssen.

• Ein elektronisches System zur Überwachung der Handhygiene, das in einer Uniklinik eingesetzt wird, wurde sowohl als ungenau als auch umständlich kritisiert.

• Centinaia di treni della London Underground, la metropolitana londinese, vengono ritardati perchè il personale deve pulire le carrozze molto sporche.

• Un sistema di monitoraggio elettronico dell’igiene delle mani utilizzato in un ospedale universitario è stato criticato per essera sia inaccurato che inopportuno.

June/July 2019 | ECJ | 9

NEWS EXTRA What cleaning contractors need to know about WELL Following the launch of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) in the US some time ago, there is now the International WELL Building Institute. This focuses not so much on buildings but on the people working in those buildings – and cleaning contractors are very much involved. Ron Segura, president of Segura Associates, writes for ECJ.

Most European cleaning professionals are familiar with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) programme. There are now thousands of LEED projects and LEED-certified buildings throughout Europe encompassing more than 95 million gross square feet of LEED-certified space. And around the globe it is estimated that more than 170,000 total square metres of space are LEED certified every day.

However, recently a new programme has entered the picture, which in some respects is similar to LEED but has a different emphasis. Known as the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), the programme began in 2014 and its focus is not so much on buildings but on the people working in those buildings. Moreover, this is where the professional cleaning industry, and specifically building service contractors, come into the picture because IWBI shares the professional cleaning industry’s focus on protecting the health of building users.

To help better understand WELL, we should point out how it differs from LEED. Some of the key differences include: • LEED was started by the

US Green Building Council in 1998 and is a programme run, operated, and funded by the government.

• WELL, as mentioned earlier, was launched in 2014 and is a privately operated organisation.

In fact WELL is a corporation, but an unusual type of corporation.

It is recognised, at least in the US, as a “public benefit” corporation. The shareholders expect the organisation to make a profit but the corporation has a specific, public benefit, and that is to help keep building users healthier.

• Similar to LEED, WELL is a performance-based system that measures and monitors a facility and how it impacts health, productivity, and the comfort of those using the facility.

• Both LEED and WELL work closely with architects and designers, but WELL also turns to medical experts to explore the connection between buildings and the health of those working in them.

• Both organisations use an independent, third-party organisation to certify facilities.

However LEED certification typically involves providing facility data and the filling out of forms by building owners and managers. With WELL, someone from the organisation personally visits the facility, ensuring it complies with WELL standards and guidelines.

Change of focus • Finally, just as LEED has different levels of certification such as LEED Silver, Gold, and Platinum, similarly, WELL facilities can be certified as WELL Silver, Gold, or Platinum.

According to Nathan Stodola, director of the WELL building standard, in many parts of the world healthcare systems have traditionally focused on health issues after someone becomes

Par suite du lancement de l’organisation LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) aux États-Unis il y quelque temps, l’International WELL Building Institute (Institut international du bâtiment pour le bien-être), a maintenant vu le jour. Ce dernier se concentre non sur les immeubles, mais sur les gens qui y travaillent, ce qui va nécessairement impliquer les entreprises de propreté.

Robert Kravitz écrit pour ECJ.

10 | June/July 2019 | ECJ

ill. But with the increased costs of healthcare across the globe, as well as the increased prevalence of many chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even cancer, that focus is being redirected toward prevention.

Ultimately it is far less costly and certainly much better for building users if the facilities they use every day are operated in such a way that their health is protected.

The WELL programme also places a big emphasis on the comfort of people working in facilities. “Occupant satisfaction in the building is as big a part of the WELL Building Standard as overall health,” adds Stodola. He also says poor soundproofing in facilities and temperature issues tend to be the most significant areas of complaint in most office spaces.

The “concepts” To be WELL certified, 102 different performance metrics must be evaluated in seven key categories referred to as “concepts.”

Air. The facility must have steps in place to optimise indoor air quality, which includes the removal of airborne contaminants, preventive measures, as well as air quality purification when needed.

Water. This provides for strategies to remove pollutants from water through effective filtration systems.

Nourishment. Healthy eating habits are encouraged by providing building users with healthier food choices as well as information about nutrients and nutrient quality.

Light. The goal here is to minimise disruption to the body’s natural circadian rhythm.

Circadian rhythms impact most living things. We sleep when it’s dark and get up when it

Nachdem in den USA vor einiger Zeit die Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED, Führerschaft in energie- und umweltgerechter Planung) eingeführt wurde, gibt es jetzt das International WELL Building Institute. Hierbei liegt der Schwerpunkt nicht so sehr auf den Gebäuden sondern auf den Menschen, die in diesen Gebäuden arbeiten – und Reinigungsunternehmen sind daran stark beteiligt. Robert Kravitz schreibt für das ECJ.

is light. By providing proper illumination levels in a facility, the results can be improved energy and productivity, with fewer mood swings.

Fitness. Many large office buildings in North America and around the world are adding gyms to their facilities to be used only by building users. Making such facilities available is a crucial factor for a facility to be WELL certified.

Some LEED overlap Comfort. We mentioned earlier that noise and indoor temperature issues are two of the most significant problems in many facilities. The WELL programme has created design standards and criteria to help facilities eliminate these and other sources of discomfort.

Mind. WELL certified facilities provide building users with relaxation areas, quiet areas, and through the use of design elements, take steps to support mental and emotional health.

To develop these metrics, the WELL organisation turned to architects, designers, and construction industry professionals, as has the LEED programme. But as referenced earlier, WELL took the additional step of creating a medical review board to help establish these metrics. As we can see, there is some overlap. Both are very focused on indoor air quality and lighting, for instance but LEED does not address issues - at least explicitly - such as nourishment, comfort, fitness, and mind. These are peoplefocused concerns, and where WELL takes a different fork in the road from the LEED programme. www.seguraassociates.com • In the next edition of ECJ Ron Segura takes a look at the role of cleaning contractors in the WELL programme.

Negli Stati Uniti D’America, dopo il lancio di Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) avvenuto un pò di tempo fa, c’è ora l’istituto International WELL Building Institute. Questo si concentra non tanto sugli edifici ma sulle persone che lavorano al loro interno e gli appaltatori dei contratti ne sono estremamente coinvolti, come ci riferisce il corrispondente di ECJ Robert Kravitz.

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UPDATE: ITALY The spring cleaning phenomenon Italian reporter Anna Garbagna looks at the concept of ‘spring cleaning’ and its impact on products.

In Italy, the term ‘spring cleaning’ refers to the cleaning performed during the change of season. Vileda, leader in the domestic cleaning products sector, commissioned research which highlighted how 84 per cent of the over 45 generation tend to clean in a deeper and more thorough way, focusing on windows, curtains and floors.

On the other hand, young people aged between 18 and 44 prefer cleaning windows and floors, and also have a particular preference for the kitchen extractor fan. Among house chores, the least preferred one is dusting mattresses, followed by deep cleaning the oven or cleaning the freezer/fridge.

But spring cleaning is also liberating? 66 per cent of young people (18 to 44) and 58 per cent of the over 45’s think so.

The survey confirms the popular feeling that spring cleaning is still more of a routine chore than a real pleasure: in fact, 84 per cent of Italians, believe that it is a necessary task, while spring cleaning enthusiasts are clearly a minority and only seven per cent find this activity enjoyable.

The data is based on a survey carried out by YouGov Deutschland, in which 5,242 people (Italians, Germans and British) took part in February.

The results are weighted and are representative for the population aged 18 and over.

All this was to highlight how in Italy, the industrial and domestic cleaning sector is of definite importance and interest.

In fact, according to the 25th Observatory (25° Osservatorio) of the market for detergents and household products carried out

by Assocasa, it emerged that there are some positive signals.

Rapportant d’Italie, Anna Garbagna se penche sur une enquête qui a été menée sur le phénomène du « nettoyage de printemps » et étudie son impact sur la vente de produits de nettoyage.

12 | June/July 2019 | ECJ

Cleaning and maintenance products report an overall increase of 1.4 per cent for the year ending in February 2019; positive signs come from descalers (+4.4 per cent) and bathrooms cleaning detergents (+0.8 per cent).

For laundry aids, the trend remains positive with an increase of 3.1 per cent driven by fabric conditioners (+5.7 per cent), also thanks to the new sector of sanitising deodorant for clothes. The figures were also positive for bleaches and washing additives and it is worth mentioning an increase of 5.2 per cent for rinse aids.

At sale and distribution level, drug specialists are still increasing (+8.1 per cent) and they are the second distribution channel after supermarkets: this shows that many consumers look for a wide selection as well as quality combined with good saving opportunities. Discount stores are also growing (+2.8 per cent), while free services are slowing down (-3.4 per cent). Hypermarkets and supermarkets remain stable. The offers of detergents (39 per cent) remain above the average for groceries but despite that, sales continue to slow down.

Giorgio Dal Prato, president of Assocasa, declared: “Once again, our study gives us a number of points for reflection for constant improvement in terms of innovation and efficiency in full respect of public and environmental health. All consumers are aware of the important role they have in the correct and sustainable use of products for cleaning of their houses. This atmosphere of renewed confidence by families is vital for the growth of the sector and to promote more sustainable development”.

In ihrem Bericht aus Italien betrachtet Anna Garbagna die Ergebnisse einer Umfrage zum Phänomen „Frühjahrsputz“ und wie er sich auf den Verkauf von Reinigungsprodukten auswirkt.

Dall’Italia, la corrispondente Anna Garbagna prende in esame un sondaggio sul fenomeno delle pulizie di primavera e sul loro impatto sulla vendita dei prodotti di pulizia.

UPDATE: UK It’s time for some deep work Lynn Webster in the UK examines how screen use could be affecting our concentration at work.

There has been significant news coverage of the excessive use of social media by children and young people. But it is not just the millennials. Social media is ingrained in people’s everyday lives; nearly all of us use it daily.

86 per cent of people use social media at least once a day, including 72 per cent who use it multiple times a day. According to some research almost 20 per cent of people cannot go more than three hours without checking it.

However, what we haven’t considered is the way social media has also taken over many of our business and executive lives too. We are constantly being bombarded with multi-screen stimuli that impact on our brains.

So perhaps it is time to consider how we are being fuelled by social media engagement.

Such conditioning of our minds also brings health issues, both physical and mental. This includes the symptoms of anxiety and depression, along with our outlook and perception of the world and of our self-worth.

Physical illnesses such as eye strain, neck pain, and lower back problems develop and the way it encourages sedentary behaviour can exacerbate conditions such as obesity, heart disease and nutrition problems.

We are facing what is being termed in some circles as FOMO – the fear of missing out on something; resulting in unrealistic expectations of real life with such platforms ruling our lives. People begin to suffer negative personal image, unhealthy sleep patterns and poor sleep quality. So, is this an addiction? Ask yourself … when did you manage a whole day without checking your social media accounts? Have you ever considered taking a sabbatical from your social media world … or Notre correspondant au Royaume-Uni, Lynn Webster, examine la manière dont la présence d’écrans multiples sur le lieu de travail pourrait affecter la concentration des employés.

is that a bit scary?

So how does this also apply to your business life? The loss of concentration created by these mediums can reportedly result in people today not being able to concentrate for more than eight seconds on a deep level. In comparison a goldfish manages nine seconds! This lack of what can be termed ‘deep’ work, to commit to depth of work outcomes can have a major impact on business resilience, as ‘in the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties’ or ‘an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change’ (MerriamWebster). Individuals tend to move their focus onto the shallow activities of superficial work; losing the strategic edge of their business.

So, what do we do? …… Not to suggest we remove ourselves from the Twitter feed; ignore all those Facebook posts; close our Instagram account but recognise how the algorithmic curse may be stopping real thinking.

Consider the depth of your work input, are you able to fully concentrate for a couple of hours on a specific task of deep, meaningful work? Question how often you check your media activities. Is it distracting you from effective, purposeful work time?

How do we fix it.? Address our concentration, producing reputable deliverable results; allocate specific time and limits on social media sites with planned time for access; applying restrictions and fully switch off as a matter of routine; giving yourself ‘me’ time and making that time meaningfully important. After all ‘burn’ is good (whether in the office or at the gym!) but ‘burn out’ is not. It is not only the young that are being swamped by social media; we are at risk of drowning ourselves.

Die britische ECJKorrespondentin Lynn Webster betrachtet, welche Auswirkungen die alltäglichen Anreize durch mehrere Bildschirme auf unsere Konzentrationsfähigkeit bei der Arbeit hat.

La corrispondente del Regno Unito Lynn Webster prende in esame gli effetti degli stimoli quotidiani dei multischermi sui nostri livelli di concentrazione al lavoro.

June/July 2019 | ECJ | 13

UPDATE: FRANCE

UPDATE: NETHERLANDS

Going ultrasonic

Measurement and opinion

Christian Bouzols reports from France on the growing market for ultrasonic cleaning.

Dutch reporter John Griep on how measurement and opinion relate in VSR-KMS quality monitoring.

It’s not always easy to get rid of food and oil stains. It’s the same with bacteria. However, there is a solution that sets itself apart from the others due to its performance. This solution is called ultrasonic cleaning (or cleaning by ultrasonic bath).

Hardly known by the general public, this method is mainly used by industrial firms and its applications are currently expanding in France.

This is how it works. Ultrasonic cleaning is based on a process which produces a cleaning effect by sending high frequency sound waves, ranging from 20 kHz to 400 kHz, across a liquid into which the item to be cleaned has been placed. The vibrations induced inside the liquid gives rises to thousands of microscopic bubbles which surround and act on the item.

Several vessels (tubs or tanks) are required to produce those bubbles, a phenomenon known as cavitation. The least that can be said about the process is that the results are impressive. Ultrasonic cleaning is definitely more efficient than the other existing processes. Not only that, it consumes less energy.

The leader in this particular area of cleaning equipment is Ultratecno. This company markets a large range of ultrasonic machines and several solutions for industrial cleaning.

These machines are used in activities as varied as cleaning ship hardware and restoring industrial moulds.

They make use of stainless steel vessels whose capacity can vary from 100 to 4,500

litres and into which the items are placed.

Although the machines were originally designed for industry, they are increasingly used in other areas. In fact the growth of Ultratecno in 2019 will depend in large measure on this development.

What are the sectors that could be reached? A main one would be the jewellery sector, for the purpose of cleaning bracelets, pendants and rings. Opticians could also be interested, as they need to clean spectacle and contact lenses.

Another one would be the watch trade, in order to clean the various components of clocks and watches.

Many applications The electronics industry would also be a candidate, as it needs to clean printed circuit boards and electronic components. One could add the health sector, which has to clean and sterilise medical and surgical instruments. Numismatists and armourers could make use of them, respectively to clean coins and guns respectively, not forgetting cartridge cases.

On a larger scale ultrasonic cleaning vessels are used in the automotive industry. The ultrasonic process gives the best results when it is applied to car engines. Ship maintenance could also be a promising sector. So would viticulture, for the cleaning of wine barrels.

In short, the process seems to have a promising future, even at home. Indeed, it can help in making a dishwasher work!

The finalists for the 2019 European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards will be announced in August - visit the ECJ website for latest news Rapportant de la France, Christian Bouzols examine le marché croissant du nettoyage ultrasonique.

In seinem Bericht aus Frankreich wirft Christian Bouzols einen Blick auf den wachsenden Markt für Ultraschallreinigung.

14 | June/July 2019 | ECJ

Il corrispondente francese Christian Bouzols prende in esame il settore in crescita delle pulizie a ultrasuoni.

In the Netherlands the client and the cleaning service provider agree an Accepted Quality Level (AQL) of cleaning. The independent VSR inspector/ auditor measures whether this level is being achieved. Nothing wrong so far; in principle, this is just about straightforward (but careful!) measurement.

VSR-KMS also supplies the trend analysis to supplement this, whereby the number of mistakes and the deviation from the approval boundary are compared with one another over a period of time. It is important that the measurement data is for the same category in the same location and under the same agreements (eg, when the measurements will be taken).

Doing things this way provides an insight into how the cleaning service provider is performing.

Do the results show a steady improvement? Or is a result in a particular category declining over time?

Say, for example, that 20 mistakes are permitted in the ‘office space’ category across the whole building at company X. An initial measurement reveals that 15 mistakes have been made. This gives the cleaning service provider a (positive) margin of five mistakes.

If the inspector finds only 10 mistakes have been made a few weeks later, and only five mistakes the next time round, we can identify a positive trend in the ‘office space’ category, based on facts and measurements.

With trend analysis too, the essence remains: auditing.

This is otherwise known as the approval or disapproval of the quality delivered, underpinned Notre correspondant aux Pays-Bas, John Griep, de l’Association de recherche en propreté VSR, explique comment le système VSR-KMS de mesure de la propreté de cet organisme peut combiner mesure et jugement.

by figures and analysis. Results in different buildings and/ or categories are not mutually comparable and would not produce a meaningful result.

What cannot be an integral feature of a report – in contrast to the trend analysis – is the personal opinion of a VSR inspector or auditor. If asked for it, they would then find themselves on thin ice. Personal expertise and experience are of great value, but must be in the service of correct execution and reporting in accordance with VSR-KMS. Subjective additions must therefore be kept out of the measurement and recognisable as such.

The comment “location looks reasonable to good”, for example, is not specific enough and insufficiently substantiated by figures. The following conclusions prior to a report are of value however: “In sanitary areas, comparatively more mistakes have been identified than during the previous measurements.” Or: “The wooden staircase is in need of thorough maintenance. This largely concerns the section leading to the first floor.”

So where is the line? Even though no figures have (yet) been mentioned, it must be clear it is founded upon measured facts. It is also important that the auditor limits themselves to defined areas of the building.

Considered opinions are permitted, then, but not as an integral feature of reporting. The essence of auditing remains the approval or disapproval of the quality delivered, underpinned by figures and analysis. A trend analysis is, of course, a welcome supplement to this!

Der NiederlandeKorrespondent des ECJ John Griep von der niederländischen Vereniging Schoonmaak Research (VSR), einer unabhängigen Forschungsorganisation für die professionelle Reinigungsindustrie, erkundet, wie in ihrem Qualitätsmesssystem VSRKMS Messungen mit einer wohlüberlegten Meinung kombiniert werden.

Il corrispondente olandese John Griep dell’associazione Association of Cleaning Research VSR esplora come il suo sistema di misurazione della qualità VSR-KMS può combinare la misurazione con la ponderata opinione.

UPDATE: NORWAY Combatting unreported work Using under-the-table cleaners or unreported employment in Norway has become a more costly affair. But just as fines have gone up, authorities have cut the activities holding the sector in check, reports Scandinavian correspondent Lotte Printz.

A honeypot for criminals. That’s how National Union Secretary Brede Edvardsen of the Norwegian Union of General Workers (including cleaners) describes the labour market because “the risk of getting caught is so ridiculously low”, as he puts it, speaking to an independent trade union magazine in Norway.

“It’s easier to go under the radar with social dumping and other types of work-related crime in a shadow economy. And the shadow economy is huge,” Edvardsen says.

The cleaning and facilities sector per se is struggling with unreported employment, be it cleaning companies using illegal immigrants as cheap labour or people providing domestic services without paying income tax, sometimes referred to as ghosts.

Bigger fines As a result, Brede Edvardsen was pleased when the Oslo Police increased the fines levied on offenders in this field from NOK 10,000 to 50,000 (€5,100), effective from January 1 this year, with the other Norwegian police districts expected to follow suit.

The directive governing the obligation to check whether the cleaning providers you buy services from are so-called legal ones was changed earlier, in the summer of 2018. Which means that it now applies not only to professional cleaning companies, but also to private individuals who then risk the same heavy fines for using under-the-table cleaners.

The Norwegian Working Environment Authority keeps a free and easily accessible registry on legal cleaning providers on Dans son rapport de Norvège, notre correspondante Lotte Printz explique comment les autorités affrontent le problème de l’emploi non déclaré dans le secteur de la propreté.

its website, but the Norwegian employer organisation Virke still estimates that 90 per cent of domestic cleaning services are “cash-in-hand” jobs.

No official figures on the number of fines imposed since the effective date have been published as of yet, but the National Union Secretary told ECJ he has reason to believe that the heavier fines has had an impact already – not least a deterrent effect.

Unfortunately, he adds, a police reform is currently being implemented so the police have not been channelling their efforts into tackling unreported employment activities in the cleaning sector lately.

And the fight against unreported employment has suffered another blow: the Norwegian Working Environment Authority that is responsible for administering the working environment acts and doing inspections to that effect have cut down the number of inspections in the cleaning sector considerably. In the first quarter of 2019, only five thorough inspections have been carried out. In comparison, 119 inspections were carried out last year and more than 300 in both 2014 and 2015.

“Both, of course, are deeply worrying,” Edvardsen tells ECJ. In the case of reduced inspections, he thinks that the past 10 years’ efforts to “clean up” and professionalise the sector may have suffered a serious setback.

He is still confident though, that heavier fines will have an impact eventually and are an important measure in combatting the shadow economy in the cleaning and facilities sector.

Die ECJ-Korrespondentin Lotte Printz berichtet aus Norwegen, wie die Behörden gegen nicht gemeldete Erwerbstätigkeit in der Reinigungsbranche vorgehen.

Dalla Norvegia, la corrispondente di ECJ Lotte Printz ci informa su come le autorità stiano affrontando il problema del lavoro non dichiarato nel settore del cleaning.

June/July 2019 | ECJ | 15

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Numatic International Limited, Chard, Somerset, TA20 2GB Tel: 01460 68600 Fax: 01460 68458 © Numatic International Limited 2019. Specification subject to change without prior notice. www.numatic.co.uk

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EUROPEAN CLEANING & HYGIENE AWARDS

Rising through the ranks Principle Cleaning Services account manager Ben Swinbourne worked tirelessly to address the challenges on his cleaning contract. His success earned him the Rising Star prize in the 2018 European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards.

Ben Swinbourne started working for Principle Cleaning Services as account manager at Paddington Central - a mixed use, commercial, residential and retail estate - in London in November 2018. It was a very difficult time on that account.

The team was disengaged, unmotivated and working in silos. The client, meanwhile, was frustrated with levels of service delivery, the high rate of staff turnover and the resulting declines. Those frustrations were expressed via KPI scores and during monthly meetings.

Swinbourne immediately created a sixmonth plan to develop the contract into a ‘lighthouse’ account for Principle. “Lighthouse accounts are the accounts all others in the business look up to. They showcase new innovation and are the standard bearers,” explains Scott Fitzgerald, associate director at Principle Cleaning.

The fundamentals of that strategy were to create a team that was ‘engaged, empowered and working with purpose and pride’. To do this, Swinbourne created an engagement plan based around communication. There is now a monthly whole account team meeting, a weekly team leaders’ meeting and a daily ‘huddle’ called the 10@10 where the account management team get together for 10 minutes

each morning. They discuss the challenges and successes of the previous and upcoming day and that has resulted in better communication and engagement.

Fitzgerald continues: “Ben also created a Reward & Recognition programme, quarterly ‘GEM’ (Going the Extra Mile) awards, Employee of the Month awards and Thank You cards for the team members to recognise a job well done. This meant that he was not only able to communicate the client’s needs to the team, but it allowed the team to communicate with Ben and other members of the team.”

Quarterly GEM awards are issued to team members who support the client or the team in a way that is above and beyond their usual remit. It could be helping out after hours or carrying a suitcase for a client – any kind of positive behaviour. Employee of The Month, meanwhile, recognises an employee who is always punctual, smart in appearance, always willing to help the team and the client, and displays a positive can-do attitude.

Thank You cards are issued by the account management, the team and the client. Collecting five cards is rewarded with a voucher bonus.

Since Swinbourne joined Principle client KPI scores have reached record highs – above 95 per cent. Not only that, the contract has been extended for a further two years, a real testament to his efforts.

Having graduated in criminology and earned a qualification in accounting and finance, Swinbourne gained extensive experience of account management for a diverse range of properties around London.

Now his key responsibilities include P&L accounting; financial efficiency and per-

formance; health and safety compliance; monthly KPI meetings; HR performance management and disciplinary procedures; and sub-contractor management.

So what does a typical week look like for him at Paddington Central? Swinbourne does daily tours of the campus to ensure standards are being maintained and to address any issues that have arisen. Client relationship building is a key part of the role and there are five clients on the site, all different. Keeping in touch with the team in order to ensure cohesion and contentment is vital too, as it helps to lower attrition rates and maintain standards.

Part of Swinbourne’s remit is finance and budget management, as are health and safety reviews so they take up part of his working week. He also delegates reactive tasks to the team and ensures this impacts positively on service levels and customer satisfaction.

What are his ambitions for the future?

“To grow and continually progress within Principle, always adding value to the company and to constantly be learning new skills and broadening my knowledge of the industry,” replies Swinbourne. “I would like to rise through the ranks within Principle as it is the leading soft service provider in London. Awards such as the European Cleaning and Hygiene Awards demonstrate what a fantastic company Principle is and I am proud to have won the Rising Star award.”

Scott Fitzgerald concludes: “Since joining the company Ben’s passion, quality, and the many innovations he has introduced to this contract have really stood out. He has been a great addition to our management team.”

June/July 2019 | ECJ | 17

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EUROPEAN CLEANING & HYGIENE AWARDS

Changing people’s lives Ilunion Facility Services in Spain has a business model based on the balance between social and economic issues. Its key commitment is to create quality jobs for people with disabilities at risk of social exclusion. At the 2018 European Cleaning & Hygiene awards it was given the prize in the category Workforce – Commitment to Diversity.

Part of the Ilunion Group, Ilunion Facility Services is a facilities services provider based in Spain. It has a business model based on the balance between social and economic issues and its core commitment is to create quality jobs for disabled people at risk of social exclusion. The company has formulated its own people management model and a programme of diversity and integration policies through its Special Employment Centres (CEE).

With its focus on these Special Employment Centres Ilunion’s diversity policies concentrate on four aspects: disability, gender, age and groups at risk of social exclusion. This could be female victims of domestic violence, for example.

Through the programme of social and personal adjustment developed by the company its supporting units – a multidisciplinary team of social workers – facilitate a better labour and social integration of employees with disabilities into the workplace, as well as in their social and family environments. This takes place at work centres throughout Spain and en-

compasses adaptation of those employees’ workplaces according to ergonomic and psychosocial needs. As a follow-up periodic inspections are carried out on a regular basis.

Training is a central element to the success of the operation and at Ilunion training is continuous. And that’s not just in the practical aspects of doing the job of cleaning, it’s also oriented to the empowerment of people with disabilities – giving them new social, technical and technological skills.

Sporting, cultural and recreational activities are encouraged as these have been proven to improve the self-esteem, wellbeing and health of the employees.

And the Social Aid Catalogue includes 26 economic benefits to improve their quality of life and employability.

In 2014, a collaboration agreement between Fundación Integra, Fundación Once, Asociación Inserta Empleo – other Spanish organisations specialising in the integration of those at risk of social exclusion into the workforce - and the Ilunion Group was signed in order to promote the employment of female victims of gender violence with disability. In 2016, Cruz Roja Espanola – the Spanish Red Cross – also entered into the collaboration.

As part of the Special Employment Centre initiative, career plans are developed to promote the employability of young people with disabilities in middle management positions. This encourages the retention of talent and means Ilunion employs qualified professionals in the relevant roles. Not just that, it has strengthened the internal promotion of women from operative to supervisory positions.

Now Ilunion also has plans to incorporate men and women over 45 who have no income and with family responsibilities into its workforce, through a partnership with Novaterra Foundation.

When looking at the workforce data of the Cleaning Special Employment Centres the figures speak for themselves. The number of people employed totals 3,221.

Over 95 per cent of them have disabilities (3,068), 1,948 of them are women (60.48 per cent) and 1,923 of them are between the ages of 45 and 65 (59.7 per cent).

Sixty-two-year-old Alberto, who is physically disabled, is one of the people who joined Ilunion Facility Services. “This opportunity has been a joy,” he said, “and my heart now beats differently. Ilunion has shown me the way to a better life and I am very grateful for the support the company has given me. This is not just a workplace, it’s a place where we start to find dignity as people again.”

Member of the judging panel and editor of ECJ Michelle Marshall commented: “Through its very real commitment to offer opportunities to those people who may find it difficult or even impossible to gain employment Ilunion is making a vital contribution to Spanish society and literally changing many people’s lives.

“Having established working relationships with various public and private organisations it has a highly impressive range of initiatives for many of society’s disadvantaged groups.”

The 2019 European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards ceremony takes place at the Church Hall, Westminster, London on October 17. For details of how to reserve your place visit www.echawards.com

June/July 2019 | ECJ | 19

EUROPEAN CLEANING & HYGIENE AWARDS

Leading by example Tony Berisha is the quality and cleaning specialist manager at Insider Facility Services in Norway.

His dedication to his employees, his colleagues and his clients made him a worthy winner in the 2018 European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards as Leader of the Year.

Berisha first joined Insider in 2012, as contract leader for Sandefjord Torp Airport, one of Insider’s largest clients. At the time the company had received termination notice from the customer and had about four months left to run. Within two months however, and thanks to Berisha’s efforts, the termination notice was revoked.

One year later he also became head of Insider’s Vestfold branch (the business has 12 branches around the country) while also maintaining his duties at the airport. So in one year his responsibilities have included: day to day organisation of Sandefjord Torp Airport and training of his replacement there; night-stop planes charter and all plane cleaning for a Norwegian airline; start-up of a large energy company customer with 23 power plant locations; organising a one-week test run at a potential new trade fair customer; various transitions and contract start-ups; calculation of large public tenders; quality control at various branches; holding courses for the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Service NAV; organising internal courses for company employees; review certification standards; and running his own branch in Vestfold.

Marketing and purchase director Thor Nielsen explains why the company nominated Berisha for the European Cleaning & Hygiene Award. “Tony has so many positive leadership characteristics. One of the most important in our view is communication, especially direct communication. Tony listens to everyone and is always open to input from all employees.

“It is very special to visit our Vestfold office because it’s full of smiling, happy staff – a big happy family with a clear leader. Throughout the past year we have witnessed the same thing after he has been in other parts of our business around the country.”

Nielsen adds: “Tony is without doubt the leader who is best-liked among the cleaners. If you asked him why this is he would certainly say it is because he involves himself in their daily routines. The feedback I have had from cleaners is that they are very surprised a manager from HQ runs machines, fixes machines, uses mops and cleans toilets with them in order to teach them the most effective methods.

“He inspires his team to be engaged and take ownership of what they do. He knows all of them personally and they have the greatest respect for him. But they can approach him with their problems too and he will listen willingly and try to help.”

Berisha involves himself on a very personal level, Nielsen explains, and that inspires the people who work with him to do their job to the best of their ability.

The success of his strategy is proven in the fact that every new contract he has been responsible for at the start has run smoothly.

“He also encourages members of his

team to think for themselves and make their own decisions about problem-solving. And he spends time examining new ways of doing things – different cleaning methods or tools – and inspires his team to do the same.” It’s clear that leading by example is very much his style.

Berisha has become the figure at Insider that everyone looks up to – whether it’s cleaners or fellow management. “It’s easy to call Tony and ask for help,” says Nielsen.

“Either it can be solved by phone, email or he travels out to the relevant office personally – nobody in middle management will say they didn’t get help from Tony.

“We run annual employee surveys and many people express how they enjoyed the time they spent with Tony – how friendly, educational and helpful he is. To me that is the sign of a good leader – being involved and being visible.”

Michelle Marshall, editor of ECJ and member of the European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards judging panel comments: “Tony sees himself as an instrument for his colleagues and clients at Insiders Facility Service to use, not the other way round. He lives and breathes Insider Facility Service according to the company’s ceo and is described as a gentleman who understands the strengths and weaknesses of his employees and always sets a superb example.

“The judges were struck by how highly everybody at Insider Facility Services speaks about Tony. They clearly have the utmost respect for him and talk about his direct and clear communication, his approachability, willingness to listen, ability to delegate and make difficult decisions.”

June/July 2019 | ECJ | 21

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EUROPEAN CLEANING & HYGIENE AWARDS

Never stop evolving Since launching its Tork EasyCube sensor dispenser Essity has continued to develop the product to become a leading facility management software for datadriven cleaning. It was named Technological Innovation of the Year at the 2018 European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards.

The best innovations stay ahead of the game by evolving and setting new standards. Essity launched its Tork EasyCube smart dispenser in 2014 and since then it has developed it into a facility management software for data-driven cleaning.

This empowers facility service companies to save time and increase satisfaction with customers and cleaning staff.

Tork EasyCube is not only sensor technology and software, Essity also evolved the service with a consultancy service run by customer satisfaction teams. They make the difference to customers by analysing their data and suggesting tangible improvements to cleaning routines.

Everything from coffee machines to washroom dispensers are being connected to the internet. Yet the value lies not in connectivity itself, but in the actions you can take based on the new information provided. When cleaning teams and their managers get real-time data about cleaning needs, the very logic for how cleaning can be done changes. It becomes possible to do exactly what’s needed.

Knowing exactly what’s needed means no time is wasted. More time means teams can go the extra mile when clean-

ing. Managers can feel safe that nothing is neglected, and analyse data over time to improve planning, purchasing and logistics.

In the cleaning sector people are the most important resource. Work feels meaningful when they know that every task matters, and better control means less stress and more balanced working.

And data-driven cleaning enables higher quality – no more empty dispensers and untidy areas. Instead it becomes possible to eliminate complaints and radically increase customer satisfaction.

Tork EasyCube is a software that empowers the team with data on cleaning needs, letting them see on a tablet exactly what’s needed, when and where. Sensors in dispensers and visitor counters measure refill levels and visitor numbers in real time. Real-time information in an easy-touse application lets cleaners act on what’s needed, when and where. Easy analytics and instant facility overview let managers stay in control, plan and follow up with less time and effort.

From the first 100 customers the company gained valuable data and proof points that show the benefits: save up to 20 per cent of cleaning hours; reduce the number of cleaning rounds by 24 per cent with quality improved; guarantee that dispensers are replenished 99 per cent of the time; 30 per cent higher customer satisfaction; 89 per cent of dispenser checks become unnecessary; significantly improved staff motivation.

With new technology it’s not only about what you can do, but more why you should do it. In the long run there should be a clear, and proven, benefit from a business perspective but also from a people and

society perspective. With Tork EasyCube cleaning staff feel more in control and less stressed, while at the same time being more effective. This can also result in reduced sick leave.

Some users gave their feedback on how it had impacted on their cleaning operations. Unilever, head of cleaning and infrastructure at Sodexo, Marc Mrotzek, said: “Tork EasyCube has enabled us to both improve customer satisfaction levels as well as increase our efficiency.”

“We stay ahead of problems. Before we had to check every dispenser, now we can see exactly what is needed, and we’re getting fewer complaints, which saves us a lot of time. It’s much more efficient,” says Linda Dolman, assistant team leader for Apenheul in the Netherlands.

“The system enables us to improve the working day of our staff. We believe giving cleaning staff more control over their work will reduce stress levels and help make the work feel more meaningful, as the staff can spend time cleaning where it is actually needed,” said Ann-Catrine Gobbato Henningsson at Landvetter Airport.

“Cleaners can now easily clean about 12 floors during a business day and work more hours as we are not bound to short shifts anymore. They are happy about this change, which makes us an attractive employer,” adds Elmer Engel for D&B at World Trade Towers in Amsterdam.

Awards judge and editor of ECJ Michelle Marshall said: “The judges feel the continuing development of Tork EasyCube is making real impact on efficiency and productivity in the industry. Cleaning staff feel more in control and less stressed, and customer satisfaction levels rise.”

June/July 2019 | ECJ | 23

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HYGIENE IN FOOD PREPARATION

Being seen to be clean Many of today’s restaurants have an open-plan kitchen or viewing window, which means it is vital that the premises display a clean and orderly appearance. Ann Laffeaty finds out how kitchens should be organised and equipped to help them achieve this.

There used to be a clear demarcation line between the kitchen and restaurant in eating establishments. Unruffled waiters would glide through the dining area, calmly greeting customers and serving them with beautifully-crafted dishes.

And if those dishes had been handed to them by a sweaty chef who had just bawled out his sous-chef for dropping the garnish on the floor, the diner would be none the wiser. However, today’s restaurants have changed this picture.

“There has been a growing trend towards providing the end-user with transparency about the whole experience – from the origin of the ingredients to the cooking process,” said Essity’s horeca marketing director Hanneke Kuipers.

“Open kitchens are becoming more common and it is now just as relevant to create an impression of being clean, hygienic and well-ordered as it is to keep food preparation areas clean for legislation reasons.”

She says it is also helpful for staff to keep the kitchen uncluttered and wellordered. “Staff are under increasing pressure in terms of timings, outcome and food quality and a good working environment will help to motivate them and make their job easier,” said Kuipers.

Accessibility to hygiene products is essential because it creates a good routine and structure, she adds. “Investing in quality hygiene solutions and placing them in well-positioned locations around the kitchen is crucial to promote efficiency in

26 | June/July 2019 | ECJ

the kitchen,” she said. “Maintaining great hygiene standards means the routine becomes embedded.”

Paper towels and soaps should be readily available at the entrance and exit of the kitchen and also at every wash station, according to Kuipers. “These should be placed at eye level to ensure that they’re not missed,” she said. “It will then become a habit to use them.”

She also advocates the use of colour coded cloths to create order and reduce the risk of cross-contamination. “For example, you could use one colour cloth on vegetable chopping boards and other colours for equipment to be used with poultry and meat,” she said. Essity offers Tork Colour Coded Cleaning Cloths along with a range of hand hygiene and surface wiping products such as Tork Reflex for use in the kitchen.

Open kitchens more common IPC communications director Gabriella Bianco agrees that open kitchens are becoming increasingly common. “Today’s customers are becoming keener than ever to know where and how their food is being prepared,” she said. “Providing transparency adds value for the facility, which means keeping the area clean and well-ordered should be a top priority in order to avoid creating a negative impression on the client. Providing evidence that the area is clean is a must if customers are to be retained.”

There are other key reasons why a kitchen should be seen to be clean, according to Bianco. “Hygiene inspectors can be very strict when checking the state of the kitchen along with maintenance, equipment and storage processes - and it is important to comply with the law,” she said. “Furthermore, order and cleanliness can improve productivity since it will make it easier for staff to find the equipment they need.

“And organic contaminants tend to collect in recesses, and this could have dangerous results for the customers’ well-being. If the kitchen were filthy,

food would be vector for bacteria and a potential carrier of diseases.”

She says steam cleaners work particularly well in kitchens since they may be used without the addition of chemicals or detergents. The IPC SG-08 and SG-10 operates at a steam temperature of 160°C and at a pressure of up to six bars.

Vice-president of Metsä Tissue UK & Ireland Mark Dewick believes the appearance of a kitchen can spell the difference between success and failure.

“Most restaurants have their kitchen on show as a ‘feature’ these days and actively invite inspection by suppliers, customers and officials,” he said. “So a messy kitchen can seriously reduce the likelihood of customers returning.

Conversely, a beautifully clean kitchen will encourage returning visitors along with recommendations and referrals.”

While it is paramount that hygiene legislation be closely followed, the impression created by a kitchen is also important, he says. “A messy or untidy kitchen will give the impression of noncompliance even if it doesn’t actually break any rules,” said Dewick. ”Meanwhile, unwiped spills could generate germs and contamination. Cross-contamination can be a particularly serious issue in terms of allergies: gluten products that are spilled and not wiped up will contaminate a gluten-free preparation environment, for example.

“And grease can easily build up in a kitchen environment - and this is simply a fire waiting to happen since it would only take a single spark or flame to set grease ablaze.”

He adds that a disordered kitchen could damage a restaurant’s brand. “Even worse, you could be held accountable for a failure in some way, such as in a recent example in the news whereby peanut oil in a curry resulting in the death of a customer.”

Metsä’s Katrin Master range of nonwoven wipers are claimed to work well in a kitchen environment since they are

HYGIENE IN FOOD PREPARATION silicone-free, food safe and solventresistant, according to Dewick.

Hygiene, cleanliness and tidiness are all related issues according to Kärcher trainer Klaas-Matti Nolte. “Hygiene and efficiency will suffer in an untidy kitchen, particularly if there is no clear distinction between clean and unclean areas,” he said. “Occupational safety also plays a role: a dirty, greasy floor can become very slippery even with the use of safety tiles and this will become a risk for staff.”

Steam cleaners According to Nolte, kitchen tiles and stainless steel surfaces should be cleaned using high pressure cleaners at the end of the working day. “Alternating between acidic and alkaline foam cleaning products is important to eliminate any breeding grounds for microorganisms,” he said. “And when using acidic cleaning agents, the tile joints must first be rinsed with water.

This prevents the acid from soaking in and attacking the grouting.”

He recommends the use of steam cleaners on machinery and kitchen utensils. “This enables areas such as grooved surfaces, cooker knobs and the edges of dishwasher front panels to be thoroughly and hygienically cleaned,” he said. “The steam penetrates the crevices that a brush or cloth would struggle to reach.”

The focus on kitchen hygiene has increased in recent years, according to Nolte. “This means greater care needs to be taken when there’s the possibility that a customer will catch a glimpse of a kitchen,” he said. “However, customers don’t play a big role in terms of the visual impression of the premises – a food inspector on the other hand will instantly make an assessment of a messy, dirty kitchen and ensure that he examines it carefully.”

There is little worse than an outbreak of food poisoning or a poor review from a hygiene inspector to strike a blow to a food service business, says GOJO European vice-president Chris Wakefield. “The resulting negative publicity can make it difficult to rebuild a damaged reputation, particularly if it has appeared in the

De nombreux restaurants ont aujourd’hui des cuisines décloisonnées ou des vitrines permettant aux convives de voir les chefs au travail. De ce fait, il n’y a aucun moyen pour les établissements qui négligent la propreté ou adoptent des pratiques peu hygiéniques de se cacher. ECJ interroge des fabricants sur les produits qu’ils proposent pour impressionner les convives d’un restaurant tout en permettant aux chefs de faire montre de pratiques impeccablement hygiéniques.

newspapers and snowballed on social media,” he said.

“Financial impacts including fines and/ or compensation can also take their toll.

In the very worst cases of poor hygiene and safety, authorities may even force the business to close.”

All surface sanitising wipes and sprays for use in commercial kitchens should be highly effective, ready-to-use and fast acting, he said. “They also need to be quick drying and have as short a contact time as possible.

“And hand washing or sanitising facilities must be accessible and dispensers should be easy to use because their correct choice and positioning are crucial to influencing healthy hand hygiene behaviour.”

GOJO supplies a variety of dispensers, soap and sanitising solutions for use in the kitchen including Purell formulations available in gel and foam formats.

Cleanliness and hygiene are both fundamental factors for a successful commercial kitchen, says Diversey’s global marketing communications manager Ditty Vergeer. “If you serve food on unclean plates your customers will reach the conclusion that hygiene is not high on your list of priorities,” she said. “They might also associate this practice with a disregard for food safety, quality and customer service on your part – and this puts your reputation at risk.

Negative comments “While your customers could choose to eat elsewhere, they are just as likely to express their opinion on social media. This provides a forum for instant judgement where negative comments can spread very quickly and out of your control. And reputation and trust are the most precious commodities you have.”

She adds that a good visual impression is pointless if cross-contamination is allowed to occur. “An outbreak of food poisoning can not only harm your reputation but invite litigation and threaten your livelihood - and the very existence of your business.”

A disordered kitchen has other drawbacks, she says. “Working in a

Viele Restaurants verfügen jetzt über offene Küchen oder Sichtfenster, durch die die Gäste den Köchen bei der Arbeit zusehen können. Das hat zur Folge, das sich Geschäfte, in denen die Sauberkeit vernächlässigt wird und unhygienische Praktiken ausgeführt werden, nicht mehr verstecken können. Das ECJ fragt Hersteller, welche Produkte sie anbieten, mit deren Hilfe ein beeindruckendes Image für Restaurantgäste geschaffen werden kann und die es gleichzeitig den Köchen erleichtern, saubere, hygienische Arbeitspraktiken zu demonstrieren.

cluttered environment conveys the impression that hygiene is not important which means your staff are more likely to disregard any procedures you have in place,” she said. “Implementing good food handling and regular hygiene processes such as washing the hands and cleaning surfaces and equipment before and after preparing food is crucial.”

Low levels of cleanliness can also have an impact on the bottom line and compromise sustainability, she says. “For example, when dishes are taken from your dishwasher still dirty they must be rewashed and this wastes time, energy, cleaning products and water,” she said.

“And if rewash is carried out by hand this could lead to a high breakage rate which increases costs.”

Diversey offers a range of floor and surface cleaners, disinfectants and sanitisers and also runs the Hygiene Academy, a cloud-based e-learning programme for food preparation staff.

Actually clean So, how important is it that kitchens are seen to be clean? While it is certainly desirable, it misses the main point according to commentators.

“It is more relevant to create an environment that is actually clean and hygienic,” said Essity’s Hanneke Kuipers. ”Not only will this create a good flow around the kitchen, it will also provide a happier place for staff to work.”

Diversey’s Ditty Vergeer adds that an impression of cleanliness in the kitchen will help a restaurant improve its social media ratings and present an acceptable face to the outside world. “However, this will not be sufficient without an efficient and trusted cleaning and hygiene regime,” she adds.

And GOJO’s Chris Wakefield concurs.

“The number one reason for keeping a commercial kitchen clean and hygienic has to be to prevent the transmission of germs and protect the health of its clients,” he says. “And leaving a good impression on customers and pleasing the food hygiene inspectors will both be natural byproducts of this.

Molti ristoranti dispongono ora di cucine open space o con delle finestre con vista sulla cucina in modo che i clienti possano vedere gli chef al lavoro. E come risultato non ci sono più nascondigli per le attività dove la pulizia è sminuita e dove vengono svolte procedure poco igieniche. ECJ chiede ai produttori quali prodotti vengono offerti per aiutare a creare un’immagine positiva per i commensali e allo stesso tempo rendere più facile per gli chef mostrare delle procedure igieniche e di pulizia sul luogo di lavoro.

June/July 2019 | ECJ | 27

PRODUCTS: FOOD HYGIENE

• L’appareil Omniflex Dispense-andVac de la société Kaivac élimine les saletés et la graisse du sol d’aires de préparation alimentaire.

• Le distributeur de savon et de désinfectant ingo-food de la société Ophardt est conforme au protocole HACCP. • Le Gastro Kleen, un nettoyant de zone de contact alimentaire proposé par Kleen Purgatis, ne nécessite pas de rinçage.

• Der Kaivac OmniFlex Dispense-andVac entfernt Schmutz und Fett von Böden in lebensmittelverarbeitenden Bereichen.

• Die Seifen- und Desinfektionsmittelspender ingofood von Ophardt entsprechen bestehenden HACCP-Richtlinien.

• Beim Oberflächenreiniger für Lebensmittelbereiche Gastro Kleen von Kleen Purgatis ist kein Nachspülen erforderlich.

• Kaivac OmniFlex Dispense-andVac rimuove lo sporco e l’unto dai pavimenti delle aree di preparazione alimentare.

• Il dispenser di sapone e disinfettante Ingo-food della Ophardt è conforme al protocollo HACCP stabilito.

• Il detergente per le aree che vengono in contatto con gli alimenti Gastro Kleen prodotto dalla Kleen Purgatis non necessita di risciacquo.

28 | June/July 2019 | ECJ

Greasy floors Designed to tackle the heaviest soils and grease on food preparation area floors is the OmniFlex Dispense-and-Vac from Kaivac. It comes with a crush-proof vacuum hose that’s also grease and trans fat resistant, and a one-piece vac wand for aggressive brushing.

The operator opens the tap, dispenses fresh cleaning solution directly to the floor, spreads it with Kaivac‘s Ergo spreader and finishes by vacuuming the dissolved soils away. The floor is left dry and ready to use. www.kaivac-emea.com

Soap dispenser

placed on it. The quick removal of the pump makes cleaning easy and the robust lever makes for hygienic operation.

The materials can withstand the temperatures of an autoclave. ophardt.com

No rinsing

The ingo-food soap and disinfectant dispenser from Ophardt meets quality requirements for food processing and is compliant with HACCP programmes.

This model is compatible with the 1,000 ml Euro-bottle standard - ensuring the availability of multiple hand care products from different manufacturers.

Made in corrosion-resistant stainless steel, features include sloped housing to prevent unwanted objects from being

New from Kleen Purgatis is Gastro Kleen food contact area cleaner. This requires no rinsing and leaves a clean area with no residue.

The company also offers Granit F Tab for the cleaning of fryers, which requires no contact with dangerous chemicals by the user thanks to its soluble foil technology. www.kleen-purgatis.ch

PRODUCTS: FOOD HYGIENE Pipe cleaning

Neglected pipelines through which ingredients or finished products are transported are a common cause of contamination. JettyRobot S has been designed for the cleaning of these pipes and can work in ventilation and pipelines with a diameter of 190 mm.

A removable camera module has been integrated in this latest version - in areas where every millimetre counts it can be removed to make the unit smaller.

JettyRobot can use a number of technologies suitable for use in the food industry, such as blasting dry ice, baking soda or shells. www.jettyrobot.com

Don’t touch

Antimicrobial

From Brightwell Dispensers comes a range of touch-free soap and autocut paper towel dispensers which help to promote good hand hygiene in food preparation areas.

As an alternative to touchfree technology the company also supplies centrefeed paper dispensers, specifically designed for fast paced environments where a paper towel can be dispensed quickly without having to touch the unit. www.brightwell.co.uk

Specialist food safe brushware manufacturer Hillbrush has developed a new coloured range of antimicrobial cleaning tools.

This is designed to prevent the growth and reduce the risk of bacterial cross contamination, minimise foreign body contamination and support HACCP and 5S best practise with colourcoded segregation.

A key feature is Biomaster technology, a silver-ion based additive designed to inhibit bacterial growth. All plastics in the products, including the brush filaments and resin, are infused with the additive.

Hillbrush Anti-Microbial Cleaning Tools are available in up to six colours. www.hillbrush.com

• Le JerryRobot S est conçu pour le nettoyage de tuyauterie dans installation de transformation alimentaire.

• Brightwell Dispenser propose des distributeurs de savon sans contact optimisant l’hygiène des mains, accompagnés de distributeurs de serviettes.

• Les nouveaux outils de nettoyage Anti-Microbial de Hill Brush sont proposés en six coloris.

• JettyRobot S wurde zur Reinigung von Rohrleitungen in Lebensmittelanwendungen konstruiert.

• Brightwell Dispensers bietet berührungslose Seifenspender für optimale Handhygiene sowie Papierhandtuchspender.

• Die neuen Reinigungswerkzeuge Anti-Microbial von Hill Brush sind in bis zu sechs Farben erhältlich.

• JettyRobot S è stato progettato per la pulizia delle condutture nelle applicazioni dell’industria alimentare.

• La Brightwell Dispensers propone dei dispenser automatici di sapone per la massima igiene delle mani e dispenser di asciugamani in carta.

• I nuovi attrezzi di pulizia AntiMicrobial della Hill Brush sono disponibili fino a sei colori.

June/July 2019 | ECJ | 29

PRODUCTS: FOOD HYGIENE

• Brosserie Thomas expose sa gamme de brosses d’hygiène et d’outils à codage couleur.

• OspreyDeepclean est un spécialiste de la technologie de la vapeur sèche pour le nettoyage d’aires de préparation et de production alimentaires.

• Le système à trempe et nettoyage Suma DiveEasy de Diversey élimine la graisse et les incrustations de nourriture des équipements de cuisine.

• Les derniers nettoyeurs à eau froide haute pression de Kärcher se transportent facilement.

• Le distributeur de papier d’essuyage Tork Reflex Singlesheet Centrefeed est conçu pour l’économie de temps et l’efficacité • Brixen est un détergent écolabellisé, proposé par E Cosi, pour espaces de cuisine

• Brosserie Thomas präsentiert seine Produktfamilie mit Hygienebürsten und farbcodierten Reinigungswerkzeugen.

• OspreyDeepclean ist auf Trockendampftechnologie für die Reinigung in lebensmittelverarbeitenden und -herstellenden Bereichen spezialisiert.

• Das Einweich-Reinigungssystem Suma DiveEasy von Diversey entfernt Fett und Anhaftungen von Küchengeräten.

• Die neuesten KaltwasserHochdruckreiniger mittlerer Größe von Kärcher sind einfach zu transportieren.

• Der Wischpapierspender Tork Reflex Singlesheet Centrefeed wurde mit dem Ziel konzipiert, Zeit zu sparen und die Effizienz zu verbessern.

• Der Wischpapierspender Tork Reflex Singlesheet Centrefeed wurde mit dem Ziel konzipiert, Zeit zu sparen und die Effizienz zu verbessern.

• La Brosserie Thomas espone la sua linea di spazzole igieniche e attrezzi di pulizia codificati in base al colore.

• La OspreyDeepclean è specializzata nella tecnologia del vapore secco, per la pulizia nelle aree di preparazione e produzione di alimenti.

• Il sistema di detergente per immersione Suma DiveEasy della Diversey rimuove unto e residui di cibo incrostato dalle attrezzature delle cucine.

• Le più nuove idropulitrici ad alta pressione e acqua fredda di dimensioni medie della Kärcher sono facili da trasportare.

• Il dispenser di carta per le pulizie Tork Reflex Singlesheet Centrefeed è progettato per risparmiare tempo e migliorare il rendimento.

• Brixen è un detergente sgrassante con marchio ecolabel per gli ambienti delle cucine prodotto dalla E Cosi.

June/July 2019 | ECJ | 30

Brushes & tools Specialising in hygienic brushware and cleaning tools is Brosserie Thomas - serving catering, hospital, chemical and cleaning applications.

Brushes feature a polypropylene non-porous frame dyed with food colouring and using no heavy metals; tightly packed PBT bristles and stainless staple wire. Lightweight and easy to handle, they are durable as well as being rust- and rot-proof.

Brushes and squeegees are supplied individually wrapped, with total colour coding aiding in the prevention of cross-contamination. A new colour has just been added - the Black Line. www.brosseriethomas.com

Steam only

static holding unnecessary after triggering: the recoil of the water jet presses the trigger into the hand automatically. The previously necessary, permanent tension in the hand and finger muscles is no longer required. www.karcher.com

More efficient bon and baked-on food residues from kitchen equipment. No manual scrubbing is needed, simply soak all items in the tank filled with the with the Suma Carbon Remover K21+ solution, then wash and rinse.

The Suma DiveEasy with K21+ solution is non-classified in use and can be used 24 hours a day, seven days a week for up to four weeks.

The soak-cleaning solution reduces water and chemical usage, says Diversey, and is also effective with cold water, thus saving on energy. The tank includes a tray to easily immerse and remove utensils, lid for increased hygiene and 360° wheels for increased mobility. www.diversey.com

Cold water Dry steam vapour delivered at up to nine bar pressure is effective in food preparation areas requiring the highest hygiene standards - says OspreyDeepclean. The technology uses very little water and no harsh chemicals to saponify dirt, grease and grime. They are then removed using microfibre or an inbuilt vacuum system.

For use within fast food industry and small/medium food production areas are Osprey’s Robby 3000 and Robby 6000 steam only machines. Both are portable, simple to operate and come with accessories.

For larger areas the Provap Evo Vac features an integrated water filtration vacuum unit, while the SteamForce 3 Vac has the added benefit of a detergent tank. www.ospreydc.com

Easy soaking The Suma DiveEasy from Diversey is a soak-cleaning system for the removal of grease, car-

Kärcher’s medium-sized cold water high pressure cleaners are claimed to be particularly robust.

As a mobile standard device, the unit is suitable for a variety of applications. Thanks to the extendible handle and lightweight wheels it is convenient to transport. To save space accessories can be stored on board. A hose reel can be easily fitted.

The stationary version is designed for wall mounting and comes ready for easy assembly.

The mobile standard device is fitted with the EASY!Force pistol. The main feature of this ergonomic accessory is the trigger, which can be pushed into the handle with the ball of the thumb. This makes practically all

Designed to save time and improve efficiency in the kitchen is the Tork Reflex Singlesheet Centrefeed from Essity. Unlike traditional centrefeed systems it gives out one sheet of paper at a time instead of allowing the user to pull out a long length of product. This reduces consumption by up to 37 per cent says the company.

The dispenser also has a runout indicator which helps to ensure kitchen workers are never left without a paper supply.

The system now features a rotating nozzle that allows users to take the paper out with one hand and from any angle.

This makes the product easier to access – helpful during busy periods. And each user only touches the paper they take in order to reduce the risk of crosscontamination. The removable hood facilitates cleaning.

All Tork Reflex Wiping Paper is food-contact approved www.tork.co.uk/reflex

Ready to use Brixen is a ready-to-use ecolabelled degreasing detergent for cleaning of surfaces and cooking areas. Developed by E Cosi its high degreasing power makes it suitable for use on oil and grease on work surfaces and on steel equipment. www.ecosi.it

HYGIENE IN FOOD PREPARATION

Wiping away food risk James Taylor, marketing director EMEIA – specialties at Berry Global, explores how technologically advanced cleaning materials can help control cross-contamination while improving sustainability in the foodservice sector.

Global awareness about plastic waste is continuously increasing. In addition, there is growing demand for sustainable business practices and products. As such, organisations are forced to take a closer look at their impact on biodiversity and, in the foodservice sector in particular, to address plastic waste across the entire value chain.

Over the past few years, the global foodservice sector has embraced the idea of biodegradable plastic alternatives, and biodegradable and compostable packaging have become increasingly commonplace.

In fact innovation in this area is continuing to reach new heights, with inventive new sustainable products and strategies being designed, piloted and implemented.

While this is promising, many organisations don’t seem to realise that simple changes can have a major impact. One area perfect for addressing waste issues and improving sustainability is cleaning.

An ever-present risk One of the foodservice sector’s biggest challenges is preventing cross-contamination. While there are many potential causes of cross-contamination with bacteria and/or allergens, one of the most common is the use of seemingly clean cloths, which can actually harbour various Un des grands défis à relever par le secteur des services alimentaires est de prévenir la contamination croisée, car des tissus apparamment propres peuvent abriter de dangereuses bactéries. ECJ explore les moyens par lesquels des matériaux de nettoyage technologiquement avancés peuvent contribuer à maîtriser ce risque tout en améliorant la durabilité.

infectious agents and harmful bacteria.

Like the foodservice sector, the cleaning industry is evolving and developing new and efficient products to not only ensure better hygiene, but to also guarantee better resource and waste management.

One such innovation is the development of single-use compostable and biodegradable wipes, which address the issue of cross-contamination without negatively impacting on the environment.

To understand the benefits of biodegradable and compostable wipes, we need to first consider the evolution of products conventionally used.

Traditional tea towels are often used to wipe hands or surfaces; in reality they are only suitable for drying and have no cleaning properties. They are generally made from cotton – according to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), it takes more than 20,000 litres of water to produce one kg of cotton – and they are not approved to be in direct contact with food.

Nonwoven wipes, however, are very versatile and suitable for a wide range of cleaning applications. Most nonwoven wipes have Food Contact Clearance (FCC) and are available in multiple colours to support HACCP guidelines and therefore ideal for the foodservice segment. However, wipes are traditionally made from synthetic fibres such as polyester and polypropylene, which can’t be renewed.

Like nonwoven wipes, biodegradable and compostable wipes are FCC approved and thus ideal for the foodservice sector.

The difference lies in the fact that they are made from 100 per cent viscose fibres from PEFC certified sources, which are a natural biodegradable fibre with similar characteristics to cotton and are Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Eine der größten Herausforderungen, mit denen sich der Bereich Gastronomie und Großverpflegung konfrontiert sieht, ist die Verhinderung von Kreuzkontamination, denn scheinbar saubere Tücher können gefährliche Bakterien beherbergen. Das ECJ untersucht, wie technologisch fortschrittliche Reinigungsmaterialien bei der Kontrolle dieses Risikos helfen und gleichzeitig die Nachhaltigkeit verbessern können.

Certification (PEFC) certified.

Such wipes are suitable for general purpose cleaning applications such as cleaning tables, utensils and kitchen surfaces.

To prevent cross-contamination, they are designed for short-term use.

Sustainability goals For businesses aiming to be more sustainable, employing disposable, single-use products may seem counterintuitive. But when it comes to cleaning, disposability is key. Best practice advocates the use of single-use products as it can help reduce the risk of cross-contamination.

And single-use products provide consistent, predictable results. The risk of loss of effectiveness through structural breakdown or retention of contaminants – and consequently the risk of crosscontamination – as the result of ineffective laundering is thus eliminated. As they conform to HACCP regulations in terms of colour coding, the risk is further reduced.

Aside from the hygiene benefits, compostable disposable products which come with packaging that is also compostable and biodegradable contribute significantly to environmentally friendly waste management as they are designed to be composted in an industrial composting facility together with food waste. This means there’s no need for sorting and the compostable wipes as well as the packaging can all go together in one bin.

The use of compostable disposables also helps divert more waste from landfills and, more importantly, from wipes ending up in rivers, lakes or the ocean – flushed wipes are a key cause of pipe blockages and pump clogging throughout Europe. https://harrisonwipes.co.uk/products/ chicopee-j-cloth-biodegradable Una delle sfide maggiori che il settore alimentare deve affrontare è la prevenzione della contaminazione incrociata; a quanto pare i panni per le pulizie possono essere ricettacolo di batteri pericolosi. ECJ prende in esame come i materiali di pulizia tecnologicamente avanzati possono contribuire a contenere questo rischio e allo stesso tempo a migliorare la sostenibilità.

June/July 2019 | ECJ | 31

SMART SOLUTIONS

Right time, right place Swiss Post is a business that takes innovation very seriously.

In fact in 2014 it established its Development & Innovation unit to act as a hub for projects and bundle them into subject-specific development programmes.

One of the areas of focus has been facilities services. ECJ speaks to Kaspar Adank, head of innovation for Swiss Post real estate management and Vanessa Schneider, expert in digitisation for the innovation team to find out more.

As a business with its eye firmly on the future and how digitisation can improve all aspects of its business, Swiss Post drives innovation through its Development & Innovation unit. This supports groupwide projects, with its experts helping the different units to identify new ideas and expand them into new business areas. It draws on the ideas of the group’s 60,000 employees and also works with external partners including start-ups, universities and state institutions. Innovation is driven through collaborative web platforms.

Kaspar Adank is head of innovation for Swiss Post real estate management. He explained his team may have between 15 and 20 innovation projects in action at any one time – not all of them will succeed.

The emphasis is on speed of innovation and projects are quickly shelved if they are not obviously viable very early on. “The key focus is data,” he says, “and data is vital.

In fact it will become more important than the building itself – it is set to dominate the FM sector.”

Digital FM is in fact part of Swiss Post’s Strategy 2020. With that in mind it developed Service on Demand, a product geared towards building users’ behaviour and their actual needs. This means the operator can maintain customer satisfaction by keeping hotspots under control, a close eye on the workflow and costs lower.

Reduction in service rounds Service on Demand devices are installed at service-intensive points in Swiss Post buildings such as paper recycling containers, coffee machines and washrooms. One of the building users notifies the FM team when a service is required by pressing a button so employees can service an area only when they really need to. Adank explains: “The head of FM wants to reduce the number of routine checks carried out by employees and achieve a scenario whereby they are ‘fire fighting’.

“For the cleaning and other FM teams this means a reduction in service rounds, dynamic operational planning and automated order management. Staff are

34 | June/July 2019 | ECJ

also free from unnecessary tasks so have the capacity to become involved in other duties.”

Of course the introduction of the new technology also brings with it improvements in the customer experience too.

Building occupants can actively notify the FM team about all kinds of incidents, with a quick response time guaranteed. The devices are easy to use and use LoRaWAN (long range wide area network) so integration is simple and does not depend on the existing infrastructure. The battery operated buttons can be installed anywhere and battery life is more than five years. All information needed by the service provider is filed in the app and progress can be tracked throughout the process.

Resource-intensive Innovation has now moved on another step with the development of IntelliClean, a solution developed specifically for the cleaning teams within the FM function.

Vanessa Schneider, expert in digitisation for the innovation team, has been involved from the start. “We started by making a roadmap of innovation/challenges in cleaning and technical aspects,” she explains. “IntelliClean is an algorithm that predicts what cleaning is needed in different areas and in order to develop it we measured different rooms – for example meeting rooms and washrooms – and collected data from each area. Data is gathered from sensors and WiFi usage, which illustrates the areas people are populating most.”

Sensors in meeting rooms measure the number of door openings. Schneider continues: “We can then target areas where people are for cleaning services. So we visualise that data on tablets and give them to staff. There is an A3 print-out of tasks over the week which is given to operatives.”

New way of cleaning Adank adds: “Our task has been to develop a whole new way of cleaning at the right time, in the right place – according

SMART SOLUTIONS

to sensor data and the population of the building. And cleaning only what’s necessary is an important element.”

Schneider explains how this has been a resource-intensive project up to now. “We spoke to the cleaning staff almost daily in order to get their feedback. Doing that helps us learn much faster, however it is time consuming.”

She found cleaners were happy to work with the touchscreen technology. “They all have smartphones anyway so it was not alien to them.” Throughout this trial stage the development team has emphasised the need for cleaners’ input and feedback and this has helped a great deal in how they feel about the technology. “They like being involved,” explains Schneider. “A dynamic plan means the cleaners and the organisation must be more flexible. So the job will change and we are still looking at how that will pan out in the long run.”

The policy within Swiss Post is that teams learn as quickly as possible when developing innovations. “It is also very important that prototyping is fast, and if it isn’t working we move on,” says Sch-

Swiss Post adopte une approche très proactive face à l’innovation numérique, comme en témoigne clairement ses services auprès de l’immobilier, où cette société a introduit le Service sur Demande dans ses prestations multi-services. Aujourd’hui, elle propose une nouvelle innovation sous la forme du dispositif numérique IntelliClean à l’usage des agents de nettoyage.

neider. “We work to KPIs and we must prove gains very soon after embarking on a new project. For example with Service on Demand, idea to implementation was just six months.”

And the latest news is that IntelliClean was given final approval in June of this year and has now gone live in two Swiss Post buildings – it is now at the acceleration stage of the innovation process. “We have built the solution for our own use at Swiss Post in the first instance,” Adank explains, “then we will go to the open market with it.

So that means cleaning service providers, also big hospitals, airports etc.”

“Open innovation is very important to us as an organisation so the aim is to offer it to other businesses with a similar structure to ours.”

The cleaning service provider at the Swiss Post building where IntelliClean is now being used is Vebego. Head of key account management Jürg Brechbühl explained that the collaboration on IntelliClean began around 18 months ago. “To make sure the solution will also work in ‘third party’ markets we have initiated a

Swiss Post verfolgt einen äußerst proaktiven Ansatz bei der digitalen Innovation, und dies wurde in der Grundstücksverwaltungsabteilung sehr gut verdeutlicht, wo Dienstleistung auf Anforderung im Facility Management eingeführt wurde. Jetzt gibt es eine weitere Entwicklung mit IntelliClean – einer digitalen Lösung, die von den Reinigungskräften selbst eingesetzt wird.

field test.”

What has been the reaction from staff?

“They see this test as a good opportunity to work with a smart tool, and to develop dynamic working hours models. This in turn could result in higher workloads.”

Brechbühl sees a number of important benefits in the IntelliClean software. “It reinforces the perception of the customer that we are an innovative and advanced employer,” he explained. “They also appreciate the transparency of the services provided and that also applies to cleaning as a key component of quality control.

“We like the fact the customer has access to all information and there is the option for them to control cleaning frequencies – the opportunity to reduce costs is an important selling point. The efficiency benefits are clear, and it is also an advantage to offer a system like this to differentiate us from other companies in the market.”

As IntelliClean develops, Brechbühl would like to see all relevant data available via one tool. “We would prefer to have as few interfaces as possible,” he concludes.

La Swiss Post ha un approccio estremamente proattivo verso l’innovazione digitale e ciò è stato ben illustrato nel dipartimento degli immobili, dove il “Servizio su Richiesta” è stato introdotto nei servizi alle strutture. Ora c’è un ulteriore sviluppo con IntelliClean – una soluzione digitale per l’utilizzo da parte degli addetti alle pulizie stessi.

June/July 2019 | ECJ | 35

CHEMICAL DISPENSING

Indispensable dispensing While chemical dosing systems are becoming more widely used, many cleaners are still using the traditional “glug-glug” method of diluting products. But are there certain environments in which dosing systems are particularly advisable – or even indispensable, asks Ann Laffeaty?

It has become increasingly common in many industries for cleaning chemicals to be dispensed via a dosing system. These offer a number of advantages over traditional “glug-glug” methods: they avoid any human contact with neat chemicals at point of delivery and they offer cost and sustainability benefits since the risk of using chemicals in higher concentrations than necessary is reduced.

On the other hand, manual dosing methods are quick and easy to use and avoid the initial cost outlay associated with dosing systems. But should these “glug-glug” methods be avoided in some environments or for certain applications?

And are there some tasks for which chemical dosing systems would be particularly advisable?

The commercial laundry sector is an example of one such environment according to Brightwell Dispensers’ marketing manager Nicole Mathes. “Chemical dosing systems help to ensure the correct amount of cleaning product is used at the right time to provide consistent cleaning results,” she said.

“The over-use of laundry products can cause damage to the fabric or create a bad odour when used with certain linens.

Optimal cleaning performance therefore depends on accurately diluted chemicals and the use of a dispensing system is one of the most effective ways of doing that.”

She says dosing systems are also important in healthcare facilities such as care homes and hospitals. “In these types of environments it is crucial for the wellbeing

of patients, employees and visitors to focus on a high standard of hygiene in order to reduce the risk of cross-contamination and healthcare-associated infections,” said Mathes. “In fact the monitoring of such facilities and the provision of disinfection are both critical to the safety of residents and staff – and of the reputation of the business.”

She adds that chemical dosing systems can help facilities to better understand and control their chemical usage which means they are particularly suitable for care homes, which often need to work within a tight budget.

“Businesses are continuously striving for cost reductions and efficiencies, so a system that controls chemical consumption is of great importance,” she said. “In fact a dosing system works well in any industry where reliable, accurate and controlled dosing is required.”

Consistent results According to Mathes such industries include dishwashing, hospitality, cleaning and hygiene, manufacturing, water treatment, agriculture, medical, mining and food processing.

“A good example of the importance of dosing systems can be seen in any business where food is prepared and served,” she said. “The build-up of fats, oil and grease - known as FOGs - in drains and sewers is a big problem.

“For food preparation businesses the accumulation of FOGs can be bad news as it can lead to foul smells and blocked drains. It is therefore advised that businesses invest in appropriate automated drain dosing systems to prevent it.”

Brightwell Dispensers’ DrainWatch is an automated dosing pump that dispenses measured doses of an enzyme-based solution at timed intervals into the waste pipe closest to kitchen sinks and dishwashers. This is claimed to help keep drains and sewers clean.

Dosing is an indispensable asset in nearly all professional cleaning environments according to international business

development lead for Werner and Mertz Enzo Dario Sforza. “This covers sectors such as building care, laundry, warewashing and hand hygiene,” he said.

“Dosing systems ensure the right amount of chemical is used for the cleaning task in hand. They also help to control the cost of product usage and they guarantee user safety.”

He believes dosing systems are an important contributor to the desired cleaning result. “However in certain segments, expectations go beyond this,” he said. “In the food processing sector for instance, food may be contaminated with pathogenic bacteria which will be transmitted directly or indirectly on to surfaces, floors and even humans.

“The wrong dosage levels here will not simply result in increased chemical costs but will also impact on cleaning and disinfection results. And in textile cleaning procedures in hospitals and day care units items such as cloths, mops and bed linen need to be treated in the most hygienic way to avoid cross-contamination.”

He says the transport sector is another area where dosing systems are indispensable. “Take for instance the cleaning of trains: how can you ensure you have accurate dosing where there is limited space and no access to a water supply?” he said.

The company’s Quick & Easy system is said to solve this issue since it consists of small bottles of highly concentrated product that may be screwed into a mobile foam dosing trigger.

According to Sforza, dosing systems support cleaning staff by applying the right amount of chemical according to the type of soiling, degree of dirt and type of materials used. “Considering the amount of variables impacting the cleaning result, there is a high risk of doing something wrong,” he said.

“The building care segment is also subject to continuous personnel changes and this could lead to an ongoing need for costly training, or badly-trained staff Continued page 38

June/July 2019 | ECJ | 37

CHEMICAL DISPENSING Indispensable dispensing (continued) continually over-consuming products. And both scenarios have cost implications.”

He claims that a dosing system will ensure staff are not over-using chemicals.

“Besides the cost benefits this offers, there will also be a positive environmental impact,” said Sforza.

Reliable dosing systems can play a key role in every cleaning application according to Dr Schnell Chemie marketing executive Franz Felbermeir. “These are not yet implemented across all areas often due to the additional purchasing costs, but the willingness to use them is increasing,” he said. “It is important to note the cost of cleaning solutions makes up less than two per cent of the overall costs - and dosing is a leverage factor for enhancing efficiency.”

In his opinion dosing systems are indispensable in hygienically-sensitive areas such as kitchens, the healthcare industry and other environments in which disinfection is required. “The correct dosage here is not only important in terms of efficiency, but can often also make the difference between proper and improper application.”

Dosing systems are also particularly suitable for surface disinfection applications in medical facilities, according to

38 | June/July 2019 | ECJ

Felbermeir. “And they are important in laundry disinfection where it is not simply a matter of using a listed cleaning solution - the dosing system itself helps to ensure the safety of the process,” he said.

In fact he feels dosing systems are often indispensable in order to ensure the user’s safety. “This is a major advantage in an industry with frequently changing personnel, short learning times and where language skills are often lacking,” he said.

Safety and service “Cleaning personnel are generally international in nature. In many industries whether it is in a clinic, care home, hotel, commercial kitchen, office, transport company or industrial business, between 30 and 50 languages may be spoken so it is important that all cleaning solutions are safe and easy to use.”

Chemical dosing systems are particularly important in environments where safety and service are both major concerns, says Hydro Systems global product manager Matt Hayas. “These include healthcare, hospitality, food service and education for example,” he said.

“If cleaning and sanitation are not

executed properly in these environments it puts people at risk. And people form opinions based on a perception of cleanliness: a single experience of a dirty toilet facility or a soiled surface may well deter people from visiting an establishment again.”

He says dosing systems are also often used in environments such as schools and universities to prevent over-consumption and to keep down costs.

“Laundry is another area where chemical dispensers are often considered indispensable,” adds the company’s global product manager John Goetz. “Here there will be many different linens which will be soiled at various levels, and this makes the nature of the business too complex to manage manually.”

He claims a dosing system can reduce labour costs, utility costs and additional chemical costs caused by the need for rewashing. “Rewash can cost laundries over €40,000 per year in profit,” he said.

Dispensers offer clean, consistent and accurate results which can increase both employee and customer satisfaction according to Hayas. “Chemical dosing systems also cut down on waste, save time and provide a positive environmental

CHEMICAL DISPENSING impact due to less plastic consumption, minimised shipping costs, reduced rewash and the conservation of resources such as water, electricity and chemical usage.”

While chemical dosing systems are not a legal requirement, they can certainly be considered best practice, he adds.

“Even chemicals that are considered to be non-hazardous or eco-friendly need to be diluted accurately to work properly and to control costs,” says Hayas.

So will dosing systems ever become truly indispensable? They are certainly becoming more useful all the time, according to commentators. For example, Werner & Mertz has incorporated remote management procedures into its mechanical warewashing and laundry dosing solutions to enable customers to adjust dosage levels Quelles sont les contextes où les systèmes de dosage chimique s’imposent le plus ? Peut-on dire, par exemple, que leur emploi s’impose particulièrement, pour des raisons de sécurité alimentaire, dans des hôpitaux, hôtels et restaurants ? Sont-ils recommandés dans le secteur des loisirs pour assurer la propreté et l’hygiène de piscines? Ou sont-ils incontournables dans des établissements scolaires, universitaires et autres pour contenir les coûts et réduire l’utilisation de produits chimiques ?

remotely and analyse washing performance on an ongoing basis.

Dr Schnell Chemie is also using the latest IoT technology in its dishwasher and laundry dosing systems. “Technicians can now modify dosing settings during remote maintenance and observe them in real time – and businesses with multiple sites are leaning more towards smart device monitoring,” said Franz Felbermeir.

Brightwell Dispensers’ BrightLogic laundry dosing systems also make a continuous record of chemical usage. “These generate reports on consumption to ensure maximum efficiency and help users to understand their capacity to help them when forecasting new business requirements,” said Nicole Mathes.

And Hydro Systems also has an Internet In welchen Umgebungen werden Chemikaliendosiersysteme am meisten benötigt?

Sind sie beispielsweise in Krankenhäusern, Hotels und Restaurants aus Gründen der Sicherheit besonders angebracht? Sind sie in der Freizeitindustrie beliebt, um etwa die Sauberkeit und Hygiene von Schwimmbecken sicherzustellen? Oder sind sie in Schulen, Universitäten und anderen Einrichtungen von unschätzbarem Wert, um Kosten und die Verwendung von Chemikalien zu reduzieren?

of Things (IoT) platform, Hydro Connect.

This cloud-based system is said to give chemical providers and end users increased visibility into industrial laundry and other operations.

Such innovations are increasing the value of dosing systems, according to Hydro Systems’ Matt Hayas. “Adoption of chemical dispensing systems is steadily increasing around the world, responding to the demand for cleanliness, sanitation, greater regulation and enhanced efficiency,” he said.

“Sometimes there is a perceived cost to end users in terms of the equipment, staff training and maintenance required.

However, these perceived costs can be minimised by selecting the right dispenser which will pay for itself many times over.”

In che tipologia di ambiente sono più necessari i sistemi di dosaggio di prodotti chimici? Per esempio, sono particolarmente richiesti negli ospedali, negli hotel e nei ristoranti per ragioni di sicurezza? Sono diffusi nel settore ricreativo per mantenere le piscine pulite e igieniche per esempio? Oppure sono indispensabili nelle scuola, nelle università o in altre istituzioni per tenere bassi i costi e ridurre l’uso di prodotti chimici?

CHEMICAL DILUTION AND DOSING

SOAP AND PAPER DISPENSERS

DISHWASH DOSING

LAUNDRY DOSING

Contact us to discover our entire product range Call +44 (0) 1273 513566

Email sales@brightwell.co.uk

@Brightwell_disp

INNOVATIVE DISPENSING SOLUTIONS SINCE 1947

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BRIGHTWELL.CO.UK

June/July 2019 | ECJ | 39

PRODUCTS: CHEMICAL DISPENSING

• La gamme Eco Ragne de Brightwell Dispenser comprend des dispositifs de dilution et de dosage capables de traiter un à cinq produits chimiques.

• Le ProMax est le système de dilution et de distribution à quatre produits, conçu pour l’économie de temps et proposé par Seko.

• Bei der Eco Range von Brightwell Dispensers handelt es sich um eine Produktfamilie von Verdünnungsund Dosierlösungen für eine bis fünf Chemikalien.

• Bei ProMax von Seko handelt es sich um ein chemisches Verdünnungs- und Dosiersystem für vier Produkte, das im Hinblick auf Zeitersparnis konzipiert wurde.

• Eco Range della Brightwell Dispensers è una linea di soluzioni di diluizione e dosaggio con capienza fino a cinque prodotti chimici.

• ProMax è il sistema di diluizione ed erogazione di quattro prodotti chimici della Seko progettato per risparmiare tempo.

40 | June/July 2019 | ECJ

Versatile With its Eco Range Brightwell Dispensers is offering a variety of dilution and dosing solutions, from dispensing one dose of chemical concentrate into a bucket of water to diluting up to five chemicals from one dispenser.

The newest model is the Ecomulti Compact 5 which can dilute up to five chemicals, each with 13 specific dilution ratios.

The dispenser has two separate proportioners inside, making it suitable for combining high and low flow applications.

For users wanting to dispense

only one chemical there is the Ecomix system and for applications with no mains water access the Ecoshot is the solution for dosing of just one chemical. www.brightwell.co.uk

Next edition of ECJ - September

Time saving Seko’s ProMax is a fourproduct chemical dilution and dispensing system suitable for commercial kitchen, hospitality or janitorial applications.

Saving time has been a key priority in its design - the wall bracket mounting for simple, practically tool-free installation; high accuracy push-button dilution; and low maintenance.

A choice of models is available for the filling of spray bottles, mop buckets and floor scrubbers with ready-to-use solutions, while the system’s modularity allows additional units to be added to an existing installation.

SekureDose meanwhile, com-

bines the convenience of wallmounted chemical storage with high accuracy dosing for filling sinks, spray bottles and mop buckets. Chemical is stored in a lockable 2.5 or five-litre cabinet and dispensed via a push button which includes an integrated dosing adjustor.

Customisation options include colour-coded dispensing caps to make product identification quick and simple for users, along with bespoke labels to display branding or safety information. www.seko.com

CLEANING IN TAIWAN

Concerned about cleanliness The Taiwanese cleaning industry is getting a little bit bigger every year, as it is turning from a seller’s market to a buyer’s market, resulting in very low payment for cleaners. Yet, when Bobbie van der List travels through the country it seems to be a respected job, and keeping the public spaces clean seems to be ingrained in Taiwanese identity.

In the second half of the 20th century, Taiwan became known as one of the three Asian Tigers for its impressive economic growth. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the by-products of that growth began piling up on street corners and “trash mountains” at the outskirts of cities.

Typhoon-prone Taiwan is particularly vulnerable to contamination from landfill sites that leak into soil and groundwater supplies. Steel factories and heavy construction in Taipei also cause significant air pollution, which reached its worst levels in the 1980s, according to Eugene Chien, Taiwan’s first Minister of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). He noted that by the end of a work day, the white collars of office workers would be lined with soot.

In the 1990s Taiwan, an island with the population of Australia but with less than one per cent of its land mass, decided to construct incinerators to deal with the waste build-up, sparking public outcry about the chemical pollutants that would be released into the air.

This story is particularly striking as the landscape has drastically changed ever since: although there are still calls for pushing back air pollution, and when the wind comes from Mainland China it brings along dark smog clouds. This problematic relationship with the environment also led to some very conscious Taiwanese citizens, who are determined to keep their country clean. Whether that is through professional cleaning companies or very strong trade unions, voices of the cleaning sector are often heard in domestic media, and taken up to the highest political level.

Walking in the city, one might think that cleanliness is not a high priority. In fact, the streets of Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, come across as sloppy at first sight. On almost every street corner you’ll find vendors, the country is said to have the world’s best street food – so food markets are numerous. With a sub-tropical climate, people often live outside for most part of the day – after work they go to the hundreds of night markets that are full of the most delicious street food. It does lead

to some districts being overburdened with waste and litter.

But the image of carelessness turns around towards the end of the night, when groups of vendors walk side by side to clean up all that has been left on the ground, they scrub the streets where needed, and make sure to recycle everything in eight separate bags. It is simply remarkable to see how communities ensure their own areas are kept tidy. But one also needs to realise that keeping public spaces free from rubbish is ingrained in people’s consciousness in Taiwan.

I talk with a street vendor, who is known by people in the city of Taipei as Mister Chen. He remembers the darker days, when Taipei’s streets were a mess, and it was not hygienic enough to cook. “Now we have cleaning teams in various street food market. In shifts we go by all the vendors to collect trash, and properly scrub the floors. People naturally take part in this exercise of keeping the streets clean.”

It sounds rather abstract, but in a country in the proximity of mainland China, with smog coming over Taipei, people are all too familiar with the issues modern society is causing and how consumerism can lead to piles of litter. A young man named Wei, who stands with his friends next Continued page 42

Threoblem.

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June/July 2019 | ECJ | 41

CLEANING IN TAIWAN Concerned about cleanliness (continued) of-the-art technology this is also true for cleaning. I spoke to the Taiwan Cleaning Technology Association (TCTA) to find out what the challenges are for the country’s cleaning industry. One of the board members, Ms Hsieh, shed some light on what she expects over the coming years.

to a food truck selling smelly tofu, says: “We grew up seeing how the environment increasingly gets polluted. It makes youth extra aware of the importance of cleaning, it is ingrained in our mentality, I suppose.”

His friends nod their head. One adds: “It might look a bit dirty now, but we’ll clean it up later!” he reassures me.

I decide to travel to the south of Taiwan, taking the high-speed train to a city called Kaohsiung. Interestingly, often a ride tells you more than the destination you’re travelling to, especially when you write about cleaning. A staff member on the train explains to me how on every stop cleaners make brief inspections to see whether any rubbish has been left behind. Prevention is the best policy. The reality however, is that few people leave their rubbish behind.

In fact when the refreshment trolleys pass through the carriages the staff ask passengers if they have any rubbish. “I think that when we ask people if we can collect their waste they become more aware of the fact that someone is actually taking care of it. So most people take their rubbish with them or hand it over neatly in a plastic bag,” the train crew member tells me in fluent English. A passenger who is sitting next to me agrees, and says that it’s important for travellers to recognise the work cleaners do daily.

More than anywhere else in Taiwan, on the train I witnessed the spirit of the Taiwanese, engaged with the environment and concerned about keeping public spaces clean.

Taiwan is known for developing state-

What are the current challenges for the Taiwanese cleaning industry? “The accurate technique and cleanliness of products are more and more in demand. Due to the ongoing energy crisis, the design and planning of energy-saving techniques needs to be improved. The methods for removal and filtration of chemical substances in the air of cleanroom could be better.”

And what do you think can still improve if you look at the Taiwanese cleaning industry? “We can definitely strengthen the research and development of cleaning techniques and improve our methods.

We can accelerate talent cultivation and capability building, increase the accuracy of professional training, and improve enterprise training ability, so as to cultivate more professionals, make the industry more attractive for our Asian partners. We can promote our international cooperation plans as well.”

Do you have any insights on the growth of the industry? “We should recruit overseas talents in science and technology and build up advanced skills domestically.

We must establish national and large research and development centres and it’s important for us to open up international cooperation and technical exchange.’

Bobbie van der List, correspondant d’ECJ, fait rapport depuis Taïwan où le secteur de propreté croît petit à petit chaque année mais dont les travailleurs sont très mal rémunérés. Toutefois, le métier de nettoyeur paraît y être respecté et le maintien d’espaces publics dans un bon état de propreté semble enraciné dans les mœurs.

ECJ-Korrespondent Bobbie van der List berichtet aus Taiwan, wo die Reinigungsbranche Jahr für Jahr ein kleines Wachstum zeigt, doch die Reinigungskräfte nur einen sehr niedrigen Lohn erhalten. Dennoch scheint es eine angesehene Arbeit zu sein, und öffentliche Plätze sauber zu halten, scheint tief in der Kultur verwurzelt zu sein.

Cleaning industry insight

What are some uniquely Taiwanese cleaning standards, compared to international standards? “Currently we are collecting data from international standards organisations and research institutions to establish cleaning technical standards, for example National Aeronautics and Space Administration and ISO standards.”

There has been a slow shift towards greater professionalism amongst contract cleaning companies in Taiwan, including a strongly branded image and greater employment training. Can you confirm this, and what kind of training should we think of? “We should be thinking of many different aspects. There are cleanroom courses for biomedicine: the set-up and planning of biosafety in laboratories, then there are medical cleanrooms: pharma company design and TAB (Testing, Adjustment and Balancing). And in terms of industrial cleaning there is a course called Facility System Management (FSM): the design and control of gaseous chemical pollutant in cleanrooms.”

Due to low entry barriers, contract cleaning is likely to remain a very price competitive industry in Taiwan. Should this change? “In response to the low price competition, enterprise should focus on technique improvement to gain an advantage and upgrade the industry as a whole.”

What are the most recent trends?

“According to the association of cleaners in Taiwan the market switched from a seller’s market to a buyer’s market, with some product categories encountering unhealthy pricing practices.”

Da Taiwan, il corrispondente di ECJ Bobbie van der List ci informa sul settore del cleaning che sta aumentato un pò alla volta ogni anno ma gli addetti alle pulizie vengono pagati un salario molto basso. Ciò nonostante sembra che sia un lavoro ben rispettato e che mantenere pulite le aree pubbliche sia ben radicato nella loro cultura.

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s ta ® s t ro o m ing con spread y to clean re Cleaning f o d a a h w c il, r u Inste o e o s h No-T anot move there’s ving. Kaivac covery to re o re by rem use vacuum ntaminants. o s c m r e e t s h t y S and o , ia r e om t bac mea.c ivac-e a .k w ww

42 | June/July 2019 | ECJ

WIPES & CLOTHS

Where’s that wiper?

When an industrial operative needs a wiper, that need will be pressing – whether it is because their hands are greasy, a component requires cleaning or a spill needs to be mopped up from the floor. So, what is the best way of equipping and organising a workshop to give staff quick access to cloths and wipers when they need them? Ann Laffeaty finds out.

Wipers and cloths are an essential tool in any industry for mopping up spills, cleaning delicate components and removing substances such as oil, grease and grime from the hands.

But when a wiper is required, that need is often urgent – otherwise that oil spill on the floor could quickly become a slipping hazard for other staff, or those dirty hands could go on to contaminate components or work surfaces.

However, items such as cloths and wipers rarely feature high on the list of priorities for the managers of factories and workshops. So they might simply choose to provide a single bag of rags for use by everyone, or they may install a centrally-placed wiping roll on a floor stand for general use. Alternatively, they could opt to supply a few loose rolls of centrefeed wiper and scatter these around the premises in the hope that operatives will find and use them as and when they are needed.

But wiper manufacturers claim there are several disadvantages to all these strategies.

“If there is just one centrally-placed wiping source in an industrial unit, operators may be forced to walk long distances in order to fetch a rag or wiper,” said Essity’s industrial marketing director Jenny Turner. “Rags too are often supplied in compressed packs and when the bag is opened, the contents spill out everywhere which is inconvenient for operatives when moving around the workspace.

“And extra time will be wasted in trying to find the right rag since these tend to be made from different materials and come in different qualities and sizes. The performance of rags may also be variable due to these inconsistent materials.”

Loose rolls of paper also have drawbacks since some qualities of paper may not be suitable for the task in hand, she said. “Wiper rolls could also become contaminated before use or misplaced, and both scenarios will create employee frustration and result in lost time,” said

Turner. “There is also a risk that they might fall into the wrong places and damage processing equipment.

“If you don’t have the right products where you need them and when you need them, it will have a negative impact on productivity.”

She says a chaotic environment in which a wiper cannot be swiftly located could also create a poor impression on customers. “Customer audit scores can make or break your business - it’s as simple as that,” she said. “And when your customers come to visit they want to see a modern, clean and well-organised production environment. But dirty old rags left behind in piles will create a messy and unprofessional impression, no matter how modern your facilities and machines actually are.”

Crisis situation Metsä’s UK and Ireland vice president Mark Dewick says wipers tend to be used either as an integral part of a task or in a crisis situation. “In the first case, the wiper should always be available to hand when it is required whereas in the second scenario, a wiper will be needed NOW!” he said.

“Spills too should be quickly cleared up since these are a health and safety hazard and could be spread from one place to another via the hands or shoes.

“It is inevitable that time will be lost If wipers are not to hand – and time equals money. If an operative has to walk any distance to the wiper source or cannot find one when they need one, time will be wasted and delays will occur to the job in hand.”

He says locating wipers should not be an issue since most operatives who are familiar with their work environment will use wipers often enough to know where they are stored. “However, rolls should be held on a dispenser - whether it is wallmounted or freestanding – because a roll will quickly become mucky and contaminated if it is left lying around,” he adds.

So, how can the wiping process be Continued page 44

June/July 2019 | ECJ | 43

WIPES & CLOTHS Where’s that wiper? (continued) speeded up and rendered more efficient?

The answer lies in the dispensing system, according to commentators. Wipers supplied in rolled sheets in dispensing boxes or folded sheets in plastic packages will ensure that the product is always available at the point of requirement, says Dewick.

“Mobile solutions can add value because each operative can have their own supply,” he said. “Where operatives are responsible for their own products it helps to ensure that ‘sharing’ does not become ineffective.”

He says it is also important to ensure that appropriate wipers are provided for the environment in question. “For example, wipers should offer the right qualities such as low levels of linting, heat resistance where required, and food safety certification in areas where foodstuffs are being processed or prepared,” he said.

Reduce accident risk An industrial company can save time, create a better structure and reduce the risk of accidents if all wiping and cleaning products are organised on the shop floor in places where they are needed most, says Essity’s Jenny Turner. And she adds it is crucial all dispensers are easy to identify and located close to the task being performed in order to optimise productivity.

“Dispensers should also be available in a range of sizes and formats and should be sufficiently robust to suit their environment,” she said. “And if they are supplied in an eye-catching colour and have a consistent design across the site as well, this will help employees to spot them quickly.”

Essity’s Tork Performance dispensers for industrial cloths and wipers come in red/smoke housings to stand out against the walls of industrial units, she says. They are available in a range of temporary and fixed placement formats and can be placed close to the wiping task. The company also offers Tork Workflow, a free auditing service aimed at analysing industrial wiping and cleaning needs with a view to improving workstation efficiency.

Metsä’s Mark Dewick agrees that the type of dispensing system can play a large part in ensuring a clean, functional wipe is Dans les ateliers industriels, on ne peut se passer de l’humble essuyeur pour éponger des épandages, nettoyer des composants et s’essuyer des mains graisseuses. Et quand on a besoin d’un essuyeur, ça urge souvent car si on n’en trouve pas un tout de suite, la tâche d’huile sur le sol pourrait causer des glissades ou ces mains graisseuses pourraient contaminer des composants ou surfaces. À quel point importe-t-il donc de pouvoir facilement trouver et utiliser un essuyeur industriel ? Combien de temps perd-on à chercher le rouleau de papier d’essuyage ou à marcher pour trouver le sac à chiffons ?

44 | June/July 2019 | ECJ

always available at point of use.

“Fixed dispensers should be lockable, easy to refill and easy to find in identified locations,” he said. “It is also important to make them easy to use. For example, the ability to use a single hand to remove a wiper is essential because if an operative is holding something in one hand they will need to be able to use the other to remove the wiper.

Reinforce morale New from Metsä is the Katrin Master Range of wipes which may be taken out of the protective sleeve using one hand. The company also offers industrial wiping rolls which come in wall-mounted and floorstanding dispensers and that can also be operated with one hand.

So, what are the key benefits of a well thought-out wiping solution? “It helps to ensure better efficiency,” said Turner.

“There will be less time lost walking to find a wiper and spillages can be dealt with swiftly, reducing the time spent cleaning up and reducing the risk of contamination.

And the risk of workplace accidents will Wischtücher sind in der Industrie unverzichtbar, um verschüttete Flüssigkeiten aufzuwischen, Komponenten zu reinigen und ölverschmierte Hände zu putzen. Und wenn eines benötigt wird, dann ist es häufig dringend – andernfalls könnte das auf dem Boden verschüttete Öl zu einer Gefährdung durch Ausrutschen werden oder die schmutzigen Hände könnten Komponenten oder Oberflächen verunreinigen. Wie wichtig ist es also, dass industrielle Wischtücher leicht zu finden und benutzerfreundlich sind? Wie viel Zeit wird verschwendet auf der Suche nach Wischtuchrollen oder durch den Gang zum Lumpensack, um ein Tuch auszuwählen?

also be reduced.”

A clean shop floor and good housekeeping practices will also demonstrate a level of care regarding working conditions, she says. “This in turn reinforces good morale among the staff and goes beyond the scope of the individual worker – when enough people do the right thing, others will follow suit,” said Turner.

Metsä’s Mark Dewick adds that a wellorganised wiping system helps to facilitate a clean and safe work environment while ensuring the right product is always to be found in the right place. “It also makes sure that no damage is caused by using the wrong product and no time is wasted in a hunt for wipes,” he said.

“Besides offering more efficient working practices and better results in terms of productivity, this also provides a more professional impression for customers which can result in more return visits, more recommendations and higher sales.

And it also lowers the company’s environmental impact by ensuring that the least amount of the right product is used only where necessary.”

I panni sono essenziali nell’industria per asciugare i liquidi rovesciati, per pulire i componenti e pulire le mani unte di olio. E quando si ha bisogno di un panno, la necessità è spesso urgente, altrimenti quell’olio rovesciato sul pavimento potrebbe diventare un rischio di scivolamento oppure le mani sporche potrebbero contaminare dei componenti o delle superfici. Quindi, che importanza ha il fatto che i panni industriali siano facili da trovare e da utilizzare?

Quanto tempo viene sprecato cercando ovunque i rotoli di panni o andando a cercare nel mucchio degli stracci alla ricerca di un panno?

PRODUCTS: WIPES & CLOTHS More efficient

Using Tork industrial wipers in place of rags reduces the amount of time, effort and solvents required to complete a task, according to Essity.

Rags produce more lint and are less absorbent than purposedesigned alternatives, claims the company. And Essity adds that Tork cloths require 20 per cent less effort to achieve the same results as rags while cutting the amount of time taken to complete a task by a third.

Tork Heavy-Duty Cleaning Cloths are said to be absorbent, thick and durable and capable of removing oil, grease, water and stubborn spots from components and surfaces. They are

also sufficiently bulky to protect the hands from heat and metal scraps and are strong enough to be used with solvents without falling apart.

The company says operatives can reduce the amount of solvents they use by up to 40 per cent when using Tork HeavyDuty Cleaning Cloths. This is because the cloths have been designed to soak up solvent and release it effectively back on to the wiping surface, while many rags retain the solvent within the cloth.

Designed for particularly tough cleaning and degreasing tasks are Tork Industrial Heavy Duty Cleaning Cloths, while Tork LowLint Cleaning Cloths are highly suitable for use in static chargesensitive areas. These cloths are supplied in a bucket in which a solvent or cleaning agent may be added. The impregnated cloths can then be pulled out of the bucket as needed while the rest are kept moist. www.tork.co.uk/getdetailed

Microfibre Microsystem’s Duotex mops are made from 100 per cent split microfibre and are said to attract dirt like a magnet when used dry, damp or wet. The advanced fibres are twisted for easy gliding and are said to enable the operative to use the whole area of the cloth when cleaning.

• Essity affirme que ses essuyeurs industriels Tork réduisent le temps, l’effort et les solvants requis pour l’exécution de tâches.

• Duotex est une solution d’essuyage proposée par Microsystem et réalisée à 100 pour cent en fibres fendues.

• Essity teilt mit, dass dank der industriellen Wischtücher von Tork weniger Zeit, Anstrengung und Reinigungsmittel erforderlich sind, um eine Aufgabe auszuführen.

• Bei Duotex handelt es sich um eine Wischlösung von Microsystem, die vollständig aus Split-Mikrofaser hergestellt wird.

Premium Knitted cloth is a knitted universal microfibre cloth suitable for all-round cleaning on all types of surfaces.

Premium Twisted cloth, meanwhile, is designed for cleaning and polishing and can be used on glasses, mirrors, ceramic tiles, stainless steel etc. www.microsystemduotex.com

• La Essity afferma che i suoi panni industriali per le pulizie Tork riducono tempo, fatica e solventi necessari per completare un lavoro di pulizia.

• Duotex è una soluzione di pulizia della Microsystem prodotta al 100 per cento in microfibra separata.

Download now at the App Store available for iOS or Andriod

™

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COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT PR • MARKETING • MEDIA RELATIONS • SOCIAL MEDIA

Cleaning & Hygiene Environmental & Recycling Equestrian Facilities Management Construction

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Ashdown Forest East Sussex, UK

BUSINESS: MARKETING

Time to review your marketing?

The world is your oyster…you have never had such an array of channels for marketing your products or services. Your dilemma is deciding which ones are right for your business. Hartley Milner enlists the help of a professional guide to get you through the marketing maze.

When did you last review your marketing strategy? This year, last year, the year before or do you simply make time as the whim takes you? The answer should be as frequently as possible to make sure your campaign remains on course, according to marketing consultant Dianne Bushell.

“Failing to do so risks giving ground to your competitors and, horror or horrors, losing customers to them,” she warns.

The challenge of ensuring a marketing strategy remains fresh can be daunting for smaller businesses working to constraints on their budget, time and staff resources.

So it is important they develop tactics and channels that will most efficiently maximise their customer reach.

You will already have a clear vision of your customer base in terms of geographic location, demographic make-

up and where they fall on your value table.

But how much do you know about the channels they use when searching for products and services in your sector?

“Precision marketing provides this insight…it allows businesses to identify their customers’ most favoured shopping platforms, whether digital or offline,” Bushell explains. “Then you can focus your resources on platforms that are most likely to engage your target audience and produce the best results from your marketing. Smartly tailoring your campaign in this way will also make it simpler to manage.

“With so many marketing avenues to choose from, it is all too easy for businesses to find themselves going down the wrong one for them. For example, most people are on Facebook, but if you are selling to a crowd where images are crucial to making purchasing decisions, for things like jewellery, furniture or fashion wear, it makes sense to use visually-oriented sites such as Pinterest, Instagram or Snapchat. Other businesses should get better responses from LinkedIn.

“The same goes for traditional offline marketing. Find the publications your audience reads, the radio stations they listen to and commercial directories they subscribe to. Think carefully before abandoning offline channels you have been using for years if they work for your business. Do not use advertising or other promotional strategies just because they are trendy.”

Social media was once viewed as trendy, but is now a must-have tool for nailing an effective marketing campaign.

So which platforms will serve you best?

“As a rule of thumb, if you occupy a business-to-consumer (B2C) sector, it is likely to be a combination of Facebook and Instagram, but for business-to-business (B2B) look at LinkedIn,” Bushell advises.

“All three now host video…one of the most impactful promotional aids available to business today.”

Facebook With 2.38 billion monthly active users worldwide, Facebook provides access to the biggest consumer market out there.

Continued page 50

June/July 2019 | ECJ | 49

BUSINESS: MARKETING Time to review your marketing? (continued) Facebook collects a great deal of data on its individual and business users, including what they are looking for, their buying habits, age, gender and interests, social profile and where they are located. All this enables you to target your advertisement at audiences most likely to be interested in your products or services and those you are most keen to reach.

Facebook ads are relatively inexpensive and create and generate leads quickly, so are a winning strategy for small businesses that serve specific geographic areas. Your ads show up instantly and begin attracting leads the moment they go live. There are also tools that enable you to track and analyse your results. Some small businesses claim Facebook gets them around 90 per cent of their new clients.

Instagram A relatively new kid on the block, Instagram is emerging as a social networking powerhouse. It has one billion active global users each month, of which 80 per cent follow a business on its platforms. Instagram allows users to publish photos as well as short video clips.

Studies show that people remember 80 per cent of what they see and only 20 per cent of what they read. This presents great opportunities to businesses.

The best thing about using Instagram is that you can grow your followers organically. This means you can increase your client base without paid advertising.

What is more, you can use the platform as a gateway to your business website by simply posting a link for your followers to click on. And, vice versa, browsers who see a gallery of your Instagram photos on your website can click on a link to your Instagram account and start following you there.

LinkedIn LinkedIn is the largest business network, with more than 26 million users, nearly 80 per cent of which are decision-makers for their companies. Unlike other social media platforms, it is geared solely around creating professional and business connections. LinkedIn is also the most popular platform for marketing content such as videos and podcasts, ebooks, infographics, blogs, posts and case Les options n’ont jamais été aussi nombreuses pour commercialiser nos produits ou services. La difficulté est de choisir celle qui conviendra pour notre commerce. Hartley Milner recourt à une guide professionnel pour naviguer à travers les méandres du marketing.

50 | June./July 2019 | ECJ

studies. All help promote your brand and drive traffic and leads to your businesses.

But of all you can do on LinkedIn building a bespoke company page should be central. It is the face you present to others in the business world. On your page, you can profile your company, provide information that sets you apart from your competitors, target local or global audiences and spotlight your products, services or promotions. Plus you can optimise how search engines find and rank your brand, and track how your company and the content you share on your page are performing.

Video People find video more engaging, informing and memorable than any other kinds of content. Including it in your website and social media will increase the chances of your target audience finding you when searching for a supplier in your sector. The three main types are storytelling videos that present the company, its story and employee profiles; animated explainer videos that offer ‘how to’ advice on solving problems and third party testimonial videos endorsing products or services.

But is video really feasible for small businesses? “Absolutely,” says Bushell.

“Production costs have fallen significantly over recent years and you no longer need to be a technical whiz to work out how to use it. Collaboration with a professional studio is still the best way forward as you can draw on their creativity and expertise.

However, if someone in your team is an accomplished video hobbyist, the web is full of pay-for or free tools to help you create videos and animations. But remember…creativity is key.”

Offline While continuing to march on apace, digital lags behind in at least one important area…trust. Research in the UK last year showed that 75 per cent of smaller business trusted offline more than online. The main reason was that they often felt whatever they read on the internet has been tailored to manipulate and deceive them. There were also concerns about the rising threat of cyber crime.

Niemals zuvor gab es eine solche Vielfalt von Möglichkeiten für das Marketing unserer Produkte oder Dienstleistungen. Das Dilemma ist zu entscheiden, welches die richtigen für Ihr Unternehmen sind. Hartley Milner nimmt die Hilfe eines professionellen Führers in Anspruch, um Ihnen durch das verwirrende Angebot an MarketingMöglichkeiten zu helfen.

The trust issue is helping drive not exactly a revival but perhaps a tailing off in the decline of print marketing. It was certainly a factor for many of the 98 per cent of UK businesses that said they would continue to use print as part of their marketing mix for the ‘foreseeable future’.

“Small businesses with a local focus can build their customer base by advertising and promoting their products or services through nearby outlets,” Bushell continues.

“Options include local papers, leafleting campaigns, sponsoring events, chamber of commerce activities or local networking.

Regional radio is a frequently underrated yet highly cost-effective way to reach an audience.

“In addition, niche and trade magazines in your sector, local press and public relations can help increase awareness, for example through press releases and event sponsorship. Exhibitions are another channel to consider, especially for B2B marketing. They help establish your business among your peers, building brand awareness and enabling face-to-face contact with buyers.

“The ideal marketing strategy is one that combines both online and offline methods, which means that all bases are covered and you will not end up missing out on any one particular demographic.”

So how can you find out where people go to search for a product or service in your sector? Bushell says: “The single most important step you can take is to contact your existing customers to find out how they first heard about you. Did they stumble across your website while searching for something online? Was it an ad you placed in a local publication? Did someone on your mailing list forward one of your emails to them?

“Record what you find and you should see some patterns emerging. It is very unlikely that your customer base will be equally distributed across all of your marketing activities. Some activities will have produced more customers than others, so those are the ones that you should prioritise. One of the most common marketing mistakes that small businesses make is spreading their resources too thinly instead of focusing on a few proven tactics.”

Non c’è mai stata così tanta scelta di opzioni per la commercializzazione dei nostri prodotti o servizi.

Il dilemma è quello di decidere quali siano le scelte giuste per la propria attività. Hartley Milner si avvale dell’aiuto di una guida professionale per aiutare l’utente a muoversi nel dedalo del marketing

WINDOW CLEANING

The window of opportunity What are the most challenging aspects of a window cleaner’s everyday life? What are the tasks they spend most time on during a typical working day, how do they organise their time and work in the most productive way possible? And what are the most valuable tools in helping them to operate efficiently?

52 | June/July 2019 | ECJ

Whether they’re working for a business or self-employed, window cleaners are expected to deliver high standards on every job they do, create a positive image and guarantee good customer care. What are the aspects of the business that are the most challenging, how can they organise their time most efficiently during the working day and how is the equipment they use enabling them to deliver high standards, more productively?

The positive news is that the window cleaning market is in good shape and there are plenty of opportunities for growth. “The market is developing extremely positively,” says Stefan Kossmann of Unger, which specialises in window cleaning equipment. “There are more enquiries than orders can be completed. However this does not just affect the market for glass cleaning, the entire cleaning industry is prospering and more and more attention is being paid to quality.

“Building service providers follow market developments and try to adapt themselves so that all expectations can be met – as the customers’ expectations are also increasing,” he continues. “So cleaning companies must continue to evolve to ensure the end customer is satisfied.”

Moerman’s Jeroen van Hecke agrees.

“The window cleaning market is certainly prospering,” he says. “A number of factors are influencing and confirming that.

“Many people now have a demanding job and prefer to enjoy their free time rather than cleaning windows. And against the background of accelerating demographic ageing more people may decide to outsource their window cleaning. The fact there is now a wide variety of architectural designs with a tendency to more windows/lights/ large windows requires cleaning from specialised window cleaning companies.

And in some regions of the world, more high-rise buildings are being constructed – again needing professional cleaning.”

Moerman specialises in window cleaning

tools and systems.

There are some key factors affecting how window cleaners are doing their job, explains Stefan Kossmann. “A major trend in the industry is automation. Drones and robots are already being used for suitable objects, especially for large and complicated glass surfaces. Cleaning with pure water can still be seen as a trend. In particular, working with deionisation (DI) or reverse osmosis (RO) systems. This cleaning method is not yet established all over Europe, but has been influencing the market for some time.” Unger produces a number of pure water window cleaning systems.

As in any cleaning business the cost of labour is one of the greatest challenges for the window cleaner. “Our sector needs more skilled people,” explains van Hecke. “Time is also crucial so there is a continuous search for time-saving tools and this has brought about the creation of specific apps to optimise work schedules.

Environment issue “The environment is also becoming a more prominent issue,” he continues, “and because of climate change waste water in particular has become a hot topic.”

Customer care is key to success.

Kossmann says: “The biggest challenge is continuity, creating a positive image and delivering first class quality for every job. It’s also vital for the window cleaner to increase their knowledge about all the products available and the respective interfaces.

“Customer loyalty is what the window cleaner must strive for,” Kossmann continues. “There is only a small share of spontaneous orders – the largest share of work is contracts.

“Essentially though, the job of the window cleaner has not changed significantly in recent years. The difference we are seeing is in the number of services being offered, and the window cleaner is becoming a full service provider more and more. For example this could be in glass renovation or surface care.”

WINDOW CLEANING In terms of technology, what have been the key advances affecting window cleaners in their daily work? “Moerman is constantly looking for other ways to clean windows according to our EASE principles,” replies van Hecke. “EASE stands for Efficiency/Amazing Results/Safe/ Ergonomics. Each tool that we develop, should be EASE and facilitate the daily job of a window cleaner.

“Safety is also very important of course and that is why window cleaning companies now often use poles instead of climbing ladders.”

“The most important technological innovation for window cleaning is pure water cleaning,” believes Kossmann.

“Cleaning with pure water enables safe and fast work from the ground and there is no need to work with scaffolding. No compromises are made in quality and

studies show cleaning with pure water is twice as fast as traditional window cleaning. And pure water cleaning is done with water-fed poles, made of light and stable carbon fibre material.”

Kossmann continues: “Window cleaners now pay more attention to high quality and ergonomic tools. Ergonomics make daily work easier, so the window cleaner can work longer and the tools are gentle on the body and joints.” Unger offers a wide range of cleaning tools and accessories.

Looking ahead there are opportunities for window cleaners to develop their business in order to prosper and secure the future of their company. Jeroen van Hecke explains: “They can develop by having a better organisational structure – so time saving, calculating estimates, routing, etc – and we find window cleaners

are very eager to learn and very proud of their work. As a supplier we at Moerman listen to their concerns and take note of their challenges. Then we aim to come up with concepts that make the job easier.”

Unger’s Stefan Kossmann also sees new potential. “The market for solar and PV cleaning continues to develop very positively,” he says, “and that offers many opportunities for the window cleaner. One advantage of pure water is that it can be used not only for cleaning glass, but also for cleaning PV and solar systems. Further areas of application are facade cleaning and maintenance cleaning.

“The personal support and customer service we can offer is becoming increasingly important. For example demo days featuring demonstrations and product tests of new and proven products are always very well received.”

Quels sont les aspects les plus exigeants de la vie quotidienne d’un laveur de vitres ? Quelles sont les tâches qui lui prennent le plus de temps au cours d’une journée de travail normale ? Comment organisent-ils leur temps et leur travail de la façon la plus productive possible ? Et quels sont les principaux outils pour les aider à travailler efficacement ?

Was sind die schwierigsten Aspekte im Alltag eines Fensterputzers? Mit welchen Aufgaben verbringen sie an einem typischen Arbeitstag die meiste Zeit, und wie organisieren sie ihre Zeit und Arbeit auf möglichst produktive Weise? Und was sind die wertvollsten Werkzeuge, die ihnen dabei helfen, möglichst effizient zu arbeiten?

Quali sono gli aspetti più impegnativi della vita di ogni giorno degli addetti al lavaggio delle finestre? Quali sono i compiti che li impegnano per la maggior parte del tempo durante una tipica giornata di lavoro, come organizzano il loro tempo e come lavorano nel modo più produttivo possibile? E quali sono gli attrezzi più validi per aiutarli a lavorare in modo efficiente?

High quality tools

June/July 2019 | ECJ | 53

PRODUCTS: WINDOW CLEANING

• Unger a mis au point un filtre de désionisation plus puissant pour son système HydroPower Ultra de nettoyage à l’eau ure • La société Erylon a développé le robot Clean-Kong pour le nettoyage de façades d’immeubles de grande hauteur.

• La poignée Excelerator 2.0 de Moerman pour outils de lavage de vitre possède une prise redessinée et un agencement ergonomique.

• Unger hat einen leistungsstärkeren Entionisierungsfilter für den Einsatz mit der Reinwasser-Reinigungslösung HydroPower Ultra entwickelt.

• Der Roboter Clean-Kong von Erylon wurde zur Reinigung von Hochhausglasfassaden entwickelt.

• Excelerator 2.0, der Griff für Fensterreinigungswerkzeuge von Moerman, bietet einen neu konstruierten Griff und ein ergonomisches Design.

• La Unger ha sviluppato un filtro per la deionizzazione ancora più potente per la sua soluzione di pulizia ad acqua pura HydroPower Ultra.

• Il robot Clean-Kong prodotto dalla Erylon è stato sviluppato per la pulizia delle facciate in vetro degli edifici molto alti.

• Il manico per gli attrezzi per la pulizia delle finestre Excelerator 2.0 della Moerman è dotato di una impugnatura ridisegnata e ha un design ergonomico.

Pure water For window cleaners using pure water technology, Unger has a more powerful DI filter with the new Unger HydroPower Ultra, boasting 30 per cent more efficiency.

The new filter makes the ion exchange process even more efficient thanks, in part, to the new resin formula - particularly suitable for glass cleaning - and Unger’s FloWater Technology 2.0. The new technology in each Ultra Resin Pack guarantees efficient water flow through the entire tank, optimising resin utilisation. As a result more than 30 per cent more pure water can be produced per Ultra Resin Pack.

The HydroPower Ultra comes in three versions and all filters are compact and easy to transport. The FastLock quick release with secure, self-locking mechanism with pressure relief valve allows easy opening and closing of the tank. A standard

integrated TDS meter indicates when the Ultra Resin Packs need to be changed and a KeyLock function with colour coding prevents incorrect operation. www.ungerglobal.com

High-rise Clean-Kong is a new robot for the cleaning of glass facades on high-rise buildings and skyscrapers developed

by Erylon.

Clean-Kong is designed to improve productivity and offer

its two operators safe and comfortable working conditions.

And thanks to its easy-to-install hoist system, stabilised by counterweights, it is versatile and fits to most configurations of terrace roofs.

The robot does not use detergent, just three litres of pure water per 100 square metres.

The waste water is retrieved in a tank in order to be treated in a purification plant. www.erylon.com

Better handle Moerman says its new Excelerator 2.0 handle is easier to use, more robust, more adjustable and stable.

The updated model features a redesigned grip, easy and safe channel fixation, adjustable swivel and five adaptable angles.

Moerman recommends the combination of Excelerator 2.0 and the Liquidator 2.0 channel. www.moermangroup.com

www.moermantools.com

PIONEERS IN WINDOW CLEANING

ER N IN W Window Cleaning Innovation Award

MOERMAN PRODUCTS RESPOND TO THE

EASE PRINCIPLES. Our tools are all about durability, design, performance, ergonomics and quality materials.

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FFICIENCY

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A

MAZING RESULTS

S

AFE

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RGONOMIC

WATER MANAGEMENT

Be smarter in the washroom

The Environment Agency predicts that there will be a deficit of three billion litres of water every day by 2050 in the UK alone. To give the expected shortage some context, currently half of the UK’s water consumption comes from commercial uses, rather than private homes. Reducing the water used by the millions of commercial washrooms all over the UK, in offices, restaurants and shopping centres, is therefore an environmental priority.

Until now, many building managers have assumed that to maintain the correct level of cleanliness in washrooms – especially urinal systems - water needs to be pumped through the pipes at a high rate to prevent bacterial build-up and bad smells. However, this is no longer required and good hygiene can be upheld using a fraction of the water.

The issue for many is knowing where to begin. This is where smart devices can help. The technology is already being used in homes to help consumers manage their energy use, but there’s a huge opportunity to extend this to improve water sustainability too.

Simply put, smart water meters work in much the same way as smart energy meters. Fitting them to all the water-using elements of a washroom allows businesses to monitor when and where the water is being used.

The real-time report the technology produces keeps building managers in-

formed about how much water each part of their washroom uses and patterns can be more easily observed.

In most commercial buildings this insight could help solve a common issue with water consumption – where is best to direct focus and investment.

In the average office environment, washrooms use accounts for around 90 per cent of the water consumed. Often this is as a result of older systems, which use far more water.

But between urinals, sinks, toilets and even showers, the question that comes with choosing to make washrooms more efficient is where to start. Depending on your washroom equipment, the areas that will show the greatest reductions vary wildly, making it difficult to spot where best to invest. Having a smart water meter may tell you that actually, your toilets are highly inefficient, but your sinks are performing well.

Smart meters can also help to ensure that modern washroom equipment is optimised. Simply investing in new equipment won’t be enough, ensuring it reflects washroom use is the next step.

To take urinals as an example - older, more traditional models will flush water at timed intervals to try to combat malodours. While frequent flushing may have been necessary several years ago, microbiological cartridge systems can work to keep urinals hygienic without as much water use by flushing only when they’ve been used a set number of times during peak usage periods.

But understanding when these peak periods are may not be as straightforward as it once was. In a traditional office this would be between the 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday. But with flexible working approaches, office managers may find

that the reality is actually far less regular than this. Meanwhile in other building types – bars and restaurants or even in football stadiums – it’s much harder to assess when peak times are.

And urinals are just one example.

Mapping effective water use across one washroom is difficult enough. When you factor in several washrooms across one building, or multiple buildings, the task becomes more complicated. As well as helping to inform where best to invest in new systems, smart water meters help to make washrooms more intelligent.

Many businesses rely on staff to spot leaks and cracks during regular cleaning checks. To the untrained eye a dripping tap or urinal continually flushing may not be cause for concern. However it could be a symptom of something far nastier somewhere behind the scenes. Smart water meters come into their own when spotting faults in water systems.

These systems will show a leak in a toilet or burst pipe far before this is visible to the naked eye. Without a smart water meter, a burst pipe might only be identified after it’s caused significant damage.

Using real-time data on water usage can help building managers to spot the faults far earlier and even notify them if a pipe bursts in the evening or at weekends. This can all happen before a leak has caused huge damage and resulted in high costs and a lot of unnecessary water waste. In a way, acting as an early warning system similar to a smoke alarm.

Water shortages are set to become the next global sustainability crisis. Using water responsibly is rising up the agenda and putting in place systems that help businesses do this will increasingly become a core part of their environmental goals and obligations as well as reducing cost.

Réduire la consommation d’eau dans des toilettes collectives doit devenir une priorité environnementale.

ECJ examine la manière dont les systèmes intelligents de gestion de l’eau pourraient intervenir dans la poursuite d’objectifs de durabilité sans compromettre de bonnes pratiques d’hygiène.

Die Reduzierung des Wasserverbrauchs in gewerblichen Waschräumen muss als umweltpolitische Priorität eingestuft werden. Das ECJ betrachtet, wie intelligente Wassersysteme bei der Erreichung der Nachhaltigkeitsziele eine Rolle spielen könnten, ohne dabei bei guten Hygienepraktiken Kompromisse einzugehen.

Ridurre l’uso di acqua nei bagni dei locali commerciali deve essere una priorità ambientale. ECJ prende in esame come dei sistemi idrici intelligenti potrebbero giocare un ruolo fondamentale nel raggiugere gli obiettivi di sostenibilità senza dover compromettere le buone pratiche di igiene.

Steve Nurdin, marketing manager at Cannon Hygiene,explains why smart water systems could be a key to meeting global sustainability objectives without having to compromise on good hygiene practices.

June/July 2019 | ECJ | 55

NEW PRODUCT REVIEW

• Leafield Environmental a relancé l’Envirobank 240, sa poubelle de collecte et de recyclage de 240 litres.

• GOJO Industries-Europe a introduit, sous l’appellation LPK, des essuyeurs, mousses et distributeurs pour la désinfection de sièges de sanitaires • Buzil a développé le Bucasan Sanibreeze G454, un nettoyant de sanitaire avec inhibition d’odeurs.

• Dustcontrol a lancé une gamme d’appareils d’extraction et de nettoyage pour l’industrie alimentaire.

• Proposé par la société Tolco, le Soakit est un absorbant entièrement naturel pour résoudre les épandages de liquide de tous types.

• Clarity & Co a introduit un nouveau parfum de citron à sa gamme The Soap Co de solutions de lavage et de soin des mains

• Der Abfallsammlungs- und Recyclingbehälter Envirobank 240 von Leafield Environmental wurde wieder gestartet.

• Neu von GOJO Industries-Europe sind LPK Desinfektionstücher und -schaum für WC-Brillen, die mit Spendern erhältlich sind.

• Buzil hat den Sanitärreiniger Bucasan Sanibreeze G454 mit aktivem Geruchsblocker entwickelt.

• Dustcontrol hat eine Reihe mit Produkten zur Absaugung in der Verfahrensindustrie und zur allgemeinen Reinigung für die Nahrungsmittelindustrie vorgestellt.

• Bei Soakit von Tolco handelt es sich um ein vollnatürliches Absorptionsmittel für verschüttete Flüssigkeiten aller Arten.

• Clarity & Co hat die Produktreihe The Soap Co mit Handreinigern und Handlotionen um einen neuen Zitrusduft erweitert.

• Il contenitore per rifiuti e per il riciclo Envirobank 240 prodotto dalla Leafield Environmental è stato rilanciato.

• I nuovi prodotti della GOJO Industries-Europe sono le salviette disinfettanti per sedute wc e la schiuma disinfettante LPK e i loro dispenser.

• La Buzil ha sviluppato il detergente per servizi sanitari Bucasan Sanibreeze G454 che contiene un blocca odori attivo.

• La Dustcontrol ha lanciato una gamma di prodotti per la pulizia a estrazione e generica adatta per il settore alimentare.

• Soakit è un prodotto assorbente tutto naturale per i rovesciamenti di liquidi di qualsiasi natura prodotto dalla Tolco.

• La Clarity & Co ha aggiunto una nuova profumazione agli agrumi alla sua gamma di detergenti e lozioni per le mani The Soap Co.

June/July 2019 | ECJ | 56

More features Leafield Environmental’s Envirobank 240 litter collection and recycling bin has been refreshed for 2019 with several new standard and optional features.

The bin has a patented honeycomb, enhanced double wall structure for rigidity and durability plus a dimpled surface to deter fly posting. It can house a 240-litre wheelie bin or can have sack retention for a 320litre capacity.

The front opening design, which allows emptying without lifting, has a slam shut door with four strong latch points and now comes as standard with an improved heavy duty, tamper proof lock.

A whisper close aperture flap is now available (to deter wasps) and the addition of a stainless steel stubber plate is another new option. The door incorporates an A3 space for logos or other personalisation and an optional poster frame is now available for promotional massages.

A variety of apertures is available including slots for paper, propeller for mixed recyclate and a two-hole aperture that is being used in on-street, paper cup recycling schemes. www.leafieldrecycle.com

Clean seats Following its acquisition of Laboratoires Prodene Klint (LPK) in 2014 GOJO Industries-Europe now offers LPK Toilet Seat Dis-

infecting Wipes and Foam, with co-ordinating dispensers.

The formulations of both are bactericidal, yeasticidal and active against bacteria and viruses with just one wipe.

They leave a pleasant menthol fragrance after use.

LPK Toilet Seat Disinfecting Wipes are pre-moistened with an antiseptic and disinfecting solution. The entire toilet seat can be disinfected with just one wipe, without rinsing. Once used, they should be disposed of in the bin.

The disinfecting foam is dispensed onto toilet tissue and wiped over the seat - no water or rinsing are required.

The corresponding dispensers are designed to be easy to install and discreet, as well as being lockable. www.gojo.com

Blocks odours

Smooth handling

Dustcontrol has launched an extraction product line for the food industry called Good for Food (GFF) which meets EU and FDA requirements related to safe and hygienic food production.

Colour coding of brushes and accessories means cross-contamination risk is minimised and all equipment has been designed for smooth handling and easy cleaning.

Suction brushes are designed to meet customers’ requirements for colour coding, are made from antistatic (ESD) materials, can be cleaned hygienically (autoclavable) and provide the possibility of automatic detection. There are also cleaning accessories and hoses in the range. dustcontrol.com

Absorbs spills

Buzil has launched Bucasan Sanibreeze G 454 unlabelled (classified as non-hazardous) citric acid-based sanitary daily routine cleaner which also offers long-lasting masking of unpleasant odours in all sanitary and wet areas. This is thanks to its odour blocker with deodorising citrus fragrance.

Bucasan Sanibreeze can be used on all acid-resistant materials and surfaces including tiles, washbasins and toilets. It’s particularly suitable for sanitary porcelain, chrome, stainless steel and aluminium surfaces.

The integrated beading effect ensures a streak-free gloss without the need for additional drying and protects against water marks and re-soiling.

Available for use in a foam gun and single disk machine, and one-litre and 10-litre container. www.buzil.com

Soakit is the new all-natural absorbent for liquid spills of all types. Developed by Tolco, it’s safe to use on any surface without residue or build-up. There is also a light fragrance to mask any odours. www.tolcocorp.com

Zesty citrus Social enterprise Clarity & Co has refreshed its The Soap Co Citrus range. The new Citrus scent - from the luxury, ethical The Soap Co Original Collection - has notes of zesty lemon and fresh grapefruit and is available both as a hand wash and lotion.

All revenue from The Soap Co sales is reinvested into employing people with disabilities.

The Citrus hand wash features Pro-Vitamin B5 for hydration and regeneration, with Aloe Vera extract and healing Tea Tree oil whilst the Citrus hand lotion boosts the skin’s natural moisture. thesoapco.org

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