The pan-European magazine for the professional cleaning sector
FEBRUARY/ MARCH 2020
FOLLOW THE GREEN PATH
Don’t get lost between marks and certifications
Find out how to navigate certifications Page 18-19
WASHROOMS
BUSINESS
SPECIAL REPORT
Are we satisfied?
Life in the UK after Brexit
Are cleaners a health risk?
Page 30
Page 46
Page 52
The launch of the 2020 European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards entries open Page 13
CONTENTS
February/March 2020 | Vol.28, No.1
BUSINESS
SPECIAL REPORTS
46 Business faces life post Brexit
24 European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards 2019 winners
Hartley Milner seeks to find out what companies in the UK want from Brexit.
Our series of winner profiles starts here.
30 Under social pressure The use of apps and social media to rate washrooms adds scrutiny.
03 News
38 The Extinction Rebellion effect Are Extinction Rebellion’s activities causing a ripple effect in our industry?
13 ECH Awards 2020 launch
43 The role of biotechnology Biotechnology is a key innovation in sustainable cleaning solutions.
16 European reports
48 Safer scrubbers How do scrubber dryer producers ensure their machines are safe for all?
56 Product review
52 Are cleaners a health risk? Could cleaners be a cross-contamination risk when working in hospitals?
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 2020
Grand Place, Brussels
05 Nov 2020 Hotel Le Plaza, Brussels
START YOUR ENTRY NOW! The European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards is heading to the wonderfully historic city of Brussels, Belgium! Winners will be recognised at a glitzy ceremony at the luxurious Le Plaza Hotel on 05 November 2020. Entry is FREE and SIMPLE (just 500 words), so celebrate your successes, and... Raise your profile Boost your reputation Differentiate yourself from competitors Showcase your organisation to key industry players Create PR opportunities across European media Boost morale and motivate your team
CATEGORIES Start-up business of the year *NEW* Best use of smart solutions Investment in training Client & contractor partnerships Sustainability - best practice Commitment to diversity Raising the profile of cleaning sector Technological innovation of the year Leader of the year Rising star
DEADLINE: 21 JUNE 2020
Sponsors Media partners
0207 633 4500
An event by
aimee.m@environmentmedia.co.uk
Organised by
www.echawards.com
NEWS & EVENTS
Latest News & Events from ECJ
Better hand hygiene at top airports ‘will reduce spread of coronavirus’
ECJ has published a special supplement focusing on the issues surrounding sustainability. Key issues discussed include the Extinction Rebellion effect, the flip side of sustainability, single use plastics, and the role of robotics and technology. Read it at the ECJ website (www. europeancleaningjournal.com) or download via the app.
The spread of the coronavirus can be reduced by 37 per cent by improving hand hygiene at airports. That’s according to a new study by the Society for Risk Analysis. As coronavirus spreads around the world through infected air travellers, authorities are attempting to contain the outbreak and avoid a pandemic. The study reveals the impact of implementing disease mitigation strategies at airports across the world. Increasing traveller engagement with proper hand hygiene at all airports has the potential to reduce the risk of a potential pandemic by 24 per cent to 69 per cent - the researchers say. They also identified 10 critical airports central to the global network, and if hand washing mitigation strategies are implemented in just those locations, they say the pandemic risk can drop by up to 37 per cent. According to the study, ‘Hand hygiene mitigation strategies against global disease spreading through the air transportation network’, if increased hand washing practices were instituted in 10 key airports there would be a significant impact on
decreasing the spread of viruses. Airports are not just locations that see large volumes of passengers, they also connect travellers with destinations in all parts of the world.
Alternatively, email info@europeancleaningjournal.com to reserve your printed copy
Influential airports key A cost-effective measure would be to adopt good hygiene practices at the top 10 influential airports. These include: London Heathrow; Los Angeles International; John F Kennedy; Charles de Gaulle; Dubai International; Frankfurt; Hong Kong International; Beijing Capital; San Francisco; Amsterdam Schiphol. Christos Nicolaides, lead author, University of Cyprus and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) said: “Airports and aeroplanes are highly infectious because they are close, confined areas with large, mobile populations. Viruses are spread through bodily fluids, so keeping hands clean at major transport hubs is central to control spread.” Airports also contain numerous highly contaminated surfaces that are frequently touched by travellers, including self-service check-in screens, gate bench armrests, water fountain buttons, door handles, seats and tray tables.
La propagation du coronavirus peut être réduite de 37 pour cent par une amélioration de l’hygiène des mains aux aéroports. C’est ce qu’indique une nouvelle étude menée par la Society for Risk Analysis.
EVENTS May 12-15
March 16-18 2021
Interclean Amsterdam
The Cleaning Show
Amsterdam, Netherlands www.intercleanshow.com
London, UK cleaningshow.co.uk
October 13-14
May 18-20 2021
Forum Pulire
Pulire
Milan, Italy www.forumpulire.it
Verona, Italy www.cms-berlin.de
October 14-15
September 21-24 2021
Budapest Cleaning Show
CMS
Budapest, Hungary budapestcleaningshow.hu/en
Berlin, Germany www.cms-berlin.de
October 26-29
November 15-18 2021
ISSA North America
ISSA North America
Chicago, USA www.issa.com
Las Vegas, USA www.issa.com
November 5
October 10-13 2022
European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards
ISSA North America
Brussels, Belgium www.echawards.com
Chicago, USA www.issa.com
January 7-10 2021
Global Clean Expo Istanbul, Turkey globalcleanexpo.com
To have your event included in the Events section, contact ECJ via email at: michelle@europeancleaningjournal.com
Die Verbreitung des Coronavirus kann durch verbesserte Handhygiene an Flughäfen um 37 Prozent reduziert werden. Dies geht aus einer neuen Studie der Society for Risk Analysis hervor.
La diffusione del coronavirus può essere ridotta del 37 per cento migliorando l’igiene delle mani negli aeroporti. Questo dato è stato rivelato da un sondaggio della Society for Risk Analysis.
February/March 2020 | ECJ | 3
NEWS Self-cleaning toilet invented
Forum Pulire Milan date
Scientists in the US claim to have developed a self-cleaning lavatory after developing a coating said to repel even the most notoriously clingy “Type 6-ers” on the Bristol Stool Chart. Their system, which they have described in the journal Nature Sustainability, employs nanotechnology to ensure everything flushes down smoothly. And they estimate it could decrease the amount of water used in lavatories by 90 per cent. The new material trades under the name Spotless Materials and can be applied to ceramic surfaces in two layers. The
Organisers of the Forum Pulire cleaning industry congress have confirmed dates for the 2020 event, which will take place in Milan from October 13-14. “We are working to make this an even more international edition,” declared Toni D’Andrea, ceo of ISSA Pulire Network. “Our goal is to reach out to an ever broader group of participants and share new sources of inspiration for the first bonds to the material, producing fine hairs. The second is a lubricant, that needs to be reapplied every 500 flushes. Together, they aim to solve the slipperiest problem in science.
• Aux États-Unis, des scientifiques ont mis au point un sanitaire auto-nettoyant utilisant un revêtement réalisé par nanotechnologie. • Les organisateurs du Forum Pulire 2020, le congrès du secteur de la propreté italien, ont confirmé qu’il aura lieu les 13 et 14 octobre à Milan.
4 | February/March 2020 | ECJ
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• Wissenschaftler in den USA behaupten, dass sie basierend auf der Entwicklung einer Beschichtung unter Verwendung von Nanotechnologie ein selbstreinigendes Waschbecken entwickelt haben. • Die Organisatoren des Kongresses der Reinigungsbranche Forum Pulire haben die Daten für das diesjährige Ereignis bekannt gegeben: er wird vom 13. bis 14. Oktober in Mailand stattfinden.
development and growth of one’s own business. “Accordingly, we have selected themes of discussion that will enable us to pose questions about today in order to understand the underlying causes of what’s happening, to work out how the future is likely to develop so that we may intercept its needs.” There will be five themes: Women; Happiness; Welcoming, Belonging and Sense of Community; Distribution in the Age of Disruption; and Designing for Cleanliness in Healthcare and Hospitality. www.forumpulire.it
• Negli Stati Uniti, gli scienziati affermano di avere sviluppato un gabinetto auto pulente dopo aver sviluppato un rivestimento utilizzando la nanotecnologia. • Gli organizzatori del congresso del settore del cleaning professionale Forum Pulire hanno confermato le date per l’evento del 2020 che si terrà a Milano dal 13 al 14 ottobre.
NEWS Cleaning in northern Europe undergoes a gender change The cleaning industry is attracting an increasing number of men, according to the Oslo Institute for Social Research. This is said to mirror a rise in the number of immigrants seeking work in Europe. The Oslo Institute’s Marjan Nadim and Julia Orupabo claim the role of cleaning - once almost exclusively the province of women - is about to “change gender”. The researchers reached this conclusion after extensive research and interviews. Nearly half of Oslo’s cleaners are currently men. “Around 45 per cent of our cleaners are immigrants, and more men with immigrant backgrounds are now applying for cleaning jobs,” agreed
Wenche Sagøy, trade union representative for Trondheim. “The language is often a challenge but they receive follow-up data skills and tuition in the Norwegian language. Many build on their skills with courses and get paid more.”
More even split Meanwhile, figures from Finnish Service Union United PAM shows the proportion of immigrant men in the cleaning sector rose from 15.4 per cent in 2010 to 17.7 per cent in 2017. And the HAG trade union in the Faroe Islands claims to have experienced a similar trend. But the gender of cleaners across the UK is more evenly split - and women are likely to
• Le secteur de la propreté attire actuellement un nombre croissant d’hommes, indique l’Oslo Institute for Social Research.
dominate the industry in the future, according to the British Cleaning Council (BCC). A 2017 BCC report revealed that 51 per cent of UK cleaners were male while 49 per cent were female. However, there was a noticeable difference between industry sub-sets with
• Laut Oslo Institute for Social Research finden immer mehr Männer Arbeit in der Reinigungsbranche.
nearly three-quarters of all building workers being female while male workers dominated the landscape service sector. And according to BCC projections, around 68 per cent of UK cleaners in 2024 will be female, 11 per cent of whom will be self-employed.
• A quanto emerge dall’istituto di ricerca Oslo Institute for Social Research, il settore del cleaning professionale sta attraendo un numero maggiore di uomini.
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February/March 2020 | ECJ | 5
NEWS Ryanair slated
KLM VR tours make life easier for cleaners Cleaners working on board KLM aircraft are now able to familiarise themselves with the cabin’s layout via virtual reality before starting work. Aircraft cleaning needs to be carried out swiftly after landing to allow for a quick turnaround. Dutch carrier KLM has introduced 14 virtual reality tours covering various different aircraft and configurations to make life easier for cleaners. KLM describes the move as a “successful experiment”. “We wanted to familiarise cleaners with our B787 aircraft before its first flight to Minneapolis,” said VR specialist at KLM’s digital
studio Chris Koomen. “Staff were set to come in that evening to clean the aircraft after its arrival, but they hadn’t yet seen it from the inside. We knew this would take a lot of extra time - so we came up with a solution.”
Well prepared The cleaning crew were each taken on a virtual tour of the ‘plane via an iPad and a VR headset. “It meant they were well prepared when arriving for work to clean the aircraft in the evening,” said Koomen. “They finished the task 15 minutes early - and they didn’t make a
• Les agents de nettoyage déployés dans les avions de la compagnie KLM peuvent maintenant se familiariser avec l’agencement de la cabine grâce à un système de réalité virtuelle avant de commencer leur travail. • La compagnie aérienne Ryanair a été félicitée pour ses niveaux d’hygiène de bord par la revue de consommation Which?
single mistake.” The VR tours are also available to passengers, taking them to parts of the ‘plane that are off-limits to most such as the cockpit, the galleys and business class cabins. The tours are also being used to train new cabin attendants and catering services staff when setting up aircraft galleys.
• Die an Bord von KLM-Flugzeugen arbeitenden Reinigungskräfte können sich jetzt vor Arbeitsbeginn mithilfe von virtueller Realität mit dem Kabinenlayout vertraut machen. • Ryanair wurde in einer Umfrage der britischen Verbraucherorganisation Which? für seine Bordhygiene verrissen.
Ryanair has been slated for its on-board hygiene levels in a Which? survey. Almost 8,000 passengers were asked to rate the cleanliness of 42 global airlines in the study. A total of 24 per cent of Ryanair passengers rated hygiene on board as “poor” compared with one per cent of Swiss Air passengers; two per cent of Air France customers; and six per cent of travellers on British Airways and Iberia. Figures for Ryanair’s rival European low-cost carriers Vueling Airlines and Wizz Air both stood at 10 per cent, with Easyjet at eight per cent.
• Gli addetti alle pulizia a bordo degli aeromobili della KLM sono ora in grado di familiarizzare con la configurazione delle cabine mediante realtà virtuale prima di iniziare il lavoro. • La Ryanair è stata messa in classifica per i suoi livelli di igiene a bordo in una sondaggio della rivista Which?.
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6 | February/March 2020 | ECJ
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NEWS Energy team
Dirty hand mould experiment goes viral A Facebook post about a school hand washing experiment has gone viral after it revealed the unsightly fungus that can grow on dirty surfaces. Teacher Dayna Robertson and behaviour specialist Jaralee Metcalf wanted to demonstrate the importance of hand washing to ward off germs. So they took five slices of bread and asked 17 pupils in their third-grade class to touch three of them. One of the slices was touched with the children’s newlywashed hands, while the second was handled with sanitised hands and the third with
unwashed hands. The fourth slice of bread was rubbed on to laptops used by the children in class and the fifth was left untouched. The teachers then sealed all five slices in Ziplock bags and left them for three weeks.
Wiped laptops At the end of the trial, the untouched bread and the slice handled with clean hands remained more or less unchanged. But an unsightly mould had grown on the other three slices with the heaviest covering of mould forming on
• Un post sur Facebook concernant une expérience du lavage des mains en milieu scolaire s’est viralisé après avoir montré la présence de moisissures sur des surfaces sales. • Le Groupe phs, un prestataire de services pour toilettes collectives, enverra des déchets précédemment mis en décharge vers une installation de thermovalorisation par suite d’un accord de partenariat avec Viridor.
the bread that had been used to wipe the children’s laptops. The experiment was staged late last year at the Discovery Elementary School in Idaho. Jaralee Metcalf’s wrote on her Facebook post: ‘We did a science project in class this last month as flu season was starting as somebody who is sick and tired of being sick and tired of being sick and tired. Wash your hands! Remind your kids to wash their hands! And hand sanitiser is not an alternative to washing hands!! At all!” The post went viral with 63,000 shares and 17,000 likes.
• Ein Facebook-Posting über ein Handwaschexperiment in einer Schule, das den unansehnlichen Pilzbefall zeigte, der auf schmutzigen Oberflächen wachsen kann, fand virale Verbreitung. • Bei der phs Group, Anbieter von Waschraumdiensten, werden die Kundenabfälle nicht mehr länger auf Müllkippen landen, sondern gelangen dank einer Partnerschaft mit Viridor in die Energieerzeugung.
Washroom services provider phs Group is to divert customer waste from landfill into power generation thanks to a partnership with Viridor. As part of LifeCycle, phs’ sustainable waste management strategy, the new five-year national contract will see phsmanaged non-recyclable waste transformed into energy at Viridor plants across the UK. phs collects around 65,000 tonnes of hygiene waste from customers annually, including nappies and sanitary products. It aims to divert up to 95 per cent away from landfill.
• Un post su Facebook che riguarda un esperimento sul lavaggio delle mani nelle scuole è diventato virale dopo che ha rivelato le muffe e i funghi che possono crescere sulle superfici sporche. • L’azienda fornitrice di servizi per le sale da toilette PHS Group sta per deviare i rifiuti dei suoi clienti dalle discariche alla produzione di energia grazie alla sua partnership con la Viridor.
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8 | February/March 2020 | ECJ
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EFCI NEWS EFCI news - working with business towards digitalisation EFCI, the organisation representing the cleaning and facilities sector at European level, is working to assist businesses in the digital transition. It is doing this by following all developments at European level, and ensuring the views and needs of the industry are taken into account.
The digitalisation of our economy is happening at an increasing rate and the development of digital tools (software, sensors and robots, internet of things) have already modified the way cleaning companies operate and sell their services. Digitalisation is a high priority topic of the Von der Leyen’s European Commission, which nominated a vicepresident (Margrethe Vestager) for the portfolio, A Europe Fit for the Digital Age. Consequently, the organisation of cleaning services and an increased development of digital skills will be in the spotlight. The EFCI is working to accompany the industry in the digital transition, by following the policy developments at the European level and ensuring that the views and needs of the sector are taken into account. And also by providing the industry with the necessary tools to face the challenge of digitalisation. In this article, we will detail the various initiatives undertaken during the last year on this topic.
FEP report on the digital transition in France
The Fédération des Entreprises de Propreté (FEP), the French member of the EFCI, published in January 2019 a report entitled The Digital Transition in the Cleaning Industry in France. This report offers an overview and assesses the current digital trends in the industry, seeking to anticipate future evolutions in cleaning companies. The main findings of the documents are relevant to the industry at EU level. This is why the EFCI has translated the report into English and made it publicly available on the website at www.efci.eu.
Joint statement on digitalisation with UNI Europa On 29 October 2019 the European social partners – the EFCI and UNI Europa, the European services workers’ trade union – adopted a joint statement on the impact of digitalisation on employment in the cleaning sector. They acknowledged that a successfully-lead digital transition might become an opportunity to enhance professionalism and innovation in the industry, to the benefit of all its stakeholders. By means of this joint statement, the EFCI and UNI Europa want to help the sector to prepare for the changes ahead and assist their members to create the necessary capacities to tackle the upcoming challenges. The statement stresses the importance of the digital transition for the sector
The winners of the European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards 2019 were announced at a gala dinner in London at the end of last year. Read all our winners from page 24 and visit echawards.com to find out how to enter for 2020 L’EFCI, l’organisation qui représente le secteur des services de nettoyage et d’installation au niveau européen, prête assistance aux entreprises engagées dans la transition numérique. Elle y parvient en suivant les évolutions à l’échelle européenne et en veillant à la prise en compte des besoins et des vues du secteur.
10 | February/March 2020 | ECJ
and the necessity to have a strong engagement from both employers and employees for a successful result. Indeed, both sides must work together for a transition that leads to increased productivity, higher quality of services, improvements in labour conditions and safety gains. The statement addresses the topics of data collection and use, worklife balance and narrowing the skills gap. Primarily the statement stresses that “a successfullylead digitalisation transition may become an opportunity to enhance professionalism and innovation in the industry, to the benefit of all its actors”. Further, “social partners call upon the European Commission to support the development of a skills and training agenda for the cleaning industry including the validation and certification of the acquired skills”. The joint statement on digitalisation is available via the EFCI website at www.efci.eu
The SK-Clean project Supporting and recognising vocational education and training in the sector is one of EFCI’s main political priorities for the new European legislature. In this sense, the evaluation of the impact of increasingly required digital skills in the cleaning and facility services sector is necessary in order to better follow and anticipate the impact of digitalisation in this labour-
EFCI, die Organisation, die den Reinigungssektor auf europäischer Ebene repräsentiert, unterstützt Unternehmen beim digitalen Wandel. Zu diesem Zweck verfolgt sie alle Entwicklungen auf europäischer Ebene und stellt sicher, dass die Ansichten und Anforderungen der Branche berücksichtigt werden.
intensive industry. To respond to this need, the EFCI will conduct, during 2020 and the first half of 2021, an EUfunded project on digitalisation and skills entitled SK-Clean - Digitalisation in the Cleaning Sector: Supporting the Skills Transition for Cleaning Agents. The project will bring together the sector’s main training experts from across Europe. In the first stage, it will map the different training systems. After that, experts will analyse how digitalisation is impacting the skills needed by cleaning operatives and which training systems or initiatives can best help the sector for a successful digital transition. It will provide the sector with a guide to support employers and training bodies in the digital transition. The outcomes of the project will also help in raising awareness among policy makers and stakeholders on the relevance of vocational and educational training (VET) and a lifelong learning programme in the sector. Digitalisation is changing the world of work and businesses must embrace it in order to remain competitive. The EFCI is committed to accompanying the sector in this transition so cleaning and facility services companies can turn the challenges into an opportunity and the digital transition becomes a success story.
EFCI, l’organizzazione che rappresenta a livello europeo il settore delle pulizie e dei servizi alle strutture, sta lavorando per assistere le imprese durante la transizione al digitale. Sta facendo questo seguendo tutti gli sviluppi a livello europeo e assicurandosi che i punti di vista e le necessità del settore sia tenuti in considerazione.
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EUROPEAN CLEANING & HYGIENE AWARDS European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards 2020 - open for entries The European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards organised by European Cleaning Journal (ECJ) are back for 2020, with the fifth annual event scheduled to take place in Brussels on November 5. The European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards - organised by European Cleaning Journal (ECJ) - are back for 2020, with entries now open for service providers, manufacturers and distributors. The fifth annual event, which will take place on November 5 this year at Le Plaza Hotel in Brussels, is the only panEuropean awards scheme to celebrate the cleaning and hygiene sector. From technological innovations and smart solutions, to a commitment to diversity and training, the awards were created to recognise standards of excellence in the professional cleaning industry. There are 10 categories this year, including a new ‘startups’ prize for 2020, which will shine a spotlight on early stage businesses that are making a
big impact in the cleaning and hygiene sector.
The categories are: • Best use of smart solutions by service providers • Investment in training • Excellence in client/contractor partnerships • Start-up business of the year • Sustainability - best practice • Commitment to diversity in the workforce • Best initiative raising the profile of the cleaning sector • Technological innovation of the year • Leader of the year • Rising star award Michelle Marshall, editor of ECJ said: “2019 was a fantastic year for the European Cleaning & Hygiene awards, with a record number of entries from across Europe. It was brilliant to see so many new faces coming through and hear all about their outstanding contributions to our industry. “As we bring in a new decade and mark our fifth annual event, we’re incredibly excited to learn what success looks like in 2020. From sustainability and diversity commitments to empowering the younger generation to build
Les propositions peuvent maintenant être envoyées en prévision des Prix européens de propreté et d’hygiène 2020. La cérémonie aura lieu le 5 novembre à Bruxelles.
a career in a sector that is so often overlooked, we want to hear all about your efforts to support the industry. Best of luck to all entrants.” The awards were launched in
Nennungen für die European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards 2020 sind jetzt willkommen. In diesem Jahr findet die Preisverleihung am 5. November in Brüssel statt.
2016 by ECJ in partnership with Environment Media Group. To mark their fifth year, a new logo and website has been designed. This year’s sponsors include InnuScience, Werner & Mertz, Vectair, Jangro, Ceris Burns PR, RAI Amsterdam, Vermop, i-team Global and Greenspeed. Media partners are GSA in Italy, Tomorrow’s Cleaning in the UK and Services in France. The Cleaning & Support Services Association (CSSA) in the UK is a trade partner. The entry form can be found on the awards website and entries should be submitted by June 21 2020. For further information visit www.echawards. com or contact: awards@ europeancleaningjournal.com You can also follow the awards on Twitter @ECH_Awards and #ECHA2020 • Read about the 2019 winners in a new series of articles starting on page 24.
Sono ora aperte le iscrizioni per l’edizione 2020 dell’ European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards. La cerimonia di quest’anno si terrà il 5 novembre a Bruxelles.
February/March 2020 | ECJ | 13
NEWS Interclean Amsterdam - more than an exhibition
Interclean Amsterdam, Europe’s largest professional cleaning exhibition, takes place from May 12-15. Organiser RAI Amsterdam is expecting more than 35,000 visitors from over 140 countries.
As usual the Amsterdam Innovation Award will be presented on the first day of the show. This prize is presented to the manufacturer of the new product being launched at the event which the international
Interclean Amsterdam, le plus important salon européen de la propreté professionnelle, aura lieu du 12 au 15 mai et réunira 900 exposants provenant de plus de 40 pays.
jury believes will impact most on the sector. Alongside that, the InnovationLAB will showcase all products nominated so visitors can take a closer look. There will also be a Robot Arena where live product demonstrations of autonomous cleaning solutions in test scenarios will take place. Following a successful launch in 2018, the Healthcare Cleaning Forum will take place again. The programme has been formulated in collaboration with Clean Hospitals and aims to raise the profile of the importance of hygiene in the healthcare sector - for the benefit of both patients and hospitals. Topics up for discussion include quality
Die Interclean Amsterdam, Europas größte Messe für die Reinigungsbranche mit 900 Ausstellern aus mehr als 40 Ländern, findet vom 12.–15. Mai statt.
measurement, control of disease outbreaks and making hygiene a top priority in turning around the reputation of a hospital. And on the exhibition floor, the Healthcare Cleaning LAB will feature products and methods specific to the healthcare industry. A series of seminars will also be taking place. Facility and hospitality managers are invited to take part in the Facility Inspiration Event - organised in collaboration with Atir. Various sectors will be covered including leisure, retail & petrol, and real estate & corporate. www.intercleanshow.com • ECJ is the official media partner of Interclean Amsterdam
Interclean Amsterdam, l’evento più rilevante del cleaning professionale in Europa, si terrà dal 12 al 15 maggio e ospiterà 900 espositori provenienti da oltre 40 nazioni.
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At the beginning of this year almost 700,000 employees in Germany’s largest trade employer enjoyed a further wage increase. On January 1 the third phase of the increase agreed by the contract cleaners’ association (BIV) and the trade union for construction industry workers BAU came into force for all wage groups in the contract cleaning industry. “Our entry level wages put us around 15 per cent above the general legal minimum wage in Germany,” explains BIV’s Christopher Luck. In wage group 1, the generally binding minimum wage for the sector is now €10.80 in the West and €10.55 in East Germany. The now almost 2,000 trainees in the contract cleaning industry are also profiting from the wage increase. Depending on their year of apprenticeship, trainees in West Germany earn between €775 and €1,050 per month and those in the eastern part of the country between €730 and €1,005 per month. “For more than 10 years now, we have had collectively agreed minimum wages in accordance with the German Employee Assignment Law. That puts us well above the general legal minimum wage currently in force. The work in our industry is of enormous importance and demands a fair remuneration. Increasing wages are also an important factor in attracting young new recruits into the industry,” adds Luck. It’s about time: the contract cleaning industry is among the first sectors in Germany to align wages and apprenticeship pay in the east and west sides of the country. From December 1 this year, a nationally uniform sector minimum wage of €10.80 will come into force. From December onwards, apprentices Depuis le début de l’année, les agents de nettoyage en Allemagne bénéficient d’une augmentation de leur salaire minimum, rapporte notre correspondante Katja Scholz.
will also receive the same pay. “The different wage levels owe their existence to the history of our country”, explains Luck. “The alignment this year of wages between east and west represents a major feat for east German companies. With wage increases of almost 20 per cent over the period 2018 to 2020, these companies are to some extent fast approaching their pain threshold.” The BIV has also been looking at what else needs to be done in the industry. Almost a third of the employees in the contract cleaning industry are so-called “mini-job” workers: they work in small-scale employment not subject to compulsory social insurance and must therefore not exceed a monthly income of €450. And this is exactly where the problem lies: this rigid limit has been in force for the last seven years. “In spite of general upward wage trends and the increasing cost of living, our mini-job workers are not allowed to work more hours - on the contrary, their working hours are actually getting shorter as the hourly wage rises. This situation is quite clearly absurd, both for the companies - for whom mini-jobs are the most expensive form of employment - and for the employees”, says Christopher Luck. The BIV is thus calling on policy makers to make a timely decision and sees two possible solutions to the problem. The first would be to abolish mini-jobs throughout industry nationwide and to make compulsory social insurance payable by all employees from their first Euro of earnings. A second would be to make a single or incremental increase in the €450 limit and thus allow mini-job workers to take on more hours of work.
Mit Beginn des Jahres wurde der Mindestlohn für die Reinigungsbranche in Deutschland angehoben – Katja Scholz berichtet für das ECJ.
In Germania, dall’inizio di quest’anno il minimo salariare dell’industria per gli addetti delle pulizie è aumentato, come ci informa la corrispondente di ECJ Katja Scholz.
LATEST: SWEDEN Cleaning products to be scrutinised Scandinavian reporter Lotte Printz on a Swedish study mapping the use of and the health impacts of detergents and cleaning products. Belgian research has indicated that cleaners are at a high risk of dying from COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). Other international studies have revealed that chemicals present in detergents and cleaning products may cause reduced lung function and asthma over time. Evidently, the connection between using detergents and contracting lung diseases has already been established, but how it really “hangs together” is still difficult to say. That’s one of the reasons why FoU (R&D) and the Prevention unit at AFA Insurance in Sweden early this year granted Swedish researcher Linda Schenk 3.822 million Swedish Kroner (nearly €400,000). Linda Schenk, docent in toxicological risk management at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, is to examine the professional use of cleaning products, their chemical contents and their impact on health in order to prevent the harm and diseases they may cause. A great deal of detergents and cleaning products are alkaline and if spilled on the skin, they may cause burns and even cause permanent skin conditions and harm airways in the long run. While acknowledging the studies carried out by other European researchers Linda Schenk also stressed, speaking to the Swedish cleaning news site Cleannet, the importance of studying these issues on a local scale, ie, from a Swedish perspective. The Swedish researcher studies the regulation and management of chemicals and how various factors interact in the risk assessment and policy-making process. With the funds now granted her, she can take her research further. Notre reporteuse en Scandinavie, Lotte Printz, fait rapport sur une étude suédoise qui a répertorié les impacts des détergents et des produits de nettoyage.
The first step of this research project will be to collect data from the Giftinformationscentralen (the Swedish centre for poison control), the Swedish working environment agency and other databases which have information that looks at professions and the risk of chemical exposure, thus hoping to find a pattern that connects the use of chemicals and diseases. The research project then moves on to mapping which detergents and cleaning products are being used at workplaces throughout the country and what they contain, as well as examining what is being disclosed about those contents. In the end, Linda Schenk and her team are to measure workplace exposure. “Which type of products we will focus on will be determined by the results we retrieve. And that will then determine which workplaces we will turn our attention to,” Linda Schenk explained to Cleannet. Speaking to the same news site, Susanna Stymne Airey, head of FoU and the Prevention unit at AFA Insurance, emphasised that the research they support must benefit working life in general. And the funds channelled into this and other prevention research projects will eventually help reduce workplace injuries and minimise the number of people suffering from ill health as a result of their occupation. Thus, and hopefully, benefitting cleaners.
Changing
the way the world
thinks about cleaning
Special reports on ECH Awards winners start p24
Unsere SkandinavienReporterin Lotte Printz berichtet für das ECJ über eine schwedische Studie, bei der die Auswirkungen von Waschmitteln und Reinigungsprodukten zugeordnet wurden.
La corrispondente scandinava Lotte Printz scrive per ECJ a proposito di uno studio svedese che mappa l’impatto dei detergenti e dei prodotti di pulizia.
www.innuscience.com February/March 2020 | ECJ |17
FOLLOW THE GREEN PATH Don’t get lost between marks and certifications Climate neutral by 2050: this is the ambitious goal, that Europe has set itself to tackle the climate change we are witnessing, which is now an urgent threat to the whole of humanity. In the current scenario, the green approach cannot simply be a fad but rather must become a systematic orientation towards sustainability in every area and sector accompanied by verification systems that ensure the effective implementation of sustainable practices. There are already some steps in this direction: ECOLABELcertified indoor cleaning services must report annually on their purchases of green products. Some companies have also started to carry out their checks to ensure that what was stated in the call for tenders is then effectively complied with. One example is Trenitalia: the main Italian railway company periodically asks its suppliers for proof of green purchases made to guarantee the effective sustainability of what they provide.
TTS mop certified Ecolabel EU
The importance of certifications
It depends on the certification
Saying they are sustainable is not enough: independent third parties must verify and certify sustainability to attest it is true. In a market flooded with brands invented ad hoc by manufacturers to create confusion, certifications are the only real guarantee in the hands of the consumer. Nowadays everybody talks about cleaning trolleys made of recycled plastic with percentages close to 100%. How much transparency is there about the origin of these plastics and how these percentages are calculated? The Institute for the Promotion of Plastics for Recycling (IPPR) has created the European Second Life Plastic (PSV) label which provides a clear scheme that identifies which polymers can actually be defined as recycled, discarding for example waste from own production, and clarifies how to calculate the percentage of recycled on the finished product, all validated by Accredia. The mark is issued after verification at the production sites and in the light of careful reporting of consumption. In addition, it provides for periodic monitoring at the production sites by the Certification Authority to ensure compliance over time with the requirements for maintaining the mark. Unlike simple self-declarations, PSV certification is therefore a structured system that protects the consumer on the actual quality and traceability of recycled plastics, which is why TTS, which has been using recycled plastics for decades, joined the certification in 2012 to offer maximum transparency to its customers.
In addition to the proliferation of brands invented by producers, we are also witnessing a proliferation of environmental certifications, for which, however, consumers have not adequate information and are at the centre of a real labyrinth. To find the way, it is very important to understand the original purpose of the certifications: everything was born to guarantee a more conscious consumption. Type I environmental labels have therefore been developed to ensure compliance with well-defined limits: for example, the textile Ecolabel certifies, among other criteria, that the use of heavy metals has been below certain parameters during the production process. Other labels, on the other hand, analyse one or more aspects of impact of a product, translating them into a well-defined number. This type of label is useful and unambiguous for the consumer only when it is based on a public and unified calculation system, such as ISO, to allow a direct comparison between equivalent products and to be sure that there is the same benchmark for each statement. The lack of clearness allows manufacturers to “tailor-made certification” to obtain better results at the expense of the real sustainability of the products. One example is the possibility of carrying out LCA Cradle to Gate or Cradle to Grave studies excluding from the impacts the entire use and disposal phase of the product, information that often ends in a footnote. A step forward has been taken in 2018 with the publication
FOLLOW THE GREEN PATH RECYCLED POLYPROPYLENE VIRGIN POLYPROPYLENE CHROMED IRON STAINLESS STEEL ALUMINUM Comparison of CO2e emissions for different raw materials
of the UNI EN ISO 14067 standard, which established the calculations and databases underlying LCA studies aimed at calculating the Carbon Footprint (CFP Product Carbon Footprint). Besides, CFP offers a systematic approach: it can apply to an entire product line and allows calculating CO2e emissions in all countries where they are sold. TTS has chosen to analyse greenhouse gas emissions at every stage of the life cycle of its best-selling products to optimise the production phases and the choice of raw materials used, laying the foundations for the development of new products that optimise future emissions. For this reason, it has developed a certified software that allows automatic counting of CO2e emissions (CFP Systematic Approach) according to the goods delivery market. The work carried out has made it possible to achieve important goals: TTS is the first company in Italy to have achieved the certification of the CFP Systematic Approach implemented and the Magic Line 120 trolley is the first product to have
obtained the Carbon Footprint Italy mark. Another certification chosen by TTS is the EU Ecolabel, the European Ecolabel that identifies the products with the lowest environmental impact: the range of TTS products certified Ecolabel EU is constantly growing, confirming the high-performance standards offered and the reduced environmental impact of products throughout their entire life cycle.
Magic Line 120: the first product obtaining the Carbon Footprint Italy quality mark
The first sustainability lies in the efficiency of the processes Cleaning operations are processes that have a great impact on the ecosystem. The first action towards sustainability consists in eliminating the waste of resources that in professional cleaning means implementing processes that allow a wise use of chemicals, water and energy. Efficiency and sustainability are two sides of the same coin: efficient products reduce the use of resources resulting in significant savings over time that fully repay the initial investment, for example, the costs and resources used in floor washing operations can be reduced by up to 70%
changing from bucket-cleaning to soaking on-demand system. TTS has always been committed to creating highly professional solutions that eliminate waste of water, cleaning solution and energy, both electric and human, reducing not only the environmental impact but also the management costs. The range of green products and systems offered includes cleaning solution dosing control systems, a wide range of microfibres produced in Italy with selected top quality fibres and in general professional equipment designed to last.
Conclusion There is a great need for clear and understandable information to enable conscious consumption that is sustainable not only on paper. Some steps have been taken but we expect many more to protect both honest producers and consumers who want to do something concrete with their purchases towards the ambitious goal that the EU has set for 2050 and leave a cleaner future for generations to come. Unlike simple self-declarations, PSV certification is therefore
a structured system that protects the consumer on the actual quality and traceability of recycled plastics, which is why TTS, which has been using recycled plastics for decades, joined the certification in 2012 to offer maximum transparency to its customers. Carla Zorzo | Brand Manager www.ttsystem.com
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Updating of cleaning skills Anna Garbagna reports from Italy on a new training course taking place in Bergamo recently. Bergamo was the setting for the inaugural session of the Course of Advanced Training in Cleaning Management, the meeting promoted by Fra.Mar, a company operating in the cleaning sector since 1970, in cooperation with the Università degli Studi di Bergamo. The objective of the course was to supply relevant knowledge on methods, techniques and tools for the management of all activities related to the cleaning and sanitising of commercial and residential environments, together with an overview of the available technologies in the cleaning world. The presentation of the course was also an opportunity to start a round table, chaired by Stefania Verrienti, general secretary of Afidamp (the association that brings together Italian producers of products and technologies), who moderated the debate on facility management topics. These services must be recognised as vital importance for the society rather than something marginal, she said. Now more than ever cleaning services are something one can’t ignore, because they are fundamental for the wellbeing and health of individuals, as well as for the environment. Verrienti in fact produced evidence of this statement in the form of a survey conducted by Afidamp which revealed that for no less than 47 per cent of citizens, cleanliness is the first indicator of the quality of life. Starting from these concepts, a debate was subsequently carried out between several speakers including Simone Maffeis, general manager of Fra. Mar; Massimo Totaro, responsible for prevention and protection service of ATS Bergamo; Maurizio Vittori, responsible Rapportant d’Italie, Anna Garbagna fournit des précisions sur le cours de formation avancé en gestion de la propreté, qui s’est tenu récemment à Bergame.
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agronomist of the agricultural enterprise Mioorto; Emilio Bellingardi, general manager of Sacbo (company managing Orio Al Serio-Bergamo airport); Alessandro Cianciaruso, managing director of Seas (the company in charge of maintenance of Ryanair aircraft); Vladimiro Carminati, plant manager of Brembo; and Gaetano Bonvini, sales director of IPC Group. A two-fold conclusion emerged from the meeting: on one hand, the need to give more and more value and attention to the cleaning sector and on the other a reaffirmation of the importance of training. Updating of skills and training are an opportunity which must also happen at two levels. On one side the basic operator must be trained on the technical aspects of the job and must be made aware of the importance of his new role. On the other side, the cleaning manager has a key function: as liaison between the customer and the company, he is the person who can create synergy between the two parts in order to pursue a shared objective, that is to guarantee the result. The teaching of the Course of High Training in Cleaning Management was assigned by Università degli Studi di Bergamo to Dr Giulio Guizzi from Brescia, an Afidamp ambassador and author of several works, including the book “Hygienic Cleaning and Sanitisation: the Dirty History of Cleanliness”. After the first lesson, about perception and general concepts of the science of hygiene and dirt removal through history, the topics covered include: the marketing of services, systems of environmental management, health and safety, contracts and legal aspects and management of plant maintenance.
Anna Garbagna berichtet aus Italien vom erstmals abgehaltenen Kurs zur Fortgeschrittenen Schulung im Reinigungsmanagement, der vor Kurzem in Bergamo stattfand.
Dall’Italia, la corrispondente Anna Garbagna ci informa sul corso inaugurale in training avanzato nella gestione del cleaning che si è tenuto di recente a Bergamo.
LATEST: UK 2020 vision As we start a new decade ECJ’s correspondent in the UK, Lynn Webster, looks ahead to the opportunities which could arise for the cleaning sector.
There are substantial examples of emerging technologies and a rise in their adoption across the various sectors of the industry. Businesses continue to seek future-proof solutions in their operations so the reliance on technology and innovation has become more prevalent than ever. Technology has the potential to make the business run smoother, make time more efficient and to
Hygiene in healthcare report starts p53
Am Anbruch eines neuen Jahrzehnts wirft die britische ECJ-Korrespondentin Lynn Webster einen Blick in die Zukunft und bespricht die Chancen, die für Unternehmen in der Reinigungsbranche entstehen werden.
Mentre ci imbarchiamo nel nuovo decennio, la corrispondente britannica Lynn Webster prende in esame le opportunità che emergeranno per il settore del cleaning professionale.
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Innovations can be regarded as all-encompassing whether it be exploring new methodologies, introducing latest products and presenting new ideas to the market; a project on a grand scale of investment; or potentially something relatively small but with great impact. The Cleaning and Support Services (CSSA) through its Innovation and Technology Executive is providing a platform to showcase a wide range of potentially groundbreaking innovations and innovators through its ‘Dragons Den’ initiative. This provides an opportunity to present varying business ideas to a panel of leading UK cleaning industry experts, where they will pitch their innovative ideas under close scrutiny and with deep probing questions. The “dragons” will select the worthiest to go forward to the Cleaning Industry Showcase, an event that celebrates the cleaning industry’s most innovative products, services and initiatives. This will take place at The London Stadium in March in front of the industry’s great and good. What an amazing opportunity. So, is your 2020 going to be a vision of 20 PLENTY or 20 EMPTY? Instead of making the same unachievable resolutions, create intentions and experience your goals in action.
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Alors que nous abordons une nouvelle décennie, notre correspondant au RoyaumeUni, Lynn Webster, entrevoit les opportunités qui surgiront pour les entreprises de propreté.
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Future-proof
help to keep costs down. Artificial Intelligence can be perceived in some quarters as rather scary, threatening current roles and processes for individuals but at the same time there are the advantages of significant innovative technological changes for positive progress.
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Is January the opportunity for positive thought or time to wallow in the gloomy post New Year blues? Despite the shadow of Brexit and some economic uncertainty, we are embarking on not only a new year but a whole new decade, when we should demonstrate the appetite to explore and maximise the best opportunities. “Choose to be optimistic, it feels better,” said the Dalai Lama. There is plenty to be excited about. It is a time to focus on what to achieve, to improve, to develop and to change during 2020. The UK facilities and cleaning market will face many challenges over the next five to 10 years. To deliver a quality service it needs a clear vision and driving ambition. This may include developing a revised business or personal vision for 2020; improving services for current and future customers; improving and developing new skills for all levels of the team; improving health and wellbeing for the workforce and attracting the right talent.
February/March 2020 | ECJ |21
LATEST: NETHERLANDS Nanocoatings - are there risks? John Griep, ECJ correspondent in the Netherlands, tells us about latest research into nanocoatings. What are their functions, and are there any risks in terms of environment or safety? In 1997 the Association for Cleaning Research (VSR) examined cleaning results when using microfibre cloths. “Microfibre cloths make cleaning easier and require no cleaning product”, it was claimed. The cloths really did remove stubborn stains faster. So it was all systems go! It was a revolution for the professional cleaning industry. That was until 2015, when the Dutch organisation Plastic Soup Foundation raised the alarm. It turns out that the fibres are carried away in washing water, and that millions of these end up in the sea. Fleece is one of the major culprits. What part does microfibre play in all this? It is very likely that fibres from this material wear out and break off as well. This is a task for us, since how does this correlate with the cleaning industry’s responsibility for a healthy environment?
Easier to clean In 1998 VSR investigated dirtrepellent coatings for the first time. Nanocoatings on surfaces (such as a façade) contain nanoparticles of eg, titanium dioxide (TiO₂). Nanoparticles of titanium dioxide act as a catalyst to break down organic dirt that lands on a surface. Influenced by ultraviolet light from the sun, active radicals (oxygen or hydroxyl radicals) appear on the surface, destroying the dirt by oxidisation. A rain shower or water is then required to rinse off the remaining dirt. It would be an exaggera-
tion to say that the surface is ‘self-cleaning’, but by applying a nanocoating a surface is indeed easier to clean. The conclusion was that, when properly applied, the frequency of maintenance could be reduced and aggressive cleaning agents were often unnecessary. In 2020 VSR is continuing its investigation into nanocoatings. What exactly are the functionalities? Are there risks when it comes to the environment or safety? Can VSR make a difference in optimising work procedures for the cleaning of treated surfaces?
Objective cleaning For 40 years (1979-2019), VSR has focused on acquiring knowledge and making cleaning duties more objective. The progressive insight into the use of microfibre and nanocoatings is demonstration of this. Knowledge acquisition is a continuous process, which means that different light may be shed on past insights and results. In this case, you must not be afraid – in fact, you even owe it to your members as a research institute – to question existing assumptions. As an independent platform and research institute, we are the ultimate partner to Dutch organisations and entrepreneurs when it comes to professional cleaning. VSR examines, explains and trains. Furthermore, we are honoured to share our vision and findings with you again this year.
The European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards 2020 are now open for entries. Visit echawards.com John Griep, correspondant d’ECJ aux Pays-Bas, fait rapport sur les recherches les plus récentes en matière de revêtements nanométriques. Quels sont leurs fonctions? Présentent-ils des risques sur les plans de l’environnement et de la sécurité ?
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John Griep, der ECJKorrespondent für die Niederlande, berichtet über die jüngste Forschung im Bereich Nanobeschichtungen. Welche Funktionen erfüllen sie, und bestehen irgendwelche Risiken in Bezug auf die Umwelt oder die Sicherheit?
John Griep, il corrispondente di ECJ dai Paesi Bassi, ci parla della nuova ricerca sui rivestimenti nanocoating. Quali sono le loro funzioni e ci sono dei rischi in termini di ambiente o sicurezza?
LATEST: FRANCE How to keep Paris streets clean? In Paris, the matter of keeping the city clean is a major talking point - Christian Bouzols reports. The campaign for the municipal elections in France, due in midMarch, is well under way and in Paris the matter of keeping the city clean is a major issue. All the candidates have their own proposals. As regards street cleaning, here are those of the three people hoping to become mayor of Paris. The incumbent mayoress, Anne Hidalgo, believes in strengthening the various related services, and also considers stronger measures need to be taken against uncivil behaviour. “Our cleaning services collect 3,000 tonnes of waste every day. But that’s not enough. Dirt and litter are a constant nuisance, which is unbearable. But equally serious is the lack of respect shown for the spaces that we share together. By deteriorating our streets, people are spoiling our daily lives,” she insisted.
Local level Anne Hidalgo is also promising to invest one billion Euros each year in “beautifying” the streets and would like to institute “cleanliness managers” for each neighbourhood. “Our intention is that steps to improve cleanliness be decided at the level of each neighbourhood, of each street. The people of Paris will thus be able to take their comments to an official, at a dedicated citizens’ counter,” she explained. “We’ll also be naming a person in charge of cleanliness for each neighbourhood who will draw a specific plan of action for each street.” In addition Anne Hidalgo is thinking of increasing fines for litter loutishness and other offences in order to “strengthen the fight against incivilities”. Thus fines for throwing cigarette butts or pieces of paper on the paveÀ Paris, la propreté de la ville constitue un thème de grande actualité dans le cadre de la campagne préludant aux élections municipales. Christian Bouzols l’explique pour ECJ.
ment would be increased to €150, fines for urinating to €300, fines for fly tipping to €500 and fines for illegal bill posting to several thousand Euros. Such measures should ensure a greener city, she added.
Street managers Benjamin Grivaux, Anne Hidalgo’s main challenger for the mayoralty and a member of president Macron’s party, intends to create a new job assignment in the capital, that of “street manager”, as one way to improve street cleanliness. “There will be 1,000 of them, to be selected among existing municipal officials. Each of them will be responsible for a block of buildings of five or six streets and will contribute to solving problems linked to public areas and in which cleanliness will be a central factor.” The third candidate, Cédric Villani, who left the presidential party to launch his own electoral list against Benjamin Grivaux, has the most original suggestion.
Artificial intelligence A mathematician by profession, and winner of the Fields medal the equivalent of the Nobel prize for mathematics - he intends to apply artificial intelligence to street cleaning. His plan is to make use of a software trained to identify dozens of types of waste and litter and which, by means of cameras mounted on municipal vehicles, will assess in real time the state of cleanliness of the city’s streets and thus optimise both the route and frequency of cleaning operations. That for sure, is an ambitious programme. But as that candidate has only a small chance of being elected, it’s unlikely his plan will ever see the light of day.
In Paris ist das Thema der Straßenreinigung im Rahmen des Wahlkampfes für die Kommunalwahlen ein wichtiger Gesprächspunkt. Christian Bouzols berichtet für das ECJ.
A Parigi, la questione della pulizia delle strade è un importante tema di discussione mentre si sta svolgendo la campagna elettorale per le elezioni municipali, ce ne parla il corrispondente di ECJ Christian Bouzols.
EUROPEAN CLEANING & HYGIENE AWARDS
Everyone is welcome Buitengewoon-Facilicom does its utmost to recruit candidates who are keen to work – however poor their job prospects may seem on paper. So the groundbreaking social enterprise was a worthy winner of the 2019 European Cleaning & Hygiene Award for Commitment to Diversity in the Workforce. Looking for a job can be a daunting process. Interviews are often particularly stressful because it is here in the interview room where candidates are challenged about their lack of relevant experience, their exam results and any gaps in their CV. There is also the lurking fear that their face might not fit because they are perceived to have come from “the wrong background”. But imagine how it would be if our prospective employer were completely sympathetic and totally invested in finding us a job – whether we were ideal for the role or not? This is way in which BuitengewoonFacilicom operates. Its parent company the Facilicom Group employes 31,000 people in the UK, Netherlands and Belgium. “Facilicom has plenty of work on offer - and many of the available roles are of a practical nature,” says the company’s social entrepreneur Etienne Friederichs. “This means there are good opportunities within the company’s operational activities for those who could do with a helping hand.” As far as Buitengewoon-Facilicom is concerned this category includes former refugees, those on welfare benefits and
24 | February/March 2020 | ECJ
people with a disability who have been declared partly or fully unable to work. Job vacancies within Facilicom are offered through Buitengewoon. “We also set up tailor-made jobs for people who would have difficulty filling a ‘normal’ vacancy,” said Friederichs. “We help candidates to surmount any obstacle by offering internships, work experience and intense guidance and supervision. “We take a person’s abilities as a starting point, offering them both a job and a path. Buitengewoon helps to remove practical obstacles, for example by arranging coaching or helping with transport or day-care provision for children. We are happy to make that extra effort to enable people to return to work or enter the work environment for the first time.” The key requirement for finding employment within the company is simply the motivation to work, says Friederichs. “We don’t want people to have to worry about whether they have enough diplomas, whether there’s a language barrier or whether they lack skills,” he said. “We simply consider what they can do and we then work together on a plan to get them started. “Whatever work hindrance they experience whether it is a disability, age, low literacy, origin, gap in their CV, or whatever: they are welcome, and we will put our heads together to determine what is possible.” Buitengewoon provides a culture that offers room for differences, he says. “It is an environment where people see diversity as an added value,” said Friederichs. “In this way we work alongside our partners towards a labour market that
excludes no-one.” Established in 2018, BuitengewoonFacilicom means “Facilicom Extraordinary” in Dutch - and this is a fitting name. “Buitengewoon is an independent entity within the company’s holding,” he said. “A social enterprise within such an organisation is unique and the fact that a family business like Facilicom Group offers such a platform is both distinctive and unequalled.” He believes there to be an everwidening gap between the working and non-working populations. “This affects the distribution of wealth and the spread of wellbeing,” says Friederichs. “And this makes the social role of companies increasingly important. “We work alongside local partners, industry peers and social neighbourhood teams to put people in jobs. It’s not commercial interest that comes first – it’s the group effort to find jobs for people who would otherwise not be considered.” People taken on by BuitengewoonFacilicom appreciate the opportunities they are given, he says. “This contributes to a huge sense of company pride,” said Friederichs. “People are proud to work for an organisation that has a social heart and together we will fight for a job market where there’s a place for everyone and where everyone matters.” This is Buitengewoon-Facilicom’s first European Cleaning & Hygiene Award. “Winning has confirmed to us that we are on the right track and that our decision to launch was the right one,” said Friederichs. We’re grateful to Facilicom Group for the opportunities it offers us and for supporting us unconditionally in our mission.”
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EUROPEAN CLEANING & HYGIENE AWARDS
Staff the greatest resource Derrycourt considers its staff to be its greatest resource – which is why the company has won the European Cleaning & Hygiene Award for Investment in Training for the second year running. Learning and development manager Laura Keogh talks us through Derrycourt’s ethos.
Derrycourt is a European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards veteran, having won awards every year since the inaugural event in Barcelona in 2016. However, the company was particularly delighted to receive the Investment in Training accolade in 2019 for a second consecutive year. “It is always good to win an award because it showcases the quality of service we provide,” said the company’s learning and development manager Laura Keogh. “This award, however, is incredibly special to us. We put so much of our time and resources into training that it’s brilliant when this effort is recognised.” Derrycourt views its staff as its greatest resource, says Keogh. “We invest hugely in education and in motivating staff to ensure the highest level of customer service,” she said. “We believe in providing comprehensive training to employees in all areas of the business because by fielding a skilled and educated workforce, we are able to continuously improve the service we provide to clients.” Courses are offered for all levels of employees and besides company induction these include modules on manual
handling, infection control and supervisory and management training. This focuses on soft leadership skills such as communication, managing performance and respect and dignity at work. “On top of this we offer role-specific training such as good manufacturing practice and HACCP Levels 1 and 2 for catering staff,” said Keogh. “And our healthcare employees are trained and assessed to the British Institute of Cleaning Science standards using the CPSS suite.” Having a well-trained and competent workforce is particularly essential in the healthcare sector, she says. “Derrycourt has worked extensively with clients to develop and implement a robust training system which ensures that we have a high calibre of trained, competent and capable staff,” she said. “The growing skills gap and an increased need to compete in today’s economy mean that training is more important now than ever before.” Derrycourt is constantly developing its learning offerings, says. Keogh. “Each year we incorporate new initiatives such as e-learning, sponsorship and management development training,” she said. The company’s Sponsorship Programme gives employees the opportunity to attend courses and schemes that are directly beneficial to their position. “This provides them with skills that can be transferred into the workplace,” said Keogh. “Our system has been designed to create a smarter workforce and to yield the best results possible. And as well as offering in-house courses and client site-specific training from our dedicated on-site BICSc approved training centre, we
also offer additional courses designed to meet site-specific requirements.” All Derrycourt employees were invited to apply for the company’s trainee management programme which began In January of this year. “This programme is designed to develop employees to enable them to become part of our supervisory and site management teams,” she said. “Successful applicants selected from the recruitment and assessment centre will complete a series of training modules to include employment law, customer service and finance for non-financial managers among others. “And each candidate will then complete an assessment where members of our senior management team will act as their mentors.” Derrycourt thrives on nurturing talent to drive forward its mission of service excellence, says Keogh. “This in turn helps to enhance our employee and customer satisfaction levels,” she said. “Learning and development is critical to the continued success of our people and business.” Besides twice winning the ECJ Investment in Training Award, the company has also twice won the Greatest Individual Contribution to Driving Up Standards within a Cleaning Operation award as well as the Excellence in client/contractor partnership award. Keogh says the company is “incredibly proud” to have received yet another accolade from ECJ. “The European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards is a fabulous event,” she said. “Each year the standard becomes higher and this drives all companies to continuously improve. Derrycourt is now looking forward to 2020 and we hope to have further success in the years to come.”
February/March 2020 | ECJ | 27
Performance you can Trust
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EUROPEAN CLEANING & HYGIENE AWARDS
Culture of sustainability The concept of sustainability runs right through the heart of Incentive QAS instead of simply being an “add-on”, says managing director Jamie Wright. And this is what earned the company the 2019 European Cleaning & Hygiene Award for Sustainability Best Practice, he says. Concern for the environment has become a prominent topic over recent years, with organisations worldwide doing their utmost to be as sustainable as they can. But contract cleaning company Incentive QAS still managed to stand out from the crowd and win itself the 2019 European Cleaning & Hygiene Award for Sustainability Best Practice. So, how did it manage to achieve this? “Sustainability is a fundamental part of our culture,” says managing director Jamie Wright. “Our senior management teams are enthusiastic about protecting the environment and are focused on making a difference to those around us.” The “People” element of sustainability is particularly important to the company, says Wright. “Our staff are the most important part of the business and we take pride in being a company where people actually like to work,” he said. “We focus on providing our staff with a fair work/ life balance and we invest in wellbeing campaigns and mental health awareness training for managers.” Training in general is high on the company’s agenda, says Wright. “We regularly add new elements of training and review
our existing programmes to ensure that they remain fresh while allowing us to continuously develop our staff,” he said. “There is a saying I love: Train your staff to leave, but treat them so that they don’t want to. By adopting this mantra we have managed to build teams that strive to be the best and who are hungry to learn new skills while also driving us forward as a business. And all of this pays off in the long run.” Incentive QAS makes every effort to use products that can effectively complete the required cleaning task while also having a minimal impact on the environment. “We are constantly searching for products and solutions that meet these criteria from circular economy products to chemical-free cleaning,” said Wright. “And we operate our larger sites in partnership with clients so that we can source increased storage space and reduce the number of deliveries required.” Incentive QAS embraces CSR and does whatever it can to ensure a positive longterm impact upon communities, wildlife and anyone affected by a natural disaster or tragedy that is out of their control, says Wright. “We have organised numerous fundraising events over the years which have included charity balls and auctions, sponsored abseils and obstacle course races for our nominated charities,” he adds. “We also like to introduce fun ways of raising money at our company gettogethers, such as levying a forfeit for anyone who forgets to turn off their phone at the annual conference or who fails to comply with the requirements of Christmas Jumper Day. “And we regularly take part in beach
cleans alongside our waste service providers in order to create a better environment for visitors and inhabitants while providing a safer environment for wildlife and encouraging and educating people about the importance of recycling.” Wright adds that he and his colleagues are constantly asking themselves the question: ‘How can this benefit people?’ in all that they do. “Whether we are managing our supply chain with care or giving something back to the community, every little step contributes to a wider impact,” he said. One of the items on the company’s 2020 agenda is the introduction of reusable water bottles and coffee cups to enable staff to remain hydrated at work without having to drink from single-use plastic bottles or disposable coffee containers, says Wright. Incentive QAS is the contract cleaning arm of Incentive FM Group which has a staff of 800. Wright describes himself as being “incredibly proud” to receive the company’s first ever European Cleaning & Hygiene Award in such a soughtafter category. “We take our responsibility for the planet’s protection seriously and to be recognised for our commitment to sustainability in this way is an absolute honour,” he said. “We believe that we all have a responsibility to future generations and we need to ensure that we are striving towards our sustainability goals. Everybody has an impact - and we will minimise or eradicate that impact wherever we can.” The European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards 2020 will be held in Brussels on November 5 and are now open for entry. Visit www.echawards.com
February/March 2020 | ECJ | 29
WASHROOM HYGIENE
Under social pressure The increasing use of social media and the advent of rating apps are putting pressure on washrooms and laying them open to public scrutiny. But how are washroom providers responding to this pressure, asks ECJ?
Using the washroom has traditionally been a private experience. However, an increasing number of us are now sharing our daily lives with the rest of the world via social media. And this even includes the time we spend in the toilet. When visiting a hotel, bar or restaurant it is not unusual for people to post images of attractive, outlandish or particularly unusual toilets on Instagram or on other social media sites. Similarly, anyone who is horrified by the state of the dirty or unhygienic facilities they visit may choose to communicate their outrage on Twitter or Facebook. Meanwhile, the internet has increased the transparency of our washroom experiences in other ways. Various smartphone apps invite us to rate the washrooms we use while “smiley” panels in airports and similar facilities ask us to rate our washroom visit. So the pressure is on for service providers to ensure that their premises are clean and hygienic – and preferably also photogenic - at all times. But how are they responding? Social media is opening up new channels for criticism according to Brightwell’s marketing manager Nicole Mathes. “However, it is also spreading awareness of the importance of good hygiene,” she said. “And it is a great way to get genuine feedback from end users and help companies stay up to date with the latest washroom trends and solutions.” The industry has definitely seen a rise in
30 | February/March 2020 | ECJ
both positive and negative coverage as a result of social media, she said. “Naturally there has been an increase in publicity for attractive washrooms and this has meant standards have increased to meet everrising hygiene aspirations,” she said. Conversely, customers posting negative reviews on social media can have a huge impact on any hospitality business, according to Mathes. “People are increasingly using the internet and social media to make a decision on whether or not to visit a place,” she said. “At the same time it has opened up new channels of communication for emerging products and equipment as the industry evolves. For example, washroom manufacturers and providers are now able to post relevant content and marketing materials on their Twitter feeds.” Brightwell’s Mercury washroom range has a stainless steel finish and is described as providing a touch of luxury. The company also manufactures the Myriad range of soap and paper dispensers which offer various branding and design options. Today’s society is becoming more transparent in general – and this has both advantages and pitfalls according to Hagleitner’s head of digital product management Fabian Räbiger. “Any publicity in the past would mainly be transmitted via word of mouth,” he said. “But nowadays we have a broad range of methods for sharing our experiences – and social media is one of them.”
Social media challenge Hagleitner sees the social media revolution as a challenge, according to Räbiger. “As a service provider, improving the washroom experience is our job – and making our washrooms instagrammable is all part of it,” he said. The company offers dispensers that transmit data on refill levels to ensure that supplies need never run out. WhiffAway has also noted changes in the industry due to social media according to group business development manager Michael Mynard. “Social media increases
the pressure on manufacturers to ensure that their customers are happy and their washroom visits are issue-free,” he says. “So this is an opportunity for providers to propose good solutions so that individual sites can generate positive publicity from good reviews.”
Negative publicity The social media trend has prompted WhiffAway to identify problems early on and to work more closely with washroom owners and managers to develop longterm solutions, according to Mynard. “It is generally a force for good,” he said. “Customers are unlikely to upload a photo or post a comment about a wellkept and pleasant washroom – they are more likely to take a photo or complain if there are any issues or odours. This creates increased pressure on washroom providers since negative publicity can be detrimental. As a result we need to ensure that all sites follow the correct cleaning procedures to minimise any potential issues.” Whiffaway’s waterless urinals aim to prevent any problems with blocked urinals and odours. The company offers a range of designer bowls that are said to improve the appearance of washrooms, along with smart sensors that enable staff to identify any potential problems before they can be detected by customers. “The rise in quality of these smart washrooms has been transformative and we expect this trend to rise dramatically,” he said. He adds that washroom providers tend to react more quickly to a post on social media than to a direct complaint to a member of staff. “Where information is shared, it also leads to comparisons with other washrooms and this drives up standards,” he said. It is all too easy to broadcast criticism of a public washroom to a much wider audience today according to Essity’s communications director Renée Remijnse. “When choosing a product or venue, ratings have become an integral part of the customer journey,” she said. Remi-
WASHROOM HYGIENE jnse believes the social media revolution to have given rise to a series of distinct trends. “For example, some venues are creating ‘experience’ washrooms with unusual colours, materials and other sensory additions,” she says. “There has also been a trend towards healthy, hygienic washrooms that offer spacious surroundings, closed cubicles, hygienic dispensers and air fresheners.
Distinct trends “Other toilets are going down the hightech route and providing phone chargers, interactive mirrors, sensor-operated dispensers and automated toilet seats. And there is another trend towards ‘organic’ washrooms with a focus on nature and simplicity. Here the fixtures tend to be made from natural materials and all products are ecolabelled and sustainable.” She claims Essity’s Tork PaperCircle system – which takes away customers’ used hand towels and recycles them into other products - fits the “organic” washroom model while the company’s Tork EasyCube software works well in the high-tech washroom. This digital solution connects soap and paper dispensers and allows them to be monitored remotely by cleaning staff. According to Remijnse, social media has had a positive effect on the industry because it has motivated venues to provide a better washroom experience. “it has also promoted an increased focus on the importance of regular cleaning plus a greater respect for the work of cleaners - something that was overdue in our opinion,” she said. “And the positive side to any social media criticism is that it can be quickly responded to and swiftly rectified.” The days have long gone when venues could get away with providing substandard toilet facilities according to P-Wave’s sales and marketing manager Mark Wintle. And this is a good thing, he adds.
said. “You might also possibly tell a few friends. Now people have the easier option of complaining publicly on social media in front of many friends and followers and without having to stage an awkward faceto-face confrontation with the manager. “As a result we’ve seen many examples of individuals naming and shaming dirty and smelly toilets on Twitter.” He says a visit to the washroom is often the customer’s last stop at a venue – as well as being the venue’s final opportunity to provide a positive experience. “It can be frustrating for a customer who may have had a great time in a bar or restaurant with amazing food and a lovely atmosphere, only to head to the toilet to discover a dirty, smelly washroom with empty soap dispensers,” he said. “That doesn’t create a great lasting impression. And unhappy or unimpressed customers are quick to share their opinions.” P-Wave offers a range of urinal screens designed to eliminate bad washroom smells. According to Wintle the company’s products often receive positive mentions on social media. “One of the considerations when
launching our new Slant6 urinal screen was to actually give it a name, not only to differentiate the product from its previous incarnations but also to allow it to be mentioned and tagged on social media sites,” he said.
The right way According to Wintle, the increased exposure that social media brings is a step in the right direction. “It is ultimately being driven by consumers who want a better standard of cleanliness and provision in washrooms,” he said. “There has definitely been an improvement in away-from-home toilet cleanliness over the last 10-15 years - particularly in businesses that provide a service. And the positive publicity that some of these five-star washrooms receive is allimportant in a world where online ratings and reviews increasingly form the basis of many of our purchasing decisions. “However, social media is only part of the reason behind this improvement in standards. In an increasingly competitive marketplace, all companies are looking for those customer service wins that will give them an edge over the competition.”
Immediate feedback “Fifteen to 20 years ago if you had a complaint you would tell the manager on the day in question or send an email,” he Grâce à Smileys, à des applications de notification de la qualité de toilettes collectives, et à différents sites sur les réseaux sociaux, l’usage privé de telles toilettes est porté à la connaissance d’un nombre croissant de personnes. Les prestataires de services sont donc poussés de plus en plus à faire le nécessaire pour que leurs locaux soient propres et hygiéniques en tout temps. Quels sont les produits et systèmes dont ils disposent pour rehausser l’aspect de toilette collectives et les maintenir dans un état propre et hygiénique, même aux heures de grande affluence ?
Durch Smileys, Waschraum-Bewertungs-Apps und soziale Medien hat unsere private Nutzung von Waschräumen einen viel öffentlicheren Charakter angenommen, da eine zunehmende Anzahl von Menschen ihre Waschraumerfahrungen mit der Welt teilen. Und das bedeutet, dass Dienstleister bedrängt werden, sicherzustellen, dass ihre Räumlichkeiten jederzeit sauber und hygienisch sind. Welche Produkte und Systeme bieten sie an, die das Aussehen von Waschräumen verbessern und dafür sorgen, dass sie selbst zu verkehrsreichsten Zeiten sauber und hygienisch sind?
Smileys, le app per il rating delle sale da toilette e i siti dei social media hanno reso il nostro uso privato dei bagni molto più pubblico perchè un numero sempre maggiore di noi condivide con il resto del mondo le nostre esperienze nei bagni pubblici. Questo significa che si crea una pressione per i fornitori di servizi che devono assicurarsi che le loro strutture siano sempre pulite e igieniche. Quali prodotti e sistemi offrono per valorizzare l’aspetto delle sale da toilette e per aiutare a mantenerle pulite e igieniche durante i periodi di maggior affluenza?
February/March 2020 | ECJ | 31
PRODUCTS: WASHROOM HYGIENE
• Vectair Systems a lancé un écran d’urinoir à triple effet - P-Screen. • Airdri a enrichi sa gamme d’un purificateur d’air pour affronter les bactéries et les odeurs de toilettes collectives. • Le distributeur de savon, robinet et sèche-mains All-in-One de Mediclinics est à montage mural ou sur plan de travail. • Kennedy Hygiene propose une gamme de distributeurs de savon pour es mains ainsi qu’un gel antibactérien. • Proposé par CWS, le SmartWash est un robinet mélangeur guidant l’utilisateur à travers un processus fixe de lavage des mains. • Excel Dryer affirme que son nouveau sèche-mains XleratorEco est le moyen le plus responsable, écologiquement parlant, de se sécher les mains. • Les distributeurs et consommables North Shore, de la société Northwood, sont destinés à un large éventail d’applications pour toilettes collectives. • Vectair Systems hat ein dreifachwirkendes Urinalsieb vorgestellt - P-Screen. • Airdri hat sein Angebot um eine neue Luftreinigereinheit, die Bakterien im Waschraum bekämpft und Gerüche beseitigt, erweitert. • Beim All-in-One von Mediclinics handelt es sich um einen Seifenspender, Wasserhahn und Handtrockner, der auf der Theke oder an der Wand montiert werden kann. • Das Angebot von Kennedy Hygiene umfasst eine Produktreihe mit Handseifespendern und auch ein antibakterielles Gel. • SmartWash von CWS ist eine Mischarmatur, die Benutzer durch ein festgelegtes Handwaschverfahren führt. • Laut eigenen Angaben von Excel Dryer bietet der neue Händetrockner XleratorEco die umweltbewussteste Möglichkeit zum Trocknen der Hände. • North Shore Spender und Verbrauchsmaterialien von Northwood wurden für eine breite Palette von Waschraumanwendungen konzipiert.
• La Vectair Systems ha lanciato una retina per urinatoi a tripla azione P-Screen. • La Airdri ha aggiunto ai suoi prodotti una unità per la purificazione dell’aria per eliminare i batteri e gli odori dalle sale da bagno. • All-in-One della Mediclinics è un dispenser di sapone, rubinetto e asciugamani che può essere montato a parete o da appoggio. • La Kennedy Hygiene offre una gamma di dispenser di sapone per le mani e un gel antibatterico • SmartWash della CWS è un rubinetto miscelatore che guida l’utente attraverso una procedura prefissata di lavaggio delle mani. • La Excel Dryer afferma che il suo nuovo asciugamani XleratorEco è il metodo di asciugarsi le mani più responsabile verso l’ambiente. • I dispenser e i prodotti di consumo North Shore della Northwood sono progettati per una vasta gamma di applicazioni per le sale da toilette.
32 | February/March 2020 | ECJ
Triple action
boasts low energy consumption. www.airdri.com
All in one
Vectair Systems has launched a triple action urinal screen that incorporating dual fragrance delivery, an active ‘enzyme protected’ central core and the ultimate defence against splash- back. P-Screen first addresses fragrance fatigue, the common experience of losing sensitivity to an odour from over exposure, by providing powerful fragrance in two areas – the screen itself and the central core. Dual fragrance is continually released for up to 60 days, and larger spaces can choose to co-ordinate scents with other Vectair Systems products. Secondly, its active central core provides impressive enzyme protection, containing naturally occurring bacteria that degrades organic matter, eliminating bad smells. The ability to prevent splashback comes from P-Screen’s design combination of bubbles and bristles. Bristles and bubbles help to reduce splash-back by creating a surface difficult for water to rebound from. www.vectairsystems.com
Tackle bacteria Warm air hand dryer specialist Airdri has added an air purifier unit to its range, to tackle washroom bacteria and eliminate odours. The unit uses custom thermal convection technology to kill airborne and surface bacteria and viruses, as well as eliminating bad odours caused by bacteria. Its compact size means it can sit discreetly in the top corner of a washroom while being capable of servicing a floor area of up to 30 square metres. It requires minimal maintenance and
The All-in-One from Mediclinics is a soap dispenser, tap and hand dryer. Designed to save water and soap, reduce energy consumption and eliminate the need for paper towels it can be surface- or wall-mounted. www.mediclinics.com
consuming two litres. The unit is sensor-controlled for optimum hygiene and savings in resources. www.cws.com
Fast drying
No fragrance Kennedy Hygiene’s antibacterial gel is light and fragrance-free, and is used in conjunction with the company’s automatic no-touch dispenser Savona Ellipse Auto.
Other hand washing products in the range include foam soap, liquid soap, automatic and manual dispensers, as well as direct fill and cartridge versions. kennedy-hygiene.com
Fixed process The CWS SmartWash is a mixing tap that guides the user through a fixed hand washing process. The patented mixing head inside the fitting automatically mixes water, air and soap. At the end, the device rinses clear water over the soaped hands. This means users cannot wash their hands without soap. The admixture of air in the fitting ensures water consumption is reduced says CWS. SmartWash requires one glass of water, compared to a standard tap
The XLERATOReco warm air hand dryer from Excel Dryer uses ‘no heat’ technology to dry hands quickly while using 500 watts, making it energy efficient and environmentally responsible says the company. It has received Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) certification. For optimum hygiene, features include antibacterial wall guards and HEPA filtration. www.exceldryer.com
High capacity The North Shore washroom dispenser and consumables line is designed for high-traffic applications - boasting high capacity, durable solutions. Among the products are no-touch dispensing options offering single-sheet presentation of towels. Dispensers are easy to wipe clean, while toilet tissue and hand towels are individually wrapped. Also part of the range is the 5,000-sheet, four roll Orbit toilet tissue unit with ABS plastic construction. Units are lockable and minimise waste, as the next roll may only be accessed once the first is exhausted. www.northwood.co.uk
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TIME TO THROW IN THE TOWEL
PRODUCTS: WASHROOM HYGIENE
• La solution numérique Tork EasyCube connexte toilettes collectives et distributeurs au moyen de capteurs. • Cheeky Panda a lancé un nouveau produit : des lingettes biodégradables et antibactériennes à base de bambou pour le nettoyage de toutes les surfaces. • GOJO Industries-Europe a développé la Purell Solution, un nouveau système à distributeur et à savon pour les mains. • Bei der Digitallösung EasyCube von Tork werden Waschräume und Spender über Sensoren verbunden. • Neu von Cheeky Panda sind biologisch abbaubare, antibakterielle MehrzweckWischtücher aus Bambus. • GOJO Industries-Europe hat die Purell Solution entwickelt, ein neues Handseifen- und Spendersystem.
Connected Essity’s Tork EasyCube is designed to improve efficiency by connecting washrooms and dispensers via sensors. This digital solution allows cleaners to monitor maintenance needs and check dispenser refill levels via a smartphone or tablet. The Tork Image Design Line of dispensers, meanwhile, combine brushed stainless steel fascias with a black trim to create a sleek, upmarket look. All the company’s washroom dispensers are designed to give only one sheet of paper or dose of soap at a time to reduce consumption naturally. www.tork.co.uk
• La soluzione digitale EasyCube della Tork connette le sale da toilette e i dispenser per mezzo di sensori. • La novità della Cheeky Panda sono i panni antibatterici biodegradabili in bambù per multi superfici. • La GOJO Industries-Europe ha sviluppato Purell Solution, un nuovo sistema per il sapone e dispenser.
Biodegradable
Next ECJ - April/May Dermatologically tested and suitable for dry and sensitive skin, the formulation includes 90 per cent naturally derived ingredients and is available with or without fragrance. The Purell ES8 dispenser has at-a-glance refill design which makes it easy to monitor product levels. And each refill comes with an integrated battery to enable continuous touch-free dispensing without the worry of the battery wearing out. www.gojo.com
The Cheeky Panda has launched biodegradable bamboo antibacterial multi-surface wipes. The wipes are made from purified water, plant-derived cleaning agent and bamboo. They are dermatologically tested as well as being vegan and cruelty-free. www.thecheekypanda.co.uk
Healthy spaces GOJO Industries-Europe’s Purell Solution comprises new dispensers and the Purell Healthy Soap High Performance Foam Hand Wash. Featuring Clean Release Technology (CRT) this soap is formulated to loosen dirt and germs while being gentle on the skin.
STEAM IS YOUR BEST ALLY 2009
JOIN THE CLEANING REVOLUTION
34 | February/March 2020 | ECJ
2019
www.stindustry.it STI srl - The Steam Industry
PRODUCTS: WASHROOM HYGIENE Multiple options
Clean urinals
Ecological
The Myriad line of soap and paper dispensers from Brightwell offers a variety of branding and design options. Comprising soap dispensers, hand towel dispensers, centrefeed hand towel dispensers, autocut hand towel dispensers, jumbo toilet roll dispensers and wall mounted bins the range is designed for busy environments and comes in black or white. www.brightwell.co.uk
Mini Splash Hog Vertical Urinal Screens from WizKid Products extend up the back wall of the urinal, reducing splash-back. They have a 45-day fragrance load and the flexible design allows them to fit and be effective in a compact urinal. Working in tandem with the screen is the WizKid Antimicrobial Runner Mat, a matting solution for the floor whose size can be customised. Available in two widths it is loaded with a potent antimicrobial to stop odours, and it features a moisture barrier to keep floors dry and stain free. The adhesive backing keeps the mat in place and removes in under 100 days without leaving a residue. www.wizkidproducts.com
Sanitary bag dispenser specialist Packing90 has added a new refill with compostable bags to its range. The recycled brown packaging fits with the eco-friendly characteristics of the product. Boxes contain 24 refills of 25 interleaved bags each. www.packing90.com
• Les distributeurs Myriad de la société Brightwell comprennent des appareils de distribution de savon et de serviettes. • WizKid Products a mis au point l’écran d’urinoir vertical Mini Splash Hog et un tapis antibactérien de revêtement de sol d’urinoir. • Packing90, spécialiste des distributeurs à sachets hygiéniques, a développé une cartouche de recharge de sacs compostables. • Die Myriad-Spender von Brightwell umfassen Seifen- und Handtuchspender. • WizKid Products hat das vertikale Urinalsieb Mini Splash Hog und eine antibakterielle Matte für den Boden bei Urinalen entwickelt. • Packing90, Spezialist für Hygienebeutelspender, hat eine neue kompostierbare Beutelnachfüllung entwickelt.
• La linea di dispenser Myriad della Brightwell include unità per l’erogazione di sapone e asciugamani. • La WizKid Products ha sviluppato la griglia verticale per orinatoi Mini Splash Hog e uno zerbino antibatterico per il pavimento sottostante gli orinatoi. • La Packing90, specializzata in dispenser per sacchetti sanitari, ha sviluppato una nuovo ricarica di sacchetti compostabili.
The European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards 2020 are now open for entries. Visit echawards.com
Savona Ellipse soap dispensers By Kennedy Hygiene • Robust and elegant • Manual and automatic • Cartridge and direct fill • Multiple pump options • Liquid and foam soaps • Bespoke design and branding Tel +44 (0) 1825 768141 Email sales@kennedy-hygiene.com Web http://kennedy-hygiene.co.uk #CleanHands
February/March 2020 | ECJ | 35
SUSTAINABILITY
The Extinction Rebellion effect Extinction Rebellion has captured the world’s imagination – but is it also causing a ripple effect in the cleaning sector? ECJ asks companies whether they have noticed a renewed urgency as far as sustainability is concerned, and what they believe is behind it.
Protests by Extinction Rebellion are constantly hitting the headlines these days. This group of environmentalists has repeatedly engaged in non-violent activities such as gluing themselves to banks and grounding passenger flights to demonstrate their concerns about issues such as fossil fuel investment and airport expansion plans. Extinction Rebellion was formed online and first emerged into the public consciousness following a 1,500-strong protest in London’s Parliament Square in October 2018. However, its energy has been contagious and the group now claims to have thousands of members spanning the entire globe. So, with a new urgency being lent to issues such as climate change and other environmental topics, have the ripples started to be felt in the cleaning sector? Ecolab is one company that has certainly been seeing an increasing level of engagement about global challenges such as climate change, water scarcity, food security and public health according to marketing communications manager Gaëlle Petit “Whether it’s about saving water and energy or reducing waste and greenhouse gas emissions, there’s a growing realisation that these priorities go hand in hand with business growth and profitability,” she said. “In our business, we see the signs of progress all around us.” Digital technology is delivering insights
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that were previously unavailable to many while also increasing demand for smart, sustainable solutions, she says. “At Ecolab we are privileged to be able to help drive these positive developments forward.” According to Petit, Ecolab helped its customers worldwide save around 188 billion gallons of water in 2018. “That’s equivalent to the annual drinking water needs of 650 million people,” she said. “We are also on our way to achieving our 2030 goal of saving 300 billion gallons, and have helped customers to save 19 trillion British thermal units of energy while avoiding 2.4 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions and eliminating 54 million pounds of waste.”
Sense of urgency Groups such as Extinction Rebellion have given rise to a strong sense of urgency for the global coalition to tackle issues such as climate change and water scarcity, she says. “It is important to raise awareness of these issues – particularly about the importance of smart water management to ensure that we don’t run out of fresh water,” she said. “It is encouraging to see businesses around the world increasingly focusing on pressing issues such as climate change and water, but we also need to encourage greater action including the development of plans and execution of sustainable water management practices on a bigger scale to make a difference for the planet.” Customers of machine manufacturer Tennant have also been asking for more information about the company’s sustainability practices over recent months, says global senior sustainability specialist Kate Powers. “Many of these enquiries have been specific questions relating to the customer’s own sustainability goals,” she said. “These include everything from environmental management systems and certification to sustainability commitments, the recyclability of machines, the recycled content of our machines, carbon emissions from operations and energy
saving projects. “We’re also seeing an increasing number of customers beginning to include sustainability criteria in their buying processes and choosing machines that contribute to their company’s own sustainability goals and objectives.” She believes there to be a number of reasons behind this change in focus. “We know our customers are reacting to media coverage of issues such as plastics in the oceans plus the change in market conditions for recycled materials,” she said. “For example, Chinese recycling businesses have recently refused to take soiled and contaminated recyclables from international markets. “And our customers’ own clients are also asking similar questions and are requesting further information from their supplier base.” She says Tennant in turn is seeking more detailed sustainability information from its own suppliers. “We’re working with our partners to ensure that we have good information from our supply chain, particularly with regard to topics such as waste and plastics, plastic use, plastic recyclability and the recycled plastic content in our machines,” she said. As far as Tennant is concerned, today’s most pressing sustainability issues are those of the circular economy and carbon emissions associated with global warming.
Global trends Sustainability is becoming something of a global trend according to Andreas Mayer, director management systems at Kärcher. “Every year we receive around five per cent more sustainability-related requests from our customers than in the previous year,” he said. “Sustainability today is no longer limited to environmental protection – other topics such as social standards in the supply chain are also moving into focus.” He says people worldwide are becoming more aware of the impact that issues such as climate change, ocean pollution and
SUSTAINABILITY unsafe working conditions can have on all of us. “I think it’s these experiences that are causing the increase in interest and demand for sustainability,” he said. While he believes all sustainability issues to be equally important he cites climate protection, ocean pollution and working conditions in the supply chain as particular focus areas. “Sustainability is one of our core values at Kärcher – and one that we believe is linked with economic success,” he said. Today’s consumers are paying increasing attention to the impact of their day-to-day activities according to IPC communications manager Gabriella Bianco. “Many are assuming a sort of green attitude whenever and wherever they can,” she said. “Consequently, cleaning companies are being tasked with being more ethically responsible, minimising their use of resources and providing safer waste disposal as a relevant selling factor.”
Raising awareness She feels that organisations such as Extinction Rebellion are raising awareness and promoting a greater public interest towards environmental issues along with the effects of climate change. “This is increasing people’s understanding of the importance of taking a more responsible approach towards our life habits,” she said. “People are also gaining a greater understanding of the risks we are taking in depleting the Earth’s natural resources and damaging its ecosystems. This is prompting them to become more careful when generating waste since this can lead to issues such as plastics contaminating our oceans.” IPC offers various sustainable solutions including the Black is Green range which incorporates up to 75 per cent of recycled plastic in products, and MSC technology which reduces energy consumption in high pressure machines. According to Bianco, the cleaning industry has become highly sensitive to the ecological protection issue. “Policies aimed at increasing the use of green solutions and technologies are spreading: for example, the European Green Public Procurement
Les protestations du mouvement de Rébellion contre l’extinction font aujourd’hui les gros titres des médias. Par des actions incessantes, essentiellement non violentes, ce groupe assiège des établissements bancaires et bloque des aéroports pour manifester ses préoccupations face à des questions telles que les investissements en combustibles fossiles et les projets d’extension aéroportuaire. On peut toutefois se demander si cette activité n’affecterait pas le secteur de la propreté.
(GPP) supports the adoption of environmental technologies and products with the lowest impact and the maximum respect for the environment,” she said. TV programmes highlighting the damage caused by plastic waste are playing their own part in driving forward sustainability agendas, says managing director of Cromwell Polythene James Lee.
Action needed now “It is right and encouraging that people are showing concern for the environment and the impacts that our actions have, and EU legislation is helping to drive change,” he said. The company’s LowCO2t range of recycling sacks and bags are said to reduce the volume of plastic used while also cutting down on the energy required in the manufacturing process. “Responsibly produced plastic can have a high recycled content - up to 100 per cent - and can be reprocessed many times which not only saves virgin material but associated energy as well,” said Lee. But whatever the reasons behind the
Die Proteste der Extinction Rebellion machen dieser Tage ständig Schlagzeilen. Diese Gruppe von Umweltschützern hat wiederholt gewaltfreie Aktionen durchgeführt: sie sich beispielsweise selbst an Banken festgeklebt und das Starten von Passagierflügen verhindert, um ihre Bedenken zu Themen wie Investitionen in fossile Energieträger und Flughafenerweiterungspläne zum Ausdruck zu bringen. Aber haben ihre Aktivitäten eine sich allmählich ausbreitende Wirkung in der Reinigungsbranche?
growing focus on sustainability, companies are united in their belief that action needs to be taken – and their determination to play their part. “It is vital that we work as a unit to find solutions that protect our environment, combat climate change and keep products in use for as long as possible while preventing the leakage of valuable resources from the circular economy,” said Lee. Tennant’s Kate Powers says her company needs to turn the spotlight on to its own operations and work toward facility and fleet efficiencies. “These will have a significant impact on our environmental footprint,” she said. “We think companies such as ours can make a genuine impact by improving efficiencies and by changing our mindset to ensure that circularity is incorporated into all our products.” And Ecolab’s Gaëlle Petit adds: “We must all work together to make the most of the opportunity that today’s growing interest in sustainability offers. If we seize it now, we can build an economy that offers sustainable growth for us all - without causing any additional harm to our planet.”
In questi periodi, le proteste da parte di Extinction Rebellion (la ribellione contro l’estinzione) occupano costantemente le prime pagine dei giornali. Questo gruppo di ambientalisti è continuamente coinvolto in attività non violente, come per esempio incollarsi alle banche o bloccare la partenza dei voli passeggeri, per dimostrare le loro preoccupazioni in merito ai problemi tipo gli investimenti nei combustibili fossili e i piani di espansione degli aeroporti. Ma la loro attività sta causando una reazione a catena nel settore del cleaning?
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PRODUCTS: SUSTAINABILITY
• Les produits de nettoyage de toilettes, planchers et cuisines Delphis Eco ne comportent que des ingrédients naturels. • Greenspeed vise à ce que ses nouveaux nettoyants probiotiques exercent un impact positif sur les gens et sur l’environnement. • Le nettoyant de surface Aqua, proposé par Mosmatic, nettoie sous forte pression sans l’aide de produits chimiques. • Die Waschraum-, Boden- und Reinigungsprodukte von Delphis Eco werden ausschließlich aus natürlichen Inhaltsstoffen hergestellt. • Greenspeed teilt mit, dass seine neuen probiotischen Reinigungsmittel mit dem Ziel entwickelt wurden, eine positive Wirkung auf Menschen und die Umwelt zu haben. • Der Oberflächenreiniger Aqua von Mosmatic reinigt mithilfe von Hochdruckwasser ohne Einsatz von Chemikalien. • Gli articoli di pulizia per bagni, pavimenti e cucine della Delphis Eco sono prodotti con ingredienti interamente naturali. • La Greenspeed afferma che i suoi detergenti probiotici mirano ad avere un impatto positivo sulle persone e sull’ambiente. • La macchina per il lavaggio delle superfici Aqua prodotta dalla Mosmatic pulisce ad alta pressione senza utilizzare alcun prodotto chimico.
All-natural Delphis Eco’s line of washroom, floor and kitchen products are made from all-natural ingredients says the company, as well as being packaged using a 100 per cent HDPE recycled plastic. The labels for all bottles are printed with vegetable ink and boxes are made from 100 per cent recycled cardboard. The range is phosphate free and contains no or very little VOC’s. All Delphis Eco products are plant-based, ecological and readily biodegradable. Covered are kitchen and washroom cleaners along with general products such as floor maintainer, glass and stainless steel cleaner etc. For ease of use there are refill
bottles for many products and a foaming trigger head. www.delphiseco.com
Probiotics
Probio is the range of probiotic cleaners from Greenspeed, which consist of benign microorganisms of organic origin. These friendly bacteria remove organic contamination, which otherwise gives rise to the formation of odours. The probiotics continue to function for days after cleaning. Safe to use and free of hazard symbols, there are three products: an interior cleaner (Probio Multi), a floor cleaner (Probio Floor Scrub) and a sanitary cleaner (Probio San). www.greenspeed.eu
Only water Mosmatic Aqua surface cleaner works without chemicals using only water to dissolve dirt with high pressure at up to 120°C.
Designed for indoor and outdoor use, the machine is equipped with an integrated suction device so no industrial vacuum is needed. Thanks to the Venturi principle, the waste water is discharged through a standard hose. Dirty water can be collected in a tank without the use of any electricity and waste water can be treated and reused. www.mosmatic.com
AN EXPLOSION OF GREEN IDEAS MICROFIBERS FOR PROFESSIONAL CLEANING Manufactured using solar energy
EQUODOSE® DOSING DEVICE To save cleaning solution
ALPHASPLIT SYSTEM To facilitate separate waste collection
MADE IN ITALY
PSV CERTIFIED COMPONENTS Made of recycled plastic materials
www.filmop.com
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PRODUCTS: SUSTAINABILITY
Passive aircare Vectair Systems developed V-Air SOLID Evolution as the latest addition to its V-Air SOLID air freshener range. The passive aircare refill is made up of two parts – an organic gel core, extracted from natural seaweed (carrageenan), and an outer cartridge made from EVA. Carrageenan is a powder extracted from red seaweed, often used in vegan and vegetarian products. V-Air SOLID Evolution works by using just natural airflow, with the slatted design of the cartridge allowing for enhanced air delivery – helping to disperse fragrance into spaces without batteries or fans. The seaweed gel core evaporates, leaving a greater surface area inside the EVA outer. This exposes an enhanced surface area of the refill for optimum performance.
The multi-phasing technology means fragrances diffuse at different rates, blending two complementary fragrances and key fragrance notes, which combats fragrance fatigue. Without the need for batteries or mains power, the dispenser is suitable for hard-to-reach areas. www.vectairsystems.com
Offset emissions Fimap’s target is to lower the greenhouse gas emissions of cleaning machines with the ultimate goal of neutralising them. In order to calculate those emissions the company started to develop technologies to enable the assessment of consumption and emission during the entire life cycle of scrubber dryers. Now it has implemented a calculation method to obtain the actual CO2 emissions of scrubber dryers which is now certified CFP – Carbon Footprint Systematic Approach according
to ISO 14067:2018 regulation. So Fimap has certified the grams of CO2 equivalents (CO2e) emitted per square metre cleaned. www.fimap.com
Grande bin Leafield Environmental’s Envirocup Grande Cup Bin is used to recycle paper or plastic cups in internal hospitality and office environments. The bin features a distinctive cup shape orange body and black coffee style lid for quick identification. There are six circle apertures for coffee cup collection and a designated red aperture for lids. Empty coffee cups are stacked inside the collection tubes for ease of emptying. Bespoke colours and personalisation of labels are available. www.leafieldrecycle.com
Breakthrough Energy-on-the-Refill Technology Touch-free dispensing without the hassle of battery change outs, thanks to a coin cell battery integrated into each refill.
68
%
less battery waste1
• Vectair Systems a lancé l’appareil V-Air Solid Evolution, une nouvelle adjonction à sa gamme d’assainisseurs d’air. • Fimap, le producteur d’autolaveuses, compense toutes émissions de CO2 par une certification CFP (approche systématique de l’empreinte carbone). • La poubelle Envirocup Grande Cup de Leafield Environmental asssure le recyclage de gobelets en papier et en matière plastique. • Vectair Systems stellt V-Air Solid Evolution vor, die neueste Ergänzung zur Produktreihe mit Lufterfrischern. • Fimap, Hersteller von Scheuersaugmaschine, kompensiert CO2-Emissionen mit einem CFPZertifikat (Carbon Footprint Systematic Approach). • Die Envirocup Grande Cup Bin von Leafield Environmental wurde zur Wiederverwertung von Kaffeebechern aus Papier und Plastik konzipiert.
• La Vectair Systems ha lanciato V-Air Solid Evolution, un nuovo prodotto per la sua gamma di deodoranti per ambienti. • La Fimap, produttrice di lavasciuga pavimenti compensa le emissioni di CO2 con la certificazione CFP (Carbon Footprint Systematic Approach). • Il portarifiuti Envirocup Grande Cup Bin della Leafield Environmental è stato progettato per riciclare la carta o le tazze di plastica usate per il caffè.
The Science Behind PURELL HEALTHY SOAP with CLEAN RELEASE TECHNOLOGY
HELPING MAKE HAND HYGIENE GREEN We’re all looking for ways to make a difference to the environment. Here are a few ways that the new PURELL ES8 Dispensing System and PURELL HEALTHY SOAP ™ with CLEAN RELEASE ™ Technology can help...
Specifically formulated to loosen dirt and germs, the remarkably mild formulations are made from 90% naturally derived ingredients.2, 3, 4
90%
naturally derived ingredients
Built for Sustainable Performance The PURELL® ES8 system represents a 15% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions when compared to leading touch-free systems on the market.1
15
Save
%
reduction in greenhouse gas emissions
22 litres of
water per wash5 For more information: +44 (0) 1908 588444 infouk@gojo.com
1. Based on battery weight at a usage rate of 3 refills per dispenser, per year. Savings calculated based on a 6-year dispenser lifetime, compared to leading traditional touch-free systems. | 2. Augustine Scientific, Newbury OH, Ex Vivo Soil Removal Analysis, August 5, 2017. | 3. BioScience Laboratories, Inc.; Bozeman, MT, Study# 170398-101, Evaluation of InVivo Germ Removal, July5, 2017. | 4. 90% Biobased content per ASTM D6866. | 5. GOJO Industries, Inc., 2017-07-I10599 PURELL Healthy Soap CRT Rinse and Sustainability Study, 19 July 2017.
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PRODUCTS: SUSTAINABILITY
• Essity, le fabricant des produits Tork, a lancé une nouvelle stratégie de durabilité hors du foyer. • Proposée par Wetrok, la gamme EcoLine de produits de nettoyage a reçu une double labellisation écologique. • Se signalant par sa faible consommation énergétique, l’aspirateur balai léger LB3 L-ion Digital Pro vient d’être lancé par Lindhaus.
• Tork-Hersteller Essity hat eine neue Strategie „Sustainable Life Away from Home“ (Nachhaltiges Leben bei der Arbeit, beim Essen und unterwegs) vorgestellt. • Die Produktreihe EcoLine mit Reinigungsprodukten von Wetrok wurde mit zwei Öko-Etiketten ausgezeichnet. • Der neue Handstaubsauger LB3 L-ion Digital Pro von Lindhaus bietet einen niedrigen Stromverbrauch. • La Essity, produttrice dei prodotti Tork, ha rivelato una nuova strategia Sustainable Life Away from Home (vita sostenibile lontano da casa). • La gamma di prodotti di pulizia EcoLine della Wetrok ha ricevuto due eco-labels. • Il nuovo aspirapolvere verticale LB3 L-ion Digital Pro della Lindhaus vanta un consumo molto basso di energia.
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Green strategy Tork manufacturer Essity has unveiled a new Sustainable Life Away from Home strategy to help customers reduce their environmental footprint both at work and in the public arena. It will share insights into the impact of sustainable business practices on people’s lives where they work, dine and travel as well as in the home. The strategy is focused around three pillars: Wellbeing, More from Less and Circularity. Essity helps to improve wellbeing in the workplace by developing solutions that make facility management less stressful and physically demanding. Examples include the introduction of ergonomic packaging and datadriven cleaning systems. The Tork “more from less policy” is about supporting sustainable consumption and ensuring all Tork dispensers are designed to reduce over-use and
waste naturally by giving out one sheet of paper or shot of soap at a time. And an example of the company’s circularity policy is Tork PaperCircle, which takes customers’ used paper towels to local recycling facilities and turns them into products such as toilet tissue and hand towels. www.tork.co.uk/about/sustainability
degradability; animal protection - provisions on toxicity to water organisms; and resource protection packaging and reusability. www.wetrok.com
Recertified
Lindhaus says its LB3 L-ion Digital Pro battery powered upright vacuum cleaner offers compact size, low weight and sound level, and minimal power consumption. This model, which is equipped with a new Rotafil brushless digital motor and electronic management, boasts a run time of 60 minutes. The motor has three speeds along with a turbo function on each speed for one minute of super suction. Total weight is five kg which includes a set of accessories on board. www.lindhaus.it
The six cleaning products of the Wetrok EcoLine have been recertified with the EU Ecolabel, as well as being awarded the Austrian Ecolabel. Ranging from sanitary areas and floors through to surfaces and glass, the product line allows for entire premises to be cleaned in an eco-friendly way. The most important criteria the company had to fulfil in order to achieve certification were water protection - bio-
Minimal power
SUSTAINABILITY: BIOTECHNOLOGY
The role of biotechnology The first sustainable cleaning products appeared on the professional hygiene market in the early 1990s and the increase in demand for these products has led to innovation and several new technologies. Biotechnology is one of the most important, as Steve Teasdale, vicepresident of scientific affairs at Innuscience explains.
It is in this context that significant efforts have been invested in to bring us to a point where it is now possible to obtain as good, or even better levels of cleaning performance using biotechnological cleaning products. Green cleaning products which mainly used ingredients derived from biotechnological processes – bacterial cultures, enzyme extracts and other bio-ingredients – appeared in the late 1990s. Since then, they have become increasingly popular; with increased recognition and steady commercial growth.
Specific knowledge The first sustainable cleaning products appeared on the professional hygiene market in the early 1990s. At the time, these technologies generally did not perform especially well and were not unanimously accepted by a generally insensitive marketplace. Since then, and with more receptive audience the demand for these products continues to grow and to the point where their use is increasingly mandated in many places. This increase in demand for such products has in turn led to innovation and the development of several new technologies. As you would expect, some quickly disappeared while others remained on the market and continued to evolve. Biotechnology is one of the most important of these, and as market conditions evolve, it continues gaining increasingly important market awareness and share. The list of chemical ingredients historically used in cleaning products and which are now considered undesirable, of concern or are even banned continues to grow. Given their contribution to cleaning efficacy, their removal must be compensated using new substances and/or technologies. This situation has helped to promote and encourage the technological development for alternative solutions arising from biotechnology; among other things.
The ability to develop biotech cleaning products is not universally available and requires specific technological knowledge and skills that are relatively young and unusual in the professional hygiene market. While our industry has been dominated by chemistry for decades, the arrival of biotechnology has required a significant commitment in terms of energy and resources whether it be in terms of research tools, research, performance analysis, stability assessment or at the level of standards and regulatory compliance. The manufacture of biotech cleaning products also requires unique expertise. Manufacturing cleaning products with bio-active and/or surface active molecules requires the development of special processes, procedures and quality standards. There have been many developments in this field and the standards and processes implemented are now recognised by the scientific community (Teasdale et al., Food and Chemical Toxicology https://www. sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/ S0278691517306270) The evolution of biotechnologies for professional cleaning is booming. We are seeing more and more products using bio-surfactants. These are surface active molecules which are produced by microorganisms and which have unique and remarkable environmental and performance properties. Other technologies stemming from biotechnologies are under
development and already starting to be introduced on the market. This is the case with new disinfection technologies that use viruses that kill targeted microbial pathogen (bacteriophages) in a very specific way instead of disrupting the entire existing microbial flora. The use of biotechnological cleaning products has brought cleaning to a new dimension. While traditional chemical cleaners have the ability to solubilise and/ or emulsify dirt, biotech cleaning products also have the ability to ‘break’ and remove dirt through hydrolysis and biodegradation. This action has the additional benefit of residual activity beyond the short period of mechanical action applied during cleaning or post-cleaning action. This new dimension of cleaning goes towards a significant revision of the traditional foundations of the famous Sinner Circle – cleaning action continues for hours beyond the application of mechanical action. Thanks to the characteristics of their make-up and their function, biotech ingredients make it possible to develop cleaning products that are highly concentrated and contain very low concentrations of chemical ingredients (mainly surfactants) once diluted before use. It also makes it possible to achieve very high cleaning and detergency performance without having to resort to using high pH, sequestering agents, builders, solvents and other substances which contribute to increasing the pollutant load and which is the reason why traditional chemical cleaning products are harmful for the environment and cleaning staff’s health.
First patent For example, in the year 2000 the first biotechnological neutral pH degreaser for kitchen floors was patented and then marketed. This diluted degreasing solution contained less than 0.05 per cent active ingredient and degreased a kitchen floor more efficiently than a traditional alkaline degreaser containing 25 times the amount of active ingredients. Reduction – using Continued page 44
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SUSTAINABILITY: BIOTECHNOLOGY The role of biotechnology (continued) less – is the first and most effective eco-friendly cleaning approach. This product’s high concentration rate makes it possible, among other things, to reduce the transport and use of plastic. Its high efficiency allows for very high dilution rates – reducing the amount of cleaning ingredients used. In addition, the use of this biotech degreaser directly impacted on reducing cleaning staff’s risk of having an accident. It did not lead to any increase in slipperiness on kitchen floors as can happen with alkaline chemical degreasers. Thus, this reduced the risk of slip and fall in the kitchen whilst its ensured there was no risk of skin or eye burns due to its noncorrosive classification.
Broader concept The concept of a green cleaning product refers to cleaning products that have a lower and less harmful environmental impact than that of traditional cleaning products. Although this dimension is noble and desirable, the concept for an eco-responsible cleaning product uses a much broader concept that integrates environmental, societal and economic parameters. In order for a cleaning product to contribute in a sustainable way to the development of our industry, it must integrate these three main axes that define the concept of sustainable development. Thus, beyond the environmental impact cleaning staff’s health and wellbeing as well as the cost of use must be considered when developing new cleaning technologies. In the previous example concerning the biotech degreasing product for kitchen floors it is clear that this product’s use has a direct impact on aspects which are both environmental and societal. But what about the cost of use? A cleaning product that benefits the environment and workers’ health cannot offer a sustainable solution if it costs more to use. However, the use of biotechnologies makes it possible to develop cleaning products that advantageously integrate the economic aspect. Since bacterial cultures and enzymatic extracts are highly effective even at very low concentrations and considering their residual and prolonged cleansing action, biotechnological cleaning products can be Les premiers produits durables de nettoyage sont apparus sur le marché de l’hygiène professionnelle au début des années 1990, et leur demande croissante a conduit à des innovations et à plusieurs technologies nouvelles. L’une des plus importantes d’entre elles est la biotechnologie, domaine sur lequel ECJ se penche plus particulièrement dans ce numéro.
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diluted at very high rates while providing outstanding cleaning performance. These high dilution rates lead to high-performance cleaning solutions that have a very low cost per litre in their applicative usage. Additionally, biotech cleaning products have the ability to reduce odours due to their mode of action and their ability to extract a greater amount of dirt from surfaces; especially those which are porous and difficult to clean. In public toilets, some odours may be generated following the passage of a user. However, in reality the most disturbing odours are those which are permanently present and that emanate from surfaces which have accumulated water and more particularly urine. The floors near bowls and urinals are particularly prone to generating these unpleasant odours.
Solving the problem In view of their inability to solve these problems, a number of stakeholders resort to using methods that are more or less effective and that never really solve the problem. It is common to widely distribute air fresheners to mask these odours. As a last resort, we sometime see cleaning staff use a rotary floor scrubber and a floor stripper in an attempt to unclog the problematic surfaces with no success. Ultimately, we have all already visited bathrooms where, in desperation, the floor had been sealed with a floor finish in order to trap smelly dirt. These solutions, which are not really solutions, are all bad for the environment, the cleaning staff and the buildings’ tenants. Die ersten nachhaltigen Reinigungsprodukte erschienen auf dem professionellen Hygienemarkt zu Beginn der 1990er Jahre. Die zunehmende Nachfrage nach diesen Produkten hat zu Innovation und mehreren neuen Technologien geführt. Biotechnologie ist eine der wichtigsten, und das ECJ wirft hier einen näheren Blick auf die Entwicklung dieser speziellen Wissenschaft.
The use of air fresheners is particularly harmful and far from being a sustainable solution. These products are essentially volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and they contribute to deteriorating indoor air quality. They also cause multiple inconveniences, discomfort and symptoms which are grouped together and recognised as the Sick Building Syndrome. In addition, these air fresheners attract bad publicity and are considered by more and more people as a pollutant and an invasive nuisance. They are frequently the subject of complaints when used unreasonably. Now, with the help of a biotechnological all-surface toilet cleaner, it is possible to clean all surfaces, including the floors. This makes it possible to dislodge the dirt accumulated over the years, which are the main sources of bad smells. After a few days of use, bad smells gradually disappear. This approach makes it possible to better clean the floors, but above all to eliminate those air fresheners.
Conclusion As mentioned by a famous scientist who has left a mark in our history, “We cannot solve a problem by using the same approach that we had used to create it”. Thus, we had and still have a desperate need for new technologies that will provide real and sustainable solutions to the environmental and societal problems associated with professional cleaning and that we are still faced with today. Biotechnology is a good example of a technological and innovative contribution in this field. I primi prodotti di pulizia sostenibili sono apparsi sul mercato dell’igiene professionale agli inizi degli ha portato all’innovazione e a numerosi nuove tecnologie. La biotecnologia è una delle più importanti e in questo articolo, ECJ prende in esame come si è sviluppata questa scienza specifica.
BUSINESS: AFTER BREXIT
Business faces up to life post-Brexit
The British government says it will “take the legitimate concerns” of business into negotiations aimed at brokering a free trade deal with the European Union. But what do businesses want post-Brexit? Hartley Milner seeks some answers. Buoyed by his epic election victory in December, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has vowed to have a trade agreement with the EU signed off by the end of 2020, saying the possibility of not having a deal by then “simply will not happen”. Many analysts in the UK argue that this time frame is too restrictive to obtain a viable settlement for either party, a view very much shared in Brussels. And Johnson himself stoked doubts when he seemingly rowed back on his earlier hard-line stance by refusing to rule out the prospect of a no-deal Brexit at the end of the year. If a deal is not agreed and ratified by then, the UK faces the prospect of tariffs on exports to the EU, which is a major concern for Mike Cherry, chairman of the
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Federation of Small Businesses. He told ECJ: “Securing this agreement is critical to the many small businesses that trade with the EU single market and EU customs union. We want these businesses to have tariff and quota free access as well as seeing non-tariff barriers kept to a minimum. This can only be achieved if government and the business community work together.” The EU is by far Britain’s largest trading partner, in 2018 taking 45 per cent of all its exports, worth €348 billion. Imports from the EU, however, accounted for 53 per cent of all UK imports (€427 billion), hence claims that the EU would be far from relaxed about the failure to strike a satisfactory settlement. Whatever else they may demand from a deal, British businesses across all sectors will collectively be seeking assurances in key areas, including: • Import and export of goods and services to and from EU countries, including VAT payments and, potentially, custom and
excise duties • Employment of EU citizens in the UK and employment of UK citizens in the EU • Transport and logistics, fulfilment • Supply chain disruption,eg from tariff and country-of-origin requirements • Product safety and eco-compliance, eg packaging and labelling relating to EU licensing • Copyright, trademarks and patents • Data privacy and security, such as safeguards against crossborder cybercrime • Environmental industrial standards, including emissions • Mutual recognition of qualifications and relevant licences including audit, banking and insurance licences. Each sector will have its own priorities. For an idea of what these may be for small exporters, ECJ turned to Jonathon Jones, managing director (trading) of Britain’s first commercial tea grower, Tregothnan. The business employs more than 50 people on a 100-acre plantation near Truro
BUSINESS: AFTER BREXIT in Cornwall. Tregothnan’s biggest market is currently Asia, where it recently pulled off a ‘coals to Newcastle’ coup by selling its high-end products to the traditional home of tea, China. But Europe is increasingly an important market. “The EU has an appetite for better quality teas and like the fact that we are Europe’s largest tea gardens,” Jones said. “We are unusual in that we pioneered the first tea grown in England and the media in Europe has covered the progress intensely. Typically, a German TV feature will create a spike in our website sales and lead to new stockists seeking to join our approved list. We expect trade this year to be up by five per cent, approximately 20 per cent of our exports.”
Special brew Tregothnan has firmly grasped the Brexit nettle, even producing a fun brew called ‘Brexit’. Tea sales actually soared around the time of the 2016 EU referendum, which came as no surprise to Jones…“You have to ask yourself, when do people put the kettle on? It’s at times of uncertainty.” He said media interviews he gave about the Brexit boost to sales arguably stimulated demand even further. “The exposure becomes self-reinforcing,” he explained. “If I’m out there talking about tea benefiting from uncertain times it creates more exposure to our products and hence more sales.” However, he acknowledged that the business had been “negatively impacted” during the six months leading up to the 2019 Christmas general election. This was a period of greatly heightened anxiety over political dithering in agreeing a date for Britain’s formal exit from the EU. While Tregothnan’s tea sales remained sound, the business saw a slowdown in its rate of growth in the UK. “We are a luxury brand; people do not need to drink our teas as there are cheaper brews available, so we accept we will always be an upgrade to people’s tea drinking choices,” Jones said. “For a while last year, it felt like the UK was sliding towards recession and this seemed to filter through to our customers. We sell to hotels, for example, and they were holding back from making purchasing decisions. Dans le sillage de la sortie du Royaume-Uni de l’UE, le gouvernement britannique a déclaré qu’il défendrait les intérêts du patronat britannique au cours des négociations visant à la conclusion d’un accord de libre-échange avec l’Union européenne. Cependant, quels sont les désirs des entreprises britanniques pour l’après-Brexit ? Hartley Milner obtient certaines réponses à cette question.
Fortunately, any recessionary threat appears to have receded and I don’t think now that a recession will happen.” So what is he wishing for post-Brexit? An end to relentless torrents of new regulation, for one thing. The British government has said there will be no alignment with EU regulations when the transition period expires at the end of 2020 and that firms will have to adjust to new rules. Jones said: “Too much regulation stifles businesses and distracts from doing business. I would like to see a more restrained approach to regulation in future and less of it where possible.” Among policy reforms on his wish list is a more pro-countryside alternative to the EU’s common agricultural policy that would bring in more sustainable farming practices and place a stronger emphasis on countryside stewardship. He felt this could open up tremendous opportunities for smaller environment-based businesses like Tregothnan with its “teas and bees” (Tregothnan is also a honey producer, playing a part in helping combat the decline in bee populations). A great believer in a free market economy led by consumer choice, Jones stressed the importance of tourism to regions such as Cornwall and warned against overregulating and overtaxing the means of people getting there, including air passenger services. All this, he pointed out, imposes extra costs upon businesses and, therefore, on consumers while not serving the interests of either. “We are not looking for a reduction in the levels or quality of regulation, just a common sense approach where any new piece of regulation is not introduced until an existing one is removed, as happens in the US,” he said. On EU trade talks, Jones echoed the thoughts of the FSB’s Mike Cherry, saying: “The government needs to negotiate a business-friendly deal as quickly as possible. And they need to bring in business people to help them do it because having politicians negotiating on behalf of businesses is not going to go well. Although we’re a small concern in terms of tea, we don’t want more complications; we want to keep trade simple and efficient, just like every other Im Gefolge des Ausstiegs von Großbritannien aus der EU hat die britische Regierung mitgeteilt, dass sie die legitimen Anliegen von Unternehmen bei den Verhandlungen, in deren Rahmen ein Freihandelsabkommen mit der Europäischen Union ausgehandelt werden soll, berücksichtigen werden. Aber was wollen Unternehmen nach dem Brexit? Hartley Milner begibt sich auf die Suche nach einigen Antworten.
business wants. Politicians don’t seem to understand the everyday needs of business.” Regarding tariffs, he said Tregothnan pays duty on tea to the US, Asia and a few other overseas markets, but consignments are relatively small, so the charges are not a problem. However, on the prospect of EU-imposed duties, he said: “Our friends in Europe send more goods to the UK than we send to them. I don’t see us introducing tariffs, so why should they? If it did happen, then as a business we will deal with it, and in terms of pricing our customers will know the score. But I really don’t see this happening.” Tregothnan is “mainly self-sufficient” in terms of its labour needs, but on any future immigration controls Jones added: “The tea industry is a specialist sector and would welcome a moderate and sensible labour exchange. The tea culture of the Commonwealth complements this industry and a greater freedom of movement within the Commonwealth could be of enormous benefit to all.” As for his preferred free trade model, Jones wanted a solution that draws on the most favourable aspects of all options – whether a Norway, Super Canada deal or other – while retaining existing mutually beneficial links with the EU. “Why would either side want to throw away the best of the good things we have worked out together?” he asked.
Ambitious plans But what if negotiations fail and Britain defaults to World Trade Organisation rules? Jones admitted to wavering on this outcome, though he said: “I am not sure that it might not be the best thing.” Whatever the pros or cons, he thought trading under WTO terms would be “manageable”. Deal or no deal, Tregothnan is pushing ahead with ambitious growth plans. Over the next few years, the business is looking to expand its Cornwall plantation by 50 per cent and build on its global presence, including opening a chain of teahouses in Europe, Asia and North America. Jones added: “The future is looking very bright for us…I have never felt so confident coming into a new decade.” In seguito all’uscita del Regno Unito dall’UE, il governo britannico ha dichiarato che terrà in considerazione le preoccupazioni legittime delle imprese durante i negoziati finalizzati ad un accordo di libero scambio con l’Unione Europea. Cosa vogliono le imprese per il dopo-Brexit? Hartley Milner cerca delle risposte.
February/March 2020 | ECJ | 47
SCRUBBER DRYERS
Safer scrubbers How do scrubber dryer manufacturers ensure that their machines are safe – both to operate and to be around? ECJ looks at the risks involved with scrubber drying and finds out about the latest safety features incorporated into today’s machines.
Scrubber dryers tend to be large and cumbersome. And like any sizeable machines they can be dangerous – both for the operator and for the bystander. Daytime cleaning has become much more common in recent years so it is more important than ever that scrubber dryers can be safely used in areas that are occupied by the public. However, operator safety is also crucial – and so is the need to leave the floor as dry as possible to avoid the risks of slips and trips. So how do manufacturers ensure safety both on the part of the user and for the wider public? Scrubber dryers represent a number of safety risks according to global portfolio manager for Diversey’s Taski machines Martina Kraehenbuehl. “For the operator these include potential contact with chemicals when filling the tank,” she said. “There is also the risk of crushing the hands between the handle and the wall when cleaning close to vertical surfaces. And the vibration and noise levels of the machine could also be an issue.” Longer-term effects of using a scrubber dryer could include aches and pains as a result of adopting a poor working posture, says Kraehenbuehl. “Also, a heavy machine without a wheel drive will need physical power to move it – and this can be exhausting when working for long periods.” Collisions involving scrubber dryers are another danger, she says. “If the operator
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has a restricted view around the machine, he or she could bump into obstacles or people – particularly when driving too fast or in high traffic areas,” she said. “This could cause injury to persons or damage the machine or the building.” Risks to building users may also occur when water is left behind on the floor by a poorly maintained machine, says Kraehenbuehl. “It is important to leave the floor dry to avoid the risk of accidents in high-traffic areas, and to ensure that it is left in a perfectly clean condition,” she said. The suction system on Taski machines is claimed to leave the floor 99 per cent dry after scrubbing. Safety features of Diversey’s scrubber dryers include a high level of visibility, warning lights and an alarm when the machine is moving backwards. “They also have an emergency button for quick shutdown if, for example, the operator were to feel unwell,” she said. Diversey’s step-on and ride-on machines have a minimum weight requirement that is triggered by a built-in sensor. “This eliminates the risk of misuse by children if the key has been left in the machine,” says Kraehenbuehl. “And there is an optional “turtle mode” for slow and easy use of the machine in congested or high traffic areas.” All customers are given training when a machine is delivered to their site and the company offers training videos and wallcharts. “However, our scrubber dryers have been developed to be easy to use and have self-explanatory pictograms which means that no in-depth training is required,” she added.
Risks for operator Poor posture when using a scrubber dryer could lead to musculoskeletal disorders on the part of the operator says IPC communications director Gabriella Bianco. “A poor seat position or a badlypositioned steering system could pose a risk to the operator’s musculoskeletal health,” she said. “There is also the risk that the operator
might lose control of the machine. And if a scrubber dryer has not been properly maintained it might fail to remove all the water from the floor, resulting in a slipping hazard that would put both the operator and passers-by at risk.” Adjustable handles, ergonomic features and easy-to-access internal components are among the safety features of IPC’s scrubber dryers. The company also provides training and support tools to ensure that its products are used correctly. “We offer a high level of assistance to customers to avoid operators being caught unprepared when using these machines for the first time,” she said.
Not so dangerous Operating a scrubber dryer is no more dangerous than any other day-today activity according to Hako’s application technology trainer and consultant Klaus Serfezi. “An automatic scrubber dryer has moving parts which could represent a danger - but the same could be said of opening a car door or looking under its bonnet,” he said. “It is important to distinguish between actual dangers and possible dangers as described by safety experts. The handling of a machine presupposes that the operator is mentally and physically capable of operating it and that he or she can be given the necessary responsibility.” According to Serfezi, the risk of collisions is no different to that of a car when driving in traffic. “Scrubber dryer operators need to adapt to the circumstances and drive carefully and considerately,” he said. And he believes that the greatest danger posed by a scrubber dryer is the risk of tipping it over. “However, this is highly unlikely to happen even if the machine is operated incorrectly provided that all the necessary parameters have been taken into account during the development stage,” he said. Problems could arise if the operator were forced to sit in an uncomfortable position for long periods at a time, he adds. And like other manufacturers, he
SCRUBBER DRYERS says water left behind on the floor could be a danger – and not only to people. “It can also be dangerous in industrial areas where trucks are used,” he said. Hako scrubber dryers are claimed to offer suction systems that absorb the majority of the residual water. They also have an anti-tipping device to prevent the risk of accidents when cornering too fast. The company places great store by ergonomics, says Serfezi. “A member of staff going about their daily tasks on a cleaning machine is entitled to a comfortable ergonomic workplace in the same way as an office worker can expect to be provided with a comfortable chair,” he said. The company’s machines are said to allow for ergonomic operation for both male and female users. No workplace is entirely without its safety risks says Kärcher’s product manager for scrubbers Daniel Friz. “When using a scrubber dryer these risks include physical contact with chemicals and disposing of the dirty water,” he said. “The machines also need to be engineered to reduce safety risks, such as potential squeezing points. And all components should be certified since, for example, the use of uncertified lithium batteries could represent a safety risk both for the user and for the work environment as a whole.” Collisions are always possible when
using a scrubber dryer, he says. “We do everything we can to avoid even the slightest risk of accidents such as incorporating seat-contact switches, drive pedals, emergency stops and certified electronics,” he said. “But while the manufacturer can try to make the machines as secure as possible, at the end of the day the operator plays an important role in averting risks.” He says the machines should always be handled according to the operating instructions and should never be misused. “This means there should be no workarounds of the safety features, such as bypassing the seat-contact switch or blocking the pedal,” he said. Driving a scrubber dryer too fast or using the wrong detergents could also be dangerous, he adds. And slips could occur if the machine leaves water behind on the floor. “A scrubber dryer has two main tasks: to clean the floor and to remove the water afterwards,” he said. “We are always implementing new generations of squeegees to improve performance.” Kärcher machines offer automated dosing with a closed loop system or automatic tank-rinsing to avoid any contact between the operator and the used water. And all parts and components are fully tested for safety. “Our latest machines have a gyro sensor that recognises curves or uphill driving and prevents the machine from tipping,”
Les autolaveuses doivent pouvoir fonctionner de manière sûre dans les espaces publics, exigence qui se précise toujours plus de nos jours parce que le nettoyage de jour tend à se généraliser. Elles doivent également être sans danger pour l’opérateur embarqué ou l’accompagnant De plus, elles doivent produire des parquets aussi secs que possibles pour prévenir toutes chutes parmi les membres du public. Nous interrogeons des fabricants sur les mesures qu’ils ont prises pour garantir la sécurité des autolaveuses, tant pour les opérateurs que pour le public.
Eine Scheuersaugmaschine muss in öffentlichen Räumen sicher betrieben werden können – insbesondere, da gegenwärtig immer häufiger eine Tagesreinigung ausgeführt wird. Darüber hinaus müssen auch die Benutzung und das Fahren auf der Maschine für den Bediener sicher sein. Und sie muss dafür sorgen, dass die Böden anschließend so trocken wie möglich sind, um Ausrutschen und Stolpern der Öffentlichkeit zu vermeiden. Wir befragen Hersteller, wie sie sicherstellen, dass die Verwendung von Scheuersaugmaschinen für Benutzer und die breitere Öffentlichkeit sicher sind.
Comfortable ergonomics
said Friz. “And our Kärcher Intelligent Key system allows pre-settings to be defined for the operator and can also be used to electronically block the drive-speed or stipulate that the warning beacon needs to be switched on.” To avoid the risk of operator strain the machines’ steering wheels, seats and foot pedals are all adjustable, he says. And training is provided on delivery of a new machine either by Kärcher or by the distributor. “Training improves operational safety for the driver as well as for other people in the building.” he said. “It also improves the efficiency of the machine in use and helps prevent damage to the floor.” So, how do safety features rank on the customer’s list of priorities when choosing a scrubber dryer?
Price priority “Price often eclipses the topics of both safety and ergonomics for customers, unfortunately,” said Hako’s Klaus Serfezi. Kärcher’s Daniel Friz concurs. “Safety is always important - but price is also a crucial buying criteria,” he said. “However, the purchase price is insignificant compared with the operational costs and the operator’s wages during the lifetime of a machine. So companies should focus on safety and rethink the importance of their investment.” Today’s customers are becoming increasingly safety-oriented while choosing their cleaning machines, according to IPC’s Gabriella Bianco. “Cost and productivity are both highly important considerations, but factors such as ergonomics, ease of use and ease of maintenance are all gaining more traction than they did in the past,” she said. And Diversey’s Martina Kraehenbuehl adds that safety and ergonomics are both key considerations for European customers, who tend to be particularly concerned that their staff stay healthy. “Performance and time savings are also very important, but these considerations don’t have to compete with safety because a good machine will enable customers to achieve their tasks in a safe and efficient way,” she said. Una lavasciuga pavimenti deve essere in grado di funzionare in modo sicuro nelle aree pubbliche, specialmente adesso in quanto le pulizia effettuate di giorno stanno diventando sempre più comuni. Deve anche essere sicura per l’operatore che la utilizza o che la guida. Dovrebbe inoltre funzionare in modo che i pavimenti risultino il più asciutti possibile per evitare cadute e scivolate da parte del pubblico. Chiediamo ai produttori cosa fanno per assicurare la sicurezza delle lavasciuga pavimenti sia per l’utente che per il grande pubblico.
February/March 2020 | ECJ | 49
PRODUCTS: SCRUBBER DRYERS
STARS
FOR SANITARY ECONOMICAL & ECOLOGICAL
Highspeed hand dryer
Silent compact Designed for medium-sized areas is the GIGA scrubber dryer from RCM, which boasts long battery life (up to six hours), reduced water and detergent consumption and silent operation (61 dBA). Available in sheet form in various hardness and thickness, serilorCLEAN comes in flat mono or triple layer version, or with grooves. www.fimor-polyurethane.com
Optimum mobility
STARS
FOR CLEANING POWERFUL & VERSATILE
Wet/Dry vacuum cleaner
Thanks to the Go Green system the consumption of water and energy can be reduced. And MY technology stores and calibrates its parameters independently based on the type of cleaning required. Aquasaver enables minimal use of water while optional Detersaver technology accurately dispenses detergent. rcm.it
The mini scrubber CT5 has been developed by IPC Group, weighing 19 kg for optimum mobility. Its adjustable handle allows it to be loaded and parked in very small spaces. Eco Select technology allows the CT5 to run for up to 20 per cent longer - saving on energy, water and chemical consumption. While lithium-ion battery makes for long battery life and low maintenance costs. And the machine is said to be extremely easy to drive thanks to the Reverse Dry System (RDS) which permits drying in reverse. www.ipcworldwide.com
More resistant According to Fimor, its serilorCLEAN squeegee offers a number of advantages over natural rubber scrubber dryer squeegees. For example, it says it is much more abrasion, oil, chemical, bleach and most floor cleaning agents resistant than natural rubber. And it claims to have better pick-up characteristics. • La GIGA, qui se signale par la longévité de sa batterie, est la dernière née des autolaveuses RCM pour des applications de taille moyenne. • Fimor a mis au point l’appareil serilorCLEAN, une alternative aux raclettes en caoutchouc naturel. • La mini-autolaveuse CT5 du groupe IPC ne pèse que 19 kg et sa compacité en assure le transport aisé. • Adiatek affirme que son modèle Quartz 50 combine le confort d’une autolaveuse autoportée et la commodité d’une machine accompagnée. • Bei GIGA handelt es sich um die neueste Scheuersaugmaschine von RCM. Sie wurde für mittelgroße Bereiche entwickelt und bietet eine lange Lebensdauer des Akkus. • Fimor hat serilorCLEAN entwickelt, eine Alternative zu Abziehern aus Naturgummi. • Die Mini-Scheuermaschine CT5 von IPC Group wiegt 19 kg und ist dank ihrer kompakten Größe leicht zu transportieren. • Laut Adiatek kombiniert das Modell Quartz 50 den Komfort einer Aufsitz-Scheuermaschine mit der Zweckmäßigkeit einer handgeführten Maschine.
Visit us: Amsterdam Interclean oth 411 Hall 12 / bo ELECTROSTAR GmbH • Germany info@starmix.de • www.starmix.de
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• GIGA è la più recente lavasciuga pavimenti della RCM per la pulizia di aree di media grandezza che vanta una lunga durata della batteria . • La Fimor ha sviluppato serilorCLEAN, una alternativa ai tergipavimenti in gomma naturale. • La lavasciuga pavimenti mini CT5 della IPC Group pesa 19 kg ed è di dimensioni compatte per la facilità del suo trasporto. • La Adiatek afferma che il suo modello Quartz 50 abbina il comfort di una macchina con operatore a bordo con la praticità di una macchina con operatore a terra.
Small in size According to Adiatek its Quartz 50 combines the comfort of a ride-on scrubber dryer with the practicality of a walk-behind. The digital display and simple controls make life easy for the operator while the compact dimensions allow it to be driven into standard lifts. Thanks to the extractable hose integrated with the tank cap the operator can fill the solution tank directly through taps. Optimum drying is enabled by the rotating squeegee system that rotates on the sharpest turns until it exceeds the machine’s profile. www.adiatek.com
PRODUCTS: SCRUBBER DRYERS Mini machine Windowsills, stairs and difficultto-access passageways in sanitary facilities can all be accessed by the mini scrubber BD 17/5 C from Kärcher - designed as an alternative to manual working. Aimed at users who clean small horizontal and vertical areas, this machine weighs less than five kg and has an ergonomic handle for comfortable cleaning. Speed is adjustable up
to 450 rpm and it can also be used to crystallise and polish surfaces with the appropriate diamond pads. For cleaning corners a brush is available as an optional extra. www.karcher.com
www.truvox.com
Two new
For heavy duty cleaning applications over large floor areas Columbus has developed the ARA 100|BM 200 scrubber dryer. Equipped with a 200-litre fresh water tank this ride-on features disc or double roller brushes, adjustable brush pressure of up to 100 kg, all-wheel drive for gradients of up to 20 per cent, side broom, water and chemical dosing system and spray lance. This battery-operated model can run for up to seven hours. Also new is the RA 85|BM 90 walk-behind, boasting opti-
The 2020 European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards are now open for entries, with the winners being announced at a ceremony in Brussels on November 5. Visit www.echawards. com to view the categories and submit your entries
mum manoeuvrability and deep cleaning capabilities in industrial areas. Featuring two brush motors with 800 watts each and adjustable brush pressure of up to 73 kg, the 90-litre machine can be fitted with power batteries up to 285 Ah 5 to run for up to five hours. www.columbus-clean.com
Global Floorcare Solutions
• La mini-autolaveuse BD 17/5 C de Kärcher peut se substituer aux outils manuels pour le nettoyage de zones confinées. • Pour les besoins exigeants de nettoyage sur des superficies étendues, Columbus a lancé l’autolaveuse ARA 100 BM 200.
• Die Mini-Scheuermaschine BD 17/5 C von Kärcher wurde konzipiert, um manuelle Werkzeuge in beengten Räumen zu ersetzen. • Für schwierige, großflächige Reinigungsanwendungen hat Columbus die Scheuersaugmaschine ARA 100 BM 200 vorgestellt.
• La lavasciuga pavimenti mini BD 17/5 C prodotta dalla Kärcher è progettata per sostituire gli strumenti manuali negli spazi ristretti. • La Columbus ha lanciato la lavasciuga pavimenti ARA 100 BM 200 per i lavori di pulizia difficili su aree di grandi dimensioni.
T: +44 (0) 23 8070 6600
February/March 2020 | ECJ | 51
HYGIENE IN HEALTHCARE
Are cleaners a health risk? Cleaners play an important role in reducing the bacterial loading in hospitals. But are they actually part of the cross-contamination problem when moving from area to area, asks Ann Laffeaty?
The role of cleaners in our hospitals is crucial. They move unobtrusively between wards and corridors, cleaning up as they go and ensuring that all floors and surfaces are spotless. Cross-contamination is a major issue in healthcare institutions, many of which face an ongoing struggle against healthcare-acquired infections. So, how do cleaners avoid spreading bacteria between vulnerable patients via their shoes and their trolleys? Does their very presence represent a health risk – and are they aware of the potential dangers that cleaning in such a sensitive setting represents? Avoiding cross-contamination in hospitals should be a top priority according to TTS Cleaning’s export sales manager Alessandro Costantini. “Operators’ hands are the main vehicle of contamination so it is of fundamental importance to avoid any direct contact with dirt,” he said. The use of hygienic systems that allow for the disposal of dirty mops without touching them helps to prevent the spread of bacteria, according to Costantini. “Wearing gloves is also very helpful when they are changed regularly,” he said. “It is also pivotal to use a clean, new mop for each area to avoid spreading germs.” High-risk areas need to be governed by set disinfection procedures to prevent the transmission of pathogenic bacteria, he said. “Medium to high-risk areas have to be properly disinfected to avoid any risk of cross-contamination, while low-risk areas require standard cleaning proce-
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dures,” he said. According to Costantini, patients’ health can be safeguarded via a combination of effective cleaning and high-performing equipment. But conversely, a lack of procedure will often cause infections to spread. “Staff need to be trained to develop an awareness of healthcare-associated infections, while setting up supervisory systems is pivotal in order to ensure that cleaning practices are implemented correctly,” he said. TTS provides training on cleaning procedures and recommends the use of microfibre mops in healthcare environments. “Microfibre removes up to 99 per cent of bacteria and reduces the need to use aggressive detergents and disinfectants,” he said. “This helps to lower the risks of creating disinfectant-resistant bacteria.” Good hand hygiene is essential if cleaners are to avoid spreading bacteria in the healthcare sector, says Greenspeed marketing manager Floor Loos. “It is important they have no hand contact with their used cloths or mops while removing them from the frame,” she said. Greenspeed’s Instruction Cloths use a folding technique designed to avoid the risk of cleaners’ hands coming into contact with dirt or bacteria. And the company’s Click’M C magnetic mopping system averts the need for the cleaner to touch the mop head since the used mop is released by pressing a button with the foot. “To avoid spreading bacteria around, cleaners use one mop per room – or even better, one per patient,” she said. The risk of patients becoming contaminated by a cleaner or his or her equipment is minimal in most areas of the hospital, according to Loos. “We always advise staff to disinfect their trolleys and mop handles and to grip them with disinfectant on their hands,” she said. And the ‘rules of cleaning’ must be respected: for example: staff should clean from the top down, working from clean to dirty surfaces.” All employees are trained in the correct
use of cleaning materials as well as being taught how to avoid spreading germs, she said. “To simplify the learning process and to prevent incorrect techniques we offer training cloths so that cleaners can learn to fold them using the instructions on the cloth,” she said. When correctly folded, Greenspeed’s training cloths produce 16 different sides. “This enables staff members to clean 16 surfaces with an unused side each time and the cloths can be washed at least 600 times without losing their original shape,” said Loos. Greenspeed also offers colour-coded cloths plus products that incorporate coloured ribbons. “These allow cleaners to predetermine another colour for other areas of the hospital,” she said. The company’s C-Shuttle trolleys are said to have enclosed wheels that can be easily disinfected and prevent the accumulation of dirt.
Cross-contamination threat Bacteria and dangerous pathogens from personal contact represent a real cross-contamination threat in hospitals according to IPC’s communications director Gabriella Bianco. “Patient rooms, outpatient clinics, washrooms, operating theatres and emergency rooms represent the highest risk because these will all be attended by families and children walking in and out of rooms and crossing hallways,” she said. “Those areas will also be frequented by doctors and other members of staff tasked with patient care. “And even trolleys and other tools designed for cleaning could be a medium for transmitting bacteria from ward to ward.” Bacteria can easily be spread from hightouch sites such as bed rails, chairs, bedside tables, doors, windows, telephones, call bells, light switches, edges of privacy curtains and sanitaryware, she says. All healthcare staff should follow good hygiene practices such as washing their hands with soap and water and wearing gloves, according to Bianco. “Cleaning
HYGIENE IN HEALTHCARE staff should also follow strict schedules to minimise bacteria counts on all surfaces while using the most appropriate products,” she said. Hygienic mop systems, gloves and antibacterial trolleys all help to reduce the risks, she says. The company’s IPC Healthcare Program has been specifically designed for the healthcare environment and incorporates products such as the Brix PT System, a combined cleaning and sanitisation station; and the Shark mop made from a special microfibre textile weave. This is said to enable it to absorb liquids and dirt quickly and to collect grease and organic residues. The company also offers a range of microfibre mops designed to be hygienic and easy to wash. It is certainly possible in principle for micro-organisms to be spread by cleaning trolleys, says Kärcher trainer Klaas Matti Nolte. “However, trolleys are not taken into the rooms but must be left outside in order to prevent pathogens and other microorganisms from being carried in,” he said. “Of course, the presence of the cleaning staff itself poses a risk of infection particularly for patients with a weakened immune system. For this reason when the rooms of patients suffering from an infec-
tion are cleaned, appropriate protective clothing must be worn and then disposed of properly after the cleaning task has been completed.” In the event of an outbreak of MRSA or a similar hospital-acquired infection, this protective clothing will help to prevent pathogens from being carried to the next patient while also protecting the cleaning staff, he says.
Colour coding Cleaning protocols in healthcare are designed to prevent the risk of crosscontamination, according to Nolte. “As a rule, prepared mop covers and cleaning cloths are used and these will have ideally already been pre-soaked with cleaning solution in the washing machine after the chemothermal disinfection wash programme,” he said. “These mop covers and cloths are then usually left for up to 24 hours and kept in sealed boxes on the cleaning trolleys. “One mop cover should be used per sickroom in order to prevent the spread of germs. Gloves should also be changed in each room and the hands should be sanitised.” The colour-coding of mop covers and cloths will help prevent the spread of
germs, he says. “I also recommend the use of overshoes because if, for example, a patient’s pillow falls off the bed the micro-organisms from that pillow might be transferred from the patient on to the floor,” he said. “And evidence suggests that disinfection using a floor cleaning machine is effective provided that the machines themselves are properly maintained and cleaned.” Detergent-resistant gloves, face masks and hair nets also help reduce the risk of cross-contamination on the part of the cleaner, according to Nolte. Kärcher offers a range of detergents and floor cleaning machines for the healthcare sector. The risk of infections is reduced in those European countries where patients are screened on arrival to determine whether or not they are at risk, he says. “Fortunately this procedure is becoming more common and may help to get the situation under control,” he adds. “However, it is important that staff implement all the recommended hygiene measures since this is still a common cause of concern.” So, have there been any recent breakthroughs in terms of reducing the spread of infections in hospitals? Or is cross-contamination avoided simply by implementing a thorough and methodical clean?
Effective cleaning Probiotic cleaning products could be a way forward, according to Greenspeed’s Floor Loos. “Researchers in Italy have carried out a study that shows the positive effects they can have,” she said. “In one study probiotic cleaning products reduced the number of nosocomial infections by more than a half.” Mop covers, trolleys and other accessories coated with silver ions are another relatively recent innovation that will help to achieve an antimicrobial effect, adds IPC’s Gabriella Bianco. “Technology is also coming to the rescue in the shape of the bio-luminometer,” she says. “This is an important tool for revealing whether or not there are any microorganisms growing on a specified surface, allowing teams to measure the efficiency of cleaning and the effectiveness of their cleaning protocols.” Que font les agents de nettoyage en milieu hospitalier pour prévenir la propagation de bactéries d’une salle à l’autre ? Leur présence même présentet-elle un risque, et leurs chariots vont-ils transporter des microbes d’une zone d’hospitalisation à l’autre ? Les agents de nettoyage sont-ils conscients des risques qu’ils suscitent par leur travail, et les a-t-on formés pour éviter de répandre des microbes ? Quels sont les produits et systèmes existants pour isoler ces risques. ECJ cherche à les connaître.
Wie vermeiden Reinigungskräfte im Gesundheitswesen, Bakterien von Krankenstation zu Krankenstation zu verbreiten? Stellt ihre bloße Anwesenheit ein Risiko dar, und tragen ihre Reinigungswagen tatsächlich nur zur Verbreitung von Krankheitserregern von einem Patientenbereich zu einem anderen bei? Ist ihnen bewusst, welches Risiko sie bei der Reinigung darstellen. Wurden sie darin geschult, das Verbreiten von Krankheitserregern zu vermeiden? Und welche Produkte und Systeme können zur Isolierung der Risiken beitragen? Das ECJ erfährt Näheres.
Come fanno gli addetti alle pulizia del settore sanitaria a evitare la diffusione di batteri da un reparto all’altro? La loro propria presenza rappresenta un rischio, e i loro carrelli trasferiscono fisicamente i germi da una area dei pazienti alla prossima? Sono in grado di capire i rischi che comportano mentre puliscono e sono addestrati per evitare la diffuzione dei germi? Quali sono i prodotti e i sistemi che possono aiutare a isolare i rischi? ECJ lo scopre.
February/March 2020 | ECJ | 53
PRODUCTS: HEALTHCARE HYGIENE
• Le nouveau module SmartNose de Ophardt peut être monté en rattrapage sur les distributeurs à hygiène des mains de ce fabricant afin de dégager de précieuses données. • P-Wave a introduit l’écran d’urinoir Slant6 à dispositif anti-éclaboussure et à fragrance agréable. • Le nouvel aspirateur à sec T9/1 Bp de Kärcher s’inscrit dans la gamme Kärcher Battery Universe et se distingue par son faible bilan sonore et son absence de câbles. • Die Handhygienespender von Ophardt können mit dem neuen SmartNose-Modul nachgerüstet werden, um wertvolle Daten zu liefern. • P-Wave hat das Urinalsieb Slant6 vorgestellt, das Spritschutztechnologie und einen angenehmen Duft bietet. • Der neue Trockenstaubsauger T9/1 Bp ist Teil der Produktreihe Kärcher Battery Universe, die ohne Kabel niedrige Geräuschpegel bietet.
• Il nuovo modulo SmartNose della Ophardt può essere aggiunto ai suoi dispenser di prodotti per l’igiene delle mani in modo da offrire dati utili. • La P-Wave ha introdotto la griglia per orinatoi Slant6 dotata di una tecnologia anti spruzzi e di una piacevole fragranza. • Il nuovo aspirapolvere dry T9/1 Bp fa parte del nuovo Kärcher Battery Universe e vanta bassa emissione di rumori e niente cavi.
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Monitoring
The new ingo-man SmartNose module from Ophardt can be retrofitted to all existing 500 ml Euro dispensers in its ingo-man plus series to provide integrated electronic monitoring. This means that in a few seconds the dispenser can be transformed into one delivering critical data on dispenser location, when the dispenser was activated and how much product was dispensed. The use of the Ophardt Hygiene Monitoring System (OHMS) software enables hygiene specialists to identify rarely used disinfectant dispensers and reposition them to further improve infection prevention. The smart technology also
identifies the average dosage dispensed per hand disinfection, while the ingo-man SmartNose features real-time feedback with a LED that lights up green when the correct dosage of hand disinfectant has been dispensed. www.ophardt.com
No splash
P-Wave claims to be delivering a new angle on urinal splash prevention and an improvement in deodorising technology with the Slant6 screen. The company says the angled bristle design of Slant6 keeps walls, floors and trousers dry. It also boasts the highest ratio of fragrance load to plastic than any other urinal screen. And
being smaller than previous screens, it can fit more urinals than ever before. www.p-wave.co.uk
Cordless power With its 36 V battery, the dry vacuum cleaner T9/1 Bp is part of the recently launched Kärcher Battery Universe. Boasting cleaning performance comparable with mains-operated models, this vacuum can be used for maintenance cleaning in public buildings. No cable means optimum mobility for the operator, savings in work time and fewer tripping hazards. In the energysaving eco!efficiency mode, the runtime is increased thanks to reduced energy consumption. With the low noise level of 62 dB(A) the T9/1 Bp can also be used in noise-sensitive locations or for cleaning during opening hours. www.karcher.com
PRODUCTS: HEALTHCARE HYGIENE
VR training New from Tork is a virtual reality training simulation aimed at improving hand hygiene in healthcare. Manufacturer Essity collaborated with behavioural scientists, university hospitals and global hand hygiene experts in developing the tool.
the virtual world where they are expected to practice hand hygiene compliance - using their own hands. If they fail to perform hand hygiene at the right moment, they can try again with the aim of learning how to adopt the correct hand hygiene standards, in the virtual and the real world. www.tork.co.uk/TorkVR
supplied individually wrapped. www.brosseriethomas.com
Look out in May for ECJ’s new Hygiene in Healthcare magazine
Connected
Brushware
Tork VR Clean Hands Training and Education uses virtual reality to provide healthcare staff with realistic scenarios where hand hygiene needs to be carried out. Participants put on their VR headset and prepare to start a new shift at their healthcare workplace. They then face a series of real-life situations in
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. Designed to be lightweight and easy to handle, they are durable as well as being rustand rot-proof. Brushes and squeegees are
With the introduction of Hygiaconnect, JVD is now equipping its soap dispensers with dedicated sensors that alert service teams in real time about consumable levels. This means cleaners only service the units when needed, soap shortages are avoided and stock levels can be monitored more accurately. www.jvd.fr
• Tork propose un simulateur à réalité virtuelle visant à améliorer l’hygiène des mains au sein des services de santé. • Brosserie Thomas propose sa gamme de brosses d’hygiène et d’outils à codage couleur. • Hygiaconnect est un système développé par JVD pour ses distributeurs de savon afin d’alerter les équipes d’entretien en temps réel sur les niveaux de consommation. • Neu von Tork ist eine Schulungssimulation mithilfe virtueller Realität, die auf die Verbesserung der Handhygiene im Gesundheitswesen abzielt. • Brosserie Thomas produziert seine Produktfamilie mit Hygienebürsten und farbcodierten Reinigungswerkzeugen. • Bei Hygiaconnect handelt es sich um ein von JVD für seine Seifenspender entwickeltes System, das Teams in Echtzeit über Verbrauchsniveaus informiert.
• La novità della Tork è una nuova simulazione virtuale di training il cui scopo è quello di migliorare l’igiene delle mani nel settore sanitario. • La Brosserie Thomas produce la sua linea di spazzole igieniche e attrezzi di pulizia codificati in base al colore. • Hygiaconnect è un sistema sviluppato della JVD per i suoi dispenser di sapone che informano in tempo reale le squadre di lavoro sui livelli dei consumi.
PRODUCT REVIEW
• AKBO a lancé une nouvelle version de son pistolet de lavage Blue King. • Kärcher a introduit son premier aspirateur à sec et humide à vapeur pour professionnels, le NT 22/1 Ap Bp L. • SoftBank Robotics et ICE Robotics ont développé le Whiz, aspirateur autonome commercial. • Cromwell Polythene a inscrit à sa gamme Sansafe un sac antibactérien parfumé a rayures tigre. • TerminOdor est la nouvelle pulvérisation désodorisante d’Oxy-Gen Powered. • EnviroGo est la nouvelle gamme Leafield Environmental de poubelles de recyclage à poignée et à roulettes non marquantes pour un maximum de maniabilité.
• AKBO hat eine neue Version der Blue King Spritzpistolen vorgestellt. • Kärcher hat seinen ersten akkubetriebenen Nass- und Trockenstaubsauger für professionelle Reinigungskräfte vorgestellt: NT 22/1 Ap Bp L. • SoftBank Robotics und ICE Robotics haben Whiz, einen kommerziellen, autonomen Staubsauger, entwickelt. • Als Ergänzung der Produktreihe Sansafe stellt Cromwell Polythene einen duftenden, antimikrobiellen, gelb und schwarz gestreiften Sack vor. • TerminOdor ist das neue Spray zur Geruchsbeseitigung von OxyGen Powered. • Bei EnviroGo handelt es sich um eine neue Produktreihe mit Recyclingbehältern von Leafield Environmental, die mit einem Griff und abriebfesten Rädern für leichte Beweglichkeit ausgestattet sind.
• La AKBO ha lanciato una nuova versione della sua pistola per il lavaggio Blue King. • La Kärcher ha lanciato il suo primo aspirapolvere wet & dry alimentato a batteria per il mercato professionale, il modello NT 22/1 Ap Bp L • La SoftBank Robotics e la ICE Robotics hanno sviluppato Whiz, un aspirapolvere commerciale autonomo • Il nuovo prodotto della Cromwell Polythene è il sacco per la raccolta dei rifiuti tiger strip antimicrobico e profumato incluso nella sua gamma Sansafe. • TerminOdor è il nuovo spray per l’eliminazione degli odori prodotto dalla Oxy-Gen Powered. • La Leafield Environmental ha prodotto EnviroGo, una nuova gamma di bidoni per la raccolta differenziata dotati di maniglia e di ruote antitraccia per agevolarne la mobilità.
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Washdown gun A new version of its Blue King washdown gun has been launched by AKBO. Until now |the gun has been available only with trigger guard - now there is a version without one, as the company says there are many applications where it is not necessary.
Blue King is suitable for many everyday cleaning tasks with its comfortable grip, light weight and infinitely adjustable jet. And AKBO claims it can save up to 30 per cent on water and energy. www.akbo.nl
Robotic vacuum
End to odour Whiz is the new commercial autonomous vacuum sweeper recently launched by SoftBank Robotics America and ICE Robotics. Already in use in sites across Japan and North America, it is powered by the BrainOS robot operating system and can record up to 600 cleaning routes. Staff ‘teach’ the robot the initial floor cleaning route on first use and those routes are subsequently stored by Whiz so it can repeat cleaning on its own. Through cloud data visualisation, cleaning and status reports can be gathered and analysed. www.softbankrobotics.com
Tiger sack
Battery vac As part of the recently launched Kärcher Battery Universe the company has launched its first battery-powered wet and dry vacuum for professionals, the NT 22/1 Ap Bp L. Thanks to the maintenancefree lithium-ion battery (36 V) up to 35 minutes of work can be carried out with this model at full power. The operator can see the remaining battery time on an LCD display and the battery can be charged again in an hour using the BC 1/7 quick charger. The vacuum is easy to transport and ideal for mobile applications thanks to its low weight of 8.7 kg and its compact dimensions. The model is certified for dust class L and filter cleaning can be activated at the push of a button. www.karcher.com
nappies, and sanitary products. There are 500 sacks in a box, and they are packed in rolls. www.cromwellpolythene.co.uk
Cromwell Polythene has launched a scented and antimicrobial tiger stripe sack as part of its Sansafe and clinical waste management range. The tiger stripe sack incorporates Biomaster silver antimicrobial technology which means the bacteria which causes unpleasant smells is unable to grow in contact with the liners. Scentmaster fragrance also helps mask unpleasant odours, both inside and outside the liners. This means there is no need to add separate antimicrobial products and intoxicating fragrances during waste collection and disposal. The 10 kg medium duty sack is designed for the collection and disposal of offensive/hygiene waste such as non-infectious used gloves, masks, dressings, incontinence waste, soiled
TerminOdor is the new odour eliminating spray from Oxy-Gen Powered, featuring Neutra-lox technology that neutralises odour molecules rather than mask them. The spray is suitable for a wide range of environments including offices, hotels, hospitals, schools and gyms. It comes in a spray bottle and features a lemongrass fragrance. www.oxygenpowered.com
On the move New from Leafield Environmental is EnviroGo, a range of recycling bins designed to make waste segregation at source easier. This model has a front, moulded-in handle and two non-marking wheels for mobility and manoeuvrability, removing the need for carrying heavy sacks to a point of disposal. Slim enough to stand back against the wall in corridors and open offices, yet with a 90-litre capacity with a bag (or 63 litres with a plastic liner), the EnviroGo is 970 mm high with a tilting
sack frame for quick and safe bin maintenance. Each comes with an A3 signage kit for promotional use or to highlight the waste stream. leafield-environmental.com