CleaningPiù Training and updating for the sector

The first edition of the webinar dedicated to the culture of cleanliness, promoted by Dimensione Pulito, featured 38 of Italy's leading experts in the field and offered a rich three days of high level content for the professionals of cleaning sector

Maurizio Pedrini

The first edition of CleaningPiù achieved the goal it had set itself: to promote an all-round discussion on the culture of cleanliness. The objective was achieved, therefore, as Giorgio Albonetti, president of the LSWR Group, which recently celebrated ten years of intense activity aimed at popularising science, pointed out at the end of the proceedings. "383 people registered for the various sessions, with over 1600 direct viewings over three intense days of meetings, 12 working sessions, no less than 38 authoritative experts in the sector, active in the associative, institutional and academic spheres, also representing some of the main associations of the vast supply chain involved in the world of professional cleaning and sanitation". A balance that, as our editor emphasised, rewarded the efforts of all those who committed themselves with great pro- fessionalism and passion to the organization and realization of the event. "A special thank you - continued Albonetti - goes to all the prestigious speakers who took turns online with great competence, to the staff that took care of the organizational and management aspects, to the director of the magazine, to the prestigious associations that sponsored the event, to the sponsors, to the companies and associations with which we hope to have built a valuable partnership, also in view of the next edition, whose dates we will soon fix. This Digital Conferenceconcluded Albonetti - obviously does not want to replace similar in-person events, but rather to integrate and enrich the information and training offer in a 'world', that of professional cleaning, which constantly needs moments of dialogue and new cultural and scientific stimuli to grow further, acquiring its rightful role in civil society”. In fact, it is only now that the know-how of knowledge and experience developed during the three days of incessant full digital immersion dedicated to the major cultural, economic and social issues of cleaning are imprinted and permanently accessible on the website created especially for the occasion, that we can perhaps realize what added value our initiative has produced for the universe of Italian professional cleaning.

It is difficult to summarize in a few lines the impressive amount of topics and issues addressed, always in depth and exhaustively. In addition to the clarity of exposition, it is only fair to emphasize the great willingness of the speakers, who were ready to jump through hoops for technical rehearsals, recordings and live broadcasts, making an effort into taking part in the Digital Conference despite their multiple and onerous commitments. What is most important is the feeling that, indeed, our proposal was well received, sowing good seeds for the years to come. The protagonists of the industry were able to discuss not only crucial topics of great interest for the present of the sector, but also cast their gaze towards the main challenges awaiting the world of professional cleaning. First and foremost, but not only: innovation, technological trends, digital and ecological transition. Professionals, companies and stakeholders also discussed the major challenges awaiting an increasingly important sector that revealed its strategic weight during the SARS CoV 2 pandemic and is now asking institutions and public opinion not to fall into oblivion again. But let us try to analyze, in a nutshell, what was talked about, and get a deeper insight into the various sessions.

What we talked about?

On 1 February, the inaugural session was devoted to the theme: The new challenges of hygiene, health, social and economic needs, with speeches by sociologist Prof. Domenico De Masi, AFIDAMPFab President Giuseppe Riello, trainer Franco Cesaro and AFIDAMP Ambassador Giulio Guizzi. The focus of this first and subsequent interesting meetings was the emerging needs in the area of professional hygiene, starting with an accurate reflection on the priorities that emerged during the pandemic, with a focus on the needs in the social-health field and the strategic importance of profes- sional training for operators. This was followed by a session devoted to the economic opportunities for the sector opened up by the PNRR, which offer stimulating financing and development scenarios for both production and distribution companies and professional cleaning and multi-service companies. This was followed by a session on the critical issue of tenders. The morning then ended with a look at the future in terms of environmental sustainability: how industries deal with the crisis brought about by the sudden surge in the cost of raw materials and energy bills. The second day was also very intense and full of points of extraordinary interest, dedicated to the sensitive topic of community hygiene. The theme: Widespread hygiene, healthcare and civil environments was explored with the precise aim of investigating the profound changes taking place in the sector and the new trends in professional cleaning. The spotlight, in particular, was on applications in healthcare and care settings, with two sessions dedicated to the theme of maximum hygiene, to guarantee the health of patients and the most fragile individuals. An attempt was made to identify the best practicable ways to guarantee the prevention of HAIs (healthcare-associated infections), which unfortunately see Italy as the worst country in Europe in Europe, together with Greece, in terms of the number of cases, which are constantly increasing in hospitals. One session focused instead on the need for hygiene and cleanliness in community living places, which most require adequate sanitisation and disinfection of environments to ensure hygiene and safety for operators and users. The last appointments of the day instead dealt with the complex challenge of innovation that the professional cleaning sector must also face in the field of artificial intelligence and robotics. In particular, the theme of digital transition and innovation was examined, considering that one of the effects of the pandemic was a significant acceleration in the process of digitisation of companies. The third day was dedicated to the theme: Widespread hygiene, personal and consumer services. The first two sessions analyzed the growing need for increasingly qualified and specialized professional cleaning in the Ho.Re.Ca., catering and hospitality sectors, with a focus on pest monitoring and control. The demand posed by the market is for innovative solutions based on saving water, energy and working hours, which are steering management has always been at the centre of interest.

Sincere thanks go to all the professionals, speakers and moderators - representatives of the academic world, sector associations and the manufacturing - industrial world - who, with their experience and expertise, made the technical-scientific programme intense and stimulating. We mention them in alphabetical order, certain that we will have the opportunity, in the year that separates us from the next edition, to the sector towards a complete ecological revolution. The last two sessions were also of considerable depth: the first focused on the issue of hygiene in the food industry, with a focus on the control of cleaning and sanitisation procedures, food safety and prevention of toxins, from production to distribution, and the constant updating of these. At the end of the day, a session examined the distribution and logistics 4.0 sector at the service of cleanliness. For companies producing professional cleaning technology, the issue of efficient and cost-effective supply chain go in depth into the topics they addressed, with specific reports and interviews. Thanks, therefore, to: Paolo Bisogni (Ailog), Adriana Bizzarri (Cittadinanza Attiva), Paola Bortoletto (Andis), Massimiliano Brugnoletti (Studio Legale Brugnoletti & Associati), Pier Angelo Cantù (Rental Blog), Enzo Capizzi (Copyr Igiene Ambientale), Franco Cesaro (Studio Cesaro & Associati), Alessandro D'Andrea (ADA), Toni D'Andrea (ISSA PULIRE Network), Domenico De Masi (Studio De Masi), Carmine Esposito (FNIP), Paolo Fabbri (Punto 3), Francesco Fiorente

(Pest Lab), Barbara Fiorucci (ANIP-Confindustria), Alberto Firenze (HCRM), Stefano Gaiofatto (Byblos Art Hotel Villa Amistà), Roberto Galli (AFIDAMP distributors), Nadia Galluzzo (Liguria Ricerche), Antonello Giannelli (ANP), Teresa Giordano (Gruppo Bauli), Massimo Antorige Giubilesi (Giubilesi & Associati), Giulio Guizzi (AFIDAMP), Andrea Laguardia (Legacoop produzione & servizi), Gregorio Mangano (AIISA), Emanuele Marcora (Headmaster), Cirillo Menini (AIDPI), Antonio Montanile (Brindisi Hospital), Alessandro Panico (AFIDAMP), Sonia Re (APCI), Giuseppe Riello (AFIDAMP), Camillo Rossi (Brescia Hospital), Renato Santinon (Dussman), Roberto Spaggiari (ARCO Chimica), Lia Tozzi (Ordine Ingegneri Rieti), Alberto Claudio Tremolada (ADACI), Margherita Zambuco (AIH), Stefano Zardetto (OTAV). Thanks to Chiara Scelsi, Francesca De Vecchi and Fabio Chiavieri, in moderating the various sessions. Finally, we would like to thank the sponsors - 4CleanPro, Allegrini, Arco, Comac, Copyr, Ditta Falvo, Falpi, Industrie Celtex - who supported this initiative.