INCLEAN November-December 2018 by The Intermedia Group

DELIVERING SUSTAINABLE HYGIENE INFORMATION

www.incleanmag.com.au

Volume 31 Issue 6 November/December 2018

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Volume 31 Issue 6 November/December 2018

Contents

Events Calendar 2019

8 ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Expo 2018 14

Contracting

Hospitality

Retail

INCLEAN 30th anniversary

The Cleaning Show March 19 - 21 The Cleaning Show is the UK’s major event for the cleaning and hygiene sector. www.cleaningshow.co.uk

Interclean Istanbul April 10 - 12 Interclean Istanbul 2019 will be held in the Istanbul Congress Center. www.intercleanshow.com/en/istanbul

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www.incleanmag

.com.au Volume 31 Issue 6 November/Dece mber 2018

Pulire May 21 - 23 Verona will play host to Italy’s largest professional cleaning industry trade show. www.pulire-it.com/en/

CMS Berlin September 24 - 27

NEW PRODUCTIVITY AT ITS BEST.

The new B 200 ride-on floor scrubber from Kär cher.

To be held in Berlin, CMS is an international trade fair for cleaning systems, building management and services. www.cms-berlin.de/en/

CMS World Summit 2019 September 25 - 26 Taking place parallel to CMS Berlin 2019, the CMS World Summit will gather leading minds from the cleaning industry. www.cms-berlin.de/en/

23–24 October 2019 Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre

ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Expo Australia October 23 -24 The highly successful ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Expo Australia will be held in Melbourne. www.issacleaninghygieneexpo.com

Waste Expo Australia October 23 -24

Distribution

Technology

Management

Marketing

Products

The premier event for the waste and resource recovery industry will be co-located with the ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Expo. www.wasteexpoaustralia.com.au

ISSA North America November 18 -21 Las Vegas is the host city for the 2019 ISSA North America convention. www.issa.com

www.incleanmag.com.au 3

EDITOR’S LETTER

A personal highlight of putting this issue together was our feature marking INCLEAN’s 30th anniversary. To those I spoke to; thanks for taking the time to share your insights and stories on who and what you think has helped shape the industry over the decades. I need to point out that our list is a mere 30 milestones – which, are in no particular order – based on interviews we conducted. There are many other people, products and trends that have been influencers along the way, but it was our aim to look at those who have not only impacted the industry, but who have also supported this magazine. The publication’s longevity is a testament to the strength of the industry and the support of our advertisers - some amazingly who have been with us since the magazine’s launch! You can find our 30th anniversary feature from page 28. Another sign of the industry’s strength was this year’s ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Expo, which seems to be getting bigger and better each year. Held in Sydney, the expo was the second for the Australian market and reported an increase in attendance of more than 30 per cent in comparison to the 2017 show. The event is not only making its mark locally, but also attracting international delegates with more than 15 countries represented. Read our wrap-up of the 2018 ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Expo from page 8. Also presented at the show was this year’s INCLEAN Innovation Awards. Now in its seventh year, four of the five award categories received a record number of entries. Read about the winning products on page 12. As this is our last issue for 2018, Samantha, Lizzie and I would like to say thanks to our readers, advertisers and regular contributors for your ongoing support this year. We have some new initiatives in the pipeline for both our Australian and New Zealand publications in 2019 – including a new website – and we look forward to working with you and bringing you the latest industry news in 2019. Happy reading!

INCLEAN is published by: The Intermedia Group Pty Ltd ABN 94 002 583 682 41 Bridge Road, Glebe NSW 2037, Australia Phone: 02 9660 2113 Fax: 02 9660 4419 MANAGING DIRECTOR: Simon Grover PUBLISHER: Simon Cooper MANAGING EDITOR Claire Hibbit Email: chibbit@intermedia.com.au Phone: 02 8586 6140 ASSISTANT EDITOR Lizzie Hunter Email: lhunter@intermedia.com.au Phone: 02 8586 6102 NATIONAL ADVERTISING MANAGER: Samantha Ewart Email: sewart@intermedia.com.au Phone: 02 8586 6106 PRODUCTION MANAGER: Jacqui Cooper GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Adrian Tipper HEAD OF CIRCULATION: Chris Blacklock Print Post Approved Publication No. PP: 255003/09765 AUSTRALIAN SUBSCRIPTION RATE 12 months (6 issues) - $66 (inc. GST) To subscribe call 1800 651 422 Email: subscriptions@intermedia.com.au DISCLAIMER

Claire Hibbit Managing Editor

January/February INCLEAN 2019

NEXT ISSUE

Focus: IT INCLEAN looks at the rise of digital management systems and on-demand cleaning applications and how these technologies are reshaping the future of the sector. This issue will also feature interviews with industry leaders on trends, challenges and predictions for the year ahead.

Published: January 7, 2019 Editorial deadline: 23 November, 2018 Advertising booking deadline: 30 November, 2018 Advertising material deadline: 5 December, 2018

4 INCLEAN November/December 2018

This publication is published by The Intermedia Group Pty Ltd (the Publisher). Materials in this publication have been created by a variety of different entities and, to the extent permitted by law, the Publisher accepts no liability for materials created by others. All materials should be considered protected by Australian and international intellectual property laws. Unless you are authorised by law or the copyright owner to do so, you may not copy any of the materials. The mention of a product or service, person or company in this publication does not indicate the Publisherís endorsement. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Publisher, its agents, company officers or employees. Any use of the information contained in this publication is at the sole risk of the person using that information. The user should make independent enquiries as to the accuracy of the information before relying on that information. All express or implied terms, conditions, warranties, statements, assurances and representations in relation to the Publisher, its publications and its services are expressly excluded save for those conditions and warranties which must be implied under the laws of any State of Australia or the provisions of Division 2 of Part V of the Trade Practices Act 1974 and any statutory modification or re-enactment thereof. To the extent permitted by law, the Publisher will not be liable for any damages including special, exemplary, punitive or consequential damages (including but not limited to economic loss or loss of profit or revenue or loss of opportunity) or indirect loss or damage of any kind arising in contract, tort or otherwise, even if advised of the possibility of such loss of profits or damages. While we use our best endeavours to ensure accuracy of the materials we create, to the extent permitted by law, the Publisher excludes all liability for loss resulting from any inaccuracies or false or misleading statements that may appear in this publication. Copyright © 2018 The Intermedia Group Pty Ltd.

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INDUSTRY

Industry shines Industry leaders and product innovators gathered in record numbers to attend this year’s ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Expo in Sydney. Claire Hibbit reports. This year’s ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Expo once again raised the bar for the Australian cleaning industry, with the two-day event achieving a 31 per cent increase in attendance on last year. Held at the Sydney International Convention Centre, this year’s expo served as the ideal platform for new product launches and demonstrations. The show floor was further energised by the efforts of the exhibitors - many of which had opted for larger booth spaces. For the first time in its local history, the ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Expo also featured two education theatres; the ISSA Speaker Theatre and the SRCP Speaker Theatre. The ISSA Speaker Theatre focused on the cleaning, health and sanitation industry, while the inaugural SRCP (Specialised Restoration & Cleaning Professionals) Speaker Theatre centred on carpet care, remediation and restoration. The 2018 ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Expo presented many opportunities to network, enabling exhibitors and attendees to connect with like-minded professionals in the industry. Lauren Micallef, ISSA Oceania manager, said the event’s success proves it is building momentum and national interest. “The tagline for the ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Expo was ‘It’s time to shine’ and it most definitely did. With the success of 2017 there were high expectations for this year’s show and it was great to see that 2018 left its mark. “We heard from many exhibitors and attendees who felt this year’s event was ‘bigger and better’. The show commenced extremely well with pre-registrations at a much greater number and was followed over the two-day event with attendee numbers up 31 per cent against last year. We seem to be building 8 INCLEAN November/December 2018

outstanding momentum and growing national interest. It is fantastic to see the industry really getting behind this expo.” ISSA vice president, international services Dianna Steinbach, said the Australian exhibition continues to gain international recognition year on year. “There were attendees stemming from 16 countries. We had teams visiting from Malaysia, Singapore, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany and China, just to name a few. It is great to see the growth the show has experienced and it’s exciting to see the direction it is headed.”

Leadership by design Keynote speaker, former rugby union captain John Eales, drew close to 100 attendees, and shared with delegates his learnings on leadership and building a strong team culture. “A great team has a culture by design. They purposely encourage specific behaviours to deliver outcomes and achieve a strong team culture,” Eales said. “Businesses won’t sustain a good culture if they don’t think about it or practice it. And it all starts with the leaders of your teams.” Eales pointed out people often ignore culture at their own peril. “Every team, organisation and association has a culture, whether you like it or not and whether you work at it or not,” he said. “The question to ask yourself is, does your organisation team have a culture by design or a culture by default?” The rugby legend said it is important for leaders to “step out of their own shoes and challenge the way they do things,” adding attendees should recognise that whatever environment they are in, everyone is a leader. “You may be the leader of your own business, or a leader representing a business. You may not have the CEO title next to your name, but everyone here today is a leader.”

“The tagline for the ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Expo was ‘It’s time to shine’ and it most definitely did. With the success of 2017 there were high expectations and it was great to see 2018 left its mark.”

– Lauren Micallef, ISSA Digital disruption A key theme among speakers and delegates alike was the growing influence of digital on the Australian cleaning industry. Lucas Paris, sales and marketing director of Kärcher Australia, the platinum sponsor of the event, warned delegates automation and digitisation is here to stay and those who fail to adapt will be left behind. According to Paris, despite the slower uptake of new technologies by the local cleaning sector, compared to other international markets, Australia has more robotic units operating per capita. He stressed robotic equipment is to be embraced and not feared. “The one perception I want to quash in the market is that robotics will result in job losses. We need to change that perception of robotics removing people to upskilling people,” he said. “The cleaning industry is a people industry and it always will be. Robotics can be and should be used to create opportunities for our people and drive more people to our industry. “You need to get on board or be left behind. The technology will get cheaper, faster and better. We can be world leaders with this technology. With more robotic machines operating per capita than anywhere else, Australians are early adopters and should be leading the world in technology and innovation.” According to panellists who discussed digital trends; robots, on-demand cleaning and training are among the biggest challenges facing the sector. Errol Goldberg, managing director of Pall Mall, a manufacturer of commercial products and accessories such as floor pads, said manufacturers need to start adapting their products to work with robotic and autonomous machines. “Robots are coming sooner than we think. [Autonomous machines] have been in the Australian cleaning industry in a small form for the last few years, but the roll out is starting to pick up pace and manufacturers need to modify their products to work with these robots,” Goldberg said. In addition to the adoption and deployment of new machines, Facility ERP’s Mark Fremor said another major challenge facing the cleaning industry is having the right internal skill set to manage and maintain software systems. “If you are going to drop a complicated piece of technology into the heart of your business you need to have the right internal skills to maintain it. “The cleaning industry is one the most complicated industries. There is such a broad spectrum of applications that need to be integrated such as payroll, site management, reporting…and the biggest challenge is managing and training staff how to use these platforms. There needs to be processes in place to keep continually updating staff training.”

What exhibitors said: “The first ISSA show in Melbourne last year was a giant step up from trade events in Australia over the last decade, and this year in Sydney was another step up from that again. . We didn’t just get the volume, more importantly the quality of person coming through was at a decision-making level.” – Errol Goldberg, Pall Mall Manufacturing “The position, the quality keynote speakers, the range of exhibitors and new products all attracted a large number of quality customers who were great to network with.” – Michael Mathews, Conquest Equipment “We are very grateful for the excellent organisation of the ISSA Expo. Once again, we received a lot of great customers and leads from the show and were given a fantastic opportunity to network with key industry players.” – Scott Rozendaal, Spillz “I thought it was the best show we have ever seen in Australia. The show attendance set a new record, the quality of attendees was high, and the camaraderie in the trade was exemplary.” – Dr Greg Whiteley, Whiteley Corporation “The new ICC at Darling Harbour provided an impressive venue in a great location. We saw our participation as very worthwhile in terms of building and reinforcing brand awareness, introducing some great new products to many of our valued customers, and receiving a good number of new enquiries about what we have to offer.” – Steve Agar, Agar Chemicals “This event has opened the doors to overseas customers and large corporate cleaning companies searching for better training opportunities. Coach8 is excited about the next ISSA Expo and highly recommends the expo to other corporate companies,” – Scott McFazden, Coach8

31% increase in attendance 15% increase in show exhibitors 18% increase in floor space 44% of attendees held director, CEO or manager positions 16 countries represented Attendees listen

ker John to keynote spea

Eales

A holistic approach to health and hygiene Taking a holistic view of healthcare and wellbeing was another major theme of the ISSA Speaker Theatre, with topics including how to tackle unseen contaminations, presented by Bradley Prezant, while Professor Iain Gosbell discussed the importance www.incleanmag.com.au 9

INDUSTRY

of physical cleaning to prevent the transmission of bacteria in healthcare environments. GECA’s Kate Harris shared her insights the importance and demand for green-certified cleaning products and services. Harris was followed by CETEC Professional Scientific Solutions’ Adam Garnys who examined the science behind indoor air quality, as well as the wellness trend and its impact on building services, noting more organisations are becoming aware of a facility’s impact on employee’s health. “More companies are putting together wellness and productivity strategies as they become more aware that there are implications of the health of employees and building occupants.” Professor Gosbell was also joined by Greg Pobjoy, Whiteley Corporation and Ash Jones, Complex Solutions – ARA Property Services, for a highly engaging and interactive healthcare panel that reviewed major trends related to infection prevention. Other topics covered in the ISSA Speaker Theatre included recruitment and retention presented by Stefan Kazakis, Business Benchmark Grou; understanding digital and social marketing presented by Debbie Bradley, Zadro Agency; and the future of selling presented by Steve Clayton, Equip Consulting Australia.

Focused education at SRCP Theatre The inaugural SRCP Theatre and dedicated carpet and restoration wing brought restoration and remediation issues to the fore. SRCP committee president Gidon Kabaker said the success of the dedicated area was a significant achievement for SRCP (formerly known as SCRIA prior to its merger with ISSA). “I received a lot of positive feedback from the vendors and most of the [SRCP Theatre] education sessions were well attended which was positive to see. Going forward I think next year will be an even bigger and better event,” Kabaker said. Among the speaker highlights, ISSA’s Dianne Steinbach urged delegates to offer customers more value when competing in price wars. rt Nicol, Lauren Micallef, From left: Richard Rones, Stua John Barrett per, Coo n Simo Dianne Steinbach,

10 INCLEAN November/December 2018

“There was a massive increase in foot traffic which was great to see, and there was a really positive buzz around.” – Lucas Paris, Kärcher Australia “What do you do when customers say they want more for less? You give them more for less in fear they will go to your competitor. We have trained customers to only ask for less. Cleaning is not a cost to be minimised, it is an investment to be increased. “Customers are incentivised to spend less, and there’s always someone willing to do it cheaper. [Competitors] who tell our customers they can do it for less aren’t permanent and damage our industry’s reputation.” Steinbach encouraged attendees to invest in their own people. “Invest in people and they will invest in your customers like they’re their own. They will feel ownership because they too want to feel professional, knowledgeable, appreciated and respected.” Other SRCP Theatre speakers included Greencap’s Claire Bird, who weighed in on safe handling and the use of chemicals in the cleaning industry; Paul Corry of Staying in Front Solutions, discussed the hidden dangers of asbestos in restorations and renovations; while Workplace Advisory Group’s Mark Diamond schooled attendees on the legalities of sub-contracting. The 2018 expo also featured the Australasian Waste & Recycling Expo as a co-located event, adding to the overall attendee experience. The show concluded on day two with a fun networking event hosted jointly by ISSA and SRCP. The highly anticipated 2019 ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Expo Australia will be held in Melbourne on 23 and 24 October.

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2019

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INDUSTRY

Innovation Awards The winners of this year’s INCLEAN Innovation Awards were named at the ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Expo.

Now in its seventh year, the INCLEAN Innovation Awards showcase innovative and progressive products and services within the cleaning industry. This year’s awards received a record number of entries across four of the five categories, with the calibre of entries setting a new benchmark for innovation and product development in Australia. The five award categories included; Equipment, Cleaning Agents, Services & Technology, Janitorial and Paper & Dispensing. This year’s judging panel included Brian Clark, CEO of FM Contract Solutions; Debbie Delimitros, BSCAA NSW president and GM of Eternal Cleaning; and Claire Hibbit, editor of INCLEAN magazine.

Award: Equipment Winner: Spacevac Internal High-Level Cleaning Saystem – Spillz The highly coveted Equipment category was won by Spillz for its Spacevac Internal High-Level Cleaning System. The Spacevac Internal High-Level Cleaning System features lightweight carbon fibre construction and is equipped with an innovative wireless camera and monitor system. This system streams via Bluetooth to a floor mounted monitor at ground level which allows the operator to record footage and monitor the progress of cleans in real time. The monitor also enables operators to record footage to an SD card and use to provide quotations or evidence of completion. Clark said the Spacevac High Level Cleaning System stood out because it offered a simple, cost effective and safer solution to high level cleaning, which could save costs on high reach equipment hire and provide an add on service capability for all contractors – big and small, and to in-house cleaning teams. “The designer addressed the visibility of outcomes with the camera system, the ‘periscope’ glasses will prevent neck strain and the carbon fibre lock together poles were lightweight and durable.” Scott Rozendaal sales director of Spillz, said being a finalist in the INCLEAN Innovation Awards for the second consecutive year has created great exposure for the Spillz company. “Winning the Equipment Innovation Award is a great step for Spillz to become a leading innovative supplier, as we are always looking to find new developments that can push the industry forward.”

Award: Cleaning Agents Winner: Bio-BUGS – BioChemSolutions New Zealand-based BioChem Solutions took out the Cleaning Agents award for its drain cleaning solution Bio-BUGS. Launched in Australia in conjunction with Rezitech, Bio-BUGS is a self-foaming solution which improves the performance of cleaners in drain networks to 12 INCLEAN November/December 2018

remove organic material which pests breed in, and removes fat, oil and grease which cause safety issues when blocked. Bio-BUGS’ self-foaming formulation sits above the water column where organic material and fat, oil and grease build up, resulting in significantly less chemical going down the drain. Clark said Bio-Bugs foaming formulation was innovative because the formulation self generates a clinging foam which allows the bio digestion bacteria to contact and work on all surfaces in the pipe, drain or grease trap for sufficient time, rather than washing down the drain. “The manufacturer claimed that it broke down fats in Greasetraps which reduced odour and decreased the frequency of pump outs – which is a real cost saving to building owners.” Simon Wright of BioChem Solutions said it was an honour to win the award. “It means a lot for us as a small company to be selected against many large multi-nationals. To be recognised for our innovation is a real honour.”

Award: Services & Technology Winner: Tork EasyCube – Tork Professional Hygiene Tork Professional Hygiene received the Services & Technology award for the Tork EasyCube. The software platform provides facility managers and cleaners with real-time information from connected devices and dispenser systems through a web application, directing cleaning teams to where they are needed most in a facility. Clark said the Tork EasyCube restroom dispenser and traffic monitoring system has potential to focus restroom refreshment into the most frequently trafficked toilets and reduce labour time and client dissatisfaction with dispensers running empty. Rochelle Lake, head of marketing – B2B at Tork Professional Hygiene said Tork was very proud to have Tork EasyCube named the winner of the Services & Technology Award. “By empowering people with data-driven cleaning plans, Tork EasyCube will be a real game-changer in the industry.”

Award: Janitorial Winner: Unger erGo! S-Class Series – Pall Mall Launched at the ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Show, the Unger erGo! S-Class Series by Pall Mall won the Janitorial award for its innovative design and ergonomic benefits. The erGO! S-Class Series induces a S-motion by the operator reducing the load placed upon backs, shoulders and joints while at the same time improving the speed of the cleaning action. Another innovation design feature of the erGo is its preloaded onboard cleaning liquid cartridges, eliminating the need for use of heavy buckets. Liquids and waxes can be accurately dispensed by the inbuilt trigger mechanism and tube dispenser, allowing for more efficient and timely cleaning. Clark said erGO made mopping easier and more productive and the innovated handle design reduces the risk of repetitive strain injury when mopping. The range of solution and sealer feed accessories broadened the applications for the system and increased value for money. Pall Mall managing director Errol Goldberg said he was pleased and excited to win. “We see a big future in this product and winning has reinforced its innovation and given us a good jump start in the market. The fact that there were some incredibly good products nominated adds to the prestige of winning the award.”

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SOLUTIONS INNOVATIONS

Award: Paper & Dispensing Winner: IntelliCare hybrid soap dispensing system – Diversey Diversey took out the Paper & Dispensing award for its IntelliCare Hybrid Soap Dispensing System. IntelliCare dispensers can be used with a variety of hand care formulations, allowing facilities to customise product selection based on environment, site or user needs. The hand care system features tamper proof, collapsible bottles designed to prevent product contamination and empty completely to reduce waste. Intellicare antibacterial hand soaps are also triclosan free. Sandra Bell, product manager, Diversey said Diversey was honoured to be the recipient of the 2018 Paper & Dispensing award. “IntelliCare, our new commercial hand care system features the industry’s first hybrid hand care dispenser with both touchless and manual activation. The versatile dispensing system is compatible with Diversey liquid/gel and foam products, and provides low content and battery alerts to help ensure dispensers are always full and functioning. This is an exciting addition to our extensive product portfolio for our ANZ customers,” Bell said. “With hand washing being the single most effective way to prevent the spread of infection, the IntelliCare dispenser seamlessly shifts from touchless to manual mode to deliver uninterrupted hand hygiene once battery power is depleted. The flexible and intelligent system is designed to prevent infection, improve productivity, and protect an organisation’s brand.”

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23 – 24 OCTOBER 2019 MELBOURNE Melbourne Convention

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CONTRACTING

Raising the bar Working in bars, casinos and restaurants around the world has given David Kelly a knowledge of cleaning work that he is putting to good use in his own commercial cleaning enterprise today. Cameron Cooper reports. Making tough calls about clients and target markets is all part of the job for cleaning sector operators – just ask David Kelly. Despite at one stage relying on hospitality cleaning for about 80 per cent of his revenue, the Solutions 4 Cleaning founder and director has opted to gradually transition out of that area in favour of commercial cleaning, including medical centres. Why? Kelly says his hand was forced after constantly getting undercut by contractors who brought in subcontractors to work at below the minimum wage, in addition to the challenges of servicing sometimes volatile hotel clients. “It made it difficult to maintain a business that met our legal obligations, as well as our duty of care to our staff. We just felt it wasn’t the right course for the longevity of our business to be involved in that going forward. It hurt, don’t get me wrong, but we had to do it,” says Kelly, whose Boondall-based business in Brisbane has been running for seven years and covers office, tenancy and service apartment cleaning.

Hospitality background An earlier career in the hospitality sector – working in bars and casinos in Sydney through to Disney World in Florida and restaurants in London and Brisbane – alerted Kelly to the importance of great cleaning services and informed his current role, in which he concentrates on quality control, training and OH&S compliance. Pressure on restaurants in the aftermath of the global financial crisis convinced Kelly to switch sectors. “I thought that it was a good opportunity to do something myself. It’s kind of a natural progression from hospitality to cleaning.” Nevertheless, his hospitality days have been crucial to Solutions 4 Cleaning’s success. He dealt with chemical suppliers, giving him important knowledge about chemical dosing of commercial kitchens, and grew to understand tasks such as sanitary cleaning, urinal maintenance and beer-line cleaning that have transferred well to his current business. “Because I’d done all of that stuff in the past, I knew how to incorporate that cleaning work as a benefit for hospitality managers,” Kelly says. 14 INCLEAN November/December 2018

Healthy market Solutions 4 Cleaning continues to do some jobs in the hospitality sector, but prefers now to target commercial cleaning work such as in medical centres. Kelly likes the fact that cleaners have to meet high standards and play a part in infection control for medical-related jobs, putting it off limits to some industry newcomers. “It makes the business more interesting and it does come with higher entry costs such as with insurance, so that does give you a bit of a buffer from the (home-cleaning providers) that are trying to get into the market,” Kelly says. “You can go in and do the job properly and not look to cut corners, which is a risk in some other industries when you get squeezed on price.” He also sees the medical sector as being “almost recession proof”. When the economy tightens, small-office work will inevitably drop off, but people will still need to visit their GP or dentist. “We’re trying to grow that side of it and I’d like to see it move towards the 50 per cent of our revenue.” Kelly is also always looking for other opportunities to build the business. He is awaiting approval to be able to access higherlevel security areas such as Customs for cleaning work that is off limits to many commercial cleaners, and he is doing his testing and tagging electrical licence, the latter of which will allow him to service his own equipment while also opening the way to sell the service to clients. His other constant focus is on training and compliance to ensure his workers are safe. “It’s a big thing. As far as cleaning goes from a work cover perspective we are considered high risk,” he says. “You’ve just got to try to mitigate risks.”

Training the key In a market where new players – some good, some bad – are emerging all the time, Kelly believes the best cleaning businesses should be drawing on a few key factors: Knowledge (including understanding the processes that will ensure the most hygienic results)

CONTRACTING

“The industry will keep changing and evolving. Staying on top of everything can be difficult, but we have to adapt and respond accordingly.” An appreciation of the tools of the trade (including a focus on good equipment, regular maintenance, the right products and keeping your products clean) Quality training (including investing time and money to ensure all your staff members represent your business in a professional way). For example, Kelly says there is no use purchasing a $20,000 floor scrubber if it is too large and cumbersome for employees to get it out of a truck and use it. He advises tailoring products for the specific work you do, and ensuring the little things are taken care of, such as cleaning mop heads after each job and making sure that chemical bottle triggers are functioning. He explains: “Faulty equipment or equipment that’s not working can affect staff morale. It’s already a hard enough job in the sense of having to motivate yourself to get up at 8pm to go out and work all night. So when you have other things that are a

hindrance it can be a nightmare. You’ve got to stay on top of all those things.”’ This attention to detail includes taking out appropriate insurance to protect both his own business and that of his clients. Kelly recalls the story of one cleaner who lost the keys to a major commercial building and walked away when they realised the mistake would cost $20,000 to change all the locks. “That prompted us to get $50,000 worth of key insurance for our customers’ peace of mind.”

Positive future Now with a team of eight people, Kelly thinks Solutions 4 Cleaners is well placed to thrive in its areas of speciality. His staff can handle everything from a full detailing of a 3000sqm warehouse through to a small office job. “We’ve got this full gamut of experiences that we can apply to jobs.” He has no doubt the industry will continue to undergo reforms – and he is determined to stay relevant as those changes occur. From responding to the threat of disruptors such as Airtasker to the development of new chemical-free products, Kelly is excited rather than daunted by the challenges ahead. “The industry will keep changing and evolving. Staying on top of everything can be difficult, but we have to adapt and respond accordingly.” www.solutions4cleaning.com.au

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CONTRACTING

BSCAA national president George Stamas outlines how the association is working for businesses large and small, and why industry involvement is critical.

How BSCAA is working for you If you’re in the cleaning business and not familiar with the acronym BSCAA, then you should be. It’s a bit of a mouthful but it stands for Building Service Contractors Association of Australia, and it’s the nation’s peak industry body for the building services industry, encompassing all businesses involved in contract cleaning, security, facilities management, grounds maintenance and related services. It’s 100 per cent Australian-owned and operated industry association that’s been working to represent the rights of its members and advocate for industry improvement for more than 50 years. In many ways it’s the voice of the industry in Australia. The association also works closely with a variety of suppliers to the industry to ensure members are at the forefront of industry innovation.

A strong industry is built on strong representation So what does the BSCAA do? Well, as the highest-level body for the industry, it provides important advice and guidance to government and non-government bodies alike. In July the BSCAA national branch made a submission on behalf of BSCAA members at the inquiry into the exploitation of general and specialist cleaning workers in retail chains for contracting or subcontracting cleaning companies. ABN reform and the expansion of the taxable payments reporting system to contractors in the courier and cleaning industries are other areas where the Association is actively pushing for the benefit of members. It’s this kind of advocacy that is essential to the strength of the industry. The capacity to advocate at this kind of level comes back to the fact that the Association is staffed by a very active board of business owners and individuals with a wealth of experience in the industry. What’s more, BSCAA has national and state-based 18 INCLEAN November/December 2018

committees so it can effectively track and engage with issues at both a state and federal legislative legal.

Working for businesses large and small One of the key functions of the association is to actively represent the needs of its members, large and small, and advocate for the benefit of the industry in national industry committees such as CAF – the Cleaning Accountability Framework – where BSCAA works to ensure that the interests of cleaning companies is effectively represented. Another of the association’s missions is to maintain the professionalism and skills of those who work within the industry. Its suite of training programs is a big part of this. The courses that can be completed either online or in-house provide a comprehensive education pathway and are designed for people seeking a professional cleaning career. As for any industry advocacy organisation, involvement of industry participants is crucial to its success. For its part, BSCAA provides its members with a variety of services in addition to its accredited training program.

The pursuit of professionalism and excellence Keeping members abreast of the latest developments in the industry is another key function of the association. BSCAA’s free live seminar series is particularly popular with members. It provides a valuable forum to learn about and discuss important industry topics and events, as well as chance to connect with industry peers in a relaxed environment. But by far the highlight of the year is BSCAA’s annual Excellence Awards. It’s here members get to strut their stuff and share their successes of the past year with their peers. There’s an awards ceremony held in each state, so members from across the country have a chance to be part of the biggest social event of the year. www.bscaa.com

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HOSPITALITY

Changing the ways hospitality floors are cleaned Health, safety and hygiene are important in every industry but in the hospitality industry, cleanliness has the most critical and strict expectations, explains Murray McDonald*. For any hotel operating in the hospitality industry, it is necessary machines. Integrated battery operated floor cleaning machines to meet quality standards, especially when it comes to cleaning, are now available that have provided industries, including the otherwise it can find itself in a whirlwind of trouble. hospitality industry, with an ease of cleaning to almost all types Hotels have their very own housekeepers that are responsible of industrial floors, from hard floors to carpets. for maintaining basic cleaning, from vacuuming floors, cleaning Duplex, in a similar way, has provided complete industrybathrooms, changing bedding, et cetera. At the same time, ensuring specific solutions with its wide range of floor cleaning machines, cleanliness in the kitchen is imperative. Thus, housekeeping is steam units and industrial cleaning machines. Cleaning in the among the top concerns within the hospitality industry. hospitality industry requires specialised equipment that is not When we look at the methods used in maintaining cleanliness only able to ensure the fulfilment of cleaning needs, but at the in hotels, we observe that a lot of changes have been made over same time address hygiene-related issues. time. The introduction of technology has made cleaning, and It has been observed that by floor cleaning using mops, slips thus our lives, much easier. Comparing the cleaning methods and falls were common. It has been further researched that used in the kitchen, one remembers dishes stacking up in the slips, trips and falls caused by wet floors have resulted in sink and using a sponge and soap to clean them. But were they work injuries. In some cases, injuries have been so severe that actually cleaned? they have resulted in death, the consequence of wet floors or Research has revealed kitchen sponges are even dirtier than toilets. improper floor cleaning. How can an item used for cleaning purposes be so contaminated? Cleaning methods have now changed, with the introduction The problem, however, has been resolved with the introduction of of floor cleaning machines that are able to wash, scrub, dry and dishwashers. But is this enough? Definitely not. steam floors, all in a single pass. Isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t it great, that multi-purpose The floors of a kitchen were also previously cleaned with machines have now made floor cleaning so much easier? the aid of an old mop that is soaked in a bucket water and High standard cleaning results have been achieved with floor cleaning agent. The bathroom floor was scrubbers, steam cleaning equipment and also cleaned the same way but there were ergonomically designed attachment tools. a number of cleanliness issues associated Dedicated floor cleaning equipment is â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dedicated floor with mops. Cleanliness, with a mop, is designed for the most efficient performance cleaning equipment also dependent on how often the floors in achieving the best results, thus changing are mopped and the procedure followed. the way hospitality floors are cleaned. is designed for Selecting a suitable mop and appropriate Cleaning with a mop is more labour cleaning solution is also important. Further intensive and time consuming compared to the most efficient to this, mops require proper maintenance using dedicated floor cleaning machines that performance in and eventual replacement, since the fibres also provide better results and a much higher get worn and disfigured. There is also the level of hygiene. The most versatile floor achieving the issue of regenerating dirty water over the cleaners and scrubbers are now available. floor surface, with the mop continually Cleaning carpets is another major issue best results, thus soaked in the same bucket solution. associated with hotels, since it is often changing the way The technology is now here to make difficult to remove soiling from carpets. the lives of people easier and more Further to this, the problems associated hospitality floors are comfortable. Although mops for floor with bathroom cleaning are also critical. cleaning are still used in some places, they Allergy concerns, contamination and cleaned.â&#x20AC;? have been replaced with floor cleaning corrosion are among other issues associated 20 INCLEAN November/December 2018

HOSPITALITY

with cleaning floors with a mop. These issues have now been resolved with floor cleaning machines which are also chemicalfree and greatly eliminate allergy concerns. Steam, at higher temperatures, is used by machines that deep clean all surfaces. Cleaning carpets has also become much easier, with chewing gum and wax residues removed with ease. In industries that have a lot of foot traffic, carpeting needs to be vacuumed regularly and steam vacuum cleaners have also become available for this purpose. Floor cleaning machines have not just made cleaning easier in the hospitality industry and saved a lot of precious time, but have also saved hundreds of dollars that are spent on the costs of chemicals. Furthermore, water consumption in cleaning floors has also been dramatically reduced with the use of floor cleaning machines. Another important aspect associated with these machines is bi-directional capability, providing washing and suction of floors in both directions of work. They are also capable of sweeping both solid and liquefied residues with high and efficient drying performance, even in uneven surfaces. The floor cleaning machines provided by Duplex and based on the Duplex cleaning concept; provide more efficient performance when compared to traditional cleaning machines. *Murray McDonald is director of Duplex Cleaning Machines www.duplexcleaning.com.au

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HOSPITALITY

International Housekeepers Week Hotels around the country celebrated International Housekeepers Week (IHW). Held every year during the second week of September, IHW is dedicated to recognising the efforts of hard-working housekeeping staff who tend to the upkeep of hotels. Lizzie Hunter reports.

Travelodge Hotel Bankstown

Professional Executive Housekeeper’s Network The Professional Executive Housekeeper’s Network (PEHN) celebrated International Housekeepers Week with its annual trivia night, held at the Melbourne City Bowls. Along with trivia master Allan Peach, there were around 65 housekeepers in attendance. “There were a lot of individual prizes won throughout the night, including how far could participants make a paper aeroplane fly, what colour is your clinker, the best dancer and singer for different songs, heads or tails – the list goes on,” said PEHN president, Donna Musarella. “We also had three Nespresso coffee machines with coffee capsules as lucky door prizes. The only time the room was silent was when they were being drawn throughout the night. “PEHN loves celebrating International Housekeepers Week with our teams to thank them for all of their hard work, and provide them with the opportunity to mingle with their peers from different hotels, while letting their hair down and having some fun.”

“International Housekeepers Week gives us a greater opportunity to recognise the outstanding efforts of our hardworking housekeeping team.”

Rendezvous Hotel Perth Scarborough At Rendezvous Hotel Perth Scarborough housekeeping staff celebrated with a lunch where many dishes from around the world were shared. The hotel held a bed making competition and best rollaway bed competition which was judged by hotel management. Chocolates, scratch and win tickets and vouchers were also given out every day during the week to those with the tidiest trollies, storerooms, best beds and best all-rounder.

22 INCLEAN November/December 2018

Travelodge Hotel Bankstown’s celebrations with a morning breakfast for the housekeeping team. In the afternoon, staff took part in a session at the Turbo Climb within the Bankstown Sports Club. Staff also participated in a multicultural lunch where the team were invited to bring along a dish. Travelodge Hotel Bankstown hotel manager Pawan Kumar said the initiative provides an opportunity for management to recognise housekeeping staff. “International Housekeepers Week provides a good opportunity for the team to step out of their day to day operations and feel recognised by their housekeeping managers. There was plenty of positive feedback and this was shown with their level in involvement in all activities. “International Housekeepers Week gives us a greater opportunity to recognise the outstanding efforts of our hardworking housekeeping team,” Kumar said. “It is because of their dedication and high standards we are able to maintain high guest scores for our cleanliness and develop trust in maintaining brand standards throughout all our rooms.”

HOSPITALITY

Hilton Brisbane, Sydney & Perth Every year, Hilton sets aside one dedicated week to recognise its year-round “Heroes of Housekeeping”. “As one of the hardest jobs in the business, our housekeepers work tirelessly 365 days a year to ensure our guest rooms are sparkling and they always do so with a smile; full of energy and passion,” said Heidi Kunkel, vice president operations, Australasia. During International Housekeepers Week, Hilton, DoubleTree by Hilton and Curio Collection by Hilton properties across Australia organised a range of celebrations.

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HOSPITALITY

Purchasing for SPECIAL INTRO people, planet and profit PRICE A truly sustainable hospitality sector must include supply chains that are good for people and planet, while making a profit, writes GECA’s Kendall Benton-Collins.

The lifeblood of the hospitality industry is people – from guests and staff to those at the furthest reaches of your supply chain. The term hospitality itself is derived from the Latin hospes which can mean “host”, “guest”, or “stranger”. It’s an ancient concept and a modern business that revolves around embracing friends and strangers alike, while providing them with kindness, comfort and generosity. This idea can never be fully realised unless your business is taking steps to ensure supply chain transparency. A truly sustainable hospitality sector must include supply chains that are good for people and planet, while making a profit.

It’s time to act on modern slavery It’s shocking to be confronted with the truth that slavery has never ended. Even in 2018, it continues to persist in the form of servitude, forced labor, debt bondage, human trafficking, child slavery, and forced marriage. According to the Global Slavery Index 2018, 40.3 million people around the world were in some form of modern slavery in 2016. It’s estimated that 15,000 of these people were living in conditions of modern slavery here in Australia. While Australia may have fewer instances of modern slavery than developing countries, it is still very much a factor in our products and services and we are certainly not excluded from risk here on our shores. In fact, the cleaning and hospitality industries have been identified as hotspots for modern slavery in Australia. Ensuring supply chain transparency will play a significant role in the future of these industries. In 2015, the UK was the first country to publish a Modern Slavery Act. In 2017, the Australian Government launched an inquiry into building a comprehensive suite of new laws for combatting modern slavery, including the establishment of our own Modern Slavery Act. The Federal Government has committed to passing legislation by end of this year. This will require large businesses to report 24 INCLEAN November/December 2018

annually on their actions taken to address modern slavery. In June 2018, the New South Wales Parliament passed the NSW Modern Slavery Bill, which covers public and private sector organisations with a turnover of more than $50 million operating with staff in NSW.

Empower your business to start looking The term supply chain refers to all the links that connect to bring your hospitality business to life. From the materials and labour used to build your infrastructure, to the food and drink sold in your restaurants. It’s the working conditions of the people who clean your rooms and the environmental impact of the products they’re using. It’s the journey of the raw materials which are manufactured to become the linen in your hotel rooms, and beyond to the end life of your assets. Developed countries like ours also import large numbers of goods and services from developing countries, and modern slavery can exist along these complicated global supply chains. Committing to sustainable and transparent supply chains is no simple task, but it’s one that businesses cannot legally or ethically shy away from. This is a journey that starts by looking at your

“Committing to sustainable and transparent supply chains is no simple task, but it’s one that businesses cannot legally or ethically shy away from.”

HOSPITALITY

organisational structure and opening a dialogue with the people along your supply chain. Next steps include identifying your risk areas, creating policies and processes to address these risks and monitoring their success. The great news is that resources exist to empower businesses to identify and remedy modern slavery hotspots in their supply chains. The free online Slavery Footprint Calculator for example, can help businesses to uncover where they should start looking. Supply Chain Sustainability School, has created a suite of domestic and international resources on modern slavery, along with running workshops throughout the country.

Purchasing for people, planet and profit

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In April 2017, the International organisation for Standardisation (ISO) released the world’s first ISO 20400 International Standard for Sustainable Procurement. ISO 20400 is designed to ensure that the procurement policies of organisations, both big and small, are robust and address sustainable supply chain issues. The seven key areas to address within sustainable procurement are: • organisational governance; • human rights; • labour practices; • the environment; • fair operating practices; • consumer issues; and • community involvement and development.

GECA’s Positive Procurement Pledge supports businesses as they explore and mitigate the environmental, social and economic impacts of their purchased goods and services. Independent certification is the only way to make sure you are genuinely buying sustainable products, thanks to the built-in auditing and assurance processes. GECA’s standards, for example, consider the social impacts of the products it certifies, including safer and more ethical working conditions, not only for employees, but also those involved along the entire supply chain. Supporters of the Pledge include ecolabels such as Marine Steward Council, Fairtrade Australia and New Zealand and the Forest Stewardship Council. With so many certified products available, there has never been a better time for the businesses to start their positive procurement journey! A hotel with a robust sustainable procurement policy can enjoy significant commercial, environmental and social benefits. Selecting sustainable goods and services will enhance your company reputation, increase customer loyalty and attract new customers. By increasing the transparency and accountability of your supply chain you can improve the lives of people from farm workers and textile manufacturers to hotel staff and guests. And in the end, isn’t taking care of people what hospitality is all about? www.geca.eco

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Retail cleaning:

What’s the issue? Cleaning Accountability Framework (CAF) CEO Poonam Datar weighs in on the recent Senate inquiry into the exploitation of retail cleaners.

There has been a stark divergence of opinion expressed in the recent Senate inquiry into the exploitation of retail cleaners. On one side the Australian Industry Group (AIG) says the existing compliance regime is satisfactory to regulate the conditions facing workers. Or, to quote the AIG submission: “There are very comprehensive protections in place to protect workers from exploitation, underpayments and workplace injury and that changes are not needed to workplace relations or Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws to increase protection for workers.” On the other side you have Josh Bornstein, the principal lawyer for Maurice Blackburn, who believes he has seen some of the worst abuses of labour that he has witnessed in his professional life. Or, to quote his evidence to the committee: “Wage theft and its cousin superannuation theft are … at unprecedented levels in my career. We have had scandals that once were associated with the margins of the labour market – small, dodgy operators – now moving in and engulfing big, iconic brands in this country.” In CAF’s view, evidence of widespread underpayments, messy changes of contract and the proliferation of so-called “independent contractors” reveals a disconnect between current protections as stipulated in law, and actual practice on the ground. Indeed, it must be remembered that one of the starting points for the inquiry was the discovery of a 90 per cent noncompliance by subcontractors engaged to clean Woolworths supermarkets in Tasmania. But if something is to be done, who is to do it? And what does that look like? In the case of Woolworths, it has signed up to a proactive compliance deed in late August with the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) that seeks to address the underlying problems exposed in its Tasmanian supermarkets and ensure compliance throughout its national network of more than 1000 stores. Such a document is not entered into lightly, and on the plus side it represents a commitment from both parties to ensure the same situation can’t happen again. But is it reasonable to expect the FWO to sign up every company to a compliance deed? A number of submissions and 26 INCLEAN November/December 2018

evidence given in the course of the Senate inquiry point to the fact that the FWO is restricted in its capacity to undertake compliance activities. CAF – which includes the FWO as a partner – believes there is another more effective way to avoid the risk of having to enter compliance deeds altogether, and addresses the issues highlighted by the Senate inquiry. And that way, is for industry to lead. The CAF brings together building owners, cleaning companies, facility managers and the cleaners themselves in a bid to stop what has frequently become a race to the bottom for pay and conditions. CAF takes a “supply chain” approach to the issues confronting cleaners with a certification scheme that relies on the involvement of all stakeholders, including cleaners to ensure a site is continually meeting standards. The CAF star ratings system aims to ensure cleaning contracts meet the legal standards and beyond in relation to wage payments, tax and superannuation payments, record keeping and workplace health and safety. At the end of the day, a CAF certification gives everyone – investors, building owners, cleaning companies, facilities managers, employees and the public – confidence that a contract is “best practice”: delivering the required cleaning service while cleaners are treated fairly and with respect. CAF – through its members’ actions - is designed to bring accountability and transparency to ensure lead firms that sit at the top of labour supply chains know and ensure the pay and conditions of cleaners are lawful. CAF effectively allows lead firms to avoid time-consuming legal processes that they will face if they fall foul of the regulator, simply because they would have adopted practices that meet the required standards. And while CAF is not saying it has the entire solution - the regulator still has a role to monitor and enforce compliance, and unions have a role in protecting basic entitlements – CAF sees its star ratings system as a path forward for both businesses and cleaners. www.cleaningaccountability.org.au

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anniversary Over the past 30 years the Australian commercial cleaning industry has transformed itself from providing basic cleaning services to performing tasks that require skill and deliver superior hygienic outcomes. To celebrate INCLEAN’s 30th anniversary, we look back on some of the influences (in no particular order) that have helped shaped the industry.

INCLEAN magazine

The first issue of INCLEAN was published in May 1988 and featured Rotobic Aussie Products on the cover of the then monthly magazine. Publisher Robert Yeomans wrote in the inaugural edition he hoped readers would find the publication “interesting, entertaining and informative”. Thirty years on, INCLEAN remains the only dedicated news source for the cleaning and hygiene market in Australia. Delivering sustainable hygiene information

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Hako Australia Evolves in 2012 www.incleanmag.com.au

Inclean Sept_Oct 2012 1-61.indd 1

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The new B 200 ride -on floor scrubber from Kär cher. 31/08/12 9:20 AM

www.incleanmag.com.au 29

02 Inaugural ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Expo in Melbourne, 2017. From left: Dianne Steinbach, John Barrett, Kim Taranto, Stuart Nicol and Simon Cooper

Kim Taranto 06 From left: Angela Hardcastle, Alan Hardcastle, Kim Taranto and Simon Cooper at INCLEAN’s 25th anniversary

Alan and Angela Hardcastle Many over the years have referred to INCLEAN as the ‘industry bible’ and that is largely thanks to Alan and Angela Hardcastle. The Hardcastles acquired the publication from Trade News Corporation in 1992. “[Trade News Corporation] had a number of magazines and the runt of the litter was INCLEAN,” explained Alan. “When they sold all their titles I knew INCLEAN had potential, but it was a gamble.I didn’t know anything about the cleaning industry but having previously worked as a publisher of a number of magazines in a number of different industries, I found the cleaning industry to be the most interesting because it was always changing.” In 2010 the title was sold to The Intermedia Group, with Alan serving as consulting editor until his retirement in 2016.

Family culture

Somewhat unique to the cleaning industry is the number of past and present family-owned and operated businesses. From small contractors to large multi-national distributors, there are many companies across all facets of the sector still in operation today and run by multigenerational families.

Aussie innovation

Kim Taranto served as INCLEAN’s editor for more than five years, spearheading the launch of sister publication INCLEAN NZ and launching ‘Women in Cleaning’ – a dedicated editorial profiling women in the industry. In 2016, Kim was appointed the first Oceania manager of global cleaning association, ISSA.

Standards

A significant change to the Australian cleaning sector and disinfectant market came with the introduction of the Therapeutic Goods Order 54 (Standard for Disinfectants and Sterilants). Established in 1996 the regulation provided uniform standards for the first time. The carpet maintenance standard AS/NZS 3733 established in 1989 (later upgraded in 1995) has also helped the carpet cleaning market. In 2015, the quality (ISO 9001) and environmental (ISO 14001) management standards were upgraded. This is important within the cleaning industry for, in order to win business, many tenders require compliance to these standards alongside the safety standard, and sometimes the HACCP standard. Gerry Goldberg

Importantly, and often forgotten, Australian machine manufacturing more than held its own against its international counterparts, inventing and driving the suction polisher and backpack vacuum cleaner segments.

Gerry Goldberg Gerry Goldberg founded Sydney-based Pall Mall Manufacturing Company in 1978 with his sons and current joint managing directors Errol and Andrew Goldberg. A major force in this segment, Gerry was an advocate for training and professional development, and was actively involved in the National Cleaning Suppliers Association (NCSA), serving on the board for more than three decades. In 2014 Gerry was honoured as the first name on the NCSA’s Legends of Cleaning honour roll.

30 INCLEAN November/December 2018

“The backpack vacuum cleaner revolutionised contract cleaning in office blocks. It left one hand free to move chairs when vacuuming and allowed for spot vacuuming where only traffic areas were cleaned daily.” John Taylor, CleaniQ

Speciality services

From largely in-house cleaning teams, the commercial cleaning industry is now outsourced to building service contractors (BSCs) which have a comprehensive skill set, covering everything from office cleaning to demanding healthcare sites. BSCs have also moved beyond performing basic cleaning tasks to offer a broad range of specialty services such as window cleaning, carpet cleaning, high pressure cleaning, waste management, sanitary services, linen services, pest control and general maintenance.

www.incleanmag.com.au 31

Reginald Whiteley

From Left: Mitch Whiteley, Reginald Whiteley and Bruce Whiteley

Reginald Whiteley and his company Whiteley Corporation have had a profound effect on all facets of the Australian commercial cleaning industry including infection control, healthcare cleaning, disinfection and carpet and floor maintenance. First established as the Australian General Disinfectant Company in 1933, Reginald acquired the business in 1971. In 2016 at the age of 90 Reginald retired from his position on the Whiteley Corporation management board.

09 10

The internet Customers today have more power, choice and accessibility to product than ever before, with the internet providing a 24/7 shopfront to research, review and purchase product. Social media has also become a valuable marketing tool, while user generated content such as online reviews have become incredibly influential. More recently, the internet has given rise to the ‘gig economy’ with companies such as Airtasker providing on-demand cleaning services.

From left: Paul Agar, Steve Agar and Brian

Bridges

Ross Agar From left: Paul Agar and Ross Agar in

the lab July 2002

34 INCLEAN November/December 2018

An industry stalwart Ross Agar, founder of Agar Cleaning Systems, started from humble beginnings as a qualified industrial chemist making a small range of chemicals in his suburban Melbourne garage. During the early 1970s, Ross was among the first to develop acrylic polymer floor sealers, new at the time, the technology is still one of the most effective solutions for protecting stone and vinyl floors. Today, Agar Cleaning Systems remains very much a family affair, with Ross’ sons Paul and Steve Agar at the helm.

Rating systems

The green cleaning movement has evolved with the development of product rating standards such as Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA), and the establishment of building rating systems such as Green Star by the Green Building Council of Australia, NABERS and the WELL Building Standard.

Sustainability

The term ‘green cleaning’ originated with the introduction of plant-based and ‘environmentally-friendly’ products in the early 2000s, with demand largely government led. However, the term soon met with cynicism due to an influx of products with misleading claims. In recent years, green cleaning has taken a more holistic approach – encompassing not only environmentally responsible products but also building wellbeing, waste management, indoor air quality and corporate social responsibility. In Australia, Bridget Gardner is one of the leading experts and advocates for environmentally and socially responsible cleaning initiatives.

United Voice United Voice, formerly known as the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union (LHMU) until 2011, has continuously advocated for the rights of cleaners and uncovered various major industrial relations issues throughout its history.

13 “There have been a lot of Australian inventions that have really shaped the industry.” Dr Greg Whiteley, Whiteley Corporation

15 Modern health and safety legislation From 2011, modern work, health and safety legislation had a significant impact across most of Australia, modernising health and safety legislation within the cleaning industry. One of the biggest changes to the legislation was the introduction of the term ‘reasonably practicable’. In 2012, the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) of classification and labelling was introduced to Australia. Used to classify chemical hazards with internationally consistent terms on chemical labels and Safety Data Sheets, the GHS became mandatory in most states of Australia on 1 January 2017, replacing the former Hazardous Substances and Dangerous Goods classification systems. www.incleanmag.com.au 35

The Rapid Group

The origins of the group can be traced back to 1985 when Terry Fraser formed the Rotobic Network, designed to expand the Rotobic distributor base. The co-operative changed its name to RAPID (Rotobic Aussie Products Independent Dealers) in 1988, and in 1994 became a registered co-operative. Today, the Rapid Group is the industry’s largest co-operative, with more than 55 stores across Australia and New Zealand.1

1 http://rapidclean.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/RapidClean-Overview.pdf

Fair Work Ombudsman

Created by the Fair Work Act 2009 on 1 July 2009, the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) has campaigned for compliance in the cleaning industry and publicly exposed those who have exploited and underpaid workers. Since its inception 10 years ago, the FWO has conducted several major national audit campaigns, recovering millions for exploited workers.

The Rapid Group, 2017

Industry associations

Past and present industry associations including the National Cleaning Suppliers Association (NCSA), Building Service Contractors Association of Australia (BSCAA), and the Australian Cleaning Contractors’ Alliance (ACCA), have all championed for education, regulation and professionalism in the industry. International cleaning association ISSA entered the Australian market in 2016 following its merger with the NCSA. Lauren Micallef is the current Oceania manager of ISSA.

BSCAA NSW Excellence Awards

Facilities management Commercial cleaning and facilities management have long been intertwined, with cleaning one of the most subcontracted services in Australia2. Similarly, to the cleaning sector, FM has had its own transformation in recent years. In 2017 ISO released a series of global standards related to the practice and role of FM. Among these included ISO 41011 which formally defined FM as the “organizational function which integrates people, place and process within the built environment with the purpose of improving the quality of life of people and the productivity of the core business.” 2. https://www.fma.com.au/news/snapshot-fm-industry

Digital management systems The commercial cleaning and hygiene industry has constantly evolved in technology terms and steadily embraced IT to enhance labour management efficiencies. In the past two years the industry has witnessed significant uptake of mobilebased digital management system=s. Digital management systems enable staff and sites to be managed remotely and provide data-reporting and transparency for clients. Other features commonly include time tracking, real-time visibility into operations, e-learning as well administrative functions such as inventory tracking and ordering.

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Cleaning Accountability Framework The Cleaning Accountability Framework (CAF) is an independent multi-stakeholder association that aims to improve labour standards in the cleaning industry. Launched in 2016, CAF has an independent chair and is governed by a diverse steering committee. Committee members include cleaning contractors, facility managers, building owners, the Fair Work Ombudsman, United Voice and the University of Technology Sydney.

Battery technology

Battery technology, and the invention of no maintenance batteries in larger machines, has solved the high maintenance issues and removed the need for special charging locations. Battery technology, in smaller machines such as floor scrubbers, has helped the physical action of cleaning be less demanding.

From left: Christopher Mundschenk, Christine Boak, Ross Riek

RIA

The Restoration Industry Association’s Australian arm was first established as a steering committee in 2015. In 2017 RIA approved the formation of an Australasian council, giving its Australian and NZ counterparts a seat on the board of directors. Since then, the local leadership team has grown to 11 members and in 2018 the association hosted the firstAustralian RIA Tradeshow and Conference.

Microfibre Synonymous with green cleaning, microfibre originated in Europe in the early 1990s as an alternative to using harsh cleaning chemicals. Microfibre was widely adopted by the Australian cleaning industry for its colour coded system to prevent cross-contamination, but not as a replacement for chemicals. In the past few years, the uptake of professional microfibre systems with water only has been increasing.

“INCLEAN has remained the only source of information for the industry. It has always been a positive influence on the industry, and still is today.” Brian Clark, FM Contract Solutions 38 INCLEAN November/December 2018

25 Trade shows The 2018 ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Expo in Sydney

Local and international trade shows have played a vital role in the development, education and professionalism of the cleaning industry. The first locally-owned and operated trade show was understood to have been held in 1987 in Sydney. The industry’s global growth is best shown at the progressive expansion of Interclean Amsterdam, the world’s largest cleaning event, which is regularly attended by Australian delegates.

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www.incleanmag.com.au 39

From left: Richard Rones, Stuart Nicol, Lauren Micallef, Dianne Steinbach, Simon Cooper, John Barrett

28 ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Expo 26 A consolidation of the sector’s two major tradeshows led to a new era for the Australian commercial cleaning industry. In 2017 ISSA (following its merger with the NCSA in 2016) and Interpoint Events, operator of AUSCLEAN Pulire, partnered to replace the two competing events. The inaugural event was held in Melbourne and set a new standard for the Australian market. In 2018 the exhibition was hosted in Sydney and achieved record attendance.

Education and training Cleaning was formally recognised as a trade course from the early 2000s with the establishment of Certificate II, III and Certificate IV in Asset Maintenance (Cleaning Operations). Past and present cleaning and restoration training providers such as Learning Sphere, IICRC, Jena Dyco, The Lennox Institute, RIA and ISSA have all contributed to the professional development of the industry.

Social and sustainable procurement In 2017 the International organisation for Standardisation (ISO) released the world’s first International Standard for Sustainable Procurement. ISO 20400 is designed to ensure the procurement policies of organisations, both big and small, are robust and address sustainable supply chain issues. Social procurement encompasses social enterprise procurement and supplier diversity and is growing among organisations.

27 29 Hot water extraction carpet cleaning Originally promoted as “steam” cleaning, hot water extraction carpet cleaning is claimed to have been revolutionary in the carpet cleaning industry.

40 INCLEAN November/December 2018

Smart technologies Despite the slow uptake of autonomous machines compared to international markets, adoption is steadily increasing in Australia. Other technologies such as Beacons, waste sensors and building sensors are also gaining momentum. As buildings become smarter and the use of robotics and automation increases, building service businesses are investing heavily in data-driven technology that monitors and measures real-time on-site data. This information is then able to be communicated to the cleaning teams, reducing operating costs and improving productivity.

www.incleanmag.com.au 41

DISTRIBUTION

From left: Paul Hudson, Cathy Stewart, Carly and Roger Harkin

From left: Edward Wrightson, John Stewart, Bryan and Jessica Farrell

From left: Phil Clulow, Cassandra Mathews, Gaye Lawrence and Diane Clulow

Whiteley Corporation celebrates 85th anniversary Whiteley Corporation recognised past and present staff at an event to celebrate its 85-year history. INCLEAN’s Lizzie Hunter reports. One of Australia’s largest manufacturer of sterilants, disinfectants and healthcare cleaning technologies Whiteley Corporation celebrated its 85th anniversary in style, with an event hosted in Sydney. Held at the Taronga Centre in Mosman, local, interstate and international guests were welcomed by Whiteley managing director Darran Leyden, who thanked staff, past and present, who have helped build the company over the past 85 years. Whiteley non-executive director John Stewart said the anniversary was a significant milestone for a private company in Australia, comparing Whiteley to other major companies such as Woolworths (93 years), Coles (103 years) and CSRIO (102 years). “Whiteley is not far behind at 85 years in the market, backed by the passion, hard work and homes of the Whiteley family. “It really is quite an achievement in Australia to have a private company that has lasted this long and is a successful as Whiteley.” Stewart also outlined the challenges associated with running a family business, including the initial acquisition of the company, the challenges of a changing marketplace and economy and succession planning. “Whiteley has taken it all in its stride. In relation to the future, I say ‘watch this space’ because some of the things we have coming are as exciting as anything the company has done in the last 85 years.” Whiteley’s executive chairman Dr Greg Whiteley gave his father’s personal apologies for not being able to attend the dinner before presenting an award to his father for his lifetime of service in the business and in the community. “As we are a small family business, some of the things that get done over the years are not properly recognised, and Reg has been a huge contributor to industry across an array of fronts.” Dr Whiteley also presented a lifetime achievement award to the corporation’s immediate past chairman Bruce Robertson who was on Whiteley’s independent board of directors for 20 years. 42 INCLEAN November/December 2018

Dr Greg Whiteley

“Bruce joined us as non-executive director, and he and his wife have contributed enormously to our family and business.” Associate Professor Karen Vickery received an accolade for her role as an external collaborative researcher. “I cannot understate or exaggerate how significant and important Karen’s work has been to all of us inside the business. We are so grateful for the high ethical standards and intellectual capacity Karen brings to her research which is largely unseen or unacknowledged.” Dr Whiteley also recognised his wife Michelle who he described as a key person working behind the scenes. “When working in a family business, there are huge challenges to getting the balance right between what is family and what is business, and that very frequently becomes a grey area. Things can happen behind the scenes that if you don’t manage correctly, can imperil the business. “I cannot thank my wife Michelle enough for her contribution or understate the role she has played. She has borne many loads with me very quietly and strongly behind the scenes, holding that balance and supporting me in everything that I’ve done.” Founded in 1933 as the Australian General Disinfectant Company (AGDC), the company supplied cleaning and hygiene products to the entertainment industry. In 1971 Reg Whiteley joined AGDC, and in 1976 the company was renamed Whiteley Chemicals, eventually becoming Whiteley Corporation in 2005. In 1982, Reg Whiteley began collaborating with Professor Yvonne Cossart and Dr Karen Vickery at the University of Sydney to research disinfection and viruses. This research led to the development of a multitude of products, including the first wet biofilm remover Matrix. In 1992, Whiteley took the unusual step of appointing a fully independent board of directors for oversight and governance of the business on a fully professional basis. Three years later in 1995 the company moved to a purpose-built facility at Tomago, in the Hunter Region. “Over the years our strength in the areas of innovation,

DISTRIBUTION

scientific expertise, and entrepreneurial spirit has seen us experience significant growth,” said Leyden. “The company has expanded rapidly in size since moving to Tomago and we have exciting growth plans in the pipeline.” Three generations of Whiteleys were working for the organisation up until recently; Reg has retired from the board of directors and Dr Greg Whiteley is executive chairman. His son Mitchell is currently the business development manager for the sport floor sector. Earlier this year in June, Whiteley Corporation announced a $3.5 million investment in a manufacturing research partnership between the University of Sydney, Whiteley Corporation and the Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre. “This project is a good example of Whiteley Corporation’s commitment to ongoing research, which will lead to an increase in industry diversification, create the need for new skills, and employment opportunities for the Hunter Region” said Dr Whiteley. “The growth in therapeutic treatments will include further investment at our core Hunter site at Tomago, where we are working on plans for the next stage of development, including the first full Human Therapeutics Manufacturing Plant in the Hunter region. “We are as excited about our future, as we are grateful for our history, and for the contribution of so many staff who have made this a great company.”

“We are as excited about our future, as we are grateful for our history, and for the contribution of so many staff who have made this a great company.”

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www.incleanmag.com.au 43

TECHNOLOGY

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Complex sites When cleaning a complex site you need to have solid training and tracking of your team and tasks. Retail and hospitality footprints come in all shapes and sizes. From a restaurant to café to hostel or even a five-star resort. This variety provides a myriad of specific requirements your team need to deal with and conquer. A tool to capture and manage the specific tasks needed at each location is essential. It is also important for the safety of your team when working in various settings and with a wide range of tools and chemicals.

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Cleaning commercial offices provide a more homogenous setting to clean. Whereas hospitality and retail settings often introduce food preparation and public access areas. Both of which lead to the need for increased training and vigilance to ensure the quality and safety of your team’s work is of a very high standard Delivering training that supports this quality is tough with distributed teams and remote supervision. Mobile workforce management tools should ensure management can upload training and coaching information to staff in the field. This should be done generally, by way of updates in procedures, but also specifically for activities that relate to a particular setting or client.

Different client staff When the staff your team engage with on-site are likely to change frequently being able to give the staff who engage your company, such as the operations manager, the work being done on the ground reflects what is needed every time is critical. Software to track tasks completeness and that create a record is essential. As with previous columns, readers will know that mobile workforce software typically

TECHNOLOGY

captures what is needed, by whom and at what frequency, eliminating much of the risk around missing key tasks.

Changing teams We all know the challenge in our own business when teams change, this is doubled when dealing with industries where the staff also change frequently on the client side. And when the changes in the team occur in your own business, having the information recorded to simply pass onto the new team members is gold. It speeds the time it takes to induct new staff to a particular location and ensures knowledge is transferred from prior staff to new. The real winner here is the customer, who should feel there is a continuity of service where their preferences are retained.

Getting service right every time In service industries they live and die by getting their service right each and every time. The same can be expected of the cleaning services that maintain their service environments. And in public spaces this does not just relate to cleanliness, it can quickly lead to safety and health assurances for staff and visitors. For service industry work be sure to have technology on your side that gives you and the client an assurance that work is being done as needed, every time. Mark Jones is a director of FreshOps, an Australian-made, mobile workforce application and management portal built purely for commercial cleaners. Questions or feedback welcome to mark@freshops.com.au. www.getfreshops.com

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MANAGEMENT

Casual Conversion As of 1 October 2018 casual employees whose employment is covered by the Cleaning Services Award 2010 have a right to request conversion to permanency. Workforce Guardian’s Charles Watson outlines employers’ responsibilities, obligations and rights. In 2017 the Fair Work Commission determined modern awards will contain a casual conversion clause. The Full Bench of the Commission concluded it is fair and reasonable for casual award covered employees to have access to a mechanism for converting their employment to an appropriate form of permanent employment after a period of 12 months regular and systematic casual employment. After the decision it took the best part of another year for all involved parties to debate what the model clause should look like. Finally, the hubris stopped and a model clause was settled and interleaved into 86 modern Awards, including the Cleaning Services Award 2010, applicable from 1 October 2018. Those awards with pre-existing conversion terms, such as the Building and Construction General On-site Award 2010, will not be affected by this new clause.

The right to convert Essentially, this new clause gives award covered “regular casual employees” the right to request their employment status be converted to permanent part-time or full-time if that employment pattern could continue without “significant adjustment”. A “regular casual employee” is defined as one who has worked a pattern of hours on an on-going basis over 12 months. The expression “significant adjustment” is a little grey, but might best be viewed from the perspective that the required adjustment to the casual employee’s hours of work so as to convert their status would in reality mean the employee was an irregular casual employee in the first instance. Although there is an obligation on employers to advise casual employees about their potential entitlement to permanency, not all casuals will want to become permanent just because they achieve 12 months’ (or more) service. Permanency will mean access to accruing personal and annual leave, but will result in a reduction in take-home pay with the removal of the casual loading. 46 INCLEAN November/December 2018

MANAGEMENT

Further, permanency of employment may result in part-time employment with strict parameters on performing additional hours of work, which would be overtime and attract a penalty rate. This outcome may detract from the earnings potential of a previously happy casual employee. Don’t forget to communicate with your casual employees about both sides of the coin when discussing conversion requests. Finally, the right to request conversion remains “continually exercisable” throughout employment. Just because the employee turns it down once is not necessarily the end of the story. To comply with the new provision, employers are required to provide every casual employee (whether likely to meet the definition of a “regular casual employee” or not) with a copy of the clause within the first 12 months of their engagement to perform work. Employers have until 1 January 2019 to furnish pre-existing casual employees with a copy of the award conversion clause. The onus will then be on the employee to write to their employer at the appropriate time to request conversion if they meet the requirements.

Refusing the request An employer is permitted to refuse a conversion request, after consultation with the employee, on reasonable grounds including: • that a significant adjustment to the employee’s hours would be required to accommodate the conversion request; • it is known or reasonably foreseeable that the casual employee’s position will cease to exist within the next 12 months; • it is known or reasonably foreseeable that the employee’s working hours and days will significantly change or be reduced within the next 12 months; or • it is known or reasonably foreseeable there will be significant change to the required hours or days of work in the next 12 months and such change cannot be accommodated within the employee’s availability to work. The reasons for refusal must be given to the employee, in writing, within 21 days of the request being made. Should the employee not accept the employer’s refusal as legitimate may result in an industrial dispute that either party may attempt to resolve under the dispute resolution clauses within the Contract Cleaning Award 2010, or refer the matter straight to the Fair Work Commission directly for resolution.

Action list • Review the conversion clause from the relevant modern award. • Consider the business implications of this clause and how you wish to approach the issue. • Fulfil any obligation under the clause as and when required. • Communicate with your employees. • Employee requests should be received and responded to in writing. • Keep records of meetings held with employees where this issue was discussed. • If in doubt, seek advice. Charles Watson is general manager of Workforce Guardian www.workforceguardian.com.au

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MANAGEMENT

Preserving lower back physiology for a healthier cleaning industry Dr Denis Boulais shares findings from his PhD study on the prevention of lower back injury in the cleaning industry, with his research team Dr Tamara Sztynda and associate professors Chris Zaslawski and Sara Lal, University of Technology Sydney.

In 2001 I commenced employment as a risk manager in the cleaning industry. For well over a decade of managing safety and workers compensation, it become apparent lower back injury was the most significant injury related issue. As such, I developed a strong interest in establishing more effective risk control strategies to reduce lower back injury and improve return to work outcomes. A few years back, I commenced another PhD researching prevention of lower back injury within the cleaning industry with my research team of Dr Tamara Sztynda and Associate Professors Chris Zaslawski and Sara Lal, through the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). The research was supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship. According to Safe Work Australia, lower back conditions are the most frequent cause of disability in the working population, where eight out 10 people will experience lower back pain at some point in their lives. Spinal discs commence degeneration as early as the second decade of life (Benoist, 2003). Commencing around the age of 25 in most people, males start to lose 0.3 per cent of bone mass per year and females lose 0.5 per cent bone mass per year which can increase up to 5-6 per cent throughout menopause (Bono and Einhorn, 2003). According to Safe Work Australia, the cleaning industry has one of the highest frequencies of serious musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) at 15,115 recorded over a five-year period. Furthermore, the lower back is the most commonly recorded

“The cleaning industry has one of the highest frequencies of serious musculoskeletal disorders.” 48 INCLEAN November/December 2018

outcome of serious MSD at 35 per cent, hence a study of lower back injury within the cleaning industry is well justified (Safework Australia, 2016). As my PhD study enters its advanced stages, in this article I plan to highlight some of the key findings.

Time in shift of MSD occurrence A total of 144 MSDs recorded over a five-year period in a large organisation were analysed. A total of 76 of 144 (52.78 per cent) MSD’s occurred within the first two hours of a shift suggesting that time of MSD occurrence within a shift is a significant factor and that preventative strategies such as pre-start warm up may be recommended. According to the literature, warm up and stretching programs can reduce the risk of MSD (Woods et al, 2007). I note that it is important that any pre-start warm up and stretching program be developed and overseen by a human movement professional. The figure below demonstrates the time within a shift most MSDs occurred.

Season of the year of MSD occurrence A total of 144 MSDs that were recorded over a five-year period in a large organisation were analysed. According to the literature, MSDs occur in the colder seasons of the year due to the colds effect on muscles (Lloyd, 1994). Hence, it was originally speculated that most MSD would occur in winter due to lifting cold. However, the higher frequency of MSD’s occurred in summer at 44 of 144 MSD (30.56 per cent ) suggesting that heat may result in fatigue which may then result in MSDs. This suggests that hydration is an important factor for cleaners in order to reduce MSD risk and this should be focused upon during manual handling training. The figure below demonstrates the season of the year most MSDs occurred.

MANAGEMENT

“According to Safe Work Australia, lower back conditions are the most frequent cause of disability in the working population.”

and after two years the recovery chances are close to zero (Andersson, 1999). Statistical relationships were identified between age and recovery time, confirming that older cleaners do take longer to recover from injury. This information should ideally be focused upon when developing return to work programs post injury to enhance recovery and reduce workers compensation premium costs. According to the Australian Faculty of Occupational Medicine, fast return to work significantly benefits recovery (Australian Faculty of Occupational Medicine, 2015). As such, functionally specific return to work programs should be a primary business focus.

Pre-existing injury impacts on business Age and MSD diagnosis – lower back or nonlower back A total of 144 MSDs that were recorded over a five-year period in a large organisation were analysed. There was a strong statistical relationship identified between the age of cleaners and MSDs in terms of their being lower back or non-lower back related (non-lower back refers shoulder or knee strain etc). Further research then demonstrated older cleaners (over the age of 45) had less lower back related MSD suggesting they may be more educated in protection of their lower backs or may have injured their lower backs previously. This suggests that while training in correct lifting is important, there should ideally be a stronger focus upon the younger less than 45 years of age group.

Risk control strategy engaged A total of 144 musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) recorded over a five- year period in a large organisation were analysed. It is important to identify and assess hazards and then control them. Sometimes, however, preventative pre-injury risk control measures fail, and incident investigations implement risk control strategies. It was identified that the most common risk control strategy engaged as a result of incident investigations was that of training on 124 of 144 occasions (86.11 per cent). This is likely due its ease of implementation and the well documented training record trail it presents. Using lifting as an example, in training it is important to not only demonstrate a lift it is important to watch one correctly carry out a lift (competency-based training). According to the literature, competency-based training is well suited to those of non-English speaking background common in the cleaning industry (Jungbauer et al, 2004). Managers need to understand the concept of competency based training, risk control, what risk management tools they have available, and how to apply them in the field.

Recovery from injury A total of 144 musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) recorded over a five-year period in a large organisation were analysed. This study identified 10 of the 144 MSD (76.39 per cent) recovered from their MSD within four weeks. This was a good outcome as according to the literature, 60-70 per cent of people recover within six weeks and 80-90 per cent by 12 weeks. Recovery after 12 weeks is slow and uncertain with only half of those unfit for greater than 12 months returning to work

A total of 144 musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) that were recorded over a five-year period in a large organisation were analysed. This study focused upon those MSDs that recorded the existence of a non-disclosed pre-existing MSD related injury or condition and later claimed a work-related aggravation, exacerbation, reoccurrence or deterioration, of their pre-existing condition. The research identified that 31 of 144 MSD (21.53 per cent) were demonstrated to have a pre-existing element and 100 per cent of claims with a pre-existing element were not disclosed pre-employment. Furthermore, statistical relationships were identified where these claims resulted in higher claims costs and poor recovery times. These findings should encourage cleaning organisations to consider their pre-employment strategies in future to ensure new employees are not placed at risk by cleaning tasks.

Cleaner knowledge of manual handling A total of 220 cleaners were surveyed regarding their knowledge of manual handling. The following outcomes were noted where cleaners may benefit from refresher training in: • Manual handling hazard identification and assessment. • The benefits of using a figure of eight mopping movement. • The benefits of emptying vacuum bags after each use. • The importance of identifying and controlling slip, trip and fall hazards. • The steps within the lifting process. The fact that manual handling isn’t about just weight – frequency and duration of manual handling activity must also be considered during risk assessment. This outcome basically highlights the importance of periodic refresher competency-based training in safety. This is particularly the case with manual handling and slips, trips and falls, as these two hazards most commonly lead to lower back injury.

Conclusion The main aim of the study was to identify, assess and control hazards within the cleaning industry with a view to reducing injury and improving injury recovery times. The four main recommendations to arise from the study were for cleaning organisation’s to consider: • Functional pre-start warm up strategies. • A more focused competency-based training approach. • More functionally based return to work programs. • Pre-employment strategies to reduce future risks. By Dr Denis Boulais, Dr Tamara Sztynda, A/Prof Sara Lal, A/ Prof Christopher Zaslawski www.incleanmag.com.au 49

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James Bagshaw and Lee Gage participate in the Greenfleet Planting Day

Abco turns paper into trees With sustainability at the core of its business strategy, Abco Products has launched its new campaign ‘Turning Paper Into Trees’ through its partnership with not-forprofit organisation, Greenfleet. Since 1997, Greenfleet has planted more than nine million native trees across 475 biodiverse forests in Australia and New Zealand to offset carbon emissions on behalf of thousands of brands, businesses, councils, universities, NGOs and individuals. Abco is committed to supporting Greenfleet’s ‘Plant A Forest’ program by donating 1 cent per carton of consumable paper products under its Puregiene and Enviroplus brands. “Greenfleet seemed like the right fit for our organisation as one of our key product categories is paper products,” said Abco Products managing director James Bagshaw. “Although our paper is FSC certified, we felt compelled to ensure the future of our planet resources are looked after and Green Fleet’s ‘Plant a Forest’ program certainly assists in minimising the impact we have as an organisation on our environment and helps us empower our community. “So far we have donated over 200 trees and are on track to donate over 1000 by July 2019. Customers can help us turn paper into trees by purchasing our Puregiene and Enviroplus paper products.” www.abcopro.com.au

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Spillz, the exclusive supplier of SpaceVac high-level cleaning systems for the Australian and New Zealand market, took out the 2018 INCLEAN Innovation Award – Equipment for the SpaceVac internal high-level cleaning system. “We had a very positive response to SpaceVac at the ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Expo, as people could see the need for this product in the market,” said Spillz sales director Scott Rozendaal. SpaceVac high-level cleaning systems provide operators with a safe and efficient way to clean from the safety of the ground floor with no need for scaffolding, ladders or cherry pickers. SpaceVac International CEO Tommie Nisula said: “This award is confirmation that SpaceVac represents a truly global solution to some of the toughest challenges that our colleagues in the FM sectors come up against.” Designed with safety at heart, the SpaceVac features lightweight carbon fibre construction and a safety locking mechanism on their poles, heads and brushes to ensure the system doesn’t separate during operation. This safety locking mechanism means it is also safe to vacuum downwards without risk of the heads detaching or falling off. www.spillz.com.au

The Spillz team at the ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Expo

MARKETING

Whiteley launches aged care solutions video

Aussie Pumps’ provides OHS solution

Whiteley Corporation has launched an aged care solutions video showcasing its range for infection prevention, hygiene and odour control products. The comprehensive range of infection control and prevention products suit a wide range of cleaning applications including surface cleaning and disinfection, hospitality and general cleaning. Aged care facilities and their residents are very susceptible to outbreaks of dangerous bacteria and viruses. The team at Whiteley Corporation are committed to delivering the best possible infection prevention solution for your facility. Scan the QR code to view

Workers compensation claims are among the most common problems for downtime in cleaning, according to equipment manufacturer Aussie Pumps. Aussie’s microweb filter is made of a Recent studies undertaken by homopolymer fibre the University of Queensland and Laval University in Quebec, found that airborne dust from vacuums contained harmful bacteria and mould. The spreading of these particles can make vacuuming unbearable for allergy sufferers and lead to serious illness for those with a weakened immune system. Aussie Pumps’ Clean Air range of heavy duty wet/dry vacuum cleaners are setting a new standard for occupation health and safety in the industry solving these issues. The machines feature a 99.9 per cent microweb filtration that allows the operator to do both a cosmetic and healthy clean at the same time. The microweb filter is made of a homopolymer fibre and has a microporous membrane applied to the collection surface that provides for a low pressure drop and causes the dust to ‘cake’. The ‘caking’ effect facilitates better dust release and improves collection efficiency without entering the atmosphere. It also means that the vacuums can be used to collect dust from limestone, biochemicals, lead, sugar, cement and even gyprock dust. “You will see our vacs in the fleets of Australia’s leading hire companies, in the construction and building industry and workshops where heavy gear is maintained in transport, earthmoving and even marine”, said Aussie Pumps’ Mal Patel. The Aussie vacuums are made by Fiorentini, a designer and manufacturer of wet and dry vacs based in Italy. “Our Italian made Aussie wet-dry vacs are proving more and more popular among serious cleaners. Contractors are realising that up-to-date equipment will minimise health risks for employees and enable them to do a better job,” said Patel.

www.whiteley.com.au

Whiteley’s video

Interest builds in Corroventa products at ISSA Expo The launch of Corroventa products in Australia at the ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Expo in August received much interest from attendees, says its Australian distributor Pressure Pro. According to Pressure Pro, there has been an increasing demand in Australia for dehumidifiers in the premium segment and Corroventa can finally meet that demand together with Pressure Pro. “It was a fantastic trade show and we received an excellent response to our products,” said Fredrick Sylva from Corroventa Group. “We were also very happy to get the chance to meet potential customers, collaborators and competitors.” Corroventa is one of the market leaders in Europe for products in the water damage restoration sector that will be sold in Australia. “We are ready for an extensive roll-out to meet a high demand together with Pressure Pro,” said Sylva.

www.aussiepumps.com.au

www.pressure-pro.com.au

START PLANNING YOUR STAFF TRAINING FOR 2019 Contact one of our IICRC Approved Schools CPK Training - www.cpktraining.com Coach8 - www.coach8.com.au TESA Directive - www.tesadirective.education Do you need to purchase Standards? Contact the office or go to iicrc.org to order

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MARKETING

NEW T600

Cleaning verification tool checks surface cleanliness

The Workhorse of Walk Behind Scrubbers

Cell BioSciences now offers the AccuPoint Advanced ATP and AccuClean protein detection systems, which provide users with 20 second tests to check the cleanliness of a surface. By detecting ATP or protein remaining on a surface post cleaning, an accurate level of hygiene can be determined. The AccuPoint Advanced ATP system includes a handheld ATP reader, samplers and software that allows users to record ATP levels found. The software allows users to track and trend results. Surfaces are swabbed using the samplers and are inserted into the AccuPoint Advanced Reader. Within 20 seconds, the reader provides a result expressed as a number. The lower the number, the cleaner the surface. Results can be downloaded into software provided to monitor results. The AccuClean Protein detection system comprises solely of a sampler that can be read visually, to provide a quick spot test of hygiene. If the inbuilt reagents remain coppercoloured, this indicates the surface is clean. A colour change to grey indicates low level protein has been detected, while a change to green/blue or blue indicates a higher level of protein detected. www.cellbiosciences.com.au

Godfreys looks to the future Performance and Reliability even in the Toughest Environments • Value beyond machine – durable construction and productivity-boosting features • Scrub longer between empty and fill cycles • Smart-Fill™ automatic battery watering system (standard)

Smart-Fill™

1800 266 843 demo@tennantco.com

tennantco.com.au

54 INCLEAN November/December 2018

Godfreys is looking to the future after one of the company’s original founders, John Johnston finalised his takeover bid. Johnston, who celebrated his 100th birthday in July, is keen to build on the legacy built by himself and co-founder Godfrey Cohen, according to the company. As part of the takeover, Godfreys has been become privatised once again after 14 years owned firstly by a private equity and then listed on the Australian Stock Exchange. Johnston has appointed long time trusted ‘apprentice’ John Hardy back in the role as CEO and he returned to lead the business turnaround with his team of experienced executives. Stage one plans to secure the future of Godfreys across both Australia and New Zealand have been executed, with high profile TV and online advertising reinvigorating the sales teams, according to the company. The focus now is on store execution and product innovation. From a commercial cleaning perspective, some solid partnerships have been developed recently which benefits both supplier and customer alike. The focus on these relationships, customer service and product range along with the new company structure will ensure the future success of Godfreys. www.godfreys.com.au

MARKETING

Chad Angeli (third from right) with the Tennant ANZ team

Chad Angeli joins Tennant ANZ

RapidClean range meets recognised eco-label criteria

Chad Angeli has joined Tennant ANZ as general manager. Angeli started with Tennant in late 2003 in the United States where he held various direct sales roles and was mentored by some of Tennant’s strongest managers and sales people. In early 2007 Angeli moved to Toronto to manage the Ontario Nobles’ distributor network. In 2010, Angeli was promoted to management and given the responsibility for the Northeastern United States. In 2013 his team won ‘Region of the Year’. During 2014 Angeli moved to Shanghai to lead Tennant’s initiative to implement a direct sales team in China. Additionally, the direct team would support the growth of Tennant’s global strategic accounts initiative. In late 2016 Angeli was promoted to sales director and asked to lead the entire China sales team. At the end of 2017 China produced record revenue and BUOP results. Additionally, the direct sales team grew from ¥2 million RMB in equipment at the end of 2015, to more than ¥34 million RMB at the end of 2017. Angeli said he firmly believes the Tennant ANZ business can provide extremely high value for customers and distributors, and be a leader in helping to shape Tennant’s future.

RapidClean now supplies a range of cleaning solutions that meet the conditions of Accord’s recognised eco-label criteria which identifies environmentally preferable commercial cleaning products. Recognised products have undergone independent third-party scientific assessment against a rigorous multiplecriteria standard. The recognised scheme was reviewed by an independent expert panel of toxicologists as a “sound and robust…science-based, targeted and pragmatic set of criteria”, coupled with a “sound and transparent” third-party scientific accreditation process. Not only are the products environmentally friendly, they are also supported with a full suite of supporting documents including SDS, risk assessments, product information sheets, wall charts and training manuals. The products have screen printed bottles, conditional free on loan dispensers and a complementary online safe chemical handling course for all RapidClean customers. “It doesn’t need to cost more to use environmentally friendly products and you do not need to compromise performance,” said RapidClean national business development manager Tim Smith.

www.tennantco.com.au

www.rapidclean.com.au

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www.incleanmag.com.au 55

MARKETING

From left: Matthew Cossey (CEO, CropLife), Greg Whiteley (MD, Whiteley Corporation), Craig Brock (Policy & Public Affairs Director, Accord), Ben Stapley (ED, Animal Medicines Australia), Bronwyn Capanna (ED, Accord)

Cleaning industry meets government at Accord seminar

THE WORLD’S #1 HIGH-LEVEL CLEANING SYSTEM

spillz.com.au | 1800 774 559 office@spillz.com.au

Accord’s Canberra Day brought together government officials and industry for updates and discussions on the reform landscape for regulation of industrial cleaning and hygiene products. With the theme for Canberra Day 2018: Pathways to Better Balanced Regulation for Innovation, senior departmental and agency officials addressed key personnel in the cleaning and hygiene industry. Adjunct Professor John Skerritt, deputy secretary for Health Products Regulation, Dept. of Health spoke on reforms relating to low-risk therapeutic goods – including disinfectants – that should reduce the costs and burden to introduce new product into Australia. An update on industrial chemicals reforms was provided by Sharon Appleyard from the Dept. of Health’s Office of Health Protection. The Industrial Chemicals Bill is currently before the Senate and the rules and regulations are in their final stages of refinement – Accord has provided many submissions aimed at achieving the best outcome for industry while upholding human health and environmental protections. Dr Chris Parker, CEO of the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) discussed organisational priorities, including getting safe chemicals to market more efficiently. Dr Parker provided an update on progress with the Armidale relocation and on recent improvements in assessment timeframes. Dr Allan Freeth, CEO at the Environmental Protection Authority New Zealand (EPA NZ) provided an updated from ‘over the ditch’, giving an informative presentation on some changes in the organisation’s approach: greater proactivity in publicising decisions, public outreach programs, the new FRCaST model for chemical reassessment, and greater emphasis on Maori cultural values in decisionmaking – all with the aim of balancing environmental protection with lifestyle and the economy. And finally, Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation CEO Brooke Donnelly spoke about APCO’s shift in strategic focus to a circular economy model and expanded scope to encompass primary, secondary and tertiary packaging. Donnelly explained how a company’s performance is measured according to five incremental levels against 13 criteria, which can also help companies identify future focus areas. www.accord.asn.au

56 INCLEAN November/December 2018

MARKETING

Stay ahead with data-driven cleaning and Tork EasyCube The rate at which technology develops seems to know no bounds. Big Data and the Internet of Things, are now disrupting the way building service businesses operate. But it’s not about introducing new technology for the sake of it, it’s about creating value by using data to gain better insights and solve challenges. Building service businesses need to stay ahead in adopting new ways of working. Tork EasyCube allows them to harness real-time data that empowers cleaning teams and building service managers to work more efficiently and make better decisions. By using sensors throughout facilities to collect data about visitor numbers, cleaning needs, and refill levels in real time, service providers are empowered to improve their cleaning operations in three ways: driving operational efficiency; increasing quality and customer satisfaction; and boosting staff engagement. “With Tork EasyCube, static cleaning schedules are transformed into needs-based work, the workforce can focus their time and attention on what is needed, where and when it is needed. Unnecessary tasks are eliminated and cleaning resources can be optimised,” explained Rochelle Lake, head of marketing B2B at Tork Professional Hygiene. Data-driven cleaning with Tork EasyCube has been shown to reduce the number of cleaning hours by at least 20 per cent1 and to eliminate on average 24 per cent of cleaning rounds, while improving the quality of the cleaning1. This proactive approach to cleaning operations has also been shown to generate increased visitor satisfaction by 30 per cent2 and lead to dispensers being replenished and ready to use on average, 99 per cent of the time.3

“Tork EasyCube provides building service companies and their staff with new and smarter ways of working in order to remain competitive,” added Lake. Current customers using Tork EasyCube agree. “Data-driven cleaning changes the industry. Firstly, it dramatically improves efficiency. Secondly, it boosts staff motivation. Thirdly, it creates a new and higher standard of cleaning for our customers. With real-time data, we are going to increase the performance of the whole market.,” explained Jean Dussaix, senior global category buyer, Sodexo. Tork EasyCube and data-driven cleaning are set to change the cleaning game. Numbers based on the documented results achieved by three Tork EasyCube customers, measured before and after the implementation of Tork EasyCube. Measurement of visitor satisfaction in two Tork EasyCube washrooms and two traditionally maintained and equipped washrooms at ISSA/Interclean exhibition, May 2016. Based on Tork EasyCube data from 10 customers measured over 789 days. www.tork.com.au umbers based on the documented results achieved by three Tork N EasyCube customers, measured before and after the implementation of Tork EasyCube. 2 Measurement of visitor satisfaction in two Tork EasyCube washrooms and two traditionally maintained and equipped washrooms at ISSA/Interclean exhibition, May 2016. 3 Based on Tork EasyCube data from 10 customers measured over 789 days. 1

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MARKETING

OCS open new offices in Perth and Melbourne OCS Australia’s Perth office has relocated with OCS and its insurance building repairs subsidiary, Midcity, now operating out of the same location in Belmont, consolidating from separate offices. With growth opportunities also identified in the Victorian market, OCS has set up a new office space in Melbourne to ensure it’s able to meet future demands. The new Melbourne office is located in Tullamarine. “Our new offices in Perth and Melbourne are part of our continued investment in the Australian arm of the business,” said OCS Australia & New Zealand managing director Gareth Marriott. “It’s also part of the overarching business strategy for OCS ANZ, which we’re continuing to execute.” OCS is currently also looking for an office space in Brisbane as it expands its operations in Queensland, with plans to open in 2019. www.ocsservices.com/

Conquest innovation on show Conquest’s Wetherill Park facility opened its doors on Thursday 13 September, for the company’s Floor Cleaning Innovation Expo. A variety of Conquest floor sweeper and scrubbing machines were on display, all featuring the latest advancements to improve safety, longevity, increased ease of use for operators as well as providing a premium result on a variety of hard floor applications. Throughout the expo attendees viewed live product demonstrations held by international guest Will Koeppel from Tomcat USA, who demonstrated Conquest’s orbital floor cleaners’ ability to remove finish from floorings without the use of chemicals due to the high-speed oscillation combined with heavy down pressure. Also on display was INCLEAN Innovation Award finalist, the Magna Plus scrubbing machine. Released in July 2018, the powerful ride-on scrubber features a reversing camera and decent control, on-board tutorials and the ability to set up zone cleaning programs to suit specific areas. “Conquest was proud to host such a successful day, enjoying the opportunity to meet and network with many of our greater Sydney customers. We look forward to more events nationwide,” said Mathews. www.conquestequipment.com.au

AustralianSuper Excellence Awards 2018 on this month The Building Service Contractors Association of Australia (BSCAA) Queensland are proud to present the AustralianSuper Excellence Awards 2018. The AustralianSuper Excellence Awards are designed to acknowledge the outstanding contribution and achievements of employers and employees in contract cleaning and showcase individuals and employee focussed companies. Only BSCAA members can be nominated for the awards. The 2018 awards will be held on Friday, 16 November in the Ballroom of the Victoria Park Golf Complex. BSCAA Queensland executive officer Cassie Ruhe-Hodge said the awards are a not to be missed event. “We have secured star Richard Champion to MC and will be serenaded into the evening by The Wild Card Trio who will play live, toe tapping music sure to get you up on the dance floor,” Ruhe-Hodge said. “The BSCAA has been running the awards for many years, making them prestigious and influential in the building service contractors Industries. This is a not-to-be-missed event in the industry calendar.” Awards are included for frontline employees, managers, most valuable cleaning teams, company awards, environmental sustainability, innovation, long service and suppliers. www.queensland.bscaa.com/ events 58 INCLEAN November/December 2018

New stores for RapidClean RapidClean has added three new members to its Australian network. The co-operative’s new members include WrapRite in Orange, NSW; Never2Clean in Seven Hills, NSW; and EP Cleaning Supplies in Port Lincoln, South Australia. The new additions take the total number of members in Australia to 56. “The addition of new members to RapidClean further improves our ability to look after customers throughout Australia,” said Rapid Group general manager Bruce Lees. “All of these companies are well established in their markets and have joined RapidClean to improve their ability to service their existing customers with a broader range of products and better pricing. “They can also leverage the Rapid Group buying power and help us supply and service national accounts. We are very proud to have Never2Clean, WrapRite and EP Cleaning Supplies as members of RapidClean because they enhance our ethos of excellent local service combined with national strength.” www.rapidclean.com.au

MARKETING

Kärcher debuts latest innovations at Australian cleaning expo Attendees of this year’s ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Expo had the chance to experience the latest innovations in cleaning technology from Kärcher Australia, including the company’s Connected Cleaning and Kärcher Fleet. Through the use of virtual reality goggles, the ISSA Expo’s platinum sponsor demonstrated how Kärcher cleaning machines can automatically distribute all information onto a cloud-based system which can be accessed online, allowing for seamless and efficient fleet management. Kärcher Australia’s marketing coordinator Nick Burke said:“Kärcher believes that digitisation is soon going to be incorporated into cleaning processes, so it was great to be able to demonstrate this to key companies and individuals wanting to make a difference in the cleaning industry.” Kärcher Germany’s digital expert Matthias Wieland flew from the company’s headquarters in Germany to attend the ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Expo, to run through those interested on the operations and processes of the Connected Cleaning technology, including Australian former rugby union captain, John Eales. Kärcher Australia sales and marketing director Lucas Paris also spoke at the ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Expo about the value and benefits robotics can provide facility managers, cleaners and suppliers. “From an efficiency point of view, you can minimise work. Robots won’t clean the same area three or four times. You can map them to ensure they are cleaning in efficient paths and streamlined procedures. “Robots can make adjustments without any human interaction and provide real time machine tracking. We can track battery and water levels, how many hours or days the machine has been used and more, which avoids wasting time.” www.karcher.com.au

John Eales uses Kärcher’s virtual reality goggles

Your membership strengthens the Australian cleaning industry building service contractors association of australia limited

We are Australia’s peak industry employer organisation for Commercial Cleaning Companies. Join us to receive: Government Lobbying Industrial Relations Advice Networking Events Online Resources Industry Excellence Awards Industry News Online Training www.bscaa.com Education 1800 312 970

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Contact your local branch: QLD bscaaqld@bscaa.com NSW bscaansw@bscaa.com VIC bscaavic@bscaa.com

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www.incleanmag.com.au 59

PRODUCTS

Lightweight escalator cleaning system Comp act and fl exible

Sophisticated industrial ride-on floor scrubber The Scrubmaster B175 R has been designed to meet the highest demands when it comes to cleaning high traffic environments such as shopping centres, production factories, train stations and airports. The B175 R is available in three different working widths of 900mm and 1080mm for disc and 850mm for the cylindrical configuration. The machine’s compact dimensions and 90-degree steering angle make the Scrubmaster B175 R maneuverable and flexible to use. It can be tailored to specific site needs with various adaptable configurations. Hako Australia 1800 257 221 www.hakoaustralia.com.au

Tread-TEQ is a lightweight, oneperson operational cleaning system by Escateq that is designed to clean escalators in just minutes. The system is easy to use and includes features such as a quick release telescopic handle, head unit, saturation tub and cleaning pads which are available in different sizes and patterns to suit various escalator brands. Simply select the appropriate cleaning pad pattern for the escalator and attach to the head unit. Cleanstar 03 9460 5655 www.cleanstar.com.au

Industry recognised safety induction program The Cleaning Safety Card is an industry recognised safety induction program developed to address and improve safety issues associated with the commercial and domestic cleaning industries. The knowledge provided throughout this course improves cleaner’s employability and saves time and money on safety training for employers. Designed to ensure cleaners understand the effectiveness of risk assessment, optimising cleaning techniques and the safe use chemicals, providing confidence for clients your cleaning and safety abilities. Cleaning Safety Card www.cleaningsafetycard.com.au

Manufacturing Company

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60 INCLEAN November/December 2018

PRODUCTS

High-level cleaning system Intuitive, easy to use scrubbing machine The Conquest Maxima 50BT Plus scrubbing machine features an intuitive eco-mode setting that minimises water, detergent and energy consumption. An onboard water recycling system increases water capacity by 50 per cent, allowing for longer runtime while the powerful three-stage vacuum motor leaves floors dry and safe to walk on. When idling the machine will turn off automatically, reducing costs and emissions. The scrubbing machine puts operators in total control via an easy to-use touch screen interface, with a wash gun and vacuum wand included as standard. Conquest Equipment Technologies 1800 826 789 www.conquestequipment.com.au

The SpaceVac high-level cleaning systems provide operators with a safe and efficient way to clean from the safety of the ground floor with no need for scaffolding, ladders or cherry pickers. Designed with safety at heart, SpaceVac features lightweight carbon fibre construction and unique safety locking mechanism on their poles, heads and brushes to ensure the system doesn’t separate during operation. Available in three models for exterior, interior and ATEX explosive environments. Spillz 1800 774 559 www.spillz.com.au

How Clean is Clean?

Affordable, multi-pack toilet tissue solution The Livi Basics 7009 toilet tissue is a 2ply, 400-sheet conventional toilet tissue available in a multi-pack of six rolls for optimal convenience. Designed to provide a value alternative for establishments wanting to keep their ongoing costs down. The minimalistic approach of the product helps reduce packaging waste compared to individually wrapped rolls. Each pack of six enables maintenance of multiple bathroom stalls in one go making them an ideal solution for medium traffic washrooms. Solaris Paper 1300 832 883 www.livitissue.com.au

SEBO XP2 Automatic Upright he rt n o f ia lt bui stralet au ark m

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www.incleanmag.com.au 61

PRODUCTS

ntally onme Envir ly friend

Professional chewing gum removal system The environmentally friendly, battery powered Ecogum machines from Central Cleaning Supplies are self-contained portable backpacks that are simple to use, allowing the operator unrestrained movements to efficiently remove gum, oil, rubber and sticky labels with ease. A combination of PH neutral and safe steam mixture, accurate injection of cleaning solution and pressure allows gum to be removed in just a matter of seconds. No unfriendly chemicals, high pressure hoses and overspray means Ecogum machines are ideal for busy areas. Available in three models and a free onsite demonstration. Central Cleaning Supplies 1300 347 347 www.centralcleaning.com.au

User-friendly dehumidifier control system SuperVision is a control system that remotely controls, monitors and measures the drying process of dehumidifiers from a computer, phone or tablet. The smart, user-friendly system provides total control of drying processes remotely. In the statistics view, the user can easily create custom charts and diagrams, based on the data from the wireless sensor nodes. SuperVision also allows the user to create and export custom reports to insurance companies, increasing transparency between the client and contractor. Pressure Pro 03 9800 3731 www.pressure-pro.com.au

State of the art robotic cleaner

nt Efficie e im t and g in v a s

The Avidbot Neo is a state of the art robotic cleaner featuring a range of innovative features. It has a superior water tank capacity of 120 litres for both clean and dirty water, dynamic mapping and routing technology that allows it to detect new obstacles and an intelligent sensory navigation with 3D cameras and obstacle avoidance. With a production rate of more than 2,300 square metres per hour, the ability to control the machine off-site and receive real-time monitoring and notifications, it is one of the most efficient and time-saving floor cleaning machines in the industry. Abco Products 1800 177 399 www.abcopro.com.au

Dry surface biofilm remover Surfex is the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first dry surface biofilm remover. It is intended for use on environmental surfaces and for non-critical medical devices such as hospital needs and theatre trolleys. Surfexâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s formula of buffered peracetic acid and surfactants ensure it provides maximum disinfectant efficacy critical for healthcare environments. The benefits of Surfex include excellent materials compatibility when compared with Bleach/Chlorine with proven kill claims against c-diff, Norovirus and Parvovirus. Whiteley Corporation 1800 833 566 www.whiteley.com.au

Scan the QR code to view the video

All-purpose washroom cleaner e-Washroom is an environmentally friendly washroom cleaner consisting of a concentrated biotechnological formulation. Ideal for combating bad odours, surface cleaning and accelerating the breakdown, this plant-based cleaning solution can be used to clean the floors, toilet, basins and mirrors. A safer and healthier cleaning solution alternative to strong chemicals, e-Washroom uses the power of natural positive enzymes to eat away bacteria present in bathrooms ensuring a deeper clean every time. A true all-in-one washroom cleaning solution. Abco Products 1800 177 399 www.enviroplusproducts.com.au

62 INCLEAN November/December 2018

Safe to us e

PRODUCTS

ves Impro ing n a cle ncy efficie

New generation floor sander offers superior dust extraction

Powerful, light and quiet backpack vacuum

Tork EasyCube wins INCLEAN Innovation Award Winner of the 2018 Services and Technology INCLEAN Innovation Award, Tork EasyCube can help you stay ahead in the industry. Tork EasyCube uses sensors throughout facilities to collect data about visitor numbers, cleaning needs, and refill levels in real time. Static cleaning schedules are transformed into needs-based work and the workforce can focus their time on what is actually needed. Service providers become empowered to improve their cleaning operations efficiency and quality and increase their customers’ satisfaction. Tork Professional Hygiene 1800 643 634 www.tork.com.au

The RapidVac MKII backpack vacuum is built tough for the commercial cleaning industry. It has a powerful 1450-watt motor but weighs only 4.7 kilograms. Featuring a modern design with a comfortable padded three-strap harness support system, the backpack also comes with a H14 HEPA filtration, a fivelevel filtration system, motor thermal protection, a switchable left and right hand clear lid, exhaust deflector, cable restraint assembly, a six litre cloth filter bag with metal reinforced ring, a premium quality lead and a wesselwerk low profile floor tool. RapidClean 02 4721 1993 www.rapidclean.com.au

The Polivac SuperVac floor sander features a powerful 400 watts vacuum mounted inside a canister and supported by a bypass dust separator. Extra weight ensure superior sanding results and efficiency making the machine ideal for indoor sanding. Fitted with a 40cm pad drive, two versions are offered, a 1.1kw 188rpm slow speed version and a 1.5kw 364 rpm high speed version. Polivac International 03 8378 0000 www.polivac.com.au

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COMPACT, CONSISTENT, CONVENIENT. Explore Kärcher’s B 200 R Bp ride-on floor scrubber, perfect for cleaning floors of 2500-7500m2. www.karcher.com.au 1800 675 714

sales@cleanstar.com.au