November 2012

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Cleaning J

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The pan-European magazine f or t he prof essional cleaning sect or

SPECIAL REPORT Hand hygiene

NOVEMBER 2012

EXCLUSIVE INSIGHT Design and engineering of a new product

ANALYSIS Trends in waste management incorporating the official journal of the

EUROPEAN FEDERATION OF CLEANING INDUS TRIES

EUROPEAN CLEANING JOURNAL

Contents

ECJ

November 2012• Vol. 20, No.6

Cover story 20 TTS A new range of products.

Special reports 23 How jolly is your trolley?

How important is the appearance of a cleaning trolley? Ann Laffeaty finds out.

28 Pushing boundaries in dryer engineering An exclusive look at the work of the design team responsible for the Dyson Airblade.

35 Antimicrobials - safe ingredients?

There is some concern over ingredients being used in hand hygiene products.

45 Sweeping statements What do end users really want from their sweepers, asks Ann Laffeaty.

55 Risks of working alone It is the employer’s responsibility to ensure the safety of their lone workers.

50 Business

Regular features

50 Save costs, be greener Hartley Milner examines the challenges of running a vehicle fleet.

33 Why wash our hands?

59 Reduce, reuse, recycle, dispose Governments are setting ambitious targets for waste reduction and recycling.

In the latest of our series looking at the history of hygiene, we ask when people first became aware of the importance of hand hygiene.

43 Economic crisis hinders potential for growth In the latest of our series focusing on the cleaning industry in the major economies of Europe, we look at Finland.

65 A pressing issue What are the biggest cleaning challenges for high pressure cleaners, asks Ann Laffeaty.

Plus

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Criterion Publishing Ltd PO Box 299 Chesham, Buckinghamshire HP5 1FP United Kingdom T +44 (0)1494 791222 F +44 (0)1494 792223 info@europeancleaningjournal.com www.europeancleaningjournal.com

Subscriptions United Kingdom - £60 Continental Europe - £70 International - £80 Editor Michelle Marshall Features Writer Ann Laffeaty Advertisement Director Chris Godman Advertisement Sales Carole Dawson

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

3 News 12 European reports 72 Product review

Germany Reinhard Knittler Knittler Medien Mittlerer Hubweg 5 D- 72227 Egenhausen Germany T +49 7453/9385 787 F +49 7453/9385 797 info@knittler.de www.knittler.de ISSN 0968-901X © Criterion Publishing Ltd 2012

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

NEWS

Some hands are WFBSC vows to 'like dirty toilets' focus on key contractor issues MORE THAN one in 10 people's hands are so contaminated with faecal organisms that the levels of bacteria detected were equal to what you would expect to find in a dirty toilet bowl, a new study in the UK suggests.

The research, carried out at Queen Mar y, University of London and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, showed more than a quarter (26 per cent) of hands sampled showed traces of faecal contamination including bacteria such as E.coli.

The 272 participants who took part in the scientific study

were also asked to fill out a questionnaire with the results revealing only 39 per cent of respondents washed their hands before eating.

Gross contamination

The vast majority (91 per cent) also stated they washed their hands after using the toilet, although the levels of faecal organisms contaminating bank cards and currency suggested otherwise, researchers said.

Eight per cent of bank cards and six per cent of bank notes also showed gross levels of contamination, say researchers.

AT ITS RECENT b o a r d meeting in Brazil the World Federation of Building Service Contractors (WFBSC) pledged to focus on the key issues affecting the international contract cleaning sector.

"Three key issues were dis-

initiative, which was launched at the WFBSC Congress 2011 and is now well advanced.

"The board is most supportive of our close relationship with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the quest to promote cleaning's vital role

cussed," explained executive vice president Andrew Large. One was employment standards and relationships with the International Labour Organisation. "Clearl y the WFBSC has a role in refuting the significant negative publicity regarding outsourcing. Our board is ver y committed to presenting the very great benefits that contracting-out of services offers."

A second issue of discussion was the Cleaning for Health

in promoting public health," Large explained.

The third topic on the agenda was the health and safety of cleaning chemicals, a subject commanding a United Nations standing committee. With legislation already written, the laws come into force in 2015.

"Because it is our cleaners who are handling chemicals virtually every day of their working lives, this topic is very relevant to all WFBSC members," said Large. www.wfbsc.org

EVENTS To have your event included in Events, contact ECJ on +44 (0)1494 791222 or via email at michelle@europeancleaningjournal.com December 3-6 World Toilet Summit Durban, South Africa www.world-toilet-summit-2012. co.za/ December 13-15 Clean India Show Bangalore, India www.cleanindiashow.com March 13-15 2013 ISSA/INTERCLEAN Latin America Mexico City, Mexico www.issainterclean.com March 19-21 2013 The Cleaning Show Birmingham, UK www.thecleaningshow.co.uk March 19-20 2013 Ausclean WA Fremantle, Western Australia www.auscleanwa.com.au April 1-3 2013 China Clean Expo Shanghai, China www.chinacleanexpo.com April 16-18 2013 Europropre Paris, France www.europropre.com April 24-26 2013 ISSA/INTERCLEAN CEE Warsaw, Poland T +31 20 549 1212 www.issainterclean.com

May 21-23 2013 Pulire Verona, Italy www.pulire-it.com June 11-13 2013 ExpoClean Argentina Buenos Aires, Argentina www.expoclean.com.ar September 24-27 2013 CMS Berlin, Germany www.cms-berlin.com October 15-16 2013 Ausclean Pulire Sydney, Australia www.auscleanexpo.com.au November 18-21 2013 ISSA/INTERCLEAN North America Las Vegas, USA www.issainterclean.com April 6-9 12014 WFBSC congress New York City, USA www.wfbsc2014.com May 6-9 2014 ISSA/INTERCLEAN Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands www.issainterclean.com

•Réuni dernièrement au Brésil, le conseil d'administration de la World Federation of Building Service Contractors (WFBSC) a décidé de se pencher sur les problèmes affectant le secteur du nettoyage industriel international.

• Il ressort d'une nouvelle étude que, chez dixième au moins de la population, le taux de contamination des mains par des organismes fécaux est comparable à celui d'une cuvette de WC mal lavée.

• Bei ihrer jüngst in Brasilien stattgefundenen Vorstandssitzung versprach die World Federation of Building Service Contractors (WFBSC), sich auf die wichtigsten Probleme zu konzentrieren, mit denen sich die internationale Vertragsreinigungsbranche konfrontiert sieht.

• Bei mehr als 10 Prozent der Menschen sind die Hände so stark mit Fäkalorganismen verunreinigt, dass die Menge der Bakterien derjenigen in einem schmutzigen Toilettenbecken entspricht, heißt es in einer neuen Studie.

• Durante la sua recente riunione del consiglio di amministrazione tenutasi in Brasile, la federazione World Federation of Building Service Contractors (WFBSC) si è impegnata a focalizzarsi sui problemi più importanti che riguardano il settore internazionale del cleaning.

• Un nuovo studio rivela che le mani di più di una persona su 10 sono così contaminate da materia fecale che i livelli di batteri sono uguali a quelli trovati in una tazza del wc sporca.

November 2012 ECJ

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NEWS

• Tenu récemment à Istamboul, le salon Puire Eurasia a enregistré une augmentation de 55 pour cent de sa fréquentation par rapport à la première manifestation, tenue en 2010, affirment ses organisateurs.

• Le Sommet mondial de la Toilette 2012 aura lieu à Durban, en Afrique du Sud, du 4 au 6 décembre.

•Kürzlich fand die Pulire Eurasia in Istanbul, Türkei, statt. Die Organisatoren verzeichneten eine Zunahme der Besucherzahlen gegenüber der ersten Veranstaltung der Messe 2010 von 55 Prozent.

• Der World Toilet Summit 2012 wird vom 4.-6. Dezember in Durban, Südafrika, stattfinden.

• L’evento Pulire Eurasia si è tenuto di recente a Istanbul in Turchia e gli organizzatori hanno riferito un aumento dei visitatori del 55 per cento rispetto al primo evento del 2010.

• Il summit World Toilet Summit 2012 si terrà a Durban in Sudafrica dal 4 al 6 dicembre.

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ECJ November 2012

World Toilet Summit tackles sanitation THE 12TH WORLD Toilet Summit will open in Durban, South Africa, next month - it takes place from December 4-6.

Minister of human settlements Tokyo Sexwale will officially open the event, which is being held in Africa for the very first time. The global sanitation solutions forum is taking place at a time when at least 2.5 billion people in the world still do not have access to adequate sanitation - almost twofifths of the world's population.

Without proper toilet facilities, one child dies every 15 seconds from diseases such as diarrhoea caused by oral faecal contamination, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Jack Sim, founder of the World Toilet Organisation (WTO), who is hosting the summit through the South African Toilet Organisation (SATO), said that despite

many initiatives by government ministries and non-governmental organisations to tackle the issue of African sanitation in particular, they have not been extensive enough.

"The reasons for such neglect are numerous," he said. "Part of it has to do with the fact that sanitation is considered a taboo subject. Other reasons rest on demographic and population shifts - and others still rest on the fact that little investment has reached those who need it most due to mismanagement."

Of South Africa's households, 1.4 million or about 11 per cent have no sanitation or services. A further 26 per cent where infrastructure does exist are on the brink of collapse.

For more information visit the website www.world-toilet-summit2012.co.za

Pulire Eurasia attracts more THE SECOND Pulire Eurasia professional cleaning exhibition took place in Istanbul, Turkey recently, with the organisers reporting an increase in visitors of 55 per cent compared to the first event in 2010.

"Two years is too short a time to begin to see truly significant results," commented Toni D'Andrea, managing director of organiser Afidamp Servizi.

"Furthermore, the social and political tensions in North Africa and the Middle East have doubtless affected the process of raising the awareness of the Turkish market to the issue of cleaning. However the Turkish event has demonstrated a greater sensitivity to the market."

D'Andrea continued: "The clearest difference was certainly the increased appreciation of the importance this industry holds in the country's modernisation process." www.pulire-eurasia.com

NEWS

UK 'the dirtiest developed country' according to study UK HOMES harbour more germs than those in other developed countries according to a Hygiene Council study.

Around 33 per cent of surfaces tested in UK homes were to found to have unsatisfactory levels of contamination. Only two other countries fared worse: Malaysia with 90 per cent and India with 78 per cent.

The study also revealed that 85 per cent of taps in Indian households were contaminated with E.coli, and that almost a third of Indians believe hand washing is "not a priority".

Only 10 per cent of UK respondents considered kitchen taps to be a potential germ risk - though 52 per cent of taps were contaminated. Kitchen cloths were the most heavily contaminated item with a

quarter of UK cloths harbouring E. Coli, an indication of faecal contamination. " I w a s s h o c ke d w h e n I reviewed the results," said Hygiene Council member Dr Lisa Ackerley. "From previous experience I had expected to encounter E.Coli - but not as much as was found. When people use cloths in the kitchen for extended periods they create a

‘bacterial time bomb' that creates the ideal environment for germs to multiply and be spread around the home.

"Even more worryingly it is possible for E. Coli to survive on kitchen surfaces for up to 60 days. This is an indication of levels of contamination that could compromise the health of vulnerable family members such as children, the elderly and those who are already unwell."

A total of 140 homes from seven countries were swabbed in the Hygiene Council study.

The nation fourth on the list was Saudi Arabia with unsatisfactory levels of contamination on 27 per cent of surfaces, followed by the US, Germany and South Africa with 22 per cent, 21 per cent and 15 per cent respectively.

Register now for your monthly email newsletter from ECJ. Visit www. europeancleaning journal.com • Les ménages britanniques abritent plus de microbes que ceux des autres pays développés, constate une récente étude.

• Aus einer kürzlich veröffentlichten Studie geht hervor, dass britische Häuser mehr Krankheitserreger beherbergen als Häuser in anderen entwickelten Ländern.

• Secondo uno studio recente le case del Regno Unito ospitano più germi di tutti gli altri paesi sviluppati.

November 2012 ECJ

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NEWS

Europe's contract cleaners discuss sustainability CONTRACT CLEANING associations from throughout the European Union gathered in Rome for the 2012 conference of the European Federation of Cleaning Industries (EFCI).

The themes were Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Sustainable Development in Public Procurement.

EFCI president Hans Simons from the Netherlands opened the event. "The themes for today are so important for a broad range of activities in our society - social and environmental responsibility and the potential for public procurement.

"Private industry must focus on how they can operate in a more responsible way in terms of planet and people. And for most businesses, it's not just a matter of ‘doing the right thing', it's a matter of necessity - not only in Europe but all over the world."

Public authorities Erich Peterhoff, managing director of cleaning company Gebaüdedienste Peterhoff in Germany, then gave his perspective on public authorities as clients there. He explained that 35 per cent of his company's turnover is in the public sector and there is huge potential for outsourcing because the market share in the cleaning industry of public contracts is between • Des associations professionnelles de la propreté de l'Europe entière se sont récemment réunies à Rome pour la conférence 2012 de la Fédération européenne du nettoyage industriel (FENI).

• Vertreter von Vertragsreinigungsverbänden aus allen Teilen der Europäischen Union versammelten sich vor kurzem in Rom zur Konferenz 2012 der European Federation of Cleaning Industries (EFCI).

• Le associazioni di appalti di servizi di pulizie di tutta l’Unione Europea si sono riunite recentemente a Roma in occasione della conferenza 2012 della federazione European Federation of Cleaning Industries (EFCI).

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ECJ November 2012

our clients have also signed a sustainability pact and we are no longer considered as service providers, but partners."

Two representatives from FEP who are responsible for running the sustainable development programme - Laurence Acerbo and Isabelle Perr u-Poupon - then explained the thinking behind it. FEP believes cleaning companies have a responsibility to be involved in sustainable development because of the nature of the business. That is why it helps its member companies to implement and maintain such a programme.

French programme 35 and 40 per cent.

He continued that public sector contracts tend to be long (three to five years), but the margins are fairly low. "However public contracts do offer the advantage of long-term security and the payment terms are very good at 30 days."

While price still plays a significant role in the awarding of public contracts, Peterhoff reported that factors such as sustainability, training, the environment, staff turnover and reaction times are increasingly being taken into consideration.

New directive Details of the proposed new EU public procurement directive were then presented

by Alessia Centioni from the European Parliament. There is an increasing need for standardisation across the EU member states, she said, and less fra gmentation in how laws are enforced. "Public procurement is a key instrument for economic recovery and public contracts are a necessary element of prosperity. This makes it vital that the playing field is level so all players can play by the same rules."

There will be a vote at the E u r o p e a n Pa r l i a m e n t o n December 18 about the pro-

posed changes, which aim to simplify procedures and establish a clear regulatory framework. Another important objective is to facilitate better access for SMEs. Best value offer "In order for public procurement to be sustainable, we must no longer award contracts according to lowest price - the best value offer must be accepted instead," Centioni explained.

The new directive, therefore, will incorporate strict rules on very low bids and on sub-contracting. Social criteria will also be introduced into the decisionmaking process.

The programme then moved on to the sustainability agenda, with a presentation by Philippe Jouanny, mana ging director of French cleaning company Neova. Neova uses a sustainability programme developed

by France's contract cleaning association, FEP, which is now available throughout t h e c o u n t r y. T h i s c o v e r s social aspects, transport, sourcing of ‘green' cleaning products and reduction of carbon footprint.

"Overall this programme has had a very positive economic impact on the company," Jouanny concluded. "Some of

Covering all aspects of the typical cleaning company, the programme offers a self-assessment and reporting tool online and interestingly there is also the facility to measure return on investment (ROI). Currently 300 French cleaning companies are involved, representing more than 140,000 employees. Most of the businesses taking part in the scheme have fewer than 50 employees.

Finally, president of facilities services provider ISS in Spain Joachim Borrás Ferré offered his viewpoint on what corporate social responsibility (CSR) has meant within that business. He argued that CSR brings growth. "There is real profit to be had in engaging employees," he explained. "This brings increased productivity, less absenteeism and lower turnover of staff. And it's also an important differentiation factor from our clients' point of view."

He c o n c l u d e d : " If C S R doesn't bring profit, it will not work. We are not non-profit organisations and while we may all want to do the right thing, it has to make business sense. The good news is that many of our clients are now buying into our core values so we are sharing the responsibility." www.efci.eu

NEWS

Chicago success for ISSA/INTERCLEAN show THIS YEAR'S ISSA/ I N T E RC L E A N No r t h America exhibition took place in Chicago recently, attracting more than 9,000 visitors from 65 countries outside the USA. Just over 620 manufacturers exhibited, 95 of them new to the show - and they came from 29 different countries.

Taking place alongside ISSA/ INTERCLEAN was the usual comprehensive seminar programme - and the Building Service Contractor Association International (BSCAI), facility management association IEHA and the Association o f Re s i d e n t i a l C l e a n i n g Services International (ARCSI) all co-located their annual conventions there.

"Our keynoter, Tom Brokaw, • Clorox Professional, Kimberly-Clark Professional, ProTeam, CleanTelligent et Unger étaient tous des lauréats des Prix de l'Innovation ISSA 2012. Le récent salon ISSA/INTERCLEAN Amérique du Nord à Chicago a attiré plus de 9000 visiteurs, venus de 65 pays.

• Deux cents professionnels britanniques de la propreté ont assisté à la récente conférence du British Cleaning Council (BCC) à Londres.

• Clorox Professional, Kimberly-Clark Professional, ProTeam, CleanTelligent und Unger zählten zu den Gewinnern der vor kurzem verliehenen ISSA Innovation Awards 2012. Die jüngst in Chicago stattgefundene ISSA/INTERCLEAN North America zog über 9000 Besucher aus 65 Ländern an.

• 200 Vertreter der britischen Reinigungsindustrie nahmen an der jüngst in London veranstalteten Konferenz des British Cleaning Council (BCC) teil.

• La Clorox Professional, la KimberlyClark Professional, la ProTeam, la CleanTelligent e la Unger sono state tutte vincitrici del recente premio 2012 ISSA Innovation Awards. La recente esibizione ISSA/INTERCLEAN North America tenutasi a Chicago ha attratto oltre 9.000 visitatori provenienti da 65 nazioni.

• Duecento professionisti del settore del cleaning professionale del Regno Unito hanno partecipato di recente alla conferenza del British Cleaning Council (BCC) tenutasi a Londra.

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ECJ November 2012

summed it up quite well when he said that we are all looking for a ‘big idea' to unite us these days," said John Garfinkel, ISSA executive director.

"We believe that the shared drive to prove cleaning is a long-term investment in human health, the environment, and

facilities' bottom lines is what continues to bring together so many leaders in our industry to meet face-to-face and find the right solutions."

The show was also the platform for the presentation of the 2012 ISSA Innovation Awards.

The contest, which was con-

ducted electronically, received more than 85,000 page views during the three months voting was open. In addition, exhibition attendees were able to view and vote for the products in person.

In the Cleaning Agents category the winner was Clorox Pr o f e s s i o n a l Pr o d u c t s f o r Clorox Hydrogen Peroxide Disinfecting Cleaners.

Kimberly-Clark Professional won the Disposables Category for the MOD dispensing system.

In Equipment the Super Coach Pro from ProTeam was declared the winner, while in Services & Technology CleanTelligent won for CleanTelligent Inspector.

Finally, Unger won the Supplies section for its HiFlo nLite. www.issainterclean.com

Business efficiency in spotlight ANDREW NEIL, former editor of UK national newspaper The Sunday Times, was the keynote speaker addressing 200 delegates from the cleaning industry at the British Cleaning Council (BCC) conference in London recently, with the theme of business efficiency and innovation.

He spoke about the political and economic environment which businesses are currently operating under. He added that living standards should improve due to an expected slight growth in the economy.

Excessive boardroom and banker remuneration has to end, was the message from former Greggs ceo Sir Michael Darrington who is the founder of Pro Business Against Greed.

Sharing his business success at Greggs he said "planning is everything, but the plan is nothing" as it's the process of planning, rather than the plan itself which makes you do the right

things. The written plan quickly becomes out of date.

Shadow minster for innovation and science Chi Onwurah MP emphasised that to keep the UK competitive, there has to be the right levers in government to support innovation.

A practical example of innovation was described by Professor M Sohail (Khan) from Loughborough University which has won funding from The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to reinvent the toilet. He said: "One of the biggest problems in the world is sanitation, with around three billion people who don't have proper toilets."

The brief wa s to create a prototype which is clean, safe, durable and affordable, without the need for connection to electricity or a sewer.

Loughborough's design uses a process called continuous thermal hydrocarbonisation.

This converts human waste into carbonised material to

provide heat, minerals for soil conditioning and water for flushing.

Reviewing chemical legislation Dr Stephen Dalton, vice president of technology and innovation at Diversey shared his assessment of the impact and potential impact of the Global Harmonisation System.

He said that, whilst this United Nations project had good intentions to harmonise packaging labels and improve worker comprehension, the challenge is the re-evaluation of virtually all product lines.

Slips and trips are a key issue in the cleaning industry and the BCC is currently funding best practice to address this.

Christian Harris, director of Bonasystems shared an early preview of the research being undertaken by experts from within the insurance and cleaning industries. www.britishcleaningcouncil. org.uk

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NEWS

WFBSC congress highlights cleaning's vital role in health CURITIBA IN BRAZIL was the venue for the World Federation of Building Service Contractors (WFBSC) world congress last month. The theme was the vital role of the cleaning industry in public health and sustainability.

Around 850 delegates from over 20 countries were there to hear presentations by speakers from around the globe. The event was sponsored by Diversey and Kärcher.

WFBSC executive vice president Andrew Large gave the keynote speech, bringing delegates up-to-date with the WFBSC's Cleaning for Health initiative.

He reminded his audience of the global world body's determination to act on behalf of our industry in highlighting cleaning's importance in health.

nurtured by a growing customer base, the opportunities created by sustainability, and technological developments.

"The world BSC sector has grown by 66 per cent in the past 10 years and is now worth $225 billion per annum," Asch noted.

Some 530,000 BSCs employ 12 to 13 million people worldwide.

Like other speakers, he talked about the cost pressures faced by BSCs and their clients' demands for maintaining (or increasing) quality for no more dollars.

Support efficiency drives opportunity to get prices up by justifying skills and intellectual property.

In h i s p r e s e n t a t i o n o n Family Succession in MultiGenerational Businesses Chris Cracknell of UK-based cleaning services company OCS stressed that family businesses must prepare children for business and leadership; and they should recruit external people for business and leadership roles.

Big picture assessments

Outgoing WFBSC president Adonai Arruda with vice president Andrew Large at the congress.

Since its 2011 congress the WFBSC has assessed 136 peer reviewed articles and government guides pertaining to combating infectious diseases.

A report, including a guide for cleaning, was subsequently delivered in early 2012.

"However, there's still an awful lot to do," Large emphasised. The next steps are for the industry to market this information and "embed knowledge in day-to-day systems and tools".

In turn, BSCs would have an

"Outside people must know (when joining a family business) they can move to the top," said Cracknell. He emphasised ‘meritocracy' as being a core ethos.

Among a raft of facts sourced from international research on family businesses was a statistic that average life expectancy of a family business is just 24 years.

Bringing 'big picture' economic assessments and the cleaning industry's prospects, Diversey president Pedro Chidichimo's Developing Operating Efficiency Through Integrated Cleaning Solutions' examined drivers for change in the industry.

"The cleaning industry has, to date, not experienced the same change as other industries but there are a number of megatrends shaping our industry," Chidichimo explained.

They include population; technology and talent develop-

ments; sustainability challenges; and economic growth.

Growing wealth Ver y upbeat, Chidichimo pointed out the burgeoning global wealth emanating largely from the new middle class in emerging markets including Asia, eastern Europe and the Middle East. "Growing wealth leads to increasing demands for finer degrees of cleanliness and high quality FM services," he explained.

Kärcher's deputy ceo Markus Asch's presentation was entitled Smart Application in Cleaning - How a Sustainable Approach will Increase Productivity. Asch too was upbeat about the world cleaning industry's prospects,

Asch then asked BSC executives to allow technology to support their drive for efficiencies. He talked about smart technology and described certain machines, explaining that they not only cut on-site costs but also fit the sustainability brief.

He then examined world trends and demographics, what has happened in recent years and the fact that, "it is essential for BSCs to anticipate the future".

Fo r m a n u f a c t u r e r s , t h a t means embracing ‘individualisation'. "BSCs will not accept anything other than an individual machine," he concluded.

The next WFBSC congress will be held from April 6-9 2014 in New York City, USA. www.wfbsc.org

Visit the ECJ website to read exclusive blogs from industry experts - including Andrew Large, Pedro Chidichimo and Markus Asch europeancleaningjournal.com/blog •C'est à Curitiba, au Brésil, que le congrès mondial de la World Federation of Building Service Contractors (WFBSC) s'est tenu le mois dernier.

Son thème concernait le rôle vital du secteur de la propreté pour la santé publique et la durabilité.

•Der Weltkongress der World Federation of Building Service Contractors (WFBSC) wurde im vergangenen Monat in Curitiba, Brasilien, veranstaltet.

Das Thema war die wichtige Rolle, die die Reinigungsbranche bei der öffentlichen Gesundheit und Nachhaltigkeit spielt.

• Curitiba in Brasile è stata la sede del congresso mondiale del World Federation of Building Service Contractors (WFBSC) tenutosi il mese scorso. Il tema del congresso è stato il ruolo vitale del settore del cleaning per la salute pubblica e la sostenibilità.

November 2012 ECJ

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U P D AT E : R U S S I A

A bright future ahead Oleg Popov of Russian cleaning firm Cristanval looks ahead to key trends in the coming years.

T

oday, the main trend in Russia is towards the phasing out of non-core functions from public services, such as cleaning, catering, building and others. At the end of last year the Russian Army announced the introduction of outsourcing.

The War Department decided to increase the level and quality of service in the Russian army.

Following mandatory days off, the so called 'quiet hour' and enhanced athletic training, the changes affected the nutrition of the soldiers and the cleaning of the barracks.

Previously the recruits peeled potatoes themselves, swept up and washed the floors. Meals are now ser ved on a buffet basis, and food is prepared by food companies that won the tender. Cleaning will be done by professional cleaning companies. These changes are being introduced gradually across the country. So far only in those places that are far away from population centres can you not move towards outsourcing.

Gradually more social organisations, such as hospitals, kindergartens and schools, are beginning to use the services of cleaning companies. Until recently these institutions preferred to undertake their own housekeeping. Now they understand the economic feasibility of giving non-core functions to third parties.

Currently the facilities for the Winter Olympics in Sochi in 2014 are under active construction. Tenders for the cleaning of the grounds and facilities in the Olympic Village were announced in December 2011, and the first successful tenders are already known. Both large and medium sized cleaning companies participated in the tender. Preparation of the docAlors que la fin de 2012 approche, notre reporter en Russie, Oleg Popov, de l'entreprise de nettoyage Cristanval, anticipe les tendances de l'année à venir.

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ECJ November 2012

umentation for participation in the Olympic project involved the sweat and work of almost all divisions of the companies.

For several months the personnel argued their case with the organising committee that they deserved to work at such a critical facility. Even the preparation of tender documentation for such major projects as cleaning the Olympic venues seriously raises the level of management, allowing one to organise the structure and interaction of the various departments.

Documents prepared for the Olympic tenders are very helpful in the preparation of documentation for other commercial tenders.

The first events at the Olympic venues will begin next year. They will help the cleaning companies prepare for the Olympics, and to pick up the necessary staff to master the nuances of cleaning at major sporting events.

A unique project in terms of cleaning and cleaning service will be the university campus on the Russian island known as Russky Island next to Vladivostok. It was within the walls of this campus in September 2012 that the APEC summit was held. The total area of all the 26 buildings is almost 715,000 square meters. The campus accommodates 11,255 people. Staff will be recruited to work on a rotational basis from the mainland. High quality standards of cleaning, severe winter conditions, and the long distance from the mainland, are all challenges to the cleaning company that will operate on the project.

2012 showed the country's economy continues to grow.

New facilities are being put into operation and major international events are being hosted.

All this, as well as understanding the specifics of the cleaning business in Russia, allows us to be optimistic about the future.

Das Ende des Jahres 2012 rückt näher, und Oleg Popov, der bei der Reinigungsfirma Cristanval tätige ECJKorrespondent, wirft in seinem Bericht aus Russland einen Blick auf die Trends des

kommenden Jahres.

Mentre ci avviamo verso la fine del 2012, Il reporter russo di ECJ Oleg Popov dell’impresa di pulizie Cristanval fa una previsione dei trend per l’anno prossimo.

U P D AT E : D E N M A R K

Preventing skin disease ECJ’s correspondent in Scandinavia, Petra Sjouwerman, gives us an update on work-related skin diseases in the Danish cleaning sector.

I

n Denmark the number of compensation claims for work-related skin diseases has almost doubled these past six years, particularly for hairdressers and professional cleaners.

Nevertheless Danish experts stress that this does not mean that professional cleaners contract skin diseases more often than in the past. "Nowadays people are just more aware of the fact that skin diseases could be work-related," according to a spokesperson from the Danish National Board of Industrial Injuries.

In 2005 skin diseases amounted to just under eight per cent of reported occupational diseases. Last year this number has increased to almost 15 per cent.

The most common form of work-related eczema is hand eczema. Symptoms are itching, redness, swelling, crusting and blistering. It can be very painful during a flare-up. Every year there about 2,000 reported cases of work-related eczema in Denmark. Treatment can be a difficult process that is long and protracted. For cleaners it often results in sick leave and the need to change careers.

Risk of eczema greater Hand eczema is caused by skin irritation through wet work and substances that may cause allergy like soaps, disinfectants and cleaning agents.

The longer the time the hands are wet in the course of a working day, the greater the risk of eczema because water weakens the skin's defence a gainst the penetration of harmful substances.

In the last year the Danish Dans son rapport de la Scandinavie, Petra Sjouwerman rapporte qu'en l'espace de six ans, le nombre des demandes d'indemnisation émanant de travailleurs pour maladies cutanées a presque doublé au Danemark.

Sector Safety Council has published a guide to inform how cleaning companies best can protect their workers and how workers best can protect themselves. The most important conclusions in this guide concern cleaning products. The Council recommends the use of cleaning products without perfume.

The use of products with as few ingredients as possible and not to use too many different cleaning products at the same time.

Use of gloves Another important topic in the guide is the use of gloves.

Since latex and rubber chemicals also can cause eczema in some people, gloves should have cotton inserts or liners. This prevents direct contact with the glove itself and assures that hands stay dry. Gloves should be thrown out when they change size, surface, form or colour.

Disposable gloves may only be used once. Furthermore the Danish Sector Safety Council recommends cleaners to use a hand moisturiser or rich cream to lubricate the skin several times during the day and before leaving the workplace at the end of the shift.

The two Danish trades unions that organise professional cleaners recommend their members to contact their family doctor as soon as they suspect eczema, as studies have shown that those who visit their doctor early in the disease process may better combat eczema.

The Danish unions recommend to keep receipts of ointments, creams and gloves, so members can get their money back if the eczema is later recognised as an industrial injury.

In 2011 the Danish National Board of Industrial Injuries has compensated work-related claims for approximately 18 million euros.

Petra Sjouwerman berichtet aus Skandinavien, dass sich die Anzahl der Schadensersatzforderungen aufgrund arbeitsbedingter Hautkrankheiten in Dänemark in den letzten sechs Jahren fast verdoppelt hat.

Dalla Scandinavia la corrispondente Petra Sjouwerman ci informa che in Danimarca il numero di richieste di risarcimento per malattie della pelle causate dal lavoro è quasi raddoppiato in sei anni.

U P D AT E : I TA LY

Intellectual resources Italian reporter Anna Garbagna with news of a planning workshop in Milan that took place recently.

A

fidampFAB (Association of Italian Manufacturers of Machines, Products and Equipment for Professional Cleaning and Hygiene of environments) has been cooperating with the faculty of industrial design at the Politecnico di Milano in order to allow students to develop technological solutions for the professional cleaning sector. This cooperation, in the first six months of this year, involved a group of 25 students, guided by professor Francesco Trabucco, in the development of a brief supplied by floor machine producer RCM. With this initiative, the association intends to emphasise how innovation - achieved through research - is the only way to increase companies’ competitiveness and ability to face today’s economic situation.

RCM accepted the proposal and it carried out a workshop with the Politecnico di Milano.

Stefania Verrienti, general secretary of AfidampFAB explained: "University is the ideal place for real innovation to develop and the association will therefore also promote for the next academic year a planning workshop which allows other companies to repeat RCM’s e x p e r i e n ce . Un f o r t u n a te l y not all companies understand what strategic advantages can originate from this kind of experience with Politecnico di Milano, which is recognised as a University of Excellence at European level. Afidamp’s main objective is to raise awareness about research in the associated companies and to allow them to access intellectual resources which are within universities with an affordable investment."

Pr o f e s s o r Fr a n c e s c o Trabucco, workshop coordinaL'association italienne des produits de nettoyage, AfidampFAB, collabore avec l'école polytechnique de Milan pour permettre aux élèves de développer des solutions professionnelles de propreté.

Anna Garbagna en rend compte.

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ECJ November 2012

tor, explained how it was a particularly interesting job from the educational point of view, because the main objective was not the creation of ready-touse machines but the students' comprehension of how to develop planning skills and to find solutions to problems and requests that companies pose from time to time.

"Innovation and design can be of two types: disruptive (using the American term) or continuous. In this sector the latter is inevitably the one that prevails, because machines can seemingly present no novelties, but going into specific aspects - where some of them have been developed by our students - differences and improvements are considerable".

Romolo Raimondi from RCM emphasised how the experience was extremely positive. "At a time when funding for research is being reduced and research is more and more relevant, it is absolutely necessary to treasure opportunities such as this one in order to produce ideas and projects which lead to concrete innovations.

"It is an experience I would r e co m m e n d to e v e r y o n e , " Riccardo Raimondi added, "because compared to the effect of development of some machine characteristics, the result has been really surprising. The students really showed the desire to look ahead and to propose intelligent and functional solutions, small in their manifestation but able to really change the mode of operation".

Continuing on the topic of training, which is vital for machine operators, one of the main activities of the machine group - which is coordinated within Afidamp by Riccardo Raimondi himself - is a proposal to set up a sort of driving licence for cleaners who operate scrubber dryers.

AfidampFAB, der italienische Verband für Reinigungsprodukte, hat in Zusammenarbeit mit dem Politecnico di Milano Studenten die Möglichkeit gegeben, professionelle Reinigungslösungen zu entwickeln. Ein Bericht von Anna Garbagna.

L’associazione italiana di prodotti e macchine per il cleaning AfidampFAB ha collaborato con il Politecnico di Milano per far sviluppare agli studenti delle soluzioni per il cleaning professionale come ci riferisce Anna Garbagna.

U P D AT E : N E T H E R L A N D S

Future scenarios As Dutch correspondent Nico Lemmens of ISS reports, cleaning association OSB held a meeting recently to discuss the employment challenges facing the cleaning sector in the next 10 years.

M

ost experts foresee in 10 years from now a Dutch labour market with dramatic shorta ges for the cleaning industry. The need to hire people with a so-called ‘distance to the labour market’ (euphemism for handicapped or disadvantaged people) will be inescapable. Recently the Dutch association of cleaning companies OSB organised a meeting to discuss this future. Guideline for the discussion was a scenario study in which four possible future scenarios were presented. Here they are in short.

Everybody involved C l e a n i n g co m p a n i e s a r e confronted with government requirements to hire disadvantaged people. Although government interference is intense, cleaning companies are willing to hire people with a distance to the labour market.

Seize your opportunity Customers demand mature corporate social responsibility policies, eg, in terms of socalled ‘social return’. Cleaning companies that don’t comply will lose business. Pressure on cleaning companies is intense.

There is no financial government contribution.

Compartmentalisation Strong government interference. Cleaning companies not willing to hire disadvantaged people are forced to do so by pressure from social and political organisations. Client systems start to exist in which people L'association néerlandaise du nettoyage industriel OSB a récemment tenu une assemblée pour discuter des pénuries de personnels de propreté qui pourraient causer de graves problèmes dans les 10 prochaines années.

from the same social groups are helping each other to get jobs.

Fierce competition from public companies is hindering the cleaning industry.

Survival of the fittest Cleaning companies are hiring hardly any disadvantaged people and there is no government pressure. Cheap labour supply both from the Netherlands and from abroad is abundant.

Financial means, necessary for training disadvantaged people, are lacking. The cleaning industry is confronted with competition from the black economy.

After having received this scenario presentation, participants discussed the scenarios in several groups. In spite of large differences between the four scenarios, there were remarkable similarities in the recommendations from the groups.

Government interference should be restricted. As a matter of fact, present government interference is considered to be too intensive already. Most participants are in favour of disbanding the existing social job creation companies.

About 30 per cent of their employees will never get work w i t h o u t t h e s e co m p a n i e s .

There was disagreement as to the role these companies should play for this category. Job mediation and training for supervisors in dealing with handicapped employees could be part of such a role.

There was no agreement as to what the future core business for cleaning companies should be: cleaning business or ‘employership’.

When asked which scenario was deemed most likely, most participants pointed to ‘survival of the fittest’. At the same time, all participants agreed that this would be the most undesirable future scenario.

Der niederländische Vertragsreinigungsverband OSB diskutierte auf einer kürzlich stattgefundenen Tagung den Mangel an Reinigungspersonal, der sich in den kommenden 10 Jahren zu einem ernst zu nehmenden Problem entwickeln wird.

L’associazione olandese di contratti di pulizia OSB ha tenuto recentemente un meeting per discutere la carenza di personale addetto alle pulizie che si prevede diventerà un problema importante nei prossimi 10 anni.

U P D AT E : F R A N C E

Coping with the crisis French correspondent Christian Bouzols speaks to a number of cleaning companies about how they are coping with the economic difficulties

A

ries Nettoyage Environnement, a cleaning company in Dijon, focuses on small customers. Founded in 1990, this company has a staff of 53 (26 full-time equivalents).

"We're working mainly for offices, some industrial sites, Notre correspondant en France Christian Bouzols parle à des entreprises de nettoyage pour savoir comment elles font face à la crise économique actuelle.

Unser Frankreich-Korrespondent Christian Bouzols unterhält sich mit mehreren Reinigungsunternehmen über ihre Überlebensstrategien in der momentanen Wirtschafts flaute.

Il corrispondente francese Christian Bouzols chiede ai responsabili di alcune imprese di pulizia come riescono a sopravvivere nell’attuale periodo di flessione economica.

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ECJ November 2012

and the co-owned buildings market. Most of our work is in the Dijon conurbation," says its founder.

For him, the economic crisis is very much a reality. "Our clients grumble at the charges they have to pay and in particular at the cost of their outsourced ser vices. We've lost some contracts, in particular with national clients. These tend to choose just one supplier for all their sites. We've also been hurt by the competition from sole traders, particularly in the co-owned property market."

Competition is fierce in that area. "Fortunately, we've got many small customers and that has helped us to compensate for the loss of business elsewhere."

Also in Dijon, L'Entretien Dijonnais struggles to keep its customer base. The issues of part-time working, tax breaks and legal stability are those that matter most to Frédéric

Delhomme. At the head of L'Entretien Dijonnais (455 employees, 190 full time equivalents, and 6.4 million euros turnover) since 1999, he's convinced that the future of his trade is linked to the political choices that will be made in these three areas.

Meanwhile, Delhomme can claim to head the largest independent cleaning company in the Côte-d'Or Département.

"Our size is well matched with our market," he says. "This has enabled us, until now, to face the crisis without too many problems." It must be said that the company relies on a diverse market. "We're breaking even because we've worked on preserving our margins, customer loyalty and our networks."

Human concerns are what drive another cleaning company, Petkovic. Michel Brault took over the business in LouhansChâteaurenaud in 2009.

Previously Brault had been a partner in a Paris cleaning business - the 35th largest in the country. One day he attended

a company presentation organised by Bresse Initiative and asked its owner whether the Petkovic cleaning company was up for sale.

"It turned out that I had arrived just at the right time, because that owner was beginning to think of retiring," he explained. "A few weeks later, the deal had been closed. I was fascinated by the career and life journey of its founder, Miroslav, but also by the quality of his staff. Human values mean a great deal to me.

"My father was a manual worker and my mother was a char woman. I would ha ve found it intolerable to see her work not respected and not properly paid."

Since then Brault has been working at developing his business of about 100 employees by concentrating on companies, while at the same time providing cleaning services for common parts of buildings and private households. Last year, his turnover grew by eight per cent to 1.5 million euros.

U P D AT E : G E R M A N Y

F

or about two years Hamburg has been waiting for the completion of its Elbphilharmonic, the city’s new prestige project in the harbour area. Unfortunately, the unfinished gem of the city has not become a positive example of German engineering and administration. Recently it became public that the cleaning of the glass façade – 16,000 square metres – had not been planned adequately which will increase the costs for the building.

Originally, before signing the respective contracts, the city of Hamburg had expected costs of 77 million euros and the completion of the building in 2010. Today Hamburg has to face estimated costs of up to 476 million euros. Many factors were responsible for the extreme increase of the actual costs. Meanwhile both the client and the construction company took each other to court, so work has been halted.

This summer it emerged that the cleaning concept for the

facade, with about 2,200 windows, had not been developed until early 2011. But it is still questionable whether this concept will work at all.

Originally it was planned to install a regular cleaning platform for façade cleaning. It seems the civil servant who was in charge at that time intended to save the estimated costs of four million euros and cancelled this system in 2006.

In s te a d h e i n te n d e d to employ professional climbers and hoisting platforms.

Unfortunately, it was not so easy to turn this plan into reality as the BSU (local authority for workplace safety) demanded an additional guardrail. Estimated costs for the present solution: about 10 million euros. Aside from the increased costs, BSU did not even approve this plan until February this year.

According to a report in the local paper Hamburger Abendblatt, the officials in charge believed that the BSU would give its approval once

Escalating façade costs precedents had been created, or the mayor of Hamburg at that time would obtain it "somehow". But it became more difficult than expected to obtain and it took more than four years to settle this issue.

Meanwhile the construction company completed the glass façade which might bring additional costs today - in order to mount the required rail, parts of the façade may have to be removed, says the construction company. The ReGe (Realisier ungs -Gesel lschaft ~ municipal project authority) demands an alternative, less expensive solution.

Anyway, the ReGe asks for a guardrail which - for aesthetic reasons - can be turned down.

Presently it is planned to clean three sides of the façade up to a height of 54 metres (highest point of the building 110 metres) with the help of hoist-

German correspondent Thomas Schulte-Marxloh reports from Hamburg on the spiralling costs of a façade cleaning contract. ing platforms, all other parts are to be cleaned by industrial climbers. A test period of two years is scheduled in order to find the best cleaning method.

Notre correspondant en Allemagne Thomas Schulte-Marxloh évoque les retards intervenus dans l’inauguration d’un nouvel immeuble de prestige à Hambourg parce que le nettoyage des façades vitrées n’a pas été planifié correctement.

Unser Deutschland-Korrespondent Thomas Schulte-Marxloh berichtet, dass sich die Eröffnung eines neuen prestigeträchtigen Gebäudes in Hamburg verzögert, da die Reinigung der Glasfassade unzureichend geplant war.

Il corrispondente tedesco Thomas SchulteMarxloh ci informa di come l’apertura di un nuovo edificio di prestigio ad Amburgo sia stata ritardata perchè la pulizia della facciata in vetro non è stata pianificata adeguatamente.

November 2012 ECJ

17

U P D AT E : U K

A sense of fairness Latest news in the UK cleaning sector, from ECJ's correspondent there.

A

gitation everywhere about money. There is no doubt that low-paid workers are taking a large slice of the cuts and their meagre income is being La situation économique du RoyaumeUni est actuellement très difficile, et les travailleurs aux petits revenus, tels que les nettoyeurs, sont les premiers à faire les frais de coupes salariales, rapporte le correspondant ECJ dans ce pays.

Die Wirtschaftslage in Großbritannien ist momentan sehr schwierig, und Arbeitnehmer mit niedrigen Löhnen, wie etwa Reinigungspersonal, gehören zu den Hauptleidtragenden bei Lohnkürzungen, berichtet unser ECJ-Reporter.

• Nel Regno Unito attualmente la situazione economica è molto difficile, e i lavoratori a basso reddito come gli addetti alle pulizie stanno sostenendo il peso maggiore dei tagli dei salari – il corrispondente di ECJ ce ne parla.

affected as is everyone else's.

But they are working and being paid, not enough in these difficult times, but paid nevertheless. There are others in this heap who are described as being in a similar situation sometimes known as the ‘less fortunate’. Is this in fact the case?

There are people going to work, often at anti-social hours, while their neighbours who do not work have their rent and rates paid along with other benefits, and remain in bed or watching the television or even both. An unemployed man or woman getting a job may well have their benefits stopped before they have received a pay packet and even a demand for tax which they should not even have to pay. It is feasible to go home at the end of the week with no money.

Of course there are companies like Pay Day UK or Wonga who will help out with loans

at up 4,000 per cent interest. There are also food banks.

Makes you proud to have a job, doesn’t it!

Then there are immigrants: A word so dangerous as not to be uttered in case it reaches the ears of the thought police.

They generally work and work hard, happy to have a job which according to lore "the British will not do". Will the day ever dawn when the British realise there is no job they cannot do or have to do? While the benefits system remains as unfair as it is, this will not happen.

The cleaning industry is right in the thick of all this. It can and does provide jobs for the unskilled but does not appear to think it is able to pay them ver y much. There are even employers who believe workers should be grateful for having been given a job at all.

It is said that Vincent Cable, the business secretary, does not believe cleaning is an industry.

At least not one where we can talk about skills and ‘moving the nation forward’ in an indus-

trial sense - thus gaining political brownie points.

In order to provide a sense of fairness the cleaning industry has been provided with some funding and thus has grown a training side which has spawned a mini industry of assessment, verification, certification and so forth which gives respectability and adds to employers' costs.

In London - which is the centre of the world according to most of the media and one of the most expensive cities - much has been heard of the Living Wage. Cleaners have protested in hopes of getting it and some cases been rewarded.

Many companies it is said have adopted it though as usual no figures are available.

Unfortunately this will lead to an increase in costs which inevitably will be passed to the end user or the "hardworking man and woman" as they are now referred to by politicians currying favour.

Questions aplenty? Answers?

Sadly very few. Don’t hold your breath for the answers.

U P D AT E : U S A

C

hicago was the hotspot for all parts of the cleaning industry last month. The focal point was the annual ISSA/ INTERCLEAN, which was also attended by members of Building Service Contractors In te r n a t i o n a l ( B S C A I ) , Association of Residential Cleaners International (ARCSI), and International Executive Ho u s e ke e p e r s A s s o c i a t i o n (IEHA). Here are some comments from show visitors: Dick Ollek, president of Consultants in Cleaning: “When I was a BSC I was always going to keep up-to-date for my company. Now I am a consultant, I have many companies relying on me to keep up-to-date and advise them on the latest products, procedures, technology, and processes.

"This one co-located event of BSCAI and ISSA/ INTERCLEAN provides the opportunity to get the most current information in the shortest amount of time and it’s all in one place."

Elizabeth Meehan, small business owner: "I had a wonderful time and plan to attend with more co-workers in Vegas next year. I was truly impressed by how large it was, loved the breakout sessions, loved the trade show floor - ISSA knows how to run a show!"

Rick VanderKoy, owner of Secure Clean and environmental services consultant: "I like new ideas and problem-solving/ money saving solutions. I would not have expected diamond pads could be used on vinyl composition tile for example.

"The microfibre cloth supplier to Costco was an exhibitor and will sell me directly the same towels in four colours cheaper than Costco - free shipping with an order. I cannot afford NOT to attend.

Meanwhile, the Healthy Schools Campaign also released the fourth edition of its Quick & Easy Guide to Green Cleaning in Schools.

“It’s incredible to see how much the movement for green

Industry meeting point cleaning in schools has grown since we launched the first guide in 2006,” said Rochelle Davis, executive editor of the guide and president and ceo of Healthy Schools Campaign.

"We’ve seen huge strides in policy, in the marketplace and on the ground in schools as more and more leaders embrace cleaning for health while protecting the environment. We are proud to be part of making this change and are proud of the team that has come together to support it."

Ten states now require green cleaning in schools and the federal government now recognises green cleaning as a priority with the recently released EPA state school environmental health guidelines. The marketplace for green cleaning has also shifted, with industr y leaders offering an ever-increasing range of effective and cost-comparable

ECJ's US reporter Ron Segura looks back at the various cleaning industry events taking place in Chicago last month. green options.

Coming up next month is the US Green Building Council's annual convention - Green Build 2012 in San Francisco!

Ron Segura, correspondant d'ECJ aux États-Unis, contemple les nombreuses réunions du secteur de la propreté qui ont eu lieu à Chicago récemment.

Ron Segura, der ECJ-Korrespondent in den USA, wirft einen Blick zurück auf die zahlreichen Versammlungen der professionelle Reinigungsindustrie, die in letzter Zeit in Chicago stattfanden.

Dagli Stati Uniti d’America il corrispondente di ECJ Ron Segura fa un resoconto delle numerose riunioni del settore del cleaning professionale che si sono tenute di recente a Chicago.

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TROLLEY S YS TEMS

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s we all know, the main point of a cleaning trolley is to transport equipment, materials and hygiene products to their point of use. But in areas where daytime cleaning is carried out, trolleys are on constant show to the public. And a trolley laden with buckets, mops and other cleaning equipment – and maybe piled high with boxes, cloths and trigger sprays – can be an unsightly mess.

After several hours’ use, too, a typical trolley is likely to house various other insalubrious items such as used mop heads, soiled cleaning cloths, dirty water and waste.

Trolley manufacturers work hard to provide products that are practical, compact, lightweight, easy to load and easy to push. But how much emphasis do they place on the appearance of their trolleys? With an increased focus on daytime cleaning and corporate image, are aesthetics beginning to matter more? Or do customers simply not care how their trolleys look?

Kärcher ensures that its trolleys have an attractive appearance to complement the company’s corporate image according to environmental matters public relations officer Annette Ostertag. “All used mop pads and cloths are collected in a separate laundry net in the trolley, and this has an additional lid to shield it from view and prevent any contact with the user,” she said. “When the job has been completed the entire net and contents are then simply removed and washed in a washing machine.

“Pre-conditioned mop pads that have been saturated with detergent or disinfectant are also stored in a closed compartment in order to avoid direct contact with skin.”

However, she says aesthetics are not usually the customer’s first concern when choosing a trolley. “Naturally the appearance of cleaning equipment is important, above all when it is used during public opening hours,” she said. “Nonetheless customers place far greater emphasis on a trolley that is ergonomically designed and easy to operate. They look for features like convenient handling, high quality materials, durability and price."

She says customers are increasingly seeking modular systems that allow the trolley to be adapted as precisely as possible to their own requirements. “This has a beneficial effect on the price as well,” she says.

“Customised solutions manufactured for a single customer are seldom necessary now.”

Kärcher’s latest trolley systems include the First Liner, Clean Liner and Clean Liner Classic trolley versions of the company’s Eco!Cleaning System.

Managing director of Hygienteknik Stefan Johansson says his company also strives to

How jolly is your trolley?

How important is a cleaning trolley’s appearance in today’s image-conscious society?

Do customers really care about how attractive their trolleys look, or are they more concerned about other factors such as practicality and price?

Ann Laffeaty finds out.

make its trolleys as easy on the eye as possible. “We have accessories that shield the used cloths and mops from view, for example,” he said. “We also offer private brand trolleys for our partner customers. These might incorporate printed washing bags and attractive stickers, and they will also have plenty of space for the customer’s daily cleaning needs to avoid the trolley appearing too overcrowded.”

Appearance important He says the company uses a combination of metal and plastic parts to complement each other. “Blue and red are popular trolley colours, but we notice that some companies may use two or three different shades of blue or red on one trolley,” he said. “Instead of trying to match blues and reds, we substitute these with anthracite grey sections that are marked with colour-coded symbols.”

He says attractive trolleys are of particular importance to Hygienteknik’s northern European customers. “In Scandinavia we are able to sell more products on design and durability than in southern Europe, for example, where cost is the main focus,” he said.

Among the company’s latest products is the Activa Method Control System which incorporates a micro-computer that allows the operator to choose how much liquid to use with the mop.

According to Johansson, customers often

ask for bespoke trolleys adapted to their specific requirements. “Our philosophy is that the customer should be able to build the trolley they want,” he said. “Other customer requirements include compact design, a long life cycle and an article number for every component to allow them to easily order replacement parts.”

Marketing manager of Tecno Trolley System (TTS) Paola Zorzo says his company has observed an increasing interest in attractive trolleys across all customer segments.

“Nowadays everyone is looking for more attractive products since image is important for cleaning contractors and their customers, whether these are hotels, hospitals, schools or shopping centres,” he said. “Think about how a patient may feel when walking along a hospital corridor and seeing an ugly trolley, and than a smart one. The same applies to guests in a hotel or shoppers.”

The company uses colour, design and attention to detail to increase the attractiveness of its trolleys, says Zorzo. Lids and compartments are used to mask smells and unsightly contents. “With a growing emphasis on daytime cleaning, customers are increasingly demanding trolleys that look good – but they also want trolleys that are ergonomic, safe, hygienic, modular, durable, recyclable, easy to use, easy to keep clean, efficient and cost-saving."

Continued page 24 Noember 2012 ECJ

23

TROLLEY S YS TEMS

TTS’ Magic trolley is claimed to be the first multipurpose line of trolleys to be made completely of polypropylene. “This has a smart design and harmonious lines, and we can print with a four-colour process directly on the doors and sides of the trolley,” said Zorzo.

Aesthetics are also important to Crisp Clean Services customers according to international sales manager Judy Toes. “We have always understood the need for trolleys to be aesthetically pleasing, and along with the functionality and ergonomics of the trolley we have made aesthetics a key considerations during the design process,” she said.

Customers appreciate the provision of part or fully-enclosed storage, says Toes. “Over recent years the need for enclosed systems has increased, and our new Nipper Plus system offers secure storage and detachable enclosed units,” she said. Lids and heavy-duty plastic-coated waste sacks are also available for buckets in order to shield waste.

Tailored systems According to Toes many customers are seeking bespoke trolleys in order to be able to offer a unique system to their end customers.

“Tailoring systems can be as simple as adding accessories or components to a standard trolley base, or as extensive as manufacturing a completely different system based on the customer's individual requirements,” she said.

Crisp Clean Services offers a range of systems from simple singlebucket flat mopping systems to multifunction hygiene dosing trolleys that can carry many mops and segregate three different forms of waste.

According to Vermop product manager Petra Schmitt, an attractive design can be a key selling point for customers. “Professional equipment helps to build respect for the cleaner’s work and instil public confidence in a hygienic result,” she said. “It also helps our customers to build a professional image with their own clients.”

Among the latest trolleys from Vermop is the compact, modular Shopster which incorporates closed compartments for housing cleaning chemicals and textiles. Lids are available for most trolleys and buckets in the Vermop range. Schmitt says there are many other criteria that are of major importance to customers - priorities change not only from customer to customer, but also from engagement to engagement.

“Cost is often more important than design where short-term contracts are concerned,” says Schmitt. “Hygiene is crucial in hospitals and nursing homes, and here the customer will also require closed compartments and lockable functions to shield passers-by from chemicals and textiles. Compact design has always been important in more restricted environments where there are no cleaning cupboards, or where the trolley needs to be transported by lift.

“And sufficient space on a trolley is a major requirement in environments where large items of cleaning equipment plus supplies such as tissues, soap etc need to be accommodated.”

But she adds that the importance of aesthetics should not be underestimated. “Design is one of our all-time goals,” she said. “A well-designed trolley immediately makes the cleaning staff appear more professional. And many contract cleaners find that they can win contracts with an attractive cleaning system.”

L'objet principal d'un chariot de nettoyage est de transporter des produits de nettoyage et d'hygiène vers leur point d'utilisation.

Mais face à la pratique accrue du nettoyage de jour et à la protection de l'image de marque, les entreprises attendent aujourd'hui des chariots de nettoyage utilisés dans leurs locaux qu'ils soient pimpants et propres, pourvus de compartiments fermés pour les déchets disgracieux et de compartiments pour contenir les mauvaises odeurs.

24

ECJ November 2012

Der Hauptzweck eines Reinigungswagens ist das Transportieren von Reinigungsmaterialien und Hygieneprodukten an den Einsatzort. Mit einem zunehmendem Schwerpunkt auf die Reinigung während des Tages und das Firmenimage erwarten Unternehmen jedoch in zunehmendem Maße, dass die in ihren Gebäuden eingesetzten Reinigungswagen gepflegt und sauber aussehen. Das bedeutet auch, dass unansehnlicher Abfall und unangenehme Gerüche in geschlossenen Fächern und Behältern verborgen werden können.

Lo scopo principale di un carrello è quello di trasportare i materiali per le pulizie e i prodotti per l’igiene sul luogo dove devono essere usati. Ma, con l’enfasi sempre maggiore sulle pulizie effettuate di giorno e l’immagine aziendale, le imprese stanno iniziando a pretendere che i carrelli delle pulizie nelle loro sedi siano eleganti, puliti, con compartimenti chiusi per i rifiuti antiestetici e con dei coperchi per evitare che i cattivi odori contaminino l’aria.

PRODUCT S: TROLLEY S YS TEMS

For microfibre

Hygiene approach

Designed to improve hygiene levels in highly sensitive cleaning environments is the Microfibre Cart from Rubbermaid. This trolley features a high capacity, leak-proof waste bag, four colour-coded buckets and two organising boxes to assist the operator in organising microfibre equipment.

Thanks to its comfort grip handles, lightweight frame and four swivel castors the trolley is easy to manoeuvre. It also

Wetrok says its ConceptCar trolley with Wetbox system is an alternative to scrubber dryers for floor cleaning in healthcare applications. With Wetbox, cloths and mops are used only once for each area.

Hygiene has been the key consideration in the development of this system and Wetrok has launched a range of different tools for use with the ConceptCar and Wetbox.

Although it is compact in size

comes with various tool hooks for brooms and mops.

Microfibre Cart can be adapted and configured to suit various working environments, and for security it can be supplied with lockable compartments. www.rubbermaid.eu

it boasts a large capacity, with 20 per cent more storage room than other trolleys taking up a similar amount of floor space. www.wetrok.com

Art for hotels MagicArt is the range of hotel linen trolleys from TTS, available in a range of designs and colours. They can also be personalised to the hotel or chain.

The trolleys can be customised with lockable doors, drawers and components to maximise the available space. Made entirely from polypropylene, they have durability and can be recycled or disposed of safely. www.ttsystem.com

Certified recycled Mopping systems specialist Filmop is the first Italian manufacturer of cleaning products to achieve Plastic Second Life certification from the Institute for the Promotion of Recycled Plastics (IPPR). It has achieved this certification on a number of its wet mop trolley ranges.

These models are now certified PSV mix eco, which means they are made from virgin polypropylene and mixed recycled materials coming from the separate collection of rubbish. www.filmop.com • Le Microfibre Cart proposé par Rubbermaid est conçu pour une hygiène maximale dans des ambiances sensibles.

• Le chariot ConceptCar de Wetrok utilise le système de nettoyage des sols Wetbox à tissus et éponges à usage unique.

• MagicArt est une gamme de chariots de linge d'hôtel personnalisables produite par TTS. • Les chariots Fred, Orion et Vega, proposés par Filmop sont certifiés fabriqués en mélange écologique PSV (Plastic Second Life).

• Der Microfibre Cart von Rubbermaid wurde zur Einhaltung optimaler Hygiene in empfindlichen Umgebungen konzipiert.

• Der Reinigungswagen ConceptCar von Wetrok ist mit dem Wetbox-System zur Fußbodenreinigung ausgestattet: Mopps und Tücher werden nur einmal verwendet und dann entsorgt.

• MagicArt ist die Produktreihe mit Wagen für Hotelwäsche von TTS, die angepasst und personalisiert werden können.

• Die Reinigungswagen Fred, Orion und Vega von Filmop sind mit dem Zertifikat Plastic Second Life (PSV) Mix Eco ausgezeichnet.

• Microfibre Cart della Rubbermaid è progettato per ottenere altissimi livelli di igiene negli ambienti dove ciò è molto importante.

• Il carrello ConceptCar della Wetrok è dotato del sistema Wetbox per lavare i pavimenti: i mop e i panni vengono usati solo una volta e poi gettati via.

• MagicArt è la gamma di carrelli per la biancheria degli hotel prodotti dalla TTS e che possono essere prodotti su misura e personalizzati.

• I carrelli Fred, Orion e Vega della Filmop sono certificati Plastic Second Life (PSV) Mix Eco.

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ECJ November 2012

PRODUCT S: TROLLEY S YS TEMS

New generation

Tackling emergencies

Reflex Systems has developed a new generation microfibre trolley incorporating EVA plastic storage products and waterproof welded. The company says Nano is designed for use with the ProS Q mopping system, which requires only small con-

Contico Manufacturing has developed a new and expanded range of compact, lightweight, multipurpose trolleys designed to tackle emergency spillages in a wide range of environments including supermarkets, high street retail outlets and catering establishments.

The trol leys come complete with buckets and wringer and, depending on the model selected, also include clip-on hanging hooks, mop handle holder, rear plastic sack holder and swivel castors for ease of movement. www.conticospraychem.com

tainers for its pre-impregnated microfibre cloths. This means it can be very compact in size.

The push-button swivels make assembly of the waste bag frame and adjusting push-bar simple the trolley can be assembled in seconds says Reflex. Nano is also supplied in a compact box that is 50 per cent smaller than that needed for earlier models, saving on transport costs. www.reflexsystems.net

Next edition of ECJ February/March 2013 - celebrates 20 years of European Cleaning Journal. Register now for your copy, at www.europeancleaning journal.com

Flexible and secure Crisp Clean Services' latest trolley range is Nipper Plus, a modular system around a stainless steel base that offers enclosed secure storage, detachable enclosed units and a wide assortment of accessories.

The modular construction means it can be adapted and

updated for improved efficiency and productivity.

Other trolleys in the company's line-up include i-Press - a compact solution for small areas - Hytech and Ringo for flat mop presses and the Solo damp mopping solution. www.crispclean.co.uk

• Le chariot ProS Q de la société Reflex s'assemble en quelques secondes, sans outils, et présente plus de compacité que les versions antérieures.

• Contico Manufacturing a lancé une gamme étendue de chariots légers, compacts et polyvalents.

• Crisp Clean Services a introduit le système de chariot de nettoyage modulaire en acier inoxydable Nipper Plus.

• Der Reinigungswagen ProS Q von Reflex kann in wenigen Sekunden ohne Werkzeug montiert werden und ist kompakter als frühere Ausführungen.

• Contico Manufacturing hat ein erweitertes Sortiment mit kompakten, leichten Mehrzweckwagen vorgestellt.

• Nipper Plus ist das neueste Reinigungswagensystem von Crisp Clean Services, es ist modular und aus Edelstahl gefertigt.

• Il carrello ProS Q della Reflex può essere assemblato in pochi secondi senza uso di alcun attrezzo ed è più compatto delle versioni precedenti.

• La Contico Manufacturing ha introdotto una gamma ampliata di carrelli compatti, leggeri e moltiuso.

• Il nuovo prodotto della Crisp Clean Services è Nipper Plus, il sistema di carrelli modulari costruiti in acciaio inossidabile.

November 2012 ECJ

27

ENGINEERING: AIRBLADE

Pushing boundaries W

hen it was launched in 2006 the Dyson Airblade caused a real stir in the world of hand dryers. Its appearance was modern and exciting, it worked in a radically different way to traditional models and for the user it was a brand new experience.

Behind the Airblade’s groundbreaking design was a team of engineers at Dyson in the UK, a company previously best known in the consumer business for its innovative vacuum cleaner technology. Marcus Hartley is the design manager for the Airblade – he has been with Dyson for eight years and the hand dryer was the first project he worked on. He explained how the idea first came about.

“We had some good existing technology on the shelf in our DDM, the Dyson Digital Motor,” he said. “We generally try to find the best uses for our technology and up until then this motor had been used mainly in our floor care products. However the fact it is very small, hygienic, runs at a massive speed and has significant blowing force makes it ideal for hand drying.”

In those early stages of development the Dyson engineers also investigated how to remove water from surfaces, including hands, at high speeds. “In our experience many of the existing options on the market were poor,” Hartley points out.

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ECJ November 2012

Have you ever wondered where the ideas for new products come from? Or how they are designed, engineered, prototyped and launched as finished articles? ECJ editor Michelle Marshall visited Dyson, the company that launched the groundbreaking Airblade hand dryer, to talk exclusively to its design manager about how the product came about.

“So our brief was to design a machine that dries hands, is completely hygienic and energy efficient. And very importantly, it had to have a clear benefit over the competition – that is a key requirement of any new product introduced by Dyson.”

So once the team had decided what product it wanted to design, it set about carrying out a programme of research. The engineers worked with many hand hygiene experts, for example, in the quest to determine exactly what is a dry hand. “That was our biggest challenge,” Hartley goes on, “understanding how to dry hands. There is no acknowledged standard so we had to develop our own methods of testing.

“Our research led us to conclude that to achieve a dry hand, men will usually wait for 13-14 seconds, whereas women will wait for only 10-11 seconds. So we were aim-

ing for a 10-second dry with our new dryer.

Hand dryers had not changed in decades so we very much wanted to drive the technology forward.”

Various disciplines Designing a product like the Airblade involved using expertise from a number of engineering disciplines. The design engineers did the drawing and initial testing of the key elements; the motors engineers took care of the motor; electronics engineers worked to ensure the Airblade could be touch-free; fluid engineers made sure the airflow was correct; test engineers checked for endurance; and the acoustical engineering team established the machine made the right tones.

So having established the design of the new hand dryer, the Dyson team began to

ENGINEERING: AIRBLADE

in dryer engineering making all the decisions about resourcing the project as it went forward because there were concerns about IP so he wanted to keep all information within a tight team.”

After 12 months between 50 and 60 prototypes had been made and the engineering team was convinced by then that the Airblade was a viable product. Hartley explains the next stages. “We were being truly challenged by the motor. The Dyson motor is one of the first to be truly brushless and it runs at 90,000 rpm, which is 10-15 times faster than a car. It’s also producing hundreds of G-forces, which presents various technical challenges in that there is a real explosion risk.

“This meant we had to select the materials for parts extremely carefully. We finally settled on PEEK (Polyetheretherketone), a high-temperature plastic with outstanding mechanical properties. At that time it was only being used by Formula One and the United States Air Force - so a highly specialised material.

“That was a big moment for the team, when we overcame that particular obstacle. We could have used an alternative material but that would have meant compromise on performance and speed – for us that was not an option because we had such exacting expectations for the Airblade.”

As with the design of any new product, the engineering team can often feel as if it’s taking one step forward, then five steps back. At Dyson it was no different with the Airblade.

“Our motor technology is our biggest challenge and our biggest success,” Hartley explains. “Motor development is key to our business and we make all our own. The philosophy is that if we own every part used in our products, they are more difficult to copy.”

Airblade structure make prototypes. The company has its own inhouse facilities to construct prototypes using SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) rapid prototyping. Three-dimensional parts are created by fusing (or sintering) powdered thermoplastic materials with the heat from an infrared laser beam.

The object’s creation is accomplished by repeatedly fusing thin powder layers using a laser beam. This additive manufacturing sequence produces parts that gradually increase in size until they reach the prescribed dimensions. These prototypes are created directly from 3D CAD models.

“The first Airblade prototype looked completely different from the finished product,”

says Hartley. “We usually factor in a 24-month cycle from the point when we determine what we want to produce to the market launch. It actually took three years to develop the first Airblade and the motor took five years.” The motor team worked on that separately and it has dual use in one of the vacuum cleaners.

Throughout the process regular reviews are carried out. “Every three to four months we reach what we call a ‘milestone’ which gives us sign-off for more resource to take the project forward,” Hartley continues. “In the first stages of the Airblade’s design only the engineers and the founder/owner James Dyson knew about it – it was top secret. Dyson himself was

The distinctive appearance of the Airblade is now a familiar sight in public washrooms around the world, but why does it look the way it does and how is its appearance vital to its operation?

At the bottom of the casing there is an air inlet, then a HEPA filter – air flows through at 37 litres per second. The air goes over the electronic components of the Airblade to keep them cool, and it is massively compressed so it exits extremely fast and very hot. Acoustic modifications help to silence the motor and keep the noise level as low as possible.

Air then travels into the expansion cavity then the duct. This directs airflow to what’s Continued page 30 November 2012 ECJ

29

ENGINEERING: AIRBLADE

known as the ‘knife’ – the thin blade of air that actually dries the hands. The air is straightened within the duct so that when it hits the knife it is essentially a sheet. It’s then ejected from a slot just 0.3 mm wide.

The size of that slot was another significant challenge for the design team, Hartley explains.

“The size of it was determined by acoustics and the drying time. However it took us four months to understand how to make that gap because we had to find a material that was stable when moulded and fitted all aspects of our specification.

“Again we sourced a special material, a Bulk Moulding Compound (BMC).” Injection moulding of BMC is used to produce complex components such as electrical equipment and housings for electrical appliances.

Dyson is renowned for the distinctive design element of all its products – so are aesthetics and appearance the primary consideration when developing something new? As Hartley explains, it’s very much the opposite. “It’s the function and workings of any machine that drives our development, not the design,” he emphasises.

First for commercial market “With the Airblade that wasn’t any different. Every aspect of the shape and form is the way it is because of what’s inside the casing.

Above all the casing has been designed to be tough and durable – very much an engineering-driven decision.”

The Airblade was actually the first product Dyson had designed for use in the commercial market, an entirely new experience for the engineering team. In fact an entirely new division was set up for it. “For the first time we had to take into consideration that one of our products was going to be used in hightraffic washrooms where it would encounter heavy use, and perhaps even abuse,” explains Hartley. “That meant design for robustness Quels sont les processus qui interviennent dans la conception et l'ingénierie d'un produit tout nouveau, puis dans son lancement sur le marché ? Michelle Marshall, rédactrice en chef d'ECJ, s'entretient avec l'ingénieur responsable de la création du sèchemains Dyson Airblade de la genèse de ce produit pionnier.

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ECJ November 2012

and long life was paramount. For example the ABS plastic used in the casing is the same as that used in riot shields.”

The Airblade was also subject to water ingress tests under the IP Code (Ingress Protection Rating). Products are rated as to the degree of protection provided against the intrusion of solid objects (including body parts like hands and fingers), dust, accidental contact and water in mechanical casing and with electrical enclosures.

Har tley explained that the Airblade has achieved IPX level five liquid ingress protection. “This means it is basically waterproof and has reached the appropriate standard for an electrical appliance that is sited in a washroom.”

The smoothly designed seals on the Airblade casing were incorporated to ensure there are no crevices or cracks where bacteria and dirt could build up. “This helped us with HACCP rating.”

With the prototyping finished, the testing of the Airblade started. Most of that work was carried out in-house, again because Dyson was keen to keep the project top secret until the launch. The test engineers ran the machine for 24 hours a day and struck it hard for very long periods to simulate abuse it may encounter in away-from-home washrooms.

The team also created some models of the

Welche Prozesse müssen bei der Gestaltung und Entwicklung eines brandneuen Produkts sowie der anschließenden Markteinführung durchlaufen werden? ECJRedakteurin Michelle Marshall unterhält sich mit dem Chefingenieur des Dyson Airblade Handtrockners über den Werdegang dieses bahnbrechenden Produkts.

Quali sono i procedimenti relativi al design e alla progettazione di un nuovo prodotto e al suo successivo lancio sul mercato? Michelle Marshall, redattrice di ECJ, intervista l’ingegnere capo di Dyson Airblade per scoprire come è nata l’idea di questo prodotto rivoluzionario.

hands of ‘Mr Average’ based on measurements taken from all the staff on the Dyson UK site.

This enabled 24 hour testing of the actual drying process.

“This testing continually brought up other issues to be tackled,” continues Hartley.

“Development goes on at all points of the process, even this late stage. For example, we found out more about how the properties of the casing material changed with abuse, use of cleaning chemicals etc.”

There must come a point when the design phase ends, when the engineering team is content that the product is ready to be introduced to the market. For Dyson, that meant Airblade left the UK headquarters and was transferred to the company’s factory in Malaysia in order to be put into full production.

“This presented a whole new set of challenges,” says Hartley. “Because making prototypes is fairly simple compared to taking an entirely new machine into mass production.

There may have been small adjustments to the Airblade at that stage but essentially design stopped when it left the UK site.”

Motors for the Airblade are produced in Singapore while Malaysia is home to injection moulding and assembling of the hand dryer.

As we all now know, the launch of Airblade was a resounding success – this was a product that really prompted the market to look at hand dryers in an entirely new way. And it currently has over 60 patents or patents pending for the current model.

For Marcus Hartley and his team, however, it does not stop there. As soon as the first Airblade was launched, they were looking ahead. There’s more to come from Airblade, he says, but of course for the moment it’s all top secret. So watch this space!

PULL’N DRY MINI

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Now, we are introducing our 2 brand new, compact, hand roll towel dispensers: PULL’N DRY MINI (mini Autocut) and TEAR’N DRY MINI (mini and “No-Touch”).

Probably the smallest dispensers on the market!

To learn more on our compact products and their efficiency, please visit HYPROM.COM

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HIS TORY OF HYGIENE

Why wash our hands?

T he awareness of hand hygiene goes much further back in history than we may imagine. Jewish philosopher and physician Moses ben Maimon – having read the works of Hippocrates and Galen – taught and practiced medicine in Egypt. In 1199 he wrote the Mishneh Torah, a code of Jewish religious law, which included a chapter devoted to the principles of hygiene. In that chapter ben Maimon said: “Never forget to wash your hands after having touched a sick person.”

Ben Maimon’s principles were then completely ignored for many centuries, and there was no real progress in hand hygiene until the 19th century. Records show that in 1825 a French pharmacist stated physicians and other persons attending patients with contagious diseases would benefit from moistening their hands with a liquid chloride solution.

Dur ing the 19th centur y women in childbirth were dying at alarming rates in Europe and the USA. In fact up to 25 per cent of women who delivered their babies in hospitals died from childbed fever (puerperal sepsis), later found to be caused by Streptococcus pyogenes bacteria.

In 1843 Dr Oliver Wendell Holmes, working in the US, advocated handwashing to prevent childbed fever. Holmes was horrified by the prevalence in American hospitals of the fever, which he believed to be an infectious disease passed to pregnant women by the hands of doctors. He recommended that a physician finding two cases of the disease in his practice within a short time should remove himself from obstetrical duty for a month. Holmes' ideas were greeted with disdain by many physicians of the time.

Meanwhile in 1846, the importance of hand hygiene in hospital settings was being recognised for the first time in Europe. While assisting on a maternity ward in Vienna Hungarian Dr Ignaz Semmelweis noticed expectant mothers in his care shared a terror of being looked after by medical students on the ward rather than by a midwife.

Their fear was justified: the death rate from childbed fever was three times higher among the women whose babies were delivered by the students.

Dr Semmelweis then realised something else. The medical students were coming into the maternity suite straight from the pathology unit where they had been dissecting bodies for their studies. And they were not washing their hands before delivering the babies.

It w as a ‘eurek a’ moment f or Dr Semmelweis. He knew he had discovered

In the fourth part of our special series looking back at the history of hygiene, ECJ focuses on hand hygiene. When did we as human beings realise the value of washing our hands, and how did we become aware that clean hands play such a vital role in stopping and preventing the spread of infection? something important, and immediately instigated a handwashing programme at the hospital. He was fairly sure that infections were being carried from the dead to the living via the hands of the medical staff, and he insisted that anyone examining a woman in labour should wash their hands with a chlorinated solution first.

Resistance among doctors And the results spoke for themselves. The mortality rate in April 1847 was 18.3 per cent, hand washing was instituted mid-May, the rates in June were 2.2 per cent, July 1.2 per cent, August 1.9 per cent and, for the first time the death rate was zero in two months in the year following this discovery.

Semmelweis lectured publicly about his results in 1850, however, the reception by the medical community was cold, if not outright hostile. His observations went against the current scientific opinion of the time, which blamed diseases on an imbalance of the ‘basic humours’ in the body. It was also argued that even if his findings were correct, washing one's hands each time before treating a pregnant woman, as Semmelweis advised, would be too much work. Nor were doctors eager to admit that they had caused so many deaths!

Semmelweis spent 14 years developing

his ideas and lobbying for their acceptance, culminating in a book he wrote in 1861. The book received poor reviews, and he continued fighting the establishment vehemently.

In 1865 he suffered a nervous breakdown and was committed to an asylum where he soon died. Only after Dr Semmelweis' death was the germ theory of disease developed, and he is now recognised as a pioneer of antiseptic policy and prevention of nosocomial (hospital-acquired) disease.

Perhaps the whole concept of handwashing seemed odd at the time. The lack of indoor plumbing made it difficult to get water. In order to make the water comfortably warm, it would have to be heated over a fire. Besides, contact with water was associated with diseases such as malaria and typhoid fever. It is difficult for us to imagine doctors being so resistant to what we now consider common practice. But the resistance continued.

In the 1870's in France, one hospital was called the House of Crime because of the alarming number of new mothers dying of childbed fever within its confines. In 1879 at a seminar at the Academy of Medicine in Paris, a noted speaker stood at the podium and cast doubt on the spread of disease through the hands. An outraged member Continued page 34 November 2012 ECJ

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HIS TORY OF HYGIENE

of the audience felt compelled to protest.

He shouted at the speaker: "The thing that kills women with [childbirth fever]... is you doctors that carry deadly microbes from sick women to healthy ones."

That man was Louis Pasteur, who of course contributed to the germ theory of disease.

He was a tireless advocate of hand hygiene but his efforts too were met with scepticism.

In 1910 American doctor Josephine Baker established a hand hygiene programme for childcare providers in New York. This resulted in the city’s mayor being lobbied by 30 doctors who protested that Dr Baker was ruining their livelihood by keeping babies well.

Eventually, however, the message about hand hygiene was taken seriously and in 1961 the US Public Health Service produced a training film that demonstrated handwashing techniques recommended for use by healthcare workers. At the time recommendations directed that staff wash their hands with soap and water for between one Dans la dernière partie de notre série exclusive sur l'histoire de l'hygiène, nous nous concentrons sur l'hygiène des mains. Quand et où les humains ont-ils découvert les dangers présentés par des mains contaminées, et comment les méthodes de lavage et de désinfection des mains ont-elles évolué ?

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ECJ November 2012

and two minutes before and after patient contact. Rinsing hands with an antiseptic agent was believed to be less effective than handwashing and was recommended only in emergencies or in areas where sinks were unavailable.

Necessary for all of us The rest, as they say, is history. Hand hygiene is now universally acknowledged as a necessary practice for all of us – and for those in the healthcare and food industries it is absolutely vital. Handwashing is recognised as being the single most important means of preventing the spread of infection and foodborne illness.

In 2009 this was recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) when it launched its annual global campaign Clean Your Hands – an initiative aimed at supporting healthcare workers to improve hand hygiene in that sector. A key element was the Five Moments for Hand Hygiene guidance, which defines

Im letzten Teil unserer exklusiven Serie zur Geschichte der Hygiene behandeln wir die Handhygiene. Wann und wie entdeckten die Menschen erstmals die Gefahren, die von verschmutzten Händen ausgehen, und wie haben sich die Methoden zur Handreinigung und -desinfektion entwickelt?

Nell’ultima parte della nostra serie esclusiva sulla storia dell’igiene parliamo dell’igiene delle mani.

Quando e come l’uomo ha scoperto per la prima volta i pericoli che presentavano le mani contaminate, come le lavavano e come si sono evoluti i metodi per disinfettarle?

the key processes for healthcare workers cleaning their hands, in clear and uncomplicated language.

And yet recent studies and reports indicate that lack of improper handwashing still contributes significantly to disease transmission in all parts of our society. While we are all potentially at risk of contracting hand-transmitted illnesses, one-third of our population is especially vulnerable, including pregnant women, children, old people, and those with weakened immune systems.

It would be reasonable to assume that hospitals have come closest to addressing this issue and while the situation has no doubt improved in recent years, fundamental problems surrounding hand hygiene still exist. And it’s not just hospitals where handwashing is important. A recent study focusing on infectious diseases in children states that improper or infrequent handwashing continues to be a major factor in the spread of disease in daycare.

These shortfalls in hand hygiene are surprising. In Europe we nearly all now have hot running water and many different antimicrobial hand soaps to choose from. If all of us paid more attention to how we clean and sanitise our hands many lives could be saved, illnesses prevented and hundreds of millions of euros saved every year.

HAND HYGIENE

Antimicrobials safe ingredients?

A

ccording to scientists at Arizona State University in the USA ingredients from hand sanitisers are filtering into water reserves – with a potential impact on the environment, wildlife and people. Researchers analysed fresh water sources in the state of Minnesota and found widespread evidence of the presence of both Triclosan and Triclocarban – both active ingredients commonly found in antimicrobial soaps.

Experts traced the products from homes to sewers to wastewater treatment plants and eventually downstream into natural waterways. Both Triclocarban and Triclosan have been scrutinised by public health bodies in the past over concerns about their impact on environmental and public health.

Professor Rolf Halden, director of environmental security at Arizona State University's Biodesign Institute, said: "This study underscores the extent to which additives of antimicrobial consumer products are polluting freshwater environments in the US."

A recent US study shows the increased use of hand sanitisers is having a knock-on effect on our lakes and rivers, with ingredients like Triclocarban and Triclosan coming under increased scrutiny for their impact on environmental and public health. ECJ takes a closer look at these ingredients, their potential risks when used in hand hygiene products, and the possible alternatives.

The Food and Drug Administration in the US has previously claimed that research shows "valid concerns" about Triclosan including the risk that it can disrupt the body's endocrine system and help create bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics.

Bearing all this in mind, just how concerned should we be about the ingredients being used in antimicrobial soaps? All hand hygiene focus in recent years has been on killing of bacteria and prevention of infection following numerous scares worldwide, but at what cost?

In an effort to determine just which ingredients give cause for concern, ECJ spoke to

Dr John Hines, research and development director for Deb Group in the UK, which has a long history in workplace hand hygiene.

“It’s actually not always easy to determine what concerns to take seriously,” he begins, “because at some stage concerns are raised about most of the ingredients being used today. And navigating those concerns within R&D is quite difficult.

“As a company producing antimicrobial soaps and hand sanitisers, if we were sensitive to all of the concerns being raised by various studies we’d run out of ingredients to use. At the other end of the scale we could Continued page 36 November 2012 ECJ

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HAND HYGIENE

take the view that we would use anything that’s legally allowed.”

Hines continues: “The problem with that is legislation can take time to catch up with information becoming available so at Deb we have chosen to sit somewhere in the middle.

Ultimately we want to use ingredients that are proved to be safe.”

One ingredient that is giving genuine cause for concern is Triclosan. Although it is certified for use within the US and Europe, there is scientific evidence to suggest that it does affect marine life. That evidence is now so strong that there will be legislation in Europe whereby products containing Triclosan above certain levels will have to be labelled as being an environmental hazard.

Triclosan is what’s known as a phenolic biocide in that it inhibits the metabolic pathway common to many bacteria and stops them converting food to energy – kills them off in effect. “For many years it was viewed as being completely safe. It is not toxic to humans, it has low skin irritation potential,” Hines explains. In the wider environment it is implicated as an oestrogen mimic and inhibitor of photosynthesis.

“It is acutely toxic to many types of aquatic species, and it can also bioaccumulate because it does not get metabolised by many species. It can exist without problem at low levels in algae, for example, but as it gets higher up the food chain it starts to accumulate and multiply. And at those higher levels there is higher toxicity.”

Bioaccumulation refers to the accumulation of substances, such as pesticides, or other organic chemicals in an organism.

Bioaccumulation occurs when an organism absorbs a toxic substance at a rate greater than that at which the substance is lost.

“So for fish and higher species the concern is hormone balance disruption,” Hines goes on. “In certain fish, for example, this could mean imbalances in sexes so whole species become unbalanced – potentially resulting in disruption of populations.

“This may sound catastrophic but we must bear in mind that scientists are always looking for very small impacts. It must be put into context. However we also must examine the ethics of whether it’s right for us as humans to use an ingredient that could have such an impact on our marine life. Triclosan is, after all, a powerful ingredient – it’s designed to Une étude récente aux États-Unies montre que l'usage accru de désinfectants pour les mains se répercutre sur les lacs et cours d'eau, où des ingrédients tels que du triclocarban et du triclosan ont été détectés et font l'objet d'un examen plus intense pour en déterminer les incidences sur la santé environnementale et publique. ECJ examine ces ingrédients, leurs risques éventuels lorsqu'ils sont employés dans des produits de désinfection des mains, et les alternatives possibles.

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ECJ November 2012

kill microbes.”

Another group of potentially problematic ingredients come under the term Quats (Quaternary Ammonium Chlorides), which are used mainly in antimicrobial soap products. “Quats do not carry any risk of disrupting the environment, however various types of bacteria have developed resistance to them,” Hines explains.

Antibiotic resistance risk “They are also very persistent on hands, which means over time users can end up with effectively a ‘layer’ on their skin. Inevitably some people would be at risk of skin irritation, perhaps contact dermatitis.”

CHG, or Chlorhexidine gluconate, is a chemical antiseptic ef fective on both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria – although to a lesser extent on Gramnegative. Used widely in mouth rinses and skin cleansers, CHG is used mainly in antimicrobials and alcohol-free sanitisers. It does have other limitations in that it can be slower acting than some other ingredients.

Known to be harmful in high concentrations, various scientific papers have reported complications with low level exposure too.

Amid the endless scientific reports raising concerns about various ingredients used in hand hygiene products, Deb has established a definite strategy in the development of new formulations. “We will focus on using ingredients that do not kill microbes through a pharmacological reaction,” explains Hines.

That is, an interaction that occurs between a living organism and a chemical that affects normal or abnormal biochemical function.

“We prefer to work with ingredients that act through a mechanical action, which is where alcohol and hydrogen peroxide come in. We are steering clear of metabolic/pharmacological actives.”

As a company Deb is unhappy about the controversial ingredients mentioned above being used in products that are left on the hands – namely hand sanitisers that are not rinsed off. “There is a risk of sensitisation over time and it will be a lifelong risk once it has happened,” adds Hines.

“There is also a very real risk of resistance to antibiotics with the antimicrobial ingredients now being widely used. It’s far less likely that a bacterium would developed a resistance to alcohol, for example, because

Eine kürzlich in den USA durchgeführte Studie hat ergeben, dass die vermehrte Nutzung von Händedesinfektionsmitteln einen Dominoeffekt auf unsere Seen und Flüsse ausübt. Dabei wird die Auswirkung von Bestandteilen wie Triclocarban und Triclosan auf die Umwelt und die öffentliche Gesundheit strengeren Prüfungen unterzogen. Das ECJ betrachtet diese Bestandteile genauer, ihre potenziellen Risiken bei der Verwendung in Händedesinfektionsmitteln und die möglichen Alternativen.

Un recente studio effettuato negli Stati Uniti rivela che l’uso sempre maggiore di sanitizzanti per le mani sta avendo un effetto domino sui laghi e sui fiumi, con ingredienti come il triclocarban e il triclosano che passano attraverso uno scrutinio sempre più severo per il loro impatto su ambiente e salute pubblica.

ECJ prende in esame gli ingredienti, i loro potenziali rischi quando vengono usati nei sanitizzanti per le mani e le alternative possibili.

alcohol literally blows the cell up.”

With the launch of its latest hand hygiene soap, OxyBac, Deb has used Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide (AHP) technology to reach what Hines describes as “a similar stage of risk with antimicrobial soaps to that reached with alcohol in sanitisers”.

Hydrogen peroxide is non-specific, so far less likely to develop a resistance than more traditional ingredients, says Hines. It boasts broad efficacy, has passed clinical testing, is proven to be non-irritating and contains no chemicals of concern. And because it breaks down to water and oxygen there should be no environmental impact.

“Of course many customers still remain unconvinced about the use of hydrogen peroxide in a hand soap because of its association with bleach and hair dye,” Hines explains. “It’s also used widely in wound care and surface disinfection at fairly high levels.

“This formula we have developed, however uses much lower levels of hydrogen peroxide and enables them to be more effective thanks to our work with Virox – the company we developed the technology with.”

Challenging for manufacturers While consumers may find it difficult to make the right choices about their hand hygiene formulations, for manufacturers too the situation remains challenging. “Ideally we manufacturers would like the regulators to work far more quickly so we could know for sure exactly what’s safe and what’s not,” says Hines. “I would like legislation to go deeper and offer us more guidance.

“Hand hygiene products must be made from ingredients that are safe, non-toxic, with no potential for sensitisation or resistance. From our point of view the best options now are alcohol and hydrogen peroxide.”

As far as the end user is concerned, Hines says they can only really rely on manufacturers’ claims and statements. “The most important feature of an antimicrobial is efficacy of course – above 99.9 per cent is usually quoted. It’s also vital to look at the breadth of kill that’s being claimed – for example Grampositive and Gram-negative bacteria, mould etc. And of course it must meet all European norms for this category of products.

“Users should also expect to see the manufacturer making some statement about safety etc, and the environmental profile of its products. And in food and healthcare, they should certainly be considering bacterial resistance. Any ingredients that have a metabolic action will carry the potential for resistance.”

In conclusion Hines says: “Another aspect that must not be forgotten of course is how pleasant the product is to use, because if staff are happy to use their hand hygiene product, it encourages compliance, which in turn drives up hygiene standards.”

ellipse

Bringing a splash of colour to your washroom

The new integrated and modular range from Kennedy Hygiene Products The Ellipse range has been designed to offer various customisation options to suit a wide range of washroom environments. The elliptic insert is available in 8 different colours and graphics to open up new visual possibilities for the range.

www.kennedy-hygiene.com

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PRODUCT S: HAND HYGIENE

Facilitating hygiene SCA Hygiene Products says its Tork foam soaps are designed to put good hand hygiene within easy reach of everyone. They have been formulated to make handwashing easy and the dis-

free of Triclosan which has been technical l y endorsed

by Microban.

The range - consisting of a foam instant hand sanitiser, a handwash, a hand lotion and a barrier cream - offers up to 99.9999 per cent bacteria kill within 15 seconds.

The alcohol-free formulation, says EcoHydra, does not dry, crack or damage the skin - it is actually designed to maintain the skin's integrity. www.ecohydra.com

Full product cycle penser is designed to allow even those who struggle with regular push-button systems, including young children, to access soap.

Its Ele vation foam soap dispenser has now been given the stamp of approval by the Swedish Rheumatism Association.

Designed for environments where good hand hygiene is critical is Tork Antimicrobial Foam Cleanser which contains 40 per cent ethanol. This means it destroys bacteria, viruses and fungi while its moisturising ingredients enable it to be used for frequent handwashing. www.sca.com

Lowest cost Omnicare is the latest hand hygiene system from Dreumex, featuring a touch-free dispenser and specially designed cartridges. The company says its key features are low cost per hand wash, easy snap-in cartridges and sustainability.

The dispenser provides a measured dose of foam soap, hygienic foam, alcohol spray, foam hand cleanser, protection and reconditioning creams.

There is just one unit for the whole hand care range. www.dreumex.com

Costing less EcoHydra h a s d e v e l o p e d a range of alcohol-free hand hygiene products that are also

Vendor's IQ Towel Cabinet is a closed system for hand drying using continuous paper towels. Suitable for use in healthcare applications, the cabinet's Premium Hygiene cassette prevents transmission of bacteria says the company.

Premium towel cassettes are only available with a Hook & Loop connection and will fit all IQ Towel cabinets.

They contain Actipro, a probiotic product that adds more hygienic action to the cassettes.

The standard continuous towel cabinet can be used for paper and cotton consumables and guarantees availability of hand drying for washroom users at all times. www.vendorinternational.com

properties of aloe vera, lavender and chamomile, it is effective against MRSA, E.coli, salmonella and flu viruses. www.phs.co.uk/washrooms

Drying vital The European Tissue Paper Industry Association (ETS) represents the majority of tissue paper producers throughout Europe. It promotes the use of single use paper towels in hand drying, arguing they offer the most hygienic performance.

ETS says scientific studies conclude the bacteria that remain in the residual moisture left after washing hands are most effectively removed by paper towels. This is because paper towels have high absorption capacity and the friction generated by rubbing them against the hands facilitates the transmission of bacteria. www.europeantissue.com

Best handwash?

Occupational skin care specialist Deb Group has launched what it claims to be the safest and most effective antibacterial handwash for use in any food handling, general workplace, public facility or social care environment where higher standards of hand hygiene are required.

Moisturising foam The No-Germs alcohol-free hand hygiene formulation from PHS Washrooms is available as a handwash or sanitiser.

The moisturising foam handwa sh is for washrooms and kills 99.9 per cent of bacteria.

Fo r a r e a s where access to soap and water is not available there is hand sanitiser, which can be supplied in a two-litre dispenser or a 25 ml bottle. Suitable for frequent use thanks to the moisturising

OxyBAC combines Deb Foam Technology with Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide (AHP) to create a patented non-ionic surfactant based rich-cream foam that addresses the concerns of all existing biocidal actives Deb says.

The active power of OxyBAC is hydrogen peroxide which, unlike all other biocidal actives, simply breaks down into water and oxygen after use with no environmental or human toxicological impact. www.debgroup.com

• Les savons mousse Tork proposés par SCA rendent l'hygiène sûre des mains à la portée de tout un chacun.

• L'Omnicare, de la société Dreumex, est un nouveau distributeur sans contact capable de recevoir du savon mousse, du désinfectant pour les mains, du nettoyant pour les mains, et des crèmes de protection ou de reconditionnement.

• EcoHydra a mis au point une gamme de gels et de liquides sans alcool pour les mains qui sont également exempts de Triclosan.

• L'armoire à serviettes IQ signée Vendor est un système clos de séchage des mains utilisant des serviettes en papier.

• PHS Washrooms offre sa formule sans alcool No-Germs pour s'utiliser comme lavage main ou désinfectant.

• The European Tissue Paper Industry Association (ETS) affirme que l'usage de serviettes en papier constitue le moyen le plus efficace et hygiénique de s'essuyer les mains.

• Deb Group a lancé l'OxyBAC, un savon antibactérien pour le lavage des mains particulièrement sûr et efficace.

• Die Tork Schaumseifen von SCA wurden so konzipiert, dass gute Handhygiene für alle leicht zu erreichen ist.

• Omnicare von Dreumex ist ein neuer berührungsloser Spender, der für Schaumseife, Händedesinfektionsmittel, Handreiniger, Schutz- und Pflegecremes geeignet ist.

• EcoHydra hat eine Reihe von Handgels und- flüssigkeiten entwickelt, die nicht nur alkoholfrei, sondern auch frei von Triclosan sind.

• Der IQ Handtuchspender von Vendor ist ein geschlossenes System zur Händetrocknung mit Papierhandtüchern.

• PHS Washrooms bietet die alkoholfreie Handformel No-Germs als Handreiniger und als Händedesinfektionsmittel an.

• Die European Tissue Paper Industry Association (ETS) teilt mit, dass Papierhandtücher die effektivste und hygienischste Methode der Händetrocknung sind.

• Deb Group hat OxyBAC eingeführt, bei dem es sich laut eigenen Angaben um den sichersten und wirkungsvollsten antibakteriellen Handreiniger handelt.

• I saponi in schiuma Tork prodotti dalla SCA sono progettati per mettere la buona igiene delle mani a portata di mano di tutti.

• Omnicare della Dreumex è un nuovo dispenser senza impulsi manuali in grado di erogare sapone in schiuma, sanitizzante per mani, detergente per mani, creme protettive o rigeneranti.

• La EcoHydra ha sviluppato una gamma di gel e liquidi per le mani che non contengono nè alcool nè Triclosan.

• Il distributore di asciugamani IQ della Vendor è un sistema chiuso per asciugare le mani utilizzando asciugamani in carta.

• La PHS Washrooms propone la sua formula senza alcool No-Germs da usare sia come detergente per mani che come sanitizzante per mani.

• L’associazione European Tissue Paper Industry Association (ETS) afferma che gli asciugamani in carta sono il metodo più efficace ed igienico per asciugare le mani.

• La Deb Group ha lanciato OxyBAC e afferma che si tratta del detergente per mani antibatterico più efficace e più sicuro.

November 2012 ECJ

39

PRODUCT S: HAND HYGIENE

• Hyprom a créé une gamme compacte de distributeurs pour l'hygiène des mains, dont deux pour serviettes déroulantes.

• CWS-boco propose un assortiment de distributeurs de savon liquide et à mousse, et des distributeurs de serviettes en coton.

• Plusieurs gammes de serviettes en papier produites par Metsä Tissues sont désormais proposées sous le nouvel emballage à poignée Katrin.

• Hyprom hat ein Sortiment mit kompakten Spendern für die Handhygiene entwickelt, darunter befinden sich auch zwei Spender für Handtuchrollen.

• CWS-boco bietet neben einem Sortiment an Spendern für Flüssigund Schaumseifen auch Spender für Baumwollhandtücher.

• Einige Handtuchprodukte von Metsä Tissue sind jetzt im neuen Katrin Handy Pack, einem Plastikbeutel mit Tragegriff, erhältlich.

• La Hyprom ha creato una gamma compatta di dispenser per prodotti per l’igiene delle mani e fra questi, due dispenser per asciugamani in rotolo.

• La CWS-boco offre un assortimento di dispenser per saponi liquidi e in schiuma e inoltre dispenser di asciugamani in cotone.

• Alcuni degli asciugamani in carta della Metsä Tissue sono disponibili nella nuova confezione Katrin Handy Pack – una confezione in plastica con manici per il trasporto.

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ECJ November 2012

Compact line

Hyprom has developed a new compact line of washroom dispensers, including the Pull 'n Dry Mini mini autocut and Tear 'n Dry Mini no-touch - both for hand roll towels.

Thanks to their small size they can fit anywhere and are available with white or silver finish. Hyprom says Tear 'n Dry Mini is the most economical unit, with its choice of four hand towel lengths and the two seconds delay between each paper portion delivery. The Pull 'n Dry Mini cuts and delivers only one hand towel at a time at a controlled length of 23 cm.

Hyprom claims these units can bring savings of up to 50 per cent compared to folded paper

towels, and hygiene is ensured because each towel portion is delivered automatically. www.hyprom.com

drying for optimum hygiene, thanks to the automatic retraction function. www.cws.com

Easy to handle

Lighter cases

According to CWS its liquid and foam soap concentrate dispensers feature an attractive design as well as being economical and easy to use.

The visual fill level indicator, 'click-in' bottle function and Easy-Cleaning system make service simpler, while the sealed

Metsä Tissue has launched the Handy Pack, which is being used to package some of its Katrin hand towels. This is a branded plastic case with carry handles, which the company says is lighter than a traditional carton, and with softer edges.

The packs have been designed to stack easily and the carry handles make them easy for cleaning staff to distribute products around. They can also be hooked onto a trolley.

Metsä says the plastic cases also produce less waste than cardboard cases and any waste that is produced is recyclable. www.katrin.com

bottle of soap concentrate is inserted into the pump housing and opens automatically.

Also part of the dispenser range is the Paradise AntibactSlim, for areas where more hygienic hand washing is required.

The company's cotton towel roll dispensers offer one-time

PRODUCT S: HAND HYGIENE

Infection control

Best practice

Purel l Advanced Hygienic Hand Rub is the latest formulation from Gojo. The company boasts the new 'entire hospital' formulation combines antimicrobial efficacy with clinically proven skin condition - promoting infection control by maximising compliance.

Designed to optimise the effectiveness of ethanol, Purell Advanced i n c o r p o r a te s patent-pending technology that sensitises microbial cells to alcohol. This means it achieves a level of efficacy greater than some products with higher levels of alcohol, Gojo says.

And it is also pleasant to use thanks to the fact it is fragrancefree and gentle on the skin, containing a special combination of moisturisers to keep the hands in good condition. www.gojo.com

Cleaning staff working in hospitals need to be able to demonstrate their ability to properly wash or disinfect their hands.

SureWash says its training system allows staff to train in their own time, with feedback at each stage of training.

Thanks to the use of latest computer technology, training can also be anonymous until the staff member feels competent. They can then record a successful session for their permanent records.

SureWash also allows management to assess staff records in adhering to best practice hand hygiene - so they can be assured

that staff know exactly when and how to wash and disinfect their hands. www.surewash.com

Next edition of ECJ February/March 2013

• Le rince-mains hygiènique avancé Purell fait appel à la formule Gojo la plus récente pour un usage hospitalier.

• Le système Surewash pour l'apprentissage au lavage des mains en milieu hospitalier permet à des personnels de se former aux moments qui leur conviennent, recevant une information en retour à chaque étape.

• Steiner System a ajouté à sa gamme un savon mousse conçu spécialement pour son nouveau distributeur.

For pink foam Steiner System has added a new foam soap dispenser to its Rico line, which is designed for use with its new pink foam soap. This comes in a 700 ml cartridge, with each dose measured at 0.4 ml - half the regular dose.

This means one foam cartridge can dispense up to 1,750 doses. With a regular 1,000 ml cartridge and a 0.8 ml dose around 1,250 washroom users can be served. www.steinersystem.com

• Bei Purell Advanced Hygienic Hand Rub handelt es sich um die neue Rezeptur von Gojo für den Einsatz in Krankenhäusern.

• Das Handhygiene-Schulungssystem Surewash wurde für den Einsatz in Krankenhäusern konzipiert, und es ermöglicht dem Personal selbstständiges Training mit Feedback bei jedem Schritt.

• Steiner System hat sein Sortiment um eine Schaumseife erweitert, die speziell für den Einsatz mit dem neuen Spender konzipiert wurde.

• Purell Advanced Hygienic Hand Rub è una nuova formulazione prodotta dalla Gojo per uso nelle strutture ospedaliere.

• Il sistema di training per l’igiene delle mani Surewash è progettato per essere usato negli ospedali e permette al personale ospedaliero di fare pratica nel loro tempo libero e con un feedback in ogni momento.

• La Steiner System ha aggiunto alla sua gamma un sapone in schiuma progettato appositamente per essere utilizzato con il suo nuovo dispenser.

November 2012 ECJ

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COUNTRY FOCUS: FINL AND

C

leaning contractors in Finland are estimated to have achieved a total turnover of 1.7 mrd euros in 2010, according to latest estimates. Market penetration by contractors is 70 per cent are there are approximately 4,315 contractors working in the market.

The Finnish market is highly fragmented when it comes to companies operating in the country. The majority, 65.75 per cent, are self-employed cleaners - just a single person.

29.02 per cent of them employ between two and nine people (1,252 companies); 4.4 per cent between 10 and 49 people (190 companies); 0.51 per cent between 50 and 499 people (22 companies); 0.05 per cent between 500 and 3,000 people (two companies); and 0.07 per cent more than 3,000 people (three companies).

The major ity of cleaning contractors achieved a turnover of less than 100,000 euros in 2010 - 65.75 per cent or 2,837 businesses. Turnover was between 100,000 and 500,000 euros for 33.09 per cent, or 1,428 firms; 500,000 and 2.5 million euros for 0.46 per cent, or 20 firms; 2.5 million and five million euros for 0.23 per cent, or 10 companies; and more than five million euros for 0.46 per cent, or 20 companies.

Market leaders ISS is the market leader in Finland, with 12,000 employees and a turnover of 419.6 million euros. Next comes Lassila & Tikanoja with 6,849 employees and 264 million euros turnover; SOL with 6,290 employees and 153 million euros turnover; RTK with 1,856 workers and 72.8 million euros turnover; N-Clean with 1,046 employees and 21.8 million euros turnover; Tapiolan Lämpö with 209 employees and turnover of 19.6 million euros; Lujapalvelut with 501 employees and turnover of 19.4 million euros; HH-Kiinteistöpalvelut with 247 employees and 13 million euros turnover; and Coor Service Management with 166 workers and turnover of 11 million euros.

The number of employees in the contract cleaning sector in 2010 was estimated to be 40,000. Of those 12,500 of them work on a part-time basis, or 32 per cent. A significant 75 per cent, or 30,000 of them are women; while 9.2 per cent, or 3,680, are of foreign nationality. Half the workforce, or 20,000 employees, are a member of a trades union.

The average duration of work in a week was 30 hours, with 37 hours constituting fulltime employment.

The majority of cleaning in Finland is performed during the day between 08.00 and 18.00 - 75 per cent. In the morning, between 06.00 and 08.00, 12 per cent of work is done - while 12 per cent is also carried out between 18.00 and 23.00. The hours from 23.00 to 06.00 account for just one per cent of cleaning duties.

The level of official qualification is high

Buying the whole package In the latest of our special country focus reports, ECJ takes a look at the cleaning sector of Finland, with the help of Hanna Luukkonen, labour market director of the Property Maintenance Association.

in the Finnish cleaning sector, at 91.25 per cent or 36,500 workers. 3.75 per cent or 1,500 of the technical staff are qualified; 3.75 per cent of 1,500 of the administration or commercial staff; and 1.25 per cent or 500 of the managers.

Hanna Luukkonen, labour market director for the Property Maintenance Association spoke about the work of the organisation.

"As an association we represent the facilities services sector and most data covers the whole sector. We have nearly 400 members, and they in turn employ over 40,000 people. There are over 50,000 people in Finland covered in the generally binding collective labour agreements. Generally binding in Finland means that companies are obliged to apply sectors' collective agreements whether they are members of an association or not."

Luukkonen outlined the areas of business covered by the association: •Cleaning services •Property maintenance •Outdoor area maintenance •Technical services •Energy management services •Waste management •User facilities and support services •Facility management •Housing •Caretakers Dans le cadre de notre série d'articles sur les principales économies européennes, nous jetons un coup d'œil sur le secteur de la propreté finlandais, considérant ses statistiques essentielles et problèmes particuliers.

•Property owners and cooperatives "Many of the companies work in several of the above mentioned services and this, I think, is where the opportunities for growth lie," says Luukkonen. "The clients are interested in buying the whole support service package from one provider."

Looking ahead to 2013, she says: "We believe the most significant challenge in 2013 is the economic situation in Europe and in Finland and how the companies manage the effects and pressure from the clients and the unions at the same time. Some clients are very advanced and enjoy mutually beneficial, productive relationships with the service providers but there is still a lot of room for improvement. Too many clients still go for the lowest price.

"The most significant employment challenge faced by employers is to find enough workers who are professionals and want to stay in the cleaning sector. There are several hundred open positions all the time and it is very difficult to get them filled even if companies are willing to employ workers without experience and vocational training.

"The companies very often train their own workers. The next problem is that the worker too often leaves the sector just a short time after training is completed, and the company is back to square one."

Im Rahmen der ECJ-Serie, die sich auf die wichtigsten Wirtschaften in Europa konzentriert, nehmen wir die Reinigungsbranche in Finnland unter die Lupe: ihre statistischen Daten und besonderen Herausforderungen.

Nell’ambito della serie di ECJ che si occupa delle maggiori economie europee, esaminiamo da vicino il settore del cleaning in Finlandia, le sue statistiche di rilievo e le sue sfide particolari.

November 2012 ECJ

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SWEEPERS

S

weeping machines are both hugely versatile and immensely practical.

They can be used for removing anything from broken glass, leaves, grass, metal shavings, paper, cigarette butts and small stones from either outdoor or indoor surfaces.

They can operate on roads, car parks, warehouse floors or factory buildings, and since they use a dry mechanical action there is no water residue to clean up afterwards.

And there are many cleaning applications for which the use of water would be inappropriate or just plain dangerous, such as in a cement factory or aluminium plant where high voltages are required in the production process.

So is versatility the chief selling point of sweepers? Or do customers have different priorities when it comes to choosing a sweeping machine?

In fact they have a range of requirements according to Tennant’s marketing communications manager EMEA Agnes Knapen. “They want productivity, ease of use and performance,” she said. “They also require low cost in operation and low noise levels in certain applications, as well as flexibility and versatility. Dust control is also very important, but will gain an even higher importance in the future.” She adds that customers tend to prefer walk-behind sweeper models to rideon machines.

“Sometimes a ride-on can be more productive, but it doesn't fit every application,” she said. “Also, ride-on sweepers are more expensive and require more highly-trained operators. So we find that smaller, familyowned businesses tend to prefer a smaller, walk-behind unit.”

Sweeping statements When asked what they want most from their sweeping system, what do most customers respond? Do they want a machine that offers ease of use, dust control, fast and efficient sweeping, economies in use – or all of the above? Ann Laffeaty finds out. tion levels.

Cost is the main concern for Reest Machines customers according to proprietor Johan van der Reest. “Customers want to buy a machine but do not want to spend very much, so they often buy a machine that is too small for the surface to be cleaned,” he said. “They then solve this problem by using staff to clean the surface which results in lost production hours.”

He says customers are interested in dust control - but again many are unwilling to invest. “Ease of use is also very important for customers,” he said. “Comfort is less

important because comfort also means the machine will be more expensive.”

Marketing and product management specialist for Hako Klaus Serfezi claims that easy handling is one of the major customer requirements. However, economy in use comes a close second.

“Generally speaking, uncomplicated handling of the sweeper is very important for customers in order to minimise training time for machine operators,” he said. “Cleaning with a sweeping machine is far more efficient than carrying out the same task by hand, so Continued page 46

How long on board?

She says the importance of cab comfort on a ride-on machine depends on the length of time the operator needs to be on board.

“In city cleaning and outdoor environments where the operator has to be in the cabin for a full shift of eight hours or more, comfort means everything,” she said. “Ease of ease is also important and safety is a given.”

According to Knapen bespoke systems can be an aid to productivity, particularly in situations where operatives need to clean beneath equipment and in hard-toreach areas.

“If they can accomplish this with a machine that has a variable side brush or vacuum wand, they might be able to do away with the need for an additional person with a manual broom,” she said. “Left and right side brushes are also common, and extending the cleaning path and improving productivity are key drivers.”

Latest sweeper products from Tennant include the S20 and S30 industrial models which are said to offer high cyclonic filtraNovember 2012 ECJ

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SWEEPERS

the machine is also expected to work fast and cost-effectively at a high coverage.”

He says customers should consider these points before making a purchase. “The cheapest machine on the market is more than likely not going to turn out to be the most economical solution,” he explained.

“What counts in the end is the machine’s actual service-life expenditure.”

According to Serfezi the dust control capabilities of a sweeper is usually another of its key selling points. And flexibility is also important for some customers.

“The right-hand side broom comes as standard, but an additional lef t-hand side broom is available on request for most machines,” he said. “A vacuum unit is available as an optional feature for some ride-on models to allow additional work to be carried out in narrow spaces.

“Other special options include a third and fourth side broom for fur ther extension of reach and even sweeping on a second level, such as on a narrow pavement. We always try to accommodate special customer requests if possible under the rules

while the operator would focus on other things,” says Serfezi. “He could be sitting on a big ride-on machine throughout his entire working day and would therefore prioritise cab comfort. Safety always comes first anyway, and easy handling is important in order to minimise learning time.”

and regulations set out by law.”

He says there is a current trend towards micro r ide-on machines as a compact replacement for large walk-behinds. “These offer more comfort and better productivity,” he said. “Walk-behind sweepers cease to be efficient for a certain size of floor space or outdoor area, simply because cleaning takes too long and the battery capacity is limited.”

replace classic vacuum cleaners with walkbehind sweepers on large carpeted areas,” he said. “Also, some areas are nowadays considered not to be in need of wet cleaning on a daily basis, so they are getting wet-cleaned maybe once a week and then swept the rest of the time.”

User-friendliness is of major importance to Kärcher’s customers according to environmental matters public relations officer Annette Ostertag. “The controls should be clearly arranged and each function should be instantly comprehensible to rule out the possibility of operating errors,” she said.

“Flexibility is also important and sweepers should offer different operating settings and

Total ownership cost He adds that a sweeper’s key attributes will largely depend on who is assessing them – the purchaser or the end user.

“The purchaser would regard the total cost of ownership as the most important aspect, Quand on demande aux clients ce qu'ils attendent principalement de leur système de balayage, quelle sera réponse la plus fréquente ? Désirent-ils une machine conviviale, maîtrisant les poussières, balayant de manière rapide et efficace, économique à l'usage ? Ou veulent-ils toutes ces qualités ? ECJ interroge les fabricants d'appareils de balayage sur les vœux de leurs clients et sur la manière dont ils cherchent à les satisfaire.

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Clear controls The company’s latest sweeper is the HakoJonas 800, said to combine the compact dimensions of a walk-behind sweeper with the comfort of a ride-on machine. According to Serfezi, sweepers will continue to have an important role in the cleaning industry – but they will never replace scrubber-dryers.

“However, there is a general trend to

a range of bristles on the roller brush to suit various types of dirt and surfaces.

“And last but not least, the machines should be robust and durable and require little servicing.”

She says an active filter system is also crucial for dealing with the problem of dust.

“It is important to minimise the amount of dust generated by sweeping to avoid any secondary soiling of buildings, equipment and machines and - above all – any detrimental effects to the driver’s health,” she said.

Where ride-on sweepers are preferred - usually in areas more than 1,500 square metres in size – user safety is the top priority according to Ostertag. “A cabin protects the driver from weather when a sweeper is used outdoors,” she said. “In indoor areas such as warehouses it will protect the driver from falling objects, and this is sometimes a legal requirement.”

She adds that operator comfort is crucial if a ride-on sweeper is operated for extended intervals. “Heating and air conditioning systems are available as an accessory for Kärcher’s large sweepers. In addition, the cabin muffles the noise of the machine.”

Sweeping and wet cleaning

Wie lauten die häufigsten Antworten, wenn Kunden gefragt werden, was sie in erster Linie von Kehrsystemen erwarten? Wollen Sie eine Maschine, die einfach zu handhaben ist, die Staubkontrolle bietet, die schnell und wirkungsvoll kehrt, die wirtschaftlich ist - oder eine Kombination von allen oben genannten Punkten?

Das ECJ befragt Hersteller, welche Erwartungen ihre Kunden an Kehrmaschinen stellen und wie diese Anforderungen erfüllt werden.

Quando si chiede ai clienti cosa esigono principalmente dai loro sistemi per spazzare i pavimenti, cosa rispondono?

Vogliono una macchina che offra facilità di uso, controllo della polvere, pulizia veloce ed efficace, bassi costi di funzionamento oppure tutto quanto insieme? ECJ chiede ai produttori cosa vogliono i loro clienti dalle loro spazzatrici e come vengono soddisfatte queste esigenze.

Karcher offers additional side brushes and other accessories such as the Kärcher Home Base flexible adaptation system. This allows cleaning utensils such as a broom or claw for picking up light debris to be attached to the machine. Latest products to be offered by the company include the new KM 90/60 R Adv ride-on model, said to be the first sweeper to feature the TACT (Triggered Air-draft Cleaning Technology) filter cleaning system.

“This removes dirt from the blades of the flat-pleated filter without any direct contact,” said Ostertag. “It can also remove it much more thoroughly than using conventional methods by reversing the suction flow.

The advantage is that the filter works reliably even when the sweeper is in extended operation and the machine does not churn up dust - even if it is in use for several hours without a break.

“This effectively prevents any detrimental effects on the driver’s health as well as any secondary soiling of buildings, equipment and machines.”

She says sweeping and wet cleaning will continue to complement one other in the cleaning industry. “There are also some applications for which wet cleaning is not recommended or not required regularly, such as in the maintenance cleaning of wooden floors,” she said.

“Sweeping is also advisable for picking up large quantities of dirt or coarse dirt prior to wet cleaning. And in outdoor areas such as roads and car parks, sweepers are mainly used because wet cleaning does not make any sense.”

IT MAKES CLEANING ECONOMICAL, RELIABLE AND PRODUCTIVE

TRUE INNOVATION MORE CLEANING – LESS MACHINE! The SR 1101 makes cleaning both economical and productive. It is easy to operate and self-explanatory operating panel means less operator training time needed.

The machines is available in both battery and petrol versions for indoor or outdoor operation with a large range of optional accessories which provides the right tools for specific jobs. Recommended for factory warehouses, car parks and outside areas such as parks and gardens.

www.nilfisk.com

PRODUCT S: SWEEPERS

• La balayeuse Kärcher KM 90/60 R Adv à conducteur porté est la première à comporter la technologie de nettoyage de filtre TACT. • Les nouvelles balayeuses à conducteur porté de Fimap, les FS700 et FS800, sont proposées en version à batterie ou à essence.

• Johnston Sweepers a relancé sa gamme V de balayeuses sur véhicule en les dotant de plusieurs nouvelles caractéristiques.

• Als erste Aufsitz-Kehrmaschine wird bei der KM 90/60 R Adv von Kärcher die Filterreinigungstechnologie TACT eingesetzt.

• Die beiden neuen AufsitzKehrmaschinen von Fimap - die FS700 und FS800 - sind in akku- und benzinbetriebenen Ausführungen erhältlich.

• Johnston Sweepers hat die Produktreihe V mit fahrzeugmontierten Kehrmaschinen wiedereingeführt; sie bieten jetzt einige neue Funktionen.

• KM 90/60 R Adv della Kärcher è la prima spazzatrice con operatore a bordo dotata della tecnologia di pulizia del filtro TACT. • Le due nuove spazzatrici con operatore a bordo della Fimap FS700 e FS800 sono disponibile sia in versione a batteria che in versione a benzina.

• La Johnston Sweepers ha rilanciato la sua gamma di spazzatrici montate su automezzo V che vantano numerosi nuovi accessori.

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Blow, don't shake

The Kärcher KM 90/60 R Adv ride-on sweeper is the first to feature TACT (Triggered Airdraft Cleaning Technology), a filter cleaning technology that blows out the filter rather than shaking or wiping it. This method, says the company, is much more thorough and means the filter works reliably even during extended sweeping tours and churns up no dust.

So secondary soiling of buildings, installations and machinery is prevented, along with detrimental effects on the operator's health. The TACT system cleans the filter automatically in 15-second cycles, so the filter constantly traps 99.9 per cent of fine dust.

Other features include manoeuvrability, ease of operation, low noise level and the facility to fasten other equipment such as brooms. www.karcher.com

to Energy Saver technology.

In the petrol version central brush, side brushes, traction and vacuum functions are activated by hydraulic motors. www.fimap.com

New for riding

Truck mounted

The FS700 and FS800 are the two latest ride-on sweeper models from Fimap, available in battery or petrol versions.

Designed for medium and large-sized areas up to 10,000 square metres, both models are said to offer high performance

Jo h n s to n Swe e p e rs h a s relaunched its V Range truck m o u n te d s w e e p e r l i n e - u p - boasting longest ever onstation work time, lower running costs and new features to make sweeping more efficient, cost effective and friendly to the environment.

On-station work time has been increased by larger water tanks combined with improved water jets, which maximise dust suppression and water conservation. This means fewer returns to base for refills.

And customers can now track performance for themselves through Johnston’s can-bus control system, which allows operational data to be downloaded to a memory stick. www.johnstonsweepers.com

with low energy consumption.

The battery machine uses one specific motor for each function - so central brush, side brushes, traction and vacuum are activated by four motors. This, says Fimap, keeps energy consumption under control. Battery run time is up to four hours or 15,000 square metres non-stop, thanks

PRODUCT S: SWEEPERS

Two sweepers in one

The CS140 Twin Action sweeping machine - aimed at urban and industrial areas - has been designed by Comac to effect iv e l y o f f e r t wo sweep in g machines in one.

At the heart of the machine is the patented TwinActionSystem, w h i c h co m b i n e s a s t r o n g mechanical action to collect large pieces of waste with suction for pick-up of finer dust without the use of water.

Thanks to the addition of side brushes, cleaning results are claimed to have improved even further.

The machine can pick up dust and solid waste with just one pass, says Comac, and it leaves behind a completely clean surface. Its large filter size - 50 square metres - guarantees the return of clean air to the environment. www.comac.it

Zero emissions The Hako-Jonas 800E is a zero-emission, battery-powered sweeper which the company says combines the compact dimensions of a walk-behind machine with the convenience of a ride-on.

S t a n d a r d wo r k i n g w i d t h is 890 mm, which can be increased to 1,110 mm if the standard right-hand side broom is supplemented by a left-hand broom. The side brooms are arranged so they clean up dirt

over the entire sweeping width.

Objects that are often difficult to remove can be picked up with ease, says Hako, because of the intelligent larger debris flap Intelli-Flap without the need to open the flap itself – dust and dirt remain in the hopper. To clear up large debris, the flap can be opened fully via a pedal.

Dirt is swept up into two Take-it-Easy dirt hoppers which provide a total volume of 50 litres - the hoppers are simple to remove by hand. www.hako.com

Manual sweepy Sweepy Turbo 55 is a manually operated sweeper from Nilco with a working width of 55 cm - suitable for cleaning of small outdoor and indoor areas.

Two counter-rotating flat brushes, extending beyond the edges of the machine, push dirt and refuse along their entire width into the waste container, which is located directly downstream of the brushes - without stirring up dust. www.nilco.de

• Les balayeuses CS140 de Comac sont dotées du système Twin Action réalisant l'aspiration en même temps que le balayage mécanique.

• La Hako-Jonas 800E est une balayeuse à batterie à émission zéro et largeur de travail de 890 mm.

• La Sweepy Turbo 55 est une balayeuse manuelle produite par Nilco à deux brosses et largeur de travail de 55 cm.

• Die Kehrmaschine CS140 von Comac ist mit dem Twin Action-System ausgestattet, das mechanische Wirkung mit Saugwirkung verbindet.

• Beim Hako-Jonas 800E handelt es sich um eine emissionsfreie, akkubetriebene Kehrmaschine mit einer Arbeitsbreite von 890 mm.

• Die Sweepy Turbo 55 ist eine Handkehrmaschine von Nilco, die bei einer Arbeitsbreite von 55 cm eine Doppelbürste bietet.

• La spazzatrice CS140 della Comac è dotata del sistema Twin Action che utilizza la forza aspirante contemporaneamente all’azione meccanica spazzatrice.

• Hako-Jonas 800E è una spazzatrice alimentata a batteria a emissioni zero e con larghezza di lavoro di 890 mm.

• Sweepy Turbo 55 è una spazzatrice manuale prodotta dalla Nilco dotata di duplice spazzola e una larghezza di lavoro di 55 cm.

November 2012 ECJ

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BUSINESS: VEHICLE FLEETS

Save costs, be greener

Green issues have tended to take a back seat in recent years as businesses prioritise cutting costs over reducing their carbon footprint. Yet they may be missing a trick because the two can go hand-in-hand, as Hartley Milner reports.

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anaging a vehicle fleet must figure among the most stressful challenges in running a business, not least because for many companies transport costs come only next to the payroll in having the greatest impact on their bottom line.

High among the anxieties of fleet operators is the escalating day-to-day running costs of their cars and vans and the burden of complying with carbon reduction legislation imposed on them nationally and by the EU. Much of this is aimed at driving up motoring costs to steer people towards using more efficient vehicles, with the promise of tax sweeteners for those who do.

So faced with this ‘stick and carrot’ policy businesses are increasingly seeing the wisdom of looking at their transport overheads, with reducing fuel costs a key target area.

Yet of more than 400 European fleet managers sur veyed earlier this year almost a third said lack of information was preventing them from making greater fuel efficiency savings.

Pump prices across Europe soared in 2011, up by 35 per cent on the previous year following a surge in oil prices and in the tax take of governments seeking to finance the green agenda. The trend has continued throughout this year. If you run a fleet in Switzerland, you will have seen prices shoot up by 28 per cent for petrol and 32 per cent for diesel.

Norway continues to be the most expensive country in which to fill up, with Italy close behind. The UK has the sixth most costly petrol (with France) and joins Sweden in having the second most expensive diesel.

Fuel use, however, is one area where big savings can be made while embracing greener policies, according to UK consumer advice agency the Energy Saving Trust. Similar organisations exist in most European countries.

“For fleet operators, the cost of fuel is typically second only to the cost of funding the vehicle,” said Fergus Worthy, transport programme manager at the Trust. “Reducing fuel consumption is, therefore, an important concern for them, partly to cut carbon emissions and environmental impacts, but more often to save money.

“In the UK, for example, every litre of diesel saved equates to CO2 and cost savings to businesses of approximately 2.55 kg and £1.19 (1.24 euros) net of VAT respectively.”

The Trust promotes a range of solutions to offset rising costs. “In general, organisations should follow three key principles in order to run an efficient fleet: choose fuelefficient vehicles, drive them well and drive them less,” said Worthy. “Examples of specific solutions that we typically recommend include taking steps to measure and monitor miles per gallon (mpg) and mileage and training drivers in eco-driving techniques to ensure each mile is driven efficiently.

“Eco-driving training is most effective when supported by driver league tables and incentives to encourage fuel-efficient driving in conjunction with technology processes to accurately monitor individual vehicle mpg.

Fleets can save up to £1,000 (1,238 euros) per vehicle each year through the implementation of best practice techniques.”

Tracking technology Fleet operators are also increasingly turning to GPS tracking technology. These systems log journey information that is transmitted via satellite to a remote controller who can then visually monitor a vehicle’s real-time location, speed, route, periods spent idling, stops and starts, mileage and time spent at customer locations. They also generate reports on a vehicle’s performance, allowing its efficiency to be assessed over its lifetime.

All this information can be used to improve a host of fleet management operations, including reducing fuel costs typically by around 13-20 per cent.

You can purchase a basic fleet tracking system from around 249 euros per vehicle, excluding installation charges. However, most operators opt for the flexibility of leasing. To lease a basic system over five years starts from around 1.24 euros per vehicle per Continued page 52

Professional cleaning: not a problem with our system.

It can be advantageous for companies to clean their own offices and administration buildings, whether for purposes of confidentiality, cutting costs or complying with specified standards every time. The Kärcher System provides professionalism from one source. Machines with exemplary cleaning efficiency and effectiveness. Highly concentrated cleaning agents dosed frugally by innovative dosage systems in an environmentally sound manner. Professional consultation and training. Cost calculations, financing and service throughout the service life of the machines. Economic and efficient.

Kärcher efficiency – achieve more with less.

www.kaercher.com

www.facebook.com/kaercher.professional

BUSINESS: VEHICLE FLEETS

day, rising in cost according to the level of sophistication required.

A cheaper alternative uses the latest smartphone technology, though it does not offer the same range of functions. These systems require a handset equipped with GPS and an online tracking application to monitor the location of a driver’s mobile phone. Because it is portable, it is ideal for companies whose staff share vehicles but still want to know who is driving a particular vehicle at any one time and their current position, speed, bearing etc. The main strike against mobile phone tracking is its inability to connect into a vehicle’s electronics system

cases, they are still more suitable to town or city driving.

Low carbon hybrid technology that switches back and forth from petrol or diesel to electric running also carries a price premium, but again can attract tax incentives and subsidies. Hybrids perform best in commercial vehicles that spend a lot of time held up in traffic or do a lot of stopping and starting, activities that can account for up to 27 per cent of fuel use. Manufacturers claim their vans and trucks have a range between refills of more than double that of equivalent conventional vehicles and can boost fuel savings by as much as 57 per cent. Plug-in hybrid

remotely in order to access in-depth details about journeys.

The drive for ever more fuel-efficient and cleaner vehicles has seen a new phenomenon on Europe’s roads – the green van man.

Alternative fuel commercial vehicles are increasingly becoming a viable solution for companies looking to make savings, whether buying new or converting their existing fleet. Options include plug-in electric vehicles (both pure EV and plug-in hybrids) and switching to biofuels, liquefied and compressed gas or hydrogen.

Electric cars and vans attract tax concessions and even government grants in many countries, helping to offset the purchase price that can be significantly higher. Their savings potential is in reduced running costs, as little as 0.02 euros per mile. While the range of these vehicles is increasing, over 160 kilometres between charges in some

vehicles with a longer battery range are also being developed as countries provide more recharging points.

“There are advantages and disadvantages of the systems available, and it is crucial that fleets select the most appropriate vehicles for the type of driving which will be needed,” stressed Worthy. “In much of Europe, the infrastructure needed to support plug-in vehicles is developing rapidly and we believe such vehicles will be important as we reduce our consumption of hydrocarbon fuels.”

Alors que les entreprises privilégient l'économie par rapport à la réduction des émissions de carbone, elles ont tendu, par ces temps difficiles, à reléguer l'environnement à un moindre niveau de priorité. Elles oublient cependant que ces deux objectifs louables ne sont pas nécessairement incompatibles, rapporte Hartley Milner.

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Driver training But whatever the vehicle type, it is only as efficient as the person behind the wheel.

The Energy Saving Trust offers driver training to help companies get the most out of their vehicles, including fuel and CO2 cutting tips such as using air-conditioning sparingly, keeping windows closed at higher speeds, maintaining tyres at their correct pressure

In diesen wirtschaftlich schwierigen Zeiten musste die Umwelt häufig eine untergeordnete Rolle einnehmen, wenn Unternehmen der Kostenreduzierung den Vorrang vor der Reduzierung des CO2-Ausstoßes gaben. Doch sie lassen sich vielleicht eine Chance entgehen, denn diese beiden rühmlichen Ziele sind alles andere als unvereinbar, wie Hartley Milner berichtet.

In questo periodo di austerità,

l’ambiente tende a essere messo in una posizione secondaria e le imprese danno priorità alla riduzione dei costi piuttosto che a ridurre l’impronta carbonica. Eppure si fanno sfuggire qualcosa perchè questi due lodevoli obiettivi sono tutt’altro che incompatibili, come spiega Hartley Milner.

and generally driving more smoothly.

Outsourcing sales and marketing company Ceuta Healthcare called in the Trust as part of a review of its environmental impact, fleet running costs and employee safety. The company has 130 vehicles, comprising 70 Renault Megane Sports Tourer estate cars with the remainder of mixed manufacture but all producing CO2 emissions of less than 140g/km.

Its sales people each clock up on average 26,000 miles annually and in total more than three million miles a year.

Drop in insurance Facilities manager Helen Bolton said: “As part of its review, the Energy Saving Trust told us about its 50-minute smarter driving course, which was reasonably priced and, with time being of the essence to our sales people, it could be conveniently delivered at their team meetings.

“We ended up rolling out the training across the entire company because there were quite a few young people we thought would benefit. We appreciated that to drive greener is to drive safer, as well as being a way of saving money. The feedback from our people has been very positive. Many of our drivers said ‘yes, I had got into bad habits, but this has made me think about the way I drive’.”

Ceuta estimates the training alone is saving it around £250 (310 euros) per driver each year. A spin-off benefit has been a £25,000 (30,975 euros) drop in the company’s insurance premium, thanks to a dramatic fall in panel repair bills.

Fuel cards have been issued to all sales people and their fuel expenses are now reimbursed on the actual cost, rather than pence per mile, which encourages them to find the best price at the pumps. Any private mileage costs are deducted from their salary.

Managers, meanwhile, are kept focused by a carbon emissions cap on their company car use, currently 140 g per km, reducing to 130 g per km next year.

“Communication with our workforce has been key to getting results, but it has to be consistent,” said Bolton. “Every so often, we put out updates and drip-feed information to employees to keep them thinking about the way they drive. After all, if we can save money as a company and be greener at the same time, it will help everyone in the long term.”

Looking for more info on important cleaning topics? Search back issues of ECJ online at europeancleaningjournal.com

WORKFORCE: LONE WORKERS

Risks of working alone I

n a world where everyone seems to be connected 24/7, it’s easy to forget many people work alone. Not isolated behind a computer screen and wearing headphones but actually on their own. They may have a mobile phone but if they need help it could be minutes or hours away.

Contracting trends and technological innovation have made it more cost-effective for one person to do what two or more used to. Increased outsourcing means that many people are part of a peripatetic workforce.

They may be working at a client site, there may be other people around some of the time but they are not necessarily seen as part of the same community.

Multiskilling, particularly the end of the divide between mechanical and electrical skills, has also driven the trend towards 'one-man' maintenance and repair. Mobile communications, sat nav, hand-held devices with access to technical information and job scheduling make it easier do a job solo.

So who are these lone workers? Many are public sector workers dealing with the public.

From nurses to environmental health inspectors, from traffic wardens to postal workers.

They are often in riskier situations than their office-based counterparts.

Lone working is very common in the support services sector. Maintenance workers, security guards, pest control experts and of course cleaners - they all spend part of their working lives alone.

David Foster of property and people protection specialist Sitex Orbis explains the risks facing those who work alone, the responsibilities of employers and how they can support and protect their staff

themselves alone in a room with a guest – a situation that can have serious consequences for both parties.

There is no common definition of a lone worker across Europe. In the UK, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) says "lone workers are those who work by themselves without close or direct supervision". Croner’s Health and Safety offers a wider definition.

A lone worker is one "whose activities involve a large percent age of their working time operating in situations without the benefit of interaction with other workers or without supervision".

What’s clear is that the numbers are increasing every year. According to the British Security Industry Association, more than six million people in the UK work either in isolation or without direct supervision, often in places or circumstances that put them at potential risk.

There were an estimated 654,000 incidents of violence at work according to the 2010/11

British Crime Survey, comprising 341,000 assaults and 313,000 threats. In 2010/11 171 people were killed in the course of their work.

Of course not all the incidents involved lone working but isolation can increase the risk.

The three main risks are: violence and aggression, usually from members of the public; occupational risks (such as slips, trips, falls, electrocution); and personal wellbeing risks, including health issues caused by being in stressful situations.

The risks are different for each group of workers. Public sector staff, transport staff and retail workers face threats of abuse or violence from members of the public (more than one in three working alone in the community have been assaulted or harassed in the last two years, according to research from the Royal College of Nursing).

Other employees such as shop workers, security staff or warehouse workers might be at risk of robbery; an engineer, construction Continued page 56

Cleaners work alone Although cleaners often work in teams many also work alone. Most cleaning is done outside normal working hours, adding to the isolation. A cleaner may enter a building while it is still busy, but may be left alone at the end of their shift. Cleaners tend to start early or finish late at night and are therefore at risk on their journey to and from work.

In many cases cleaners have the same access to buildings as staff, in fact they may have more knowledge of the premises security systems including keys and alarm codes.

This makes them vulnerable to criminals planning theft or vandalism.

Cleaners will often be working in environments, such as hospitals, where they may come into contact with members of the public who could pose a risk through disorientation or simply aggressive behaviour. In hospitals and laboratories, as well as some industrial sites, they may also be working in proximity to potentially hazardous chemicals or substances.

Housekeeping staff in hotels can also find November 2012 ECJ

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worker or maintenance staff are at risk of an accident while working alone.

The law requires employers and others to think about and deal with any health and safety risks before people should be allowed to work alone. The general duty of employers to maintain safe working arrangements under the 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act applies. Additionally, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require employers to assess and counter health and safety risks before allowing staff to work alone.

The HSE advises employers that they have a legal duty to notify and consult with safety representatives about the jobs of employees who work alone. These responsibilities cannot be transferred to any other person, including those people who work alone. It is the employer’s duty to assess risks to lone workers and take steps to avoid or control risks where necessary.

Many organisations simply ignore the problem and risks completely – often with disastrous consequences. A major lift company had no lone worker support in place when a lift engineer working alone in a lift shaft, fell, and later died. He wasn’t found for eight hours.

A new offence of corporate manslaughter was created by the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007, which came into force in April 2008. For the first time, companies and organisations can be found guilty of corporate manslaughter as a result of serious management failures resulting in a gross breach of a duty of care.

The first prosecution was brought against a surveying company after a geologist, working alone, was killed when a deep trench collapsed. The company was fined almost 500,000 euros. Since then a storage product manufacturer has been fined almost 600,000 euros for the corporate manslaughter of one of its employees who died when he fell through a roof at one of the company’s factories. There are 50 corporate manslaughter cases currently under review.

Support and protection How can organisations meet their obligations and protect their workers? Perhaps the first option is to review working patterns. It may be possible to avoid situations where staff work alone. For example, rather than allocate cleaners to different rooms or floors of a building, they could work as a David Foster, de la société SitexOrbis, explique les risques courus par les personnes travaillant seules, qui sont nombreuses dans le secteur de la propreté, et parle des responsabilités des patrons et des mesures qu'ils peuvent prendre pour appuyer et protéger leurs personnels.

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team across the facility.

Some f irms have introduced daytime cleaning, which as well as ensuring cleaning staff are not working in isolation, encourages the building’s occupants to appreciate the service and those who provide it.

Manage safety Traditionally organisations employing lone workers have managed their safety in two ways: white board or buddy systems. A white board placed in a prominent position in the office records the names, locations, schedule and mobile numbers of all lone workers.

The lone worker checks back into the office and has their whereabouts updated on the board so that should an incident occur, the organisation knows their whereabouts. The downside is that the white board may only be monitored in office hours (whereas the lone worker may work unsocial hours) and if the person responsible for managing the board is off sick, on holiday or just snowed under, it may get forgotten about.

A buddy system is the equivalent of telling your friend where you’re going to meet a new date. Lone workers tell another colleague where they will be and agree to phone back within a set period of time. Again they may forget to phone back, and if they do call in an emergency situation, their colleague may not be trained to, or have the equipment or technology, to support them.

Communications technology offers new options. For low to medium risk lone workers, a dedicated speed dial set up on a standard mobile phone linking through to an alarm response centre will provide an increased level of safety. For lone workers who routinely face higher levels of risk, enhanced services can be combined with dedicated devices or a smart phone app that can include the ability to set up automatic welfare checks giving the user greater flexibility and protection.

Specialist devices have dedicated emergency keys, or specialist safety sensors, which detect falls, impacts, extended lack of movement or loss of vertical position, and raise the red alarm even if the worker can’t press any buttons. They may also be ruggedised and so work in all sorts of challenging environments and under the harshest elements.

The two relevant industry standards for lone worker protection in the UK are British Standards BS8484 and BS5979. BS8484 covers the quality and suitability of key com-

David Foster von Sitex Orbis erläutert die Risiken, denen sich allein arbeitende Personen ausgesetzt sehen - ein regelmäßiges Vorkommnis in der Reinigungsbranche -, die Verantwortlichkeiten der Arbeitgeber und wie sie ihre Mitarbeiter unterstützen und schützen können.

David Foster della Sitex Orbis spiega i rischi che corrono coloro che lavorano da soli, cosa che succede abitualmente nel settore delle pulizie professionali, le responsabilità dei datori di lavoro e in che modo costoro possono sostenere e proteggere i loro dipendenti.

ponents used for the protection of lone workers, including devices, the service provider, the monitoring and the response are required for the delivery of a robust and effective lone worker solution. Police throughout England, Wales and NI currently require BS8484 in order to guarantee a response.

Any communications technology is only as good as the centre monitoring and responding to calls. BS5979 covers the management and operation of Alarm Receiving Centres (ARC). BS5979 has two categories (CATI and CATII). An ARC operating to BS5979 CATII, such as that run by SitexOrbis, provides more physical security to cater for high security monitoring applications.

The importance of effective lone working support was demonstrated last year when a female traffic warden for Bristol City Council was subjected to a tirade of abuse and threats while issuing a parking notice to a driver who had parked illegally in a disabled bay near the city centre.

She pressed the dedicated panic button on her ruggedised mobile phone, all audio was recorded and she was discreetly connected through to the SitexOrbis alarm receiving centre (BS5979 Cat II) which is staffed 24/7 by fully trained operatives.

Employees trained As is the standard procedure, the operator remained on the line and began to initiate the pre-agreed emergency response procedure set by Bristol City Council. The man was later arrested and found to be in possession of several knives. The quality of the audio captured between the phone and the digital recorders was commended by the police who took steps to secure a conviction. The council was also able to track the incident in real time using self-service web portal, which also provides a full audit trail.

The HSE advises that lone workers should be capable of responding correctly to emergencies. Risk assessment should identify foreseeable events. Emergency procedures should be established and employees trained in them.

Information regarding a premises’ emergency procedures and danger areas should be given to lone workers. They should have access to adequate first-aid facilities, and mobile workers should carry a f irst-aid kit suitable for treating minor injuries.

Occasionally risk assessment may indicate that lone workers need first aid-training.

All employers have a duty of care to their staff. Supporting those who of ten work alone will not only protect them, it may just protect your reputation and business.

Further information: the Health and Safety Executive has produced a guide for those working alone and those employing or managing lone workers. Access it at www.hse. gov.uk/pubns/indg73.pdf www.sitexorbis.co.uk

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WA S T E M A N A G E M E N T

Reduce, reuse, recyle, dispose T

he Waste Framework Directive (Directive 2008/98/EC) provides the overarching legislative framework for European Union waste policy, with the long-term goal for the EU to become a recycling society that avoids waste and uses waste as a resource. It marked a decisive shift from landfill towards the EU's new waste hierarchy, with the highest priority given to waste prevention, followed by reuse, recycling and recovery. Disposal of waste through landfill should be avoided wherever possible.

A report published by Eurostat in 2003, ‘Waste Generated and Treated in Europe’ indicates about 2.25 billion tonnes of waste was generated in Western Europe between 1998-2001 and 550 million in Eastern Europe Candidate Countries. This represents an enormous loss of resources in the form of both materials and energy. Although waste recycling in the European Union is on the increase, there is still a way to go in order for targets to be met.

In addition to the financial effect, the management and disposal of waste can have serious environmental impacts. Landfill, for example, takes up valuable land and may cause air, water and soil pollution, while incineration may result in emissions of dangerous air pollutants, unless properly regulated. Significant cost savings can be achieved by organisations, as well as environmental benefits, by reviewing waste management policies and procedures.

According to a European Commission (DG Env) report ‘Use of Economic Instruments and Waste Management Performances’ published in April 2012, full implementation of EU waste legislation would save 72 billion euros a year and increase the annual turnover of the waste management sector by 42 billion euros by 2020.

Waste targets Waste comes in many dif ferent forms including cater ing waste, agr icultural waste, plastics, batteries, paper, glass, light Continued page 60

Governments throughout Europe are setting ambitious targets for waste reduction and recycling. Now, however, it’s not just about disposing of waste wisely, there is a new mantra – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Dispose. Ceris Burns, managing director of cleaning, FM and resource management public relations agency, Ceris Burns International, reviews European waste management practices.

November 2012 ECJ

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bulbs, metal and wood. Recycling rates vary from one waste stream to another and by different countries.

The Waste Framework Directive requires that all member states adopt waste management programmes by December 2013.

The European Commission provides a guidance note for how to prepare waste management plans. Regulatory strategies include enforcing limits on waste generation and may include extending producer responsibility policies and taxing of excessive waste generation. Waste treatment methods differ substantially across Europe. The European Commission, alongside the European Environment Agency, will assess each member state’s strategy in 2014.

Under the Directive, a 50 per cent target is set for the preparing for reuse and recycling waste materials comprising at least paper, metal, plastic and glass from households and possibly from other origins as far as these waste streams are similar to waste from households. There is also a 70 per cent target for preparing for reuse, recycling and other recovery of construction and demolition waste. Other targets include 85 per cent reuse, recycling and recovery target on endof-life vehicles and the Batteries Directive in 2006 outlined the collection and recycling targets for all batteries.

Electrical and electronic equipment Stringent new EU targets have been agreed under the new waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) Directive 2012/19/ EU. This restricts the use of hazardous substances in equipment and promotes more rigid recycling, overhauling how technology companies, retailers, recycling firms, and consumers handle waste electronic equipment and devices.

New targets will require member states to collect 85 per cent of electronic waste generated from 2019 onwards. The existing binding EU collection target is four kg of WEEE per capita, representing about two million tonnes per year, out of around 10 million tonnes of WEEE generated per year in the EU. By 2020, it is estimated that the volume of WEEE will increase to 12 million tonnes.

The new WEEE Directive will also give EU member states the tools to fight illegal export of waste more effectively. The

Source: European Commission (DG Env)

new Directive will force exporters to test and provide documents on the nature of their shipments when the shipments run the risk of being waste. Illegal shipments of WEEE disguised as legal shipments of used equipment, in order to circumvent EU waste treatment rules, are a serious problem.

Separation of waste From January 1 2015, waste collectors must take practical measures to ensure separate collection of paper, metal, plastic and glass prior to it leaving site and waste producers should consider measures they might need to take to ensure their waste can be collected separately, such as the installation of the right recycling products.

Are the targets being met?

A European Commission report published in April 2012 indicates that the top performing nations for reducing waste sent to landfill include Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Sweden and the Netherlands who all sent less than three per cent of waste to landfill in 2010. This compares to 48 per cent in the UK, which although it has taken significant steps in reducing landfill, still falls behind.

To keep up-to-date with industry news, visit the news section on the ECJ website at www. europeancleaningjournal.com. Also read exclusive blogs from industry experts based around Europe.

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In its recent report, ‘Rubbish to Resource: Financing New Waste Infrastructure,’ the UK based Associate Parliamentary Sustainable Resource Group states that, "to meet European landfill targets, the UK needs to build 8.8 million tonnes of new residual waste treatment capacity by 2020; a challenge acknowledged by the Government in its recent Review of Waste Policy".* The report outlines significant barriers that must be overcome so that the necessary infrastructure can be built, stating: “Restrictions placed on public sector spending mean that the majority of finance must come from the private sector. But this has been made difficult by a fall in bank lending and the inherent perceived risk in waste infrastructure projects, unable as they are to generate a predictable and constant revenue stream. In addition, policy and regulatory uncertainty further undermine the confidence of potential investors.”

Making the regulations work There are many potential and existing waste prevention measures for various waste streams, some of which are outlined below:

Packaging Manufacturers can review how their products are packaged, labelled and distributed to minimise waste. The amount of packaging used for products can be decreased, whilst the use of recyclable content should be increased.

Businesses should encourage suppliers to provide ingredients in re-usable plastic crates or tote boxes and to avoid unnecContinued page 62

WA S T E M A N A G E M E N T

essary packaging. Packaging that cannot be re-used should be separated for baling and recycling.

Food A third of the world’s food is wasted and we all have a part to play in solving this problem. Measures to reduce food waste include better portion control and alternative methods to landfill disposal such as anaerobic digestion, whereby microorganisms break down biodegradable material. Composting is another option.

When food is manufactured, there are a number of by-products that are created and a proportion of the finished product can’t be placed on the market for consumption by

Paper is an easily recyclable material with well-developed systems available for removal and reuse. Actions to reduce paper wastage include reducing unwanted, unsolicited direct mail and calculating the carbon impact of what is being sent.

take such as using energy efficient lighting and boilers; using machinery with variable speed drives and high efficiency motors and checking refrigerant systems, air compressors and other equipment for leaks. Ensure that non-essential heating, lighting and equipment is turned off when not required and improve building insulation.

Sorting of materials

Education

There is a continuing debate about the merits of co-mingled and source-separated recycling collections. What is essential is that the material is ultimately sorted to a high quality. Peter Vernon, managing director of Alpha Waste Solutions, one of the leading suppliers of waste recycling products in the

Chris James, ceo of Waste Management Industry Training and Advisory Board says: “The waste management industry has evolved considerably in recent years and continues to develop to meet technological, environmental and legislative challenges. Skills and knowledge development must keep pace to ensure that EU employers are delivering efficient and effective services. WAMITAB also believes that working closely with other EU states to develop common themes of competence and skills will benefit not just the UK economy, but the wider EU. Pan-European companies would greatly benefit from having a workforce with the ability to work throughout their operations with ease.”

Paper

Best practice examples

Source: Directive 2008/98/EC on waste (Waste Framework Directive)

humans. This can be for a variety of reasons such as packaging defects or for technological reasons such as the wrong size or weight biscuits, trial runs, or over ordering and out of date stock.

Many of these former foodstuffs, including bread, biscuits, breakfast cereals, crisps and confectionery have a very high nutritional value – being a source of high quality fats, sugar and carbohydrates. One company that is working to reduce the waste of this surplus food on behalf of international food manufacturers, supermarkets and distributors is SugaRich. After checking its safety and traceability and therefore suitability, it conver ts sur plus f ood int o high quality ingredients for use in animal feed, avoiding waste from food that is unfit for human consumption.

Dans toute l'Europe, des gouvernements se sont fixés des objectifs ambitieux de réduction et de recyclage de déchets. Aujourd'hui, on ne pense plus seulement à éliminer les déchets de façon intelligente, car on récite un nouveau mantra - Réduire, Réutiliser, Recycler, Éliminer - désormais considéré comme représentant la meilleure pratique.

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UK says: “Segregating your waste at source will make it easier to recover value through the waste hierarchy. Auditing of your whole business and processes to identify all waste streams can help show where cost savings can be made and how waste can be turned into revenue. Likewise, consideration should be given to your current waste practices.

Could some of your waste that currently gets sent to landfill actually be recovered and/or recycled? If the answer is ‘possibly’ then the regulations place a responsibility on organisations to do just that.”

Energy efficiency Taking steps to improve energy efficiency will reduce overall running costs as well as having a positive environmental impact.

There are many practical measures you could

Regierungen in ganz Europa setzen ehrgeizige Ziele für Abfallminderung und Recycling. Heutzutage geht es jedoch nicht mehr nur um die vernünftige Abfallentsorgung, sondern es gibt ein neues Mantra - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Dispose (Vermindern, Wiederverwenden, Recyclen, Entsorgen) - das jetzt als optimales Vorgehen betrachtet wird.

I governi in Europa stanno stabilendo degli obiettivi per la riduzione dei rifiuti e il riciclaggio. Al momento però, non si tratta solo di smaltire i rifiuti con accortezza, c’è un nuovo mantra – Ridurre, Riusare, Riciclare e Smaltire – che è ora considerata la miglior pratica.

The 2012, European Commission report, ‘Preparing a Waste Prevention Programme,’ cites a range of country and regional measures that have been successfully employed to reduce waste. For example, in Germany the regional waste management plan of Schleswig-Holstein covers four waste streams, namely municipal waste, industrial waste, construction and demolition waste and sewage sludge, each in a separate document. Aggregated waste management data (generation, treatment) and data on regional treatment facilities and their permitted throughput capacity are presented in comprehensive and illustrative statistical figures demonstrating the temporal and in some cases the regional variances and tendencies of waste generation.

The international context Waste management must be implemented with the international context in mind.

Increased globalisation has led to increased imports of raw materials and semi-manufactured materials. At the same time, exports of waste, which can be transformed into valuable secondary raw materials, has increased.

Summary Overall recycling rates have improved and the amount of waste going to landfill has decreased. With effective waste policies and investment in the right services and products at all levels in the chain – from manufacture, distribution, recovery and recycling – a larger reduction will be made in the amount of waste sent to landfill every year, costs will be reduced, waste turned into revenue and environmental damage lessened.

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HIGH PRESSURE CLEANERS

A pressing issue Ducts, solar panels, restaurant hoods, graffiti-covered walls which tasks represent the biggest challenges for high-pressure cleaning manufacturers? And how are the machines on the market adapted to cope with difficult applications?

H

igh pressure cleaning is an extremely effective method of removing all types of substances from a wide range of surfaces.

It can be used for removing paint, rubber, sealants, chewing gum and other soiling from walls, roofs, car parks, pavements, vehicles, ducts and vents.

Variables such as water pressure, water temperature and the type of nozzle used can adapt this cleaning method to suit many different applications. But what are the most difficult challenges for high pressure cleaning systems? And are there any surfaces that cannot be cleaned using this process?

Graffiti removal represents one of the biggest challenges according to Andrew Caddick, Nilfisk-Advance’s senior group product manager for professional high pressure washers.

“This is due to the very wide range of surfaces on which graffiti appears today,” he said.

“While removing graffiti from basic concrete walls that have no inherent value is a fairly simple process, graffiti removal from soft stone, monuments or glass require very specific treatment to avoid damaging the surface.

“Hard cleaning methods such as sandblasting have been replaced by ‘soft blasting’ – the combination of low aggressive powders and water which has a much less abrasive effect.”

He says an example of such a product is Armex, which is based on bicarbonate of soda.

“This is sufficiently abrasive to remove graffiti from glass, vehicle surfaces and soft stone, but it is also ecologically friendly, soluble and easier to dispose of than other materials,” claims Caddick. “But care must be taken even here to carefully flush the stone surface afterwards to prevent the penetration of salts.”

He says restaurant hoods also provide challenges for high pressure cleaners. “The difficulty here arises from access to the area to be cleaned and evacuation of the water afterwards,” he said. “Also since restaurant hoods are typically covered in grease and fats, this application should really be solved by hot water. However the use of diesel-fired heating systems is not permitted in the food industry which often means that restaurant cooker hoods have to be cleaned with cold water.”

This can be solved by using an electricallyheated pressure washer or by feeding several cold water machines with pre-heated water, says Caddick. “Failing this, the use of food

industry standard detergents is required.”

Solar panels can also be diff icult to clean, says Caddick. “Most suppliers of solar panels do not recommend high pressure washers for this application to avoid damaging sensitive surfaces,” he said. “When we are called upon for this task, however, we use a high pressure washer on the lowest pressure mode and utilise more water and softer brushes to clean dust and light dirt from the solar panel surfaces. We would also usually recommend the use of pure water to avoid leaving stains.”

When it comes to cleaning ducts and vents, says Caddick, the main problem lies in how to gain access to such hard-to-reach areas. “The task is not difficult in itself since it is simply a question of cleaning away greases and fats, and a good detergent and hot water will handle this,” he said. “The hard part is gaining access to the surface area.”

Biggest challenge He adds that accessories such as pipe cleaning equipment, tank cleaners and long or curved lances will all aid the duct and vent-cleaning process. “Other items such as filters from restaurant hoods can often be removed and cleaned outside,” he said.

Marketing manager of Dibo Cleaning Systems Katrien Jacobs agrees that graffiti removal remains one of the biggest challenges for high pressure cleaning companies. “Today there is not only the cleaning task itself to consider, there is also the environment,” she said. Dibo offers a system with built-in vacuum for removing graffiti and collecting residual water.

“For one of our Dutch customers we built such a system into a truck along with two large 3,000 litre tanks,” said Jacobs. “This allowed the customer to clean for a whole day using the clear water in one tank and collecting the residual water in the other.”

She says pipework such as sewer systems can be difficult to clean due to access problems. “However there are special lances, hoses and nozzles available for this,” she said. “Depending on the specific task it is sometimes better to use less water at higher temperature whereas at other times you need more water at lower pressure.”

Continued page 66 November 2012 ECJ

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According to Jacobs the temperature, pressure and water throughput of Dibo high pressure washers can be easily adjusted.

“This makes our systems suitable for a wide range of jobs – particularly since it is also possible to connect them to a variety of accessories and specialist equipment.”

Dibo’s research and development department often helps customers to come up with the right solution for their requirements, says Jacobs. “For example, we recently built a high pressure unit designed for cleaning the hold of a ship – the unit had to be placed in the engine room,” she said. The water was fed from the engine room to the ship’s hold via a network of pipes, and four operators were then able to simultaneously clean the hold using a set of special hose reels.

According to environmental matters public relations officer for Karcher David Wickel, pressure washers are not always the best solution for removing graffiti. “The highest possible pressure is not a critical factor when Gaines, évents, panneaux solaires, hottes de restaurant, murs couverts de graffiti - quelles sont les tâches les plus dures à affronter par un système de nettoyage haute pression? Et comment les fabricants sont-ils équipés pour de telles tâches? Ann Laffeaty les interroge.

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removing graffiti from walls, and in fact on sensitive surfaces the best result is often achieved by low pressure particle blasting,” he said. “This involves blowing a blasting agent on to the surface at relatively low pressures to gently remove the soiling.”

Expand with accessories He says that depending on the robustness of the surface the blasting agent used may be glass powder, basalt, lime powder or nutshell granules of different particle sizes.

“In order to bind the dust that this method generates, water can be added to the airstream provided that the surface can tolerate it without suffering damage,” he adds.

Wickel claims that accessories can be used to almost infinitely expand a pressure washer’s area of use. “These accessories can be anything from patio and terrace cleaners to foam nozzles for cleaning casks, plus pipecleaning hoses and a wide range of different washing brushes and spray lances,” he said.

Luftkanäle, Belüftungsklappen, Solarkollektoren, Abzugshauben in Restaurants, mit Graffiti beschmierte Wände - welches sind die schwersten Aufgaben, die von Hochdruckreinigungssystemen bewältigt werden müssen? Wie sind die Produkte der verschiedenen Hersteller darauf ausgerichtet? Ann Laffeaty erfährt Näheres.

Condutture, bocchette d’areazione, pannelli solari, cappe dei ristoranti, muri coperti di graffiti, quali sono i lavori più difficili che devono essere affrontati da un sistema di pulizia ad alta pressione? Come sono attrezzate le macchine fabbricate dai produttori per tali lavori? Ann Laffeaty indaga.

So if high pressure cleaning is so versatile, can it be used for any cleaning task? Dibo’s Katrien Jacobs says no. “Some surfaces are impossible to clean using high pressure,” she said. “If you have to clean a soft surface such as Styrofoam isolation, for example, this cannot be achieved using high pressure without damaging the surface.”

Nilfisk-Advance’s Andrew Caddick believes that most areas can be cleaned using high pressure in principle – provided that care is taken. “Textile surfaces are typically not cleaned using this type of system because the drying is the main problem,” he said.

“The question is more whether or not high pressure washers are the best solution. With a high pressure washer you could, for example, clean the floor of a supermarket but water recovery would be a problem. Therefore a scrubber dryer would be a better solution for this type of indoor application.”

And Karcher’s David Wickel concurs. “Any surface can be cleaned using a pressure washer in principle, but one needs to consider the particular cleaning problem,” he said. “Should I use high or reduced pressure?

Water flow? Hot water or cold water? Asking these questions makes it possible to deduce the most economical solution – and this may be a different cleaning solution to that of pressure washing.”

PRODUCT S: HIGH PRESSURE CLEANERS

All green cleaners

According to DiBO all of its trailer-based high pressure cleaners incorporate environmentally conscious characteristics - so much so that its models are now green in colour.

The JMB-M, for example, boasts fuel savings of 33 per cent and features an industrial diesel engine with intercooling.

This system uses the existing feed water from the built-in 500 litre water tank to cool off the engine so water from the tank is preheated.

DiBO hot water high pressure cleaners feature the company's own GreenBoiler, which boasts efficiency levels of 92 per cent, low emissions and low maintenance costs. www.dibo.com

Easy for foaming

Professional power jet

New from R+M/Suttner is the easyfoamer ST-73, which mixes air and cleaning agent to produce what it claims is the ideal cleaning foam.

Fe a t u r e s i n c l u d e s t a i n less steel non-corrosive injector unit; high grade of chemical resistance; five defined dosing positions; vertical or horizontal spray pattern; maximum 250 bar pressure and 80°C temperature. www.rm-suttner.com

AR Blue Clean is the new range of power-jet cleaners from Annovi Reverberi, suitable for professional use. Maximum pressure is 130 bar and flow rate 720 litres per hour.

Other features include triplex pump with brass head and ceramic plungers; three-phase heavy duty motor; and pressure gauge with adjustment.

All machines have a range of tailor-made accessories. www.annovireverberi.it

• Les nettoyeurs haute pressison JMB-M, de la société DiBO, permettent des économies de carburant de 33% grâce à l'emploi d'une technologie verte.

• Produit nouveau proposé par R+M/ Suttner, l'easyfoamer ST-73 est un appareil à injection non corrosif en acier inox.

• AR Blue Clean est la nouvelle gamme Annovi Reverberi nettoyeurs à jet, qui s'assortissent de différents accessoires.

• Durch den Einsatz umweltbewusster Technologie sorgt der anhängermontierte Heißwasser-Hochdruckreiniger JMB-M von DiBO für Kraftstoffeinsparungen in Höhe von 33 Prozent.

• Neu von R+M/Suttner ist die easyfoamer ST-73, eine korrosionsfeste Schauminjektorlanze aus Edelstahl.

• AR Blue Clean ist die neue Produktreihe mit Hochdruckreinigern von Annovi Reverberi, für die eine Reihe von Zubehörteilen erhältlich sind.

• Le idropulitrici ad alta pressione e acqua calda montate su carrello JMB-M della DiBO vantano un risparmio di carburante del 33 per cento grazie all’utilizzo della tecnologia “verde”.

• Il nuovo prodotto della R+M/Suttner è easyfoamer ST-73, una unità a iniezione per l’erogazione di schiuma in acciaio inossidabile che non si corrode.

• AR Blue Clean è la nuova gamma di idropulitrici della Annovi Reverberi, disponibili con una vasta selezione di accessori.

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PRODUCT S: HIGH PRESSURE CLEANERS

• Le Kärcher HDS-E 8/16-4 M est un nettoyeur haute pression à chauffage électrique présenté comme étant énergétiquement efficient.

• Poseidon 5-6-7 est la nouvelle génération de nettoyeurs à eau froide haute pression signée Nilfisk.

• Simmm Engineering est un spécialiste des nettoyeurs et pompes haute pression.

• Beim Kärcher HDS-E 8/16-4 M handelt es sich um einen elektrisch beheizten Hochdruckreiniger, der laut Herstellerangaben energieeffizient ist.

• Poseidon 5-6-7 ist die neue Generation von Kaltwasser-Hochdruckreinigern von Nilfisk.

• Simmm Engineering ist auf Heiß- und Kaltwasser-Hochdruckreiniger und -pumpen spezialisiert.

• Kärcher HDS-E 8/16-4 M è una idropulitrice ad alta pressione e riscaldamento elettrico che vanta efficienza energetica.

• Poseidon 5-6-7 è la nuova generazione di idropulitrici ad alta pressione e acqua fredda prodotte dalla Nilfisk.

• La Simmm Engineering è specializzata in idropulitrici ad alta pressione sia ad acqua calda che ad acqua fredda e pompe.

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Extra hot The Kärcher HDS-E 8/16-4 M electrically heated high pressure cleaner is designed for closed areas that need to be cleaned with a hot water unit that does not emit exhaust gases. The company says the new boiler insulation makes it energy effi-

cient, and it has a high operating temperature of 80°C in continuous operation.

Insulation made from expanded polypropylene has reduced heat emission by the electric boiler. On standby this leads to energy savings of more than 40 per cent.

The most powerful of the three models available delivers its maximum temperature of 85°C in eight minutes of

boiler operation. And by using the Servo control on the spray g u n to a d j u s t w a te r f l o w, the operator can maintain a constant 80°C even in extended operation.

The eco!efficiency mode is available for light to medium soiling - setting the operating temperature at a permanent 60°C guarantees the best ratio between cleaning performance and energy cons u m p t i o n s a y s K ä r c h e r.

Detergents can be added in precise doses via two tanks. www.karcher.com

Cold generation Poseidon 5-6-7 is the new generation of cold water high pressure cleaners from Nilfisk-ALTO. Designed to be practical and simple, Nilfisk says the new line is intuitive and easy to use - reducing time spent on installation, preparation and training.

Ergonomics has also been a priority in the design. For example the spraying equipment reduces

fatigue while transport and storage are simplified thanks to the foldable handle.

Poseidon 5 is designed for use up to five hours a day, while Poseidon 6 can be used for five hours and above.

Equipped with an industrial class pump, Poseidon 7 is the heaviest duty machine. www.nilfisk-alto.com

Cleaners and pumps From Simmm Engineering comes an assortment of professional hot and cold water high pressure cleaners and pumps. Features include stainless steel pistons and valves, brass pump head, accessories supplied as standard. www.simmm.it

PRODUCT REVIEW

• Comme produit le plus récent, EuroServhi a lancé le nébuliseur de fragrance Nebumax capable de rafraîchir une aire de 400 mètres carrés.

• Le nouveau système d'emballage Tork pour serviettes en papier et papiers hygiéniques proposé par SCA a été étendu de manière à inclure davantage de produits.

• Papernet a lancé des nouvelles gammes de papiers hygiéniques et de distributeurs de papier hygiènique : Bio Tech, Dry Tech et Hy Tech.

• Optimum Professional, qui fait partie du Disposables UK Group, a lancé le papier hygiénique de luxe en papier de soie OptiSilk.

• Nouvellement introduit par la société Deb, le GrittyFoam est un puissant nettoyant des mains contenant des biolaveurs non abrasifs.

• La barrière de propane Stealth introduite par WerkMaster comporte un dispositif de surveillance qui coupe le moteur à propane avant que les émissions n'atteignent des niveaux dangereux.

• Vac Systems International a ajouté un nouveau système Super Whip pour compagnie aérienne à sa gamme d'équipements de nettoyage de conduites.

• Neu von EuroServhi ist der Duftzerstäuber Nebumax, der einen Wirkungsbereich von bis zu 400 Quadratmetern hat.

• Das neue Tork Verpackungssystem für Handtücher und Toilettenpapier von SCA wurde erweitert, um zusätzliche Produkte zu umfassen.

• Papernet hat eine neue Produktreihe mit Toilettenpapier und Spendern vorgestellt: Bio Tech, Dry Tech und Hy Tech.

• Das zur Disposables UK Group gehörende Unternehmen Optimum Professional hat das Luxustoilettenpapier OptiSilk vorgestellt.

• Neu von Deb ist GrittyFoam, eine Hochleistungs-Schaumhandseife, die nicht scheuernde Bio-Reibemittel enthält.

• Stealth, der propanbetriebene Polierer von WerkMaster, verfügt über ein Überwachungssystem, das den Propanmotor ausschaltet, bevor die Emissionen ein gefährliches Niveau erreichen.

• Vac Systems International hat das neue Super Whip Airline System zum Sortiment mit Luftkanalreinigungsgeräten hinzugefügt.

• Il nuovo prodotto della EuroServhi è il nebulizzatore di fragranze Nebumax in grado di rinfrescare aree fino a 400 metri quadrati.

• Il nuovo sistema di confezioni per gli ascugamani in carta e carta igienica Tork della SCA è stato ampliato per includere nuovi prodotti.

• La Papernet ha lanciato le nuove gamme di carta igienica e dispenser Bio Tech, Dry Tech e Hy Tech.

• La Optimum Professional, che fa parte del gruppo Disposables UK Group, ha lanciato la carta igienica di qualità superiore OptiSilk.

• Il nuovo prodotto della Deb è GrittyFoam, un detergente industriale per il lavaggio delle mani che contiene esfolianti biologici non-abrasivi.

• La lucidatrice industriale a propano Stealth prodotta dalla WerkMaster è dotata di un sistema di monitoraggio che spegne il motore a propano prima che le emissioni raggiungano livelli pericolosi.

• La Vac Systems International ha aggiunto alla sua gamma di attrezzature per la pulizia delle condutture il nuovo sistema Super Whip Airline System.

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Freshening large areas For air freshening in large areas EuroServhi has developed the new Nebumax fragrance nebuliser. It can work in rooms up to 400 square metres and uses a dosage system based on pressurised air injection.

The device releases almost invisible particles into the air, which remain in the environment and distribute themselves with natural air flow. Intensity of fragrance is adjustable, and installation of the system is said to be simple.

The unit can also be used to dispense odour neutraliser and flying insect repellent. www.euroservhi.com

substances inside the pipes.

Papernet says the paper also acts as far as the septic tank, avoiding blockages.

Dry Tech tissue is dried using a process that blows air through the fibres to give it more volume and make it softer - this results in better drying ability and higher absorbency.

Finally, Hy Tech is a new range of tissue dispensers designed by leading Italian product designer Stefano Giovannoni. www.papernet.it

Touch of luxury

washes per litre.

In an industrial workplace survey carried out by Deb, nine out of 10 employees said they preferred using it compared to traditional industrial cleansers. www.debgroup.com

Stealth monitoring The new Stealth propane burnisher from WerkMaster features the ClearSKY Accu-Sense Emissions Monitoring System that automatically shuts off the propane engine before emissions reach dangerous levels.

Optimum Professional, part of the Disposables UK group, has launched OptiSilk, a luxury toilet tissue range. There are three products, all of which are micro-embossed and laminated to give a luxury feel.

Packaging expanded SCA's new Tork packaging system for its paper products has been expanded to incorporate more products.

Refills for the Tork Compact Auto Shift toilet tissue system are now housed in Tork Easy Handling packaging packs. The packaging is already used for hand towels, interfold napkins and centrefeed industrial rolls.

To r k E a s y Handling packaging has been designed for the convenience of cleaning staff, who often carry packages of paper towels, toilet paper and other supplies for long distances. Tork Carry Pack plastic packaging and cardboard Tork Carry Boxes have been designed to help ease this. www.sca.com

Tissue launches Papernet has introduced three new washroom products - two tissues and a dispenser.

Bio Tech is a biodegradable, biologically active toilet tissue, whereby microorganisms produce enzymes that eliminate unpleasant odours and smelly

OptiSilk Gold is a three-ply pure pulp white tissue with 160 sheets per roll, while OptiSilk Silver is a two-ply pure pulp option, this time with 195 sheets per roll. Finally, OptiSilk Cream is a 100 per cent recycled product, again two-ply, micro-embossed and laminated. Number of sheets per roll is 195.

All toilet tissues come in four roll packs wrapped in high quality packaging, branded to show the colours of gold, silver and cream on a luxurious silk patterned background. www.disposablesukgroup.co.uk

Foam with grit For industrial hand cleansing Deb Group has just launched GrittyFOAM, which combines the company's foam science, latest dispensing technology and nob-abrasive bio-scrubbers.

These bio-scrubbers are suspended in a rich cream foam that is designed to give a deepdown clean without damaging the skin. Deb says the new formula can remove all types of industrial contaminants - and just three ml of liquid GrittyFOAM produces five times the volume in foam, providing 45 per cent more hand

Not only does Accu-Sense shut down the engine, it tells the operator why it shuts down - if the machine air intake is restricted by a dirty filter; if the air-to-fuel ratio is improperly set; if the machine is running unattended; or if operator attempts to run it from cold. www.werkmaster.com

Super Whip Vac Systems International has added the new Super Whip Airline System to its duct cleaning tool range. Features include octopus whip head, tri whip head, single whip head, forward and reverse air nozzles with coupler, support ball assembly and airline with wire inside and on/off trigger. www.vacsysint.com