INCLEAN NZ - August 2020

DELIVERING SUSTAINABLE HYGIENE INFORMATION

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August 2020

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21 OCTOBER 2020

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Editor’s letter

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A

s the country moves to recovery mode, businesses re-start, and workplaces re-open; daily cleaning practices, client expectations, and frequencies of cleans are set to be taken to a new level to ensure the health and safety of building occupants. Organisations will need to have a robust return to work cleaning plan that clearly outlines what a return to business entails. Read some of the elements your return to work cleaning plan should include on page 34.

During this time, a term that has quickly become overused is referring to the future as the “new normal”. According to industry consult Mike Sawchuk, companies must be fluid and flexible in their strategies, tactics, and plans while adapting to this “new normal”. Companies must know which strategies to implement and which ones to let go. Read Sawchuk’s tips on how the distribution industry can navigate this new economic landscape on page 42.

While COVID-19 has brought unprecedented change and challenges around the world, it has also highlighted the vital role of cleaners. In New Zealand, and around the globe, cleaners have remained at the forefront in the fight against COVID-19, providing essential services and ensuring the health and safety of workplaces, employees, and customers. In our cover story read why Thank your Cleaner Day will take on a new meaning this year, and how the industry plans to continue to leverage this recent awareness post-COVID. Also, in this issue we consider how healthcare cleaning has changed in light of the pandemic, how cleaning and disinfecting can impact indoor air quality, and examine how to effectively clean high risk environments such as schools and aged care living facilities.

As the sector’s trade magazine, we are focused on keeping the industry connected.

If you have a positive news story to share, please get in touch at info@incleanmag.co.nz.

Happy reading,

Claire Hibbit Managing Editor

FOR MORE INDUSTRY NEWS FOLLOW US ON

CHECK OUT WWW.INCLEANMAG.CO.NZ www.incleanmag.co.nz 3

What’s on 2020 Forum Pulire 2020

13-14 October and 20-21 October The fifth edition of Forum Pulire will be hosted in digital format. www.issapulirenetwork.com

Thank Your Cleaner Day 21 October 2020

A New Zealand-based social initiative to recognise cleaners. www.thankyourcleanerday.com

Interclean Amsterdam 3-6 November 2020

Interclean Amsterdam will include a combination of online and offline events. www.intercleanshow.com

ISSA North America

ENEWS SIGN UP ››

16-19 November 2020 ISSA North America will take place at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.

Interclean Amsterdam 3-6 November 2020 Interclean is the world’s leading platform for cleaning and hygiene professionals. www.intercleanshow.com

2021

23-24 MARCH 2021 SYDNEY

ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Expo 23-24 March 2021

The premier trade event for Australia’s cleaning and hygiene industry will take place at ICC Sydney. www.issacleaninghygieneexpo.com

Safety in Action Conference 23-24 March 2021

MOST CLICKED www.incleanmag.co.nz

Commerce Commission releases new environmental claims

Interclean launches inaugural ‘hybrid’ event

The guidance now includes advice on making claims about material composition.

Interclean extends physical event to a combination of online and offline.

Banking becomes first living wage accredited industry

Additional facilities achieve GBAC STAR accreditation

Nearly 1800 employees and contractors move on to living wage.

More than 2400 facilities are in the process of becoming accredited through the GBAC STAR program.

NZ moves on regulated product stewardship Government steps up action to deal with problematic products including plastic packaging.

Preparing building workers post-restrictions Experts warn of a need for buildings to be properly prepared and safely flushed out.

The leading safety event will be co-located with the ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Expo. www.safetyinaction.net.au

ON THE COVER: Wed 15 - Thu 16 September 2021

Newmarket Room, Clean NZEllerslie Racecourse, Auckland, New Zealand

15 -16 September 2021

New Zealand’s only dedicated trade event for the commercial cleaning industry. www.cleannzexpo.co.nz 4 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND August 2020

Thank Your Cleaner Day™ will be held on Wednesday, 21 October 2020. Now in its sixth year, the day aims to raise the profile of the industry as well as celebrate the role of professional cleaners

IN THIS ISSUE AUGUST 2020

ISSUE #3

60 Features

10 When speed counts 16 Rising to the challenge 20 The power of connection 24 Effective cleaning in schools and senior living facilities 26 Cleaning vs. Sanitising vs. Disinfecting 28 Does your floor care program fit your floor challenges?

30 Protecting building occupants 34 Draft a return to work cleaning plan 38 Keep it clean, New Zealand 42 An ever-evolving ‘new normal’ 46 A driving force for innovation

10 61

Regulars

14

20

03 Editor’s letter 06 Industry news 14 Cover story 50 Management 54 Opinion 60 Products

46 www.incleanmag.co.nz 5

INDUSTRY NEWS

Commerce Commission releases new environmental claims guidelines

Why cleaning is the most important job in aged care facilities The need to keep aged care facilities clean and sanitised is more important than ever. An outbreak in a senior living centre or nursing home can wreak havoc on a vulnerable population, and once a contagious infection has taken hold in such a facility, it can be extremely difficult to stop.

Cleaning in aged care facilities requires thoroughly trained staff and the right cleaning supplies for use in what is ultimately a healthcare facility. By following best cleaning practices and using the best equipment, the likelihood of illness and infection in aged-care facilities can be reduced.

Personal precautions by care providers serving the elderly should include frequent and proper hand washing and using personal protective equipment when and where indicated. It should also include a strict protocol for facility sanitisation by ensuring correct procedures in cleaning of frequently touched surfaces and objects, including floors and walls.

In aged care facilities, the likelihood of floors being contaminated by spills or personal accidents is high, as is true of the walls becoming a high-touch surface for support.

These surfaces should be cleaned regularly.

Floors can be cleaned using products such as Rubbermaid’s HYGEN disposable microfibre mops which provide antimicrobial action and are ideal for use in bathrooms and dining areas with polished floors where contaminant levels are high or in entrances where foot traffic brings in unwanted bacteria.

For general areas such as hallways, mopping equipment including washable microfibre mops can be used to keep costs down and provide high-quality cleaning with re-usability.

These mops are compatible with a wide range of cleaners and charging buckets can ensure the mops stay sanitised and cross contamination doesn’t occur from area to area within the facility.

6 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND August 2020

The Commerce Commission has released guidelines to help traders understand their obligations when making environmental claims, including how to avoid breaching the Fair-Trading Act. An environmental claim is a representation about the environmental impact of a good or service. They are sometimes referred to as ‘green claims’.

The guidance, which was last updated in 2008, now includes advice on making claims about material composition e.g. how and when to claim a product is plastic free, as well as making disposal claims such as whether an items is recyclable, compostable or biodegradable Commission Chair Anna Rawlings said: “Environmental claims can be a powerful marketing tool and traders are using environmental claims as a point of difference from their competitors.

All traders, large and small, need to make sure their environmental claims are substantiated, truthful, and not misleading to avoid breaching the Fair Trading Act.”

In designing these guidelines, the commission sought input from relevant industry bodies and other government agencies. These guidelines will be updated periodically to provide further guidance as case law, legislation or business practices evolve.

The new guidelines have been welcomed by WasteMINZ, which also released detailed guidance on how to advertise compostable plastic packaging earlier in the year.

There are serious penalties for breaching the Fair Trading Act 1986 – companies can be fined up to $600,000 and individuals up to $200,000 per breach.

OCS NZ achieves carbonreduce certification OCS NZ has achieved Toitū Envirocore carbonreduce certification – the first major company in its industry to do so.

The accreditation was noted in the company’s recently released sustainability report, outlining the organisation’s commitment to sustainability throughout 2019.

OCS ANZ managing director, Gareth Marriott, said much of what OCS has achieved has been accomplished through partnering with innovative industry leaders.

“We’ve worked closely with partners like Ecotricity, New Zealand’s only provider of 100 percent renewable and carboNZero certifies electricity, to slash our usage. In 2019, we avoided 168,422.38 kgs of carbon emissions, which is equivalent to almost 30 homes’ electricity use for one year.”

Changing energy providers, alongside multiple other measures like reducing air travel (both international

and domestic) and vehicle usage has seen OCS reduce its carbon emissions by 20 per cent since 2017.

Marriott said the company’s involvement with Toitū Envirocare is an ongoing commitment to set and achieve fresh targets each year, and what that means is coming up with new and innovative ways of doing things.

The sustainability report looks at the company’s dedication to all three of its sustainability pillars: People, Environment and Community.

“One of OCS’s strategic objectives is to be the most environmentally sustainable business in the facilities management sector by 2030,” Marriott said.

“We have made significant strides in addressing our sustainability pillars through our team and the amazing people we choose to partner with and I’m confident we’ll achieve this target.”

INDUSTRY NEWS

Free enrolment in Careerforce cleaning and business programmes There are no enrolment fees for workplaces wishing to enrol their staff into Careerforce cleaning and business programmes this year.

The government recently announced a new Targeted Training and Apprenticeship Fund (TTAF), as part of a training package to support training in the health and wellbeing sector.

Despite a strong case being made to the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) by Careerforce, enrolment fees for cleaning and business qualifications are not be covered by the Targeted Training and Apprenticeships Fund (TTAF).

Careerforce said it is disappointed by this decision, as it felt cleaning programmes did meet the criteria for the fund. TEC has indicated it will regularly review and refine qualification eligibility across the lifetime of the fund, and Careerforce will again make a case that these qualifications be covered when such a review is underway.

Careerforce has waived enrolment fees on its cleaning and business qualifications* including; NZ

Certificate in Cleaning (Level 2), NZ Certificate in Cleaning (Level 3), NZ Diploma in Business (Leadership and Management) (Level 5) and NZ Diploma in Business (Leadership and Management) (Level 6).

Enrolment fees will be waived for all enrolments up until 31 December 2020, and will be backdated for any enrolments received since 1 July 2020 (to be consistent with TTAF).

The announcement also follows the launch of Careerforce’s new job portal, Jobs for Good, for both employers and jobseekers.

“Our aim is to connect employers with jobseekers, students or school leavers and those who are looking to gain meaningful employment and experience in the cleaning, health and wellbeing sectors we support,” the organisation said.

Employers can submit a vacancy at www.careerforce.org.nz/jobs-for-good. *For enrolments in NZ Diploma in Business (Level 5 & 6) that are eligible for Fees Free or for any applicable grants, these entitlements will take precedence over the Careerforce free enrolment offer

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www.incleanmag.co.nz 7

INDUSTRY NEWS

Auckland Council’s contracted cleaners to get living wage Cleaners contracted by Auckland Council will now be paid the living wage.

On July 30, Auckland Council passed its Emergency Budget, which included the living wage commitment to the council’s contracted cleaners.

E tū assistant national secretary, Annie Newman, said it is a great achievement for the movement to see Auckland council extending the living wage to more workers.

Mayor Phil Goff vowed to extend the living wage to all cleaners working on contract for council, should he be re-elected for a second term.

The living wage is defined as the income necessary to provide workers and their families with the basic necessities of life.

New Zealand’s banking sector recently became New the country’s first fully living wage accredited industry, leading

to nearly 1800 employees and contractors moving onto the living wage.

New Zealand’s minimum wage increased by $1.20 from $17.70 to $18.90 per hour in April, despite calls to postpone the increase due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The new rate equates to an extra $48 per week before tax for employees on a 40-hour working week.

Kärcher NZ highlights importance of vacuuming during COVID-19 When vacuuming suspected infectious areas always use a HEPA filter or main filter in combination with a filter bag. That is according to leading equipment provider, Kärcher New Zealand.

“Vacuum cleaning is the regular removal of dust and helps eliminate culture media for microorganisms, and contributes to the maintenance of our health,” said Deane Rogers, key accounts & events – professional, Kärcher NZ. “Experts have found out viruses in general have a size of 0,02 µm 0,3µm/ SARS-CoV-2 has a size of 0,1 μm. It is understood SARS-CoV-2 can survive several hours depending on the material of the surface.

“Therefore, when vacuuming a potentially infected room, it is advised to use a HEPA filter/ main filter in combination with a filter bag.”

According to Kärcher NZ, HEPA filters work in three ways: • Interception: Particles which are following the flow in the air stream come within one radius of a fibre and adhere to it.

• Impact: Larger particles are unable to avoid fibres by following

8 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND August 2020

the curving contours of the air stream and are forced to embed in one of the fibres directly.

• Diffusion: Small particles don’t follow the air flow, they collide with the air molecules and also with the fibres and adhere on it.

“Fleece filter bags offer deep filtration and higher quantity of dust less sensitive to mechanical stress,” said Rogers.

“Filtration efficacy of our fleece dimensional structure allows two to three times more dust to be maintained while having a higher level of suction performance.

“Use a fleece filter bag in combination with a HEPA filter when using canister dry vacuums or carpet vacuums in healthcare environments or suspected infectious areas.”

Disclaimer: Information and findings (health situation) are constantly being updated by experts as global research in these fields is ongoing and continuing. The above information given is collected and based on expertise and research provided by various company departments current status of June 15th 2020

INDUSTRY NEWS

CrestClean launches e-learning platform

Liezl Foxcroft

CrestClean has launched a new e-cleaning platform, which the company says will take its training programme to the next level.

“The COVID -19 pandemic proved that training in the cleaning industry is essential and no longer an option,” said Liezl Foxcroft, general manager of Master Cleaners Training Institute and CrestClean’s national training manager.

According to Foxcroft, all business owners have to undergo training, leading to the achievement of a Certificate in Commercial Cleaning (CCC).

“We have a clear roadmap, which starts with an online health and safety induction and ends with franchise owners obtaining their CCC,” said Foxcroft.

“We have developed a robust training platform, which incorporates videos, multiple choice questions, click-and-match data information, and many other interesting facets to compliment all learning styles.

“We will be able to cut down on the face-to-face training time considerably, while ensuring we maintain our high standards in training, which makes us stand out from many of our competitors.”

Foxcroft said one of the main benefits of the new platform is the ease of access for learners. “This platform is a result of the collaboration within CrestClean, involving many of our core divisions, which shows the high level of professionalism and skill within the organisation, as well as the ongoing commitment to training innovation.”

www.incleanmag.co.nz 9

INDUSTRY // SPONSORED

I

When speed counts

n January 2020 the world looked on as a growing health problem emerged from China. By mid-March it was evident the world was in the grips of a pandemic and New Zealand moved rapidly to close its borders and enforce a nationwide lockdown on its citizens on 22 March.

For OCS New Zealand, preparation began immediately when signs of a pandemic were looming, from reviewing processes, shoring up supply lines and seeking expert advice. The team knew lives were going to be at stake and needed to ensure they were ready to meet challenges head on.

Watching the situation closely from his Auckland office, Gareth Marriott, OCS Australia & New Zealand Managing Director, reached out to key partner chief executives across the globe.

His mission, to open those lines of communication early, seeking commitments to break down supply barriers if and when they arose and protecting the community and people of Australia and New Zealand as much as he was able.

That action opened communication lines which have remained in place, ensuring greater access to a true global economy.

The impact of the lockdown, when it came, was immediate.

10 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND August 2020

Along with the closure of some key customer businesses, other essential services ramped up, meaning OCS was fighting fires at both ends of the business – trying to keep up with increased and changing (sometimes daily) demand along with moving the business to allow for closures with an indeterminant time frame.

“We needed every member of our organisation to step-up to meet the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic while being protected themselves,” said Marriott.

“But more than that, we also needed our supply-chain partners to step-up.”

FAST CHANGING ENVIRONMENT The New Zealand government acted rapidly to keep its citizens safe by closing the border to all but New Zealand citizens and residents, but risk was everywhere with international media reports fuelling panic and paranoia.

While uncertainty was a given, what was known was that the virus could live for days on surfaces, making thorough and frequent cleaning with the right chemicals and equipment an essential part of preventing the spread COVID19. This meant OCS would be at the forefront of helping contain the spread.

Best-practice information from the World

Health Organisation, health officials and government departments came thick and fast – much of it being contradicted by other governments around the world.

Products considered best in field preCOVID were suddenly debunked and equally, application and products had to evolve quickly. With hysteria world-wide, cleaning products like disinfectant and hand sanitiser, and PPE including masks and gloves were hoarded and overnight, stocks were depleted leaving the essential service organisations that needed the products most scrambling to secure stock.

OCS needed certainty that the products they were using would meet latest certification standards and equally, needed certainty of supply as organisations across the globe sought to ‘stock up’.

“We needed to know how best to tackle this evolving situation, to cut through the hysteria and ensure we were asking the right questions,” said Marriott. “So we contacted Professor Michael Baker, one of New Zealand’s leading epidemiologists.”

Baker was able to provide up to the minute advice about transfer of the disease, how to protect staff and customers as well as a host of other information which the team were able to use to update their pandemic standard operating

INDUSTRY // SPONSORED procedures and immediately implement across the country. He also recommended that OCS ensure we were getting up to date, best practice cleaning and hygiene advice from global experts.

PARTNERSHIP MADE PERSONAL For Marriott and the global OCS team, Partnership Made Personal was a brand promise delivered as part of their rebrand earlier this year - one that Marriott fully embraces.

“During the pandemic one of our key concerns was protection of our frontline team members and our customers – as well as the New Zealand community,” explained Marriott.

“Part of that solution was being able to lean on the depth and authenticity of conversations we can have every day with our partners. “And that’s where our partnership with Diversey came to the fore – they’re a global leader in healthcare and infection prevention products and solutions.”

When supply looked tight and OCS needed additional guidance on chemical application, OCS’ long-term relationship with Diversey meant help was only a phone call away.

A quick and frank conversation between the two organisations fast-tracked a guaranteed product supply and access to best-in-field chemicals. “We had complete confidence that Diversey would be able to supply us with both EPA and TGA certified products that were safe for humans and weren’t going to cause issues with the surfaces they were applied to,” said Gavin Upston, OCS NZ Operations Director.

“Customers were asking us to provide sanitation to surfaces such as soft furnishing and the inside of vehicles. We needed to ensure the products wouldn’t cause damage to upholstery and other finishes – and we didn’t have time to undertake our own vigorous testing.”

Having a global brand like Diversey on the team added increased certainty for both OCS’ team members and their customers, particularly when it came to adhering to Ministry of Health and World Health Organisation evolving bestpractice guidelines.

“We had the information at our fingertips from a global leader in infection control products,” said Marriott. “We were completely transparent with everyone as to the efficacy of the products and the systems and processes we were operating – providing confidence for customers and our frontline team members.”

NEXT LEVEL SERVICE “As the country moved into lockdown we raced to supply our essential service customers and our frontline team with the necessary tools and services they would require to keep New Zealand safe,” said Upston.

“A global supply shortage saw a few worried moments, but a quick call to Diversey saw an immediate response. Brendon Guerin, New Zealand Country Manager at Diversey, literally hooked up a trailer with 2.2 tonnes of Oxivir® Tb disinfectant and sanitisation products and delivered them to our branch managers across New Zealand on the Thursday before Easter – who in turn distributed it amongst our customers.”

Further emphasising the partnership approach, Guerin joined the OCS team to meet with the heads of key essential service customers. “Having Brendon on board at those meetings enabled us to provide an extra layer of assurance and confidence to our customers,” said Upston.

“He was able to bring a global perspective, and showcased innovations that were best in field – in the world! That made a massive difference for both ourselves and our customers in ensuring their safety, and that of the wider ‘Team of Five Million’.”

Having a partner like Diversey provided the OCS team with a level of supply confidence that many of their competitors failed to have.

They had direct access to a global supply chain through an organisation able to pivot and flex its production lines and service delivery to meet the unprecedented demand – for their Oxivir product alone Diversey experienced 20 times normal demand.

“

“Protecting the public against COVID-19 is an all hands-on deck issue.

When OCS called us, we acted without hesitation to assist them in keeping New Zealand safe. Diversey has always been a pioneer in providing cleaning and sanitisation technologies.

Our customers have total assurance across sectors that the product, systems and services we supply are the best in field.

“Our purpose is to protect and care for people every day. Everything we do has our customers’ needs at its heart and is based on the belief that cleaning and hygiene are life essentials.’

“The reciprocal nature of our partnership with OCS New Zealand means we can confidently operate a high-trust model. Gareth is an authentic and genuine leader, his word is his bond. That means a lot – we will always go that extra mile to support those businesses which align with our own values.”

- Phil Wieland, Global Chief Executive Office at Diversey, Inc.

”

www.incleanmag.co.nz 11

INDUSTRY // SPONSORED For OCS the product ticked all the boxes – effective, easy to use with a ready to use, non-rinsing formula and provided a one-step cleaning and disinfectant of hard and soft surfaces. It was the perfect solution for essential service customers.

“In a volatile and rapidly evolving situation there isn’t time to second guess the quality of your partnerships,” said Marriott.

“Organisations must start acting authentically and building those partnerships before a crisis. Without the depth of our relationship, we wouldn’t have been able to meet our customer demands, and in this situation, that could have cost lives.”

Partnership Made Personal is brought to life by the OCS New Zealand team through their genuine care for all their partners, communities and team members. Their individual dedication to being the best they can be provides real results – social, fiscal and long-lasting.

ABOUT OCS NEW ZEALAND OCS is the largest facilities management services company in New Zealand, with almost 4,000 team members providing nationwide services – from Kaitaia to Invercargill. They provide cleaning, hygiene, waste management, pest control, and maintenance and building services for customers in sectors including aviation, retail, healthcare, government, education and corporates.

ABOUT DIVERSEY Diversey’s purpose is to protect and care for people every day.

Diversey has been, and always will be, a pioneer and facilitator for life. They constantly seek to deliver revolutionary cleaning and hygiene technologies that provide total confidence to customers across all our global sectors. These include: facility management, health care, hospitality, retail and food service; in addition to food and beverage. Everything they do is based on the implicit belief that cleaning and hygiene are life essentials and that what we undertake constitutes a vital service. ■

Core elements: The OCS partnership with Diversey came down to three core elements – Communication, Expertise and Trust.

Communication + Answering the call for urgent support + Availability 24/7, ensuring ongoing supply and responsive to customer queries + All stakeholders kept in the loop when product availability changed (sometimes daily)

Trust + Urgent orders were processed without purchase orders + Quality assurance: sourcing alternative supply and providing non-traditional product lines + Open and honest communication about stock availability + Credit risk managed effectively across both businesses

Expertise + Supporting documentation provided showing products were certified by relevant authorities to kill COVID-19 + Ensuring correct use instructions + Additional products continued to be certified during the lockdown phase so OCS could scale the response to each customer based on their risk profile + Provided world-leading Oxivir disinfectant cleaner and wipes and wall mounted hand sanitisers for a number of high risk sites when existing partners weren’t able to.

12 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND August 2020

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DISCLAIMER: Please check local regulations and guidelines for any references provided. These materials are provided for general information purposes only and do not replace each user’s responsibility to assess the operational, legal and other requirements applicable to each facility. Confidential information, may not be copied or distributed without prior written permission of Diversey. © 2020 Diversey, Inc. All Rights Reserved. *ARTG registered List 25 July 2020. https://www.tga.gov.au/disinfectants-use-against-covid-19-artg-legal-supply-australia. Always read the label and product information before use.

COVER STORY

Thank Your Cleaner Day™

“

Why Thank Your Cleaner Day™ takes on a new meaning this year.

Now more than ever we need to thank our essential workers for their hard work and dedication during the COVID-19 crisis.

”

14 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND August 2020

T

he global COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the vital role of cleaners.

In New Zealand, and around the globe, cleaners have remained at the forefront in the fight against COVID-19, providing essential services and ensuring the health and safety of workplaces, employees, and customers.

“Thank Your Cleaner Day™ takes on a whole new meaning this year,” says Sarah McBride, CEO of the Building Service Contractors of New Zealand (BSCNZ).

“Now more than ever we need to thank our essential workers for their hard work and dedication during the COVID-19 crisis. Through this pandemic commercial cleaners are now recognised for the critical role they play in keeping us all safe.

“Special thanks and recognition to our key sponsor Kärcher for their ongoing work with the BSCNZ to promote this day not just in New Zealand but globally.”

Launched by the BSCNZ, Thank Your Cleaner Day™ will be held on Wednesday, 21 October, 2020. Now in its sixth year, the day aims to raise the profile of the industry as well as celebrate the role of professional cleaners.

Since its launch, the event has continued to garner global attention from building service contractors and their customers, with the event now celebrated in more than 20 countries. In 2019, Canada, US, UK, Spain, Mexico, Argentina,

Chile and Colombia were among some of the countries to have participated.

In New Zealand, the commercial cleaning sector is worth more than $1 billion annually and employs more than 30,000 people. Throughout the country’s lockdown cleaners kept some of the most high-risk facilities and occupants safe and have continued to perform essential services work post-lockdown.

“The industry has always been an unseen and unrecognised workforce,” says Paul Emery, managing director of ToTal Property Services (Canterbury) and president of the BSCNZ board.

“Generally, cleaners come into buildings and offices after hours once everyone has left. But the perception of the industry is changing. There’s a greater appreciation for the industry because when we could, we worked through [lockdown] as an essential service to keep other companies going.

“Without cleaners, you would be surprised by how many workplaces and businesses would grind to a halt, particularly in the currently climate. More now than even recognition of the work the industry does is needed.”

Building service contractors and their customers are encouraged to host events such as a morning tea or barbeque on Wednesday, 21 October, or purchase a BSCNZ’s Thank Your Cleaner Day™ gift box for team members.

Developed in conjunction with NZ Cleaning Supplies, BSCNZ will be producing 1500 gift boxes this year, which feature a range of products from

COVER STORY

Join the BSCNZ, step up!

BSCNZ prides itself on operating to a strict code of conduct and principles that ensures building owners/managers know that behind every BSCNZ member is a professional industry body ensuring best practice. Our members commit to the values and standards of corporate responsibility adopted by their clients and commit to safe, fair, and equitable working conditions for their own staff. For more information about becoming a BSCNZ member, visit: www.bsc.org.nz/join-us

“

At Kärcher New Zealand we are very proud and privileged to be the sponsor of this worthy Thank Your Cleaner Day campaign.

The importance of building service contractors has been starkly illustrated worldwide by the impact of COVID-19.

Now, more than ever before building service contractors and the wider industry should be recognised for their ongoing efforts and positive impacts on our workplaces and daily lives.

Kere McBratney, Country Manager, Kärcher New Zealand

some of the industry’s leading suppliers including NZ Cleaning Supplies, Tork, Makita, Diversey, Pristine Bio Clean, and Filta, plus L’Oréal.

“We all have those team members that we would like to reward more, and this is another way of showing that recognition,” says Emery of the gift box initiative.

Ian Kebbel, managing director of Supercare and Vice President of the BSCNZ council, says Thank Your Cleaner Day™ is another way to continue to shine a spotlight on the industry.

“For so long the industry has been viewed as a necessary overhead, but we have been undervalued in terms of the contribution we make to workplaces and businesses. However, during the pandemic we were suddenly shot to the forefront. “[COVID-19] has highlighted the importance of the work we do. People have seen the direct impact of the spread of an infectious disease and the impact not just on staff and absenteeism, but the impact on the entire business.

“Our industry performs more than just the task of cleaning. We provide health and safety services and we will continue to do that after the crisis.

“Thank Your Cleaner Day™ this year is an opportunity for us to rally together and thank our cleaners. Post-COVID we need to continue to raise support and awareness for the industry and make sure our customers, and the wider public, are reminded of the importance that we have on business and society.” ■

”

How to be involved • Registered BSCNZ members will receive a Thank Your Cleaner DayTM Toolkit to engage with clients • Contact your BSCNZ contract cleaning company representative to find out how your business be involved www.bsc.org.nz or www.thankyourcleanerday.co.nz • Host an event such as a morning tea or barbeque • Purchase a sponsored giftbox for team members which includes products from some of the industry’s leading suppliers

www.incleanmag.co.nz 15

HEALTHCARE

Rising to the challenge The importance of environmental cleaning and hand hygiene in the fight against infection.

16 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND August 2020

I

n hospitals and clinics, there is huge potential for contamination and the spread of illness due to how many patients pass through their doors every day.

Surfaces in common or high-traffic areas, like doorknobs, handles, and equipment, pose a particularly elevated risk when it comes to transmitting pathogens between patients, staff, and visitors.

“COVID-19 has been a wake-up call for the whole world,” says Linda Blake, product developer at registered training organisation, Careerforce.

“We have already seen a ‘new norm’ in vulnerable communities and healthcare environments such as hospitals and rest homes, with an increased frequency of cleaning and more thorough cleaning and sanitising of high touch points and surfaces.”

Maintaining a clean and hygienic environment is an effort that must be tackled from all angles.

In response to COVID-19, Careerforce has released a series of online training modules in collaboration with the Ministry of Health.

The six learning modules, which largely focus on hand hygiene and infection prevention, are available to be accessed through Careerforce’s website and the Ministry of Health’s LearnOnline website.

Topics range from how to wash your hands correctly, to how to work as a caregiver for a friend or family member in need.

The training organisation has also developed a series of hand hygiene and infection prevention learning resources, which are able to be accessed for free on the Careerforce website. These

modules incorporate sections on COVID-19; what is it and how to control the spread of it.

“Every time a healthcare worker, including cleaners, move from one room to another, or move from one building to another, they can take infection with them.

“It can be on their equipment, the cleaner’s trolley, their hands, or gloves… it is so easy to transmit infection, and so important that correct procedures are undertaken to prevent and reduce the spread of germs and infection in healthcare settings,” says Blake.

CLEANING EQUIPMENT Proper care of cleaning equipment is essential to preventing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Attentive cleaning procedures reduce the risk of cleaning staff spreading bacteria and other infectants throughout healthcare facilities.

“Hospital stakeholders need to understand how to effectively clean not only medical equipment and facility surfaces, but also the cleaning equipment itself,” explains Gavin Kennedy, GM of operations, Pacific Hygiene, the official reseller of Rubbermaid Commercial Products in New Zealand.

“When cleaning equipment is used to clean areas where pathogens are present, they may become a new source of contamination.

“For instance, if a staff member uses a wet mop to clean a floor and then places the mop in cleaning solution, the solution itself may become infected. Maintaining cleaning equipment is essential to stopping the spread of HAIs,” Kennedy says.

HEALTHCARE

“Any equipment that comes in contact with pathogen reservoirs - surfaces like floors and door handles - should be cleaned after each use.

“For example, cleaning clothes should be laundered under high heat to kill bacteria and similar pathogens. Many healthcare facilities are switching to disposable microfibre systems to reduce the risks associated with multi-use products,” says Kennedy.

“Wet mops are a common source of infection. Staff members may clean an area of the floor and then accidentally touch a damp part of the mop, potentially spreading pathogens to their hands and clothes. Professional microfibre mop kits can eliminate the need to liquid cleaning chemicals.

“In addition, switching to biohazard spill mops further reduces the risk of spreading pathogens. Unlike regular mops, innovative spill mop pads are designed to absorb bodily fluids and turn them into a gel to prevent dripping.

The entire mop head can then be disposed of in a biohazard receptacle.”

Kennedy advises cleaning equipment be stored in dry areas away from patients and other people. Limiting access to cleaning supplies ensures that only authorised staff members use them.

“Storing cleaning supplies in designated caddies keeps everything separated. For instance, cleaning clothes should never come in contact with mopping equipment. Using racks and shelves to keep supplies apart reduces the chance that pathogens will move from one item to another.”

He says staff members should maintain up-to-date inventory lists for each supply closet.

Expired products should be removed promptly. In addition, the supply closet itself should be cleaned regularly. For example, if products drip on the floor, the spill should be cleaned immediately.

“Breaking the chain of infection with proper cleaning procedures helps keep patients safe and reduces unnecessary healthcare costs.

Maintaining cleaning equipment with the latest best practices can stop the spread of HAIs.” Floorcare is another key control measure in any clinical risk management framework as it significantly reduces the spread of healthcarerelated infections.

A 2017 study published in the American Journal of Infection Control found hospital room floors may be an overlooked source of infection.

This is because items in the patient’s room may touch the floor, pathogens on hospital floors can rapidly move to the hands and high-touch surfaces throughout a hospital room.

The researchers tested 318 floor sites in 159 patient rooms. They found that the floors in these rooms were often contaminated with Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Vancomycin-resistant (VRE), both resistant to antibiotics, and C. difficile, which can cause intestinal infections.

“Efforts to improve disinfection in the hospital environment usually focus on surfaces that are frequently touched,” according to the researchers.

“Although healthcare facility floors are often heavily contaminated, limited attention has been paid to disinfection of floors because they are not frequently touched. “[However], the results of our study suggest that floors in hospital rooms could be … a source of pathogens and are an important area for additional research.”

“

Breaking the chain of infection with proper cleaning procedures helps keep patients safe and reduces unnecessary healthcare costs.

”

HAND HYGIENE Improved everyday hygiene practices, such as handwashing, can help to significantly reduce the risk of common infections.

Around 500,000 people contract a healthcare associated infection every day according to estimates from the World Health Organisation (more than 182 million people every year), and an estimated two out of five people don’t comply with the five moments of hand hygiene.

The ‘My 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene’ approach defines the key moments when healthcare workers should perform hand hygiene. This approach recommends healthcare workers to clean their hands: • Before patient contact • Before a procedure • After a procedure or body fluid exposure risk • After patient contact • After contact with patient surroundings www.incleanmag.co.nz 17

HEALTHCARE

“

Maintaining cleaning equipment with the latest best practices can stop the spread of HAIs.

”

18 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND August 2020

According to a position paper published in the American Journal of Infection Control online, improved everyday hygiene practices, such as handwashing, can help to reduce the risk of common infections by up to 50 per cent.

With the increased hygiene efforts being deployed to delay the spread of COVID-19, the Global Hygiene Council’s (GHC) public health experts are now calling for even greater attention to improved hygiene behaviour in homes and communities to help reduce the spread of infection.

Multiple studies demonstrate that harmful bacteria and viruses can be transferred from an infected individual to other people via hands and frequently touched surfaces and can survive in enough numbers to cause an infection.

Regular handwashing and surface disinfection are key hygiene measures that can help reduce the levels of microorganisms on hands and frequently touched surfaces.

According to the lead author, Jean-Yves Maillard, Professor of Pharmaceutical Microbiology at the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, at Cardiff University; “In light of the current COVID-19 pandemic… it is more urgent than ever for us all to recognise the role of community hygiene to minimise the spread of infections. This also helps to reduce the consumption of antibiotics and helps the fight against antimicrobial resistance.”

The Hand Hygiene New Zealand audit report by the Health Quality & Safety Commission New Zealand for November 2018 – March 2019 found compliance among many health care worker categories has continued to climb. According to the Commission, national compliance with the ‘five moments’ has increased from 62 per cent in 2012 to 86 per cent in March 2019.

“We need to be continuously aware of the importance of washing our hands,” says Blake.

“Wash your hands, wash them well, and take time do it properly. That is what makes a difference, and not just in the fight against

COVID-19 but also against colds and flu. We’ve already seen a decrease in flu numbers this season because of better handwashing and social distancing.”

Blake advises frontline workers to replace gloves as frequently as possible. According to Blake, another major challenges in healthcare setting is the correct use of Personal protective equipment (PPE) including aprons, gowns, masks, and gloves.

“I think we will soon start to see a greater use of masks coming into play, and possibly greater use of single-use products such as single-use wipes to avoid any possible contamination.”

A study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in April 2020 reported healthcare professionals working in one of Wuhan, China’s intensive care units carried the virus on the soles of their shoes.

More telling, the report found that the floors of the hospital’s pharmacy were 100 percent contaminated with the virus. In this hospital, virtually all healthcare workers traveled into the pharmacy.

“Therefore, the soles of medical staff shoes might function as carriers,” the researchers wrote.

“We highly recommend that persons disinfect shoe soles before walking out of wards containing COVID-19 patients.”

This advice should be heeded by cleaning professionals as well.

“We need to make sure workers are protected during processes such as deep cleaning, or where positive cases have been confirmed,” says Blake.

“This level of safety also needs to be applied outside of working hours, such as when cleaners leave a site. They need to ensure their potentially contaminated clothes are placed outside before coming into the home. Other objects such as keys also have the potential to transfer infection.

“Therefore, we need to be constantly looking at any tool or piece of equipment that a cleaner uses to clean a building that has the potential to spread infection. We need to look at that far more closely than we’ve done in the past.” ■

Join us to thank our essential workers.

21 OCTOBER 2020 WWW.THANKYOURCLEANERDAY.CO.NZ

Thank Your Cleaner Day TM

INDUSTRY // SPONSORED

The power of

connection At the heart of ISS’s organisational identity is the belief that people make places and places make people.

20 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND August 2020

T

he COVID-19 pandemic has significantly disrupted the way people work and live. In one country after another, employees have been sent home to reduce the risk of infection.

‘Social distancing’ has now become synonymous with ‘safety’. The resulting disconnect has been both physical and emotional.

The challenge of making places safe again is two-fold. Companies need to re-establish the physical connection, by bringing employees back to a work environment that meets a higher standard of hygiene, and the need to restore the emotional connection, by building employees’ confidence in the safety of their workplace.

The world of work is a functional place. Places need to be clean and the lights kept on. Users need to be safe and secure and supported as they go about their business. These are places that work. But the boundary between work and life is blurring. Customers want more than functional spaces, and they want experience.

At the heart of ISS’s organisational identity is the belief that people make places and places make people. The significant contribution ISS’s people make in the places they work has never been more evident than during these COVID-19 times.

ISS New Zealand’s newly appointed Chief Operating Officer, Liz Turner, says its New Zealandbased team members have been vital in the fight against COVID-19, providing essential services across the country during and post-lockdown.

“What has been apparent throughout the pandemic is the enormous impact our people have had on the environments they work within,” explains Turner.

“Whether cleaning a hospital, a food manufacturing facility, or a school, our frontline employees have played a critical role in the fight against COVID-19.”

“In response to COVID-19 and moving beyond, ISS’s solutions are controlling risks for customers and enhancing the safety for their people.

As part of its new brand mission, ISS aims to amplify the purpose-led culture that underpins the organisation.

“In environments such as healthcare our people are not just cleaning hospitals,” says Turner, “instead, they have the opportunity to contribute to the patient journey and patient outcomes by ensuring the facility is safe.”

ISS’s business has evolved since it began in 1901 – from starting as a small security firm to becoming a global company that creates

INDUSTRY // SPONSORED

and drives workplace experience with people who care. Since entering the New Zealand marketplace in 2005, ISS is now one of the leading facility services providers with national coverage and an extensive portfolio of customers.

“COVID-19 has taught us to operate more flexibly and shown us how agile our teams can be.

The bar has been lifted when it comes to cleaning standards and we need to continue to look for more innovative ways of delivering our services.

“In a post-COVID New Zealand we will continue to drive innovation and offer continuity of services. Across Australia and New Zealand there is significant opportunity for us to make an impact.”

Turner has built her career in the facility services organisations, driven by a passion for people. Turner’s decision to migrate with her family to New Zealand after 14 years in the commercial and operational excellence roles in Australia, is an exciting next step professionally and personally.

“I could not be prouder to have the opportunity to build on the incredible story of our New Zealand business and to work with our exceptional leaders and frontline teams. There are great prospects for the future growth of ISS in the New Zealand market, both by continuing to focus on our existing customers and in new segments.”

The new identity reflects the purpose with sharper focus – including an entirely new website, where the ISS brand comes to life in a bolder and brighter way. Turner says customers will continue to see an uncompromising focus on the experiences ISS delivers.

“The connection to purpose has never been clearer and will continue to be an essential component of how we train and how we engage with our staff.

“We are continuing to lift the service delivery bar, and we recognise it not just about training our staff in a functional way, but also making sure they understand their purpose and how they contribute to the customer’s purpose.

Turner previously led ISS’s Operational Excellence team in Australia – a dedicated team working with key account management teams to drive continuous improvement, innovation, and best practice.

The Operational Excellence team is responsible for the coordination of the ISS Centres of Excellence, developed to share best practices across key accounts, in cleaning, engineering, workplace experience, sustainability and food services.

“While people are our biggest asset at ISS, there are incredible opportunities for technology to complement and add value to the work of our people.” says Turner.

“It’s my experience with our operational excellence teams, and our focus on best practice services enhanced through the use of technology and innovation, that I plan to bring to my role in New Zealand.”

For Turner, technology has been critical to the effectiveness of operations and communications during the pandemic.

“

What has been apparent throughout the pandemic is the enormous impact our people have had on the environments they work within.

”

INNOVATION AND OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE With its new purpose, ISS articulates its core value to its people, customers, and the society at large. To reflect the new purpose, ISS has given its brand and visual identity a facelift. www.incleanmag.co.nz 21

INDUSTRY // SPONSORED “What has been encouraging to see in recent months is the way the organisation has embraced the use of technology, not only to be more effective, but be more connected with each other.

“We have been in unprecedented times and throughout this uncertainty, staying connected with our team members has been critical.”

One tool has been the MyISS app – a custombuilt app designed for team members to access company news, updates and administrative tasks.

“We have needed to make sure that we are able to communicate with our team members through as many channels as possible.”

Turner says innovation and the continued increased use of technology will enable ISS to deliver heightened cleaning services. One such example is the use of robotics.

“Robotics is able to remove some of the aspects of the cleaning routine which then enables our team members to deliver more heightened cleaning services such as more frequent touch point cleaning.

NAVIGATING THE NEW NORMAL While it is impossible to be entirely prepared for these unprecedented times, ISS has been uniquely placed to be able to learn from the direct experience of its counterparts around the globe such as in China, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

“

COVID-19 has taught us to operate more flexibly and shown us how agile our teams can be.

”

“At ISS, we’ve had the opportunity to learn from our global colleagues who have taken on the task of helping their customers re-open and learn from their experiences.”

As countries around the world begin easing restrictions, many companies will be forced to have difficult discussions around the re-opening process and safely welcoming their workforce back to the office. Turner says despite the changes, offices still have a role to play.

“Offices will return to a level of normality, but we may never get back to pre-COVID levels. There will be changes to how we have traditionally worked in office environments. There will be a lot more emphasis on the experience that we can create within those office spaces, as people will have more choice as to where and how they work.

“Therefore, the office will play a bigger role in connecting and contributing to culture building – something that can be difficult to create in remote working environments. For our customers, they need the office to be a place where people want to come to work and a place that contributes to the culture they are trying to build within their organsiation.

“By having purpose-led and customer-focused directly employed people working in these environments, ISS is connecting people and places” ■ 22 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND August 2020

FEATURE

Effective cleaning in schools and senior living facilities Words Dr Greg Whiteley

Keeping at risk members of society healthy.

24 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND August 2020

I

n my last article, I highlighted the connection between the contaminants on the floor and the superbug risks for patients in hospitals. In this article, you might wonder why we have joined schools and our seniors together.

Well, there are two good reasons. First, both cleaning contexts involve people who are at an elevated risk of serious health complications from infectious diseases and common microbial pathogens, such as the influenza virus.

Children are at risk because their immune systems are still developing. For this reason, they can be more vulnerable to serious complications with germs that would pose little threat to a normal adult.

The older members of our communities, particularly the frail and infirm, often have many other existing health conditions. These other health difficulties can add up and leave the elderly with a lower immune response to fight off germs that in the past may have caused them no more than a passing cold or flu.

This is also the case with the risks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic involving the SARS-

CoV-2 virus (the latest designated name for this novel coronavirus), particularly for the elderly, and especially when they are living in close proximity to each other.

The second reason to link schools and senior care is cleaning. In both the school and senior living facilities, the standards of cleaning are often poor, and cleaning is conducted without meaningful quality control.

The cleaning processes, when performed badly, will simply move the germs around rather than remove them altogether. The purpose of cleaning is “to remove germs and soils,” says industry expert Dr. Mike Berry, and where cleaning simply moves the germs from one place to another, this amounts to cleaning failure, and probably negligent conduct.

The common feature in both schools and senior living facilities is the close proximity of people to each other. Also, there is the abundant frequency of commonly touched surfaces. So, if one person gets an infectious germ, then the closer proximity increases the likelihood of person to person spread, or person to surface to person spread.

FEATURE SURFACE CONTAMINATION Remember this simple principle: “What gets touched gets contaminated.”

So, what are the items that get touched most frequently in schools and senior living facilities?

In no particular order, every surface, tap, knob, door, and object in a bathroom, everything around where people eat, most doorknobs, and all corridor and staircase railings.

In schools, you can include school desks, cafeteria tables, and racking for cafeteria trays.

In senior living facilities you can also include bed railings, bed trays, call buttons, and walking aids.

There is a relatively new term used in healthcare settings to indicate high touch objects and surfaces. That term is HTO (high touch objects and surfaces).

Focusing cleaning efficacy around HTO is the best way to minimise the spread of infectious organisms via hand touch. The contaminated surface and contaminated hands are inevitably connected via the act of touching something.

So, to clean an HTO, the key concern should always be to remove the germs and soils, as well as achieve a clean looking object or surface.

There are two key points to consider in the cleaning process. First, what is “thorough cleaning” and how can it be measured? And second, given wiping is the most fundamental activity in any cleaning process, what does “effective wiping” really mean, and can it be measured?

THOROUGH CLEANING Remembering what Dr. Mike Berry says, that cleaning is “…the removal of unwanted germs and soils,” thorough cleaning must, therefore, include and reflect the removal of germs and soils. In the context of schools and senior living facilities, this means the removal of the germs and soils that frequent those locations, particularly on the HTO. Measuring the

cleaning process involves using a fluorescent marker (FM).

Pricing drives the cleaning tendering process rather than the quality of cleanliness outcome. Where no valid scientifically based measurements are taken to assess the quality outcome, germs and superbugs can exploit the failure with both survival and infectious intent.

Too often the scale of cleanliness is assessed using only a visual or sensory method (e.g. visual dust or malodorous smell), and so germs (which cannot be seen with normal eyesight), survive in biofilms or layers of soil that is left behind after the cleaning staff has passed by.

Measuring the cleanliness outcome should involve microbiology, (FM) fluorescent marker or ATP (adenosine triphosphate) measurement.

Studies have demonstrated that where the cleanliness outcome is improved, the risk of disease transmission is lowered. This applies equally to schools and senior living facilities.

For schools, there is an additional benefit because both the health and educational outcomes for students are improved through better cleaning outcomes.

So, what should we do? Focus on cleaning quality in schools and senior living facilities to reduce the risk of disease transmission in these community settings. This will by necessity involve improved monitoring of the quality of the cleanliness as an objective outcome.

As responsible and professional members of the cleaning community, with superbug threats on one side, and the new COVID-19 disease risk on the other (all are spread via droplet and surface contact), we need to be vigilant to ensure that what gets touched gets decontaminated.

“

The common feature in both schools and senior living facilities is the close proximity of people to each other.

Also, there is the abundant frequency of commonly touched surfaces.

”

Dr Greg Whiteley is chairman of Whiteley Corporation. This article first appeared in ISSA Today and has been republished with permission. ■

www.incleanmag.co.nz 25

SPONSORED

Cleaning vs.

Sanitising vs.

Disinfecting SPONSORED

T

he COVID-19 pandemic has brought about a new standard for facility hygiene. As the world recovers, businesses need to protect staff and customers during and after reopening.

Building service contractors (BSCs) and facility managers should review current practices, products, and tools. Before implementing new processes, review your hygiene standards with industry experts who can help ensure the appropriate level of surface hygiene - cleaning, sanitising, and disinfecting – is identified for each surface.

CLEANING VS. SANITISING VS. DISINFECTING Though these words are often used interchangeably, there are important differences between cleaning, sanitising, and disinfecting.: • Cleaning removes soil from a surface but makes no specific claims about killing diseasecausing organisms. Cleaning assumes that the process will remove many of the organisms 26 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND August 2020

on the surface but assumes small numbers of organisms after cleaning would be acceptable.

• Sanitising kills surface bacteria to help ensure that there are very low levels of disease-causing bacteria left on surfaces but makes no claims about fungi or viruses.

• Disinfecting has the power to kill bacteria and fungi and inactivates viruses and at a much higher level than sanitising. Sanitising provides a 3-log reduction to bacteria and disinfecting provides a 6-log reduction, with each log being a factor of 10.

Anytime there is visible or “gross soil” on a surface, employees must first clean before disinfecting or sanitising. When disinfecting a surface, you can use a disinfectant to clean, but must apply it twice, first to clean and then to disinfect.

Using a disinfectant that has been through a standardised test method allows you to clean and disinfect in one step when there is no visible soil on the surface and when allowed by the product label. Check the product label to confirm it is a one-step process. The same considerations also apply to sanitising non-food contact surfaces.

SPONSORED Concentrates or ready to use disinfectants and sanitisers require a minimum concentration and contact time in order to be effective against the targeted microorganisms; check your product label use directions for this information.

Knowing the nuances of how a certain product should be used to achieve a desired outcome is key to optimising the performance of sanitisers and disinfectants.

DIVERSEY BEST PRACTICES FOR BSC’S AND FACILITY MANAGERS When choosing a disinfectant, there are a number of features to consider: • Check that the product is approved for the pathogens of concern. For COVID-19, look for disinfectants that can be used against COVID-19 listed in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG) for legal supply.

• Purchase a one-step disinfectant with a shorter contact time – preferably five minutes or less. Cleaning and disinfecting in one step will accomplish your goal without sacrificing performance and a short contact time helps ensure the product is used in compliance.

• Look for a product range that offers solutions in wipe, concentrate and ready-to-use formats to meet a variety of needs. Not all product forms are appropriate for all situations.

Having flexibility in how the product is applied is important.

• The best products are gentle on skin and surfaces while tough on pathogens. Look for products with accelerated hydrogen peroxide that offer high efficacy and low toxicity.

CLEANING IN A NEW WORLD Employees need to know how to properly clean, sanitise and disinfect surfaces, especially during and after the pandemic.

When in the market for disinfectants, building service contractors and facility managers should pick a product that is fast-acting, effective, and less likely to cause irritation and surface damage.

“

Employees need to know how to properly clean, sanitise and disinfect surfaces, especially during and after the pandemic.

”

If you have questions about any aspect of Diversey’s hygiene programs, services, products or infection prevention visit our website at diverseyvericlean.com or call 1800 647 779 to speak to our friendly Customer Service to and find out more. ■

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DISCLAIMER: Please check local regulations and guidelines for any references provided. These materials are provided for general information purposes only and do not replace each user’s responsibility to assess the operational, legal and other requirements applicable to each facility. Confidential information, may not be copied or distributed without prior written permission of Diversey. *Non-critical medical devices ® Diversey 2020 All rights reserved. AHP® and Design and Oxivir® are trademarks of Diversey, Inc.

www.incleanmag.co.nz 27

SPONSORED

Does your floor care program fit your floor challenges?

T

he challenge of floor cleaning can be subjective. It depends heavily on the expectations that a customer has about the appearance of their floor and the budget they have to maintain it. Floor care is not just the application of a floor finish but a maintenance program in order to achieve the best outcomes and meet customer expectations.

Choosing a maintenance program takes into account various factors. This include: • What is the desired appearance • Are there different flooring materials to consider • How much traffic is the floor exposed to • What time is available to maintain the floor • The equipment required to prepare and maintain the floor

DESIRED APPEARANCE How does the customer measure clean, is it the high glossy floor or the fact it is free of litter and residual soiling such as stains?

Clean surfaces promote a safe, healthful and productive environment where customers feel secure that they are dealing with a quality supplier.

DIFFERENT FLOOR SURFACES Floor material and its surface treatment are selected for a particular use, the appearance value and the ease of maintenance and cleaning. Some examples are: vinyl, VCT of vinyl sheet, marble, terrazzo, ceramic tile, concrete and other man-made stone floors.

FLOOR CARE TRAFFIC CONDITIONS Floors can be exposed to a wide range of traffic conditions such as: foot traffic, equipment such as trolleys, soil load such as dirt tracking from car parks, chemical soils such as oils, grease, airborne dusts and fumes, traffic quantity or frequency.

FLOOR MAINTENANCE TIME In today’s floor care environment, less time is available for total access to floors due to extended hours of operation. There is constraint in the number of days during 28 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND August 2020

the week when the customer wants the floor maintained coupled with balancing the costs of appearance expectation.

EQUIPMENT IN FLOOR CARE Good results on any floor maintenance job require the use of equipment matched to the application or the size of the job.

Equipment should be maintained in a clean good working condition. Chemicals should be selected to match the equipment and application.

TRADITIONAL METHOD Floor care begins with a clean floor, ready to take the application of a new temporary coating. This clean floor can be achieved either through stripping or through a recoat program.

A coated floor care program generally involves three (3) steps– 1. Prepare 2. Protect 3. Maintain

FLOOR CARE INNOVATION Innovation in floor care has led to new methods that move from traditional programs of maintaining floors to chemical free cleaning options. One such innovation is the Twister Diamond Floor Pads.

This innovation provides a revolutionary method for everyday machine cleaning of hard floors. With billions of microscopic diamonds, the Twister pads clean and micropolish your floor at the same time – completely without chemicals.

HOW DOES IT WORK? Diamond is the hardest material on earth and remains effective throughout the lifespan of the pad. These hard diamonds when embedded into a flexible pad have the ability to micro-polish any floor type, making the floor more resistant to dirt! The increased floor quality achieved with the Twister pad results in extended lifespan of both floor and pad.

Diversey recommends the following floor care programs dependent on floor traffic.

w.

SPONSORED

The pads can be used with water alone, lasts three times longer than traditional products, and significantly reduce the need for periodic maintenance, all of which improves sustainability and reduces the overall cost.

Used this way these pads reduce chemical usage by 100 per cent, floor pad costs by 66 per cent, and weight of consumables by 98 per cent (which also saves transport and handling) compared with traditional products. Working without chemicals also simplifies cleaning

processes, creates a healthier environment for cleaners and bystanders, and reduces routine machine maintenance burdens.

Twister by Diversey is ideal for daily cleaning of any hard floor type. Dull and worn floors can rejuvenate and transform with clean, uniform, shiny and polished results. The pads are easy to use, simply mount the Twister pad on any type of cleaning machine, pour ordinary tap water into the tank and start cleaning. The diamond impregnated side of the pad is coloured and works as a wear indicator. By cleaning and polishing floors at the same time Twister offers consistent results.

Leading the industry in comprehensive floor care solutions for more than a hundred years.

Diversey differentiates itself by being a solution provider, not a product provider.

We design innovative solutions that exceed performance expectations and help our customers meet their floor care goals through years of floor care knowledge and leadership.

By combining innovative chemicals, application tools, machines and unparalleled support, Diversey solutions deliver more sustainable, reliable and better-quality results at the lowest total cost of ownership. ■

“

Floor care begins with a clean floor, ready to take the application of a new temporary coating. This clean floor can be achieved either through stripping or through a recoat program.

”

2020 Guide to Floor Care

Leading the industry in comprehensive floor care solutions for more than a hundred years. __________

• Diversey Chemicals • Twister Diamond Pads • TASKI Floor Machines Scan the QR for our online catalouge http://online.flipbuilder.com/vcsl/dsim/mobile/index.html

Call to find out more

0800 803 615

® Diversey 2020 All rights reserved.

www.incleanmag.co.nz 29

FEATURE

Protecting building occupants in a post-COVID-19 world

Words Robert Kravitz

30 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND August 2020

A

s property managers worldwide begin to reopen their facilities, we can expect some to have bright and bold signs, welcoming back tenants and building users.

However, if we look a little closer, we might find some fine print added to those signs, indicating that “we’ve made a few changes while you were gone.”

Building users should expect this as should the cleaning contractors maintaining these facilities.

Among the changes to expect, which are being developed or installed in buildings all over the world, are the following: • Thermal cameras may be installed at key building entries. These monitor – and score – how closely building users are adhering to

social distancing regulations. A poor score could have serious repercussions.

• Some major banks around the world are installing phone apps that can trace worker interactions within a building and with customers. This way, if worker “A” should become infected, and they have recently had interactions with workers “B” and “C,” in the facility, those other workers will be sent home for up to 14 days until it is verified if they are not infected.

• Systems are being installed that can take the temperature of several individuals at one time as they walk into a facility. Those with a high temperature will be stopped at the door. While this won’t indicate if they have COVID, a hightemperature reading is viewed as a red flag.

FEATURE

• A major North American advertising company is about to sign off on what many believe is a very intrusive system. Its 22,000 workers worldwide will be required to disclose medical and personal information about themselves and, in some cases, family members. Such information is typically viewed as private and confidential. Their goal, however, is to determine perceived health risks.

These examples tell us that facility managers and employers are taking significant steps to monitor and track their staff. While a variety of surveillance measures around the world were implemented after 9/11, the arrival of COVID-19 is bringing things to a much higher level. Many organisations now believe this is the only way they can reopen their properties, and what is even more important, keep them open by protecting the health of building users.

Oh, and one more thing. Do not expect these surveillance systems to be removed once concerns about the virus dissipate.

“Employers don’t have any incentives to remove surveillance [systems] once they install them,” says Jason Schultz, a law professor at New York University.

VERIFICATION Many of us understand why building managers are taking these steps, even if we believe it may be unpleasant and concerning.

But for managers and companies around the world, these steps provide them with something they need right now and that is verification that the people working in the facility are healthy.

Without some form of verification, because COVID is so contagious, if one person is sick, the virus could quickly spread to many other building users. When it comes to cleaning, building managers and business owners are also going to be looking for verification.

“They will want proof - and proof on an ongoing basis - that surfaces in their facility are hygienically clean and healthy,” says Marc Ferguson, with Kaivac. “This will apply not only to high touch but low touch areas as well.”

In terms of proving that surfaces are clean, ATP rapid monitoring systems are the best tools we have. Most cleaning contractors have heard of these, many are using them now, and many more will be acquiring them going forward.

However, because they will be playing a more prominent role in professional cleaning, it is well worth our time to better understand what ATP systems are all about.

Before ATP, which stands for adenosine triphosphate, the only way a cleaning contractor or building manager could determine if a surface was clean and healthy was to swab it, place the swab findings in a Petri dish, and wait. Within a few days the results would show if contaminants were present. www.incleanmag.co.nz 31

FEATURE

What else can we expect • Everyone may be asked to walk in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction like one-way traffic on a road • Moving desks so they don’t face one another • Installing high barriers between workstations • Limiting crowds in highly populated areas like cafeterias and conference rooms.

• Employers are likely to require masks or other face coverings worn at all times • Employer-provided meals and community refrigerators will likely be a thing of the past • More contract- tracing systems that help ensure social distancing policies in the workplace are being followed.

32 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND August 2020

ATP monitors can evaluate surfaces in seconds instead of days. They do not indicate what pathogens are on a surface, however.

What they do is measure the concentration of light units generated by organic material or living cells on the surface.

After a swab is rubbed on a surface, it is then placed in the monitor. Within seconds, a digital evaluation appears.

A high number indicates that a large volume of organic material or living cells are present.

This is cause for concern. A low reading indicates the opposite.

FLOORCARE We have long underestimated the impact soiled floors can have on disease. More than ever before, as the largest surface in a facility, floors will come under greater scrutiny.

“At one time, a major hospital association in the United States advised hospitals to pay only moderate attention to floors, indicating the primary concern is their appearance,” says Ferguson.

“The only reason for a clean, glossy floor, according to this association, [was that it] raised staff morale and increased patient comfort and trust levels.”

Fortunately, they no longer have this view.

Likely it was changed as a result of studies such as this one published in the American Journal of Infection Control.

In this study, researchers took samples from the floors of 159 patient rooms in five hospitals and found that many were contaminated with health care-associated pathogens that are known to cause nosocomial (healthcare acquired) disease.

While our focus here is not hospital floors, what this and many other studies indicate is that floors can harbor pathogens that can cause disease and those pathogens can be transferred to people. These pathogens may be those that cause MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) or COVID-19. This makes proper floorcare in a post-COVID world even more essential.

HOW CAN THIS BEST BE ACCOMPLISHED? First, what to avoid:

Mops and buckets: Custodial workers have long assumed mops and buckets get contaminated with use and then spread that contamination on the floor as the mop is used. Now we have studies going back 50 years that verify this is the case.

FEATURE Not only can floor mopping spread contamination, with use, the process minimises and then eliminates the efficacy of the disinfectant being used.

“As the [cleaning] worker mops a floor and immerses the mop into the bucket of disinfectant solution, the solution will degrade. At a certain point, a disinfectant will be rendered ineffective,” according to Kelly Pyrek, writing in the October 31, 2018 issue of Infection Control Today magazine. 1

What to consider: Automatic scrubbers: While these tend to be costly machines, both to purchase and to own, they can help ensure soils and pathogens are removed from floor surfaces.

Auto Vacs: These systems have been independently tested and proven to perform as effectively as – if not more effectively than – automatic scrubbers. 2 These machines also have few moving parts, resulting in fewer repair needs.

Aqueous ozone: Made by different manufacturers, these machines can be effective at cleaning and sanitising floors and other surfaces.

However, cleaning professionals should evaluate this technology closely to determine if they will prove most effective for their specific needs.

As others have observed, this virus has taught us many things, including the significance of sound and effective cleaning practices.

“The professional cleaning industry is prepared to lead the way in protecting the health of building users,” adds Ferguson.

“Some say this is our industry’s calling. Let’s make sure we have the products, knowledge, and training to answer this call.”

Robert Kravitz is a frequent writer for the professional cleaning industry. He can be reached at robert.kravitz@outlook.com. ■

References 1

“ Shoe Sole and Floor Contamination: A New Consideration in the Environmental Hygiene Challenge for Hospitals,” by Kelly Pyrek, Infection Control Today, October 31, 2018

2

ased on studies by the TURI B Surface Solutions Laboratory at the University of Massachusetts, US.

www.incleanmag.co.nz 33

FEATURE

Draft a return to work cleaning plan Words Tim Poskin

Consider the outcomes of your cleaning program in the recovery phase of the global pandemic.

34 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND August 2020

I

n the post-pandemic world, cleaning is going to be different. Whether you need to increase cleaning and disinfection levels or decrease your cleaning budget spending after your pandemic response, one thing is clear – there is going to be change. The ability to quickly develop and implement proven strategies to meet this change is critical to your organisation’s success.

As this new reality unfolds, organisations need to have a robust return-to-work cleaning plan that clearly outlines what a return to business entails. To help, here are the elements your plan should include to achieve desired outcomes during the recovery phase.

INITIAL ASSESSMENT The arrival of the global pandemic has demanded cleaning organisations dive deep into operations, expectations, and outcomes. New outcomes may be complicated to understand as organisations search to find answers and definition from numerous sources.

The first step is defining your organisation’s status to gain insight about the strengths, stability, and weaknesses of your entire operation, as well as opportunities resulting from today’s new requirements.

It is easy to lose sight of the big picture when meeting the numerous daily pandemic requirements has become a habit. Without

FEATURE Cleaning transparency helps reduce return-towork fear and anxiety and allows the end user to have confidence the cleaning process is in place and working as designed. It involves open and honest communication with your customers about all the components included in your cleaning plan and how these components impact them.

WORKER TRAINING Empower your workers with classroom and hands-on training specific to the tools, equipment, chemicals, and personal protective equipment (PPE) they will use. Ensure the training also includes your organisation’s pandemic response plan. Training helps staff understand why their work is critical to the health and welfare of building occupants and guests that utilise the space they clean.

SUPPORT SYSTEMS

“

As this new reality unfolds, organisations need to have a robust return to work cleaning plan that clearly outlines what a return to business entails.

”

Put support teams in place that not only understand the parts of your operations that need to be changed, but also the reasons behind the changes. Properly setting up your new cleaning plan with this support is critical to long-term, sustainable results. The support and guidance of individuals who know what can and cannot be changed will generate the desired outcomes in your operation. Make sure to implement tracking systems that measure key metrics so operations can provide evidence of new cleaning plan outcomes.

EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP As a leader, you will need to be proactive and have the flexibility to adapt your decision processes to daily information changes. Dynamic thinking can prevent you from leading your organisation down chaotic and disruptive paths in reaction to the fear and panic of others. Create leadership reserves to prevent burnout at the top of your organisation.

CULTURE CHANGE the correct dataset, you could miss systemic problems that affect cleaning efficacy, creating negative outcomes in your organisation.

WORKLOADING AND TRANSPARENCY In the new reality, be sure your cleaning plan matches the correct number of people and appropriate types of resources to the necessary tasks and functions. Some cleaning organisations will need to significantly increase cleaning frequencies to continuously combat coronavirus risk. Your new cleaning plan must be workloaded to clean and disinfect the built environment while being transparent to users more than ever before.

Even if you don’t plan for the new culture in your cleaning plan, let me be clear that a new culture is forming. If you don’t have a plan, you may not like the outcome. An organisation’s culture is driven by beliefs, values, attitudes, and behaviours. Your new plan needs to include a narrative and actions to navigate the culture change.

QUALITY ASSESSMENT Ongoing assessment is the key to knowing where your organisation stands. Cleaning plan assessment components include: Process: Identify, document, and measure all processes workers are following to clean and disinfect. If you don’t have a documented process, it’s difficult to achieve repeatable results and it’s extremely hard to get consistent results. www.incleanmag.co.nz 35

FEATURE

“

The cleaning community must focus on how its plans affect the safety and health of clients.

”

Cleaning Plan Essential Outcomes Clean and disinfected facilities free of unwanted matter

Cleaning transparency of the cleaning system to stakeholders

Frequent training on PPE for daily, detail, and pandemic cleaning

Safe and healthy cleaning workers who are viewed as cleaning professionals

Stakeholders and occupants gain an understanding of the value of cleaning

Separation of cleaning task by daily, detail, appearance, and pandemic cleaning

Cleaning tools and equipment are determined by cleaning specification

Cleaning workers are trained prior to entering the workplace

Cleaning workers are crosstrained to perform all needed cleaning functions

Cleaning supplies, chemicals, and tools are tracked in use

Defined workloading including tasks, tools, and cleaning times and tolerance

Adoption of automated touch-free and hands-free cleaning technology

High-touch points are identified within all facilities

Integration of all building systems that impact cleaning

New cleaning beliefs and behaviours at all levels

Certification of cleaning workers including increased compensation for achieving certification

Regular assessment with measurable results to assess cleaning efficacy

Defined modes of cleaning and disinfection based on space need, surface type, and risk levels

Logistics: Assess the cleaning logistics to identify best practices for setting up and deploying the cleaning plan. Cleaning logistics include all physical inventory and tools needed for the cleaning plan to work. Install established stocking levels to prepare for potential supply chain disruption.

Appearance: An area’s appearance is a direct outcome of cleaning. Measure appearance on a scale that allows you to set a value on how something looks. Cleaning appearance can be measured in many formats including yes/no, 1 to 5, and others.

Tolerance: All cleaning tools are not created equally. Understanding the cleaning tolerance of the tools and equipment is essential to achieve cleaning plan outcomes.

Effectiveness: When something is deemed effective, it has an intended or expected outcome.

Effectiveness measures whether you are getting the desired outcome not only in appearance, but also in germ control, as pathogens you cannot 36 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND August 2020

see can cause harm. Cleaning plan effectiveness can be measured using testing equipment such as ATP meters, particulate counters, moisture detecting devices, and tribometers.

To determine if your return-to-work cleaning plan is ready to implement, consider the outcomes you want the plan to generate. The Cleaning Plan Essential Outcomes chart will guide you.

As our country shifts toward reopening, the cleaning community must focus on how its plans affect the safety and health of clients.

Traditional cleaning plans, whether executed internally or with outside resources, must evolve to new standards set as a result of the pandemic.

Be prepared for change and flexibility when executing your new cleaning plan.

Tim Poskin is founder and systems integrator of ISSA’s Cleaning Change Solutions Consulting and serves as the executive director of the ISSA Workloading and Benchmarking Committee.

He can be reached at tim@cmiccs.com. ■

0800 527 260 jascodist.co.nz

INDUSTRY // SPONSORED

SPONSORED

Keep it clean, New Zealand When it comes to keeping New Zealand businesses clean, Proquip has developed a number of ways to make it easy for their Kiwi customers to get what they need – fast!

38 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND August 2020

INDUSTRY // SPONSORED

W

ith hygiene and sanitisation in the global spotlight over the last few months, Proquip, New Zealand’s leading provider of professional cleaning equipment, has pivoted faster than a Numatic floor scrubber and initiated Proquip Demo, Proquip Lease, Proquip Hire, Proquip Zero, and, soon to be launched, Proquip Service - mobile technician services.

This suite of proprietary solutions has proved to be a boon for many New Zealand companies, providing ways and means of getting the machinery and products they need to keep their businesses running smoothly, safely, and hygienically.

Family owned and operated, Proquip prides itself on offering the very best hand-picked equipment and machinery from around the world to a range of customers across many industries. But it’s not just the latest high-tech cleaning machines, equipment, specialised cleaning systems, and products that makes Proquip shine among their peers – it’s their people.

PEOPLE - THE PROQUIP DIFFERENCE As a company, as a family, and as Kiwi’s with over 110 years combined experience in the industry, Proquip knows what makes a difference to their customers. Great service. Their customers know that their customer care representative is only a phone call away. They’re able to help straight away, being on the ground in New Zealand, understanding their customers work environments, and their needs.

Professional cleaning equipment with

no capital outlay!

For flexible options and more information call 0800 37 66 85 or visit proquipnz.co.nz

Even though Proquip has a nationwide presence, with showrooms in Auckland, Wellington and soon to be Christchurch, the team at Proquip are like family. Each of them is dedicated to helping their customers choose the right equipment for their needs and following through with after sales service, advice, training, and support.

It’s all about that personal touch. They understand each machine and product at an intrinsic level through training and regular use.

With extensive knowledge of the cleaning range, they are able to decide what is right for their clients across any industry, making sure that the customer has the right information, the right service and the very best end result.

“Excellent company with great products, solid service and experienced people. Would recommend!” Carla - Auckland

NATIONWIDE SALES AND LIVE DEMOS! During the COVID-19 lockdown, Proquip’s equipment, products and machinery were in high demand. Businesses throughout New Zealand needed the best cleaning equipment and products out there to combat the spread of Corona Virus. The team at Proquip took calls from all over the country to service the needs of those businesses. The guidelines during lockdown were challenging, making it hard for customers to re-assure themselves about the quality and ease of use of the machine over the phone.

The decision to invest in heavy-duty cleaning equipment and machinery without trying before you buy can be a difficult one.

With this in mind, Proquip Demo was born.

Get the equipment you need now, interest free* Need professional cleaning equipment now?

Pay it off in monthly instalments without interest or additional charges!

To find out more about our 0% interest finance, call 0800 37 66 85 or visit proquipnz.co.nz *Selected machines only

www.incleanmag.co.nz 39

INDUSTRY // SPONSORED

Live Demonstrations wherever you are!

Simply tell us which machine you are interested in and we will book a time with you.

Give Proquip a call today to learn more.

0800 277 678

“Proquip’s Live Demo service allowed me to learn everything about the product without travelling.” Glen - Queenstown Proquip saw the opportunity to livestream demonstrations of their machines.

Platforms such as Zoom provided a way to speak directly to customers and their team, giving them a live demonstration of the machine. Proquip Demo shows customers in real time how a machine works, its key features, main uses, and some handy tips and tricks to get the best out of it. Customers all over New Zealand can now get an up close and personal look at any machine they’re interested in leasing or purchasing without having to travel or having to wait for Proquip to come to them.

No matter where you’re located in New Zealand, Proquip Demo gives you and your team a front row seat to see and understand how a machine operates and how it will benefit your business.

MARKETING LEADING CLEANING EQUIPMENT - NO CAPITAL OUTLAY Like many large business expenses, the decision to purchase a long-term asset

that could depreciate is challenging.

There is even more pressure when that choice needs to be made quickly, costeffectively and, with the longer-term ramifications of COVID still a variable to consider, it can be even harder to justify investments in a potentially unpredictable economic environment.

Introducing Proquip Lease! Proquip Lease provides flexible leasing options to customers without a large capital outlay. Leasing is a popular alternative to purchasing larger items outright, allowing companies to acquire industry-leading cleaning equipment while conserving working capital. And with simple monthly billing and a simple sign up process, Proquip Lease makes getting what you need now, well - simple!

There are a range of flexible leasing options and terms through Proquip Lease and customers can choose which works best for them. The knowledgeable team at Proquip are experts in helping customers choose which option is best for them depending on their unique circumstances.

“

Proquip’s Live Demo service allowed me to learn everything about the product without travelling.

Glen – Queenstown

”

Cleaning up a one-off or try before you buy Alongside its popular leasing options, Proquip also provides solutions for one-off use of its most popular products through Proquip Hire. For many businesses, professional cleaning equipment is not essential to have on hand, however, they still may need to utilise industrial cleaning machines when a large cleaning job arises.

This is when Proquip Hire comes in handy as Proquip’s hire equipment tackles the big jobs without requiring a large investment, especially if there is no room in the budget.

The driving force in

heavy-duty cleaning The highest quality and most effective cleaning products on the market, including our NEW Cleanmaster Gold range.

For your essential hygiene and sanitisation needs, call 0800 37 66 85 or visit fslnz.co.nz 40 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND August 2020

W E N

INDUSTRY // SPONSORED

Rain, hail or shine –we’ll be out servicing!

SERVICE WITH A SMILE! After sales service has always been important to the team at Proquip, so much so that they have developed Proquip Service, a mobile technician service. The newest initiative for the Proquip team, Proquip Service will launch in the coming months in Auckland for a start, rolling out in other parts of the country as the team and demand grows.

With any form of asset or machinery whether it is leased or owned, preventative measures to extend the lifetime of the asset are highly valuable. It’s clear that making the decision to invest capital into an asset is not an easy one to make and the value of that asset must be reflected throughout its lifetime to justify the investment.

With this in mind, Proquip made their Proquip Service offering a priority to ensure the value of any of Proquip machines is maintained and protected as much as possible. Utilising their new specialist mobile service team, Proquip will soon be providing top quality machine and asset services on the road, ensuring the asset, as a whole, is operating at the highest level.

THE WORLD’S BEST CLEANING EQUIPMENT – NO FUSS, NO INTEREST! In times like these, who has time for interest? Proquip Zero provides a 12-month interest free period on certain products in their market-leading range. This is ideal for those who need high-quality cleaning equipment on hand but are under the pump of a tight budget. Machinery like the Numatic Ride-On Scrubbers can be purchased through Proquip Zero, offering an interest free monthly payment plan with all the benefits of owning professional cleaning machinery without the upfront cost.

With the range of options and opportunities to demonstrate, own, lease, or hire Proquip’s range of industry-leading quality equipment and machinery, and a friendly expert team on hand to help with advice, training and after sales service, it’s crystal clear that Proquip is all about performance, passion, and putting their customers first. ■

“

Excellent company with great products, solid service and experienced people.

Would recommend!

Carla – Auckland

”

Proquip Hire is currently available in Auckland and Wellington.

For other areas, please contact us.

For flexible, affordable hire agreements phone 0800 37 66 85 www.incleanmag.co.nz 41

DISTRIBUTION

An ever-evolving

‘new normal’ Coping with new challenges in the distribution industry.

Words Mike Sawchuk

F

or most distributors, 2020 was looking to be a good year. But then COVID-19 hit our shores, and all predictions, plans, and expectations were turned upside down. The speed, density, and complexity of the fast-moving changes created great turbulence, which we are still experiencing.

For some, this turn of events proved to be a huge benefit. But many were not prepared, and others did not act quickly enough to take advantage of the situation.

Their inventory of sanitisers, disinfectants, gloves, and masks was limited and gone in a matter of days.

They then found that their manufacturer suppliers were back ordered, so they 42 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND August 2020

had no choice but to wait in line with everyone else. In the meantime, their customers looked for other sources.

DISTRIBUTOR CHALLENGES But that was just the start of a chain of events that put even more pressure on these distributors. Several challenges soon emerged:

Cash flow For some distributors, cash flow problems very quickly became a serious concern.

For example, restaurants that had recently ordered supplies from distributors but were now closed due to COVID-19 were not paying their bills. Paying distributors became a back-burner issue as the

DISTRIBUTION restaurants became focused on their own survival. This same scenario played out in all types of settings and situations.

Cash basis Various manufacturers insisted on being paid before shipment. There were rumblings early on that some distributors may be experiencing serious cash flow problems, as we just described.

Further, there were concerns that some distributors would not make it through the next six to 18 months. Manufacturers quickly switched to survival mode, requiring cash on the spot.

The profit squeeze A new challenge surfaced once the supply chain started moving again, back orders were filled, and distributors began getting the pandemic-related products their customers were clamouring for.

It all came down to Economics 101: When products are in limited supply and hard to get, prices generally go up; but when products become more plentiful, prices go down.

Many distributors ordered supplies when they were in short supply, and delivery took days to

weeks. By the time the distributors received their orders, market prices had come down again. This meant that the profits they expected to make on these products were reduced accordingly.

MOVING FORWARD The situation for distributors does not look rosy. Even those distributors that had the right products on hand at the right time may find the rest of this year – and possibly next year as well – a bumpy road.

Certain customers have gone out of business or found another distributor; others have plenty of supplies, but their sales volume is down; several will have their budgets temporarily cut; while still others will have to have proof of the return on investment and payback period before they make major purchases. In most cases, what will be needed is a complete refocusing and restructuring of the distributor’s business model.

Distributors must analyse their current situation and determine which strategies they should take to get them back on sound footing.

Several theories have been put forth, and two are rising to the top.

“Our investment in training has helped staff motivation, retention, and client satisfaction.”

Yvonne Percival, Kleenrite Customer Services Manager

Yvonne Percival can attest to the quality of work and service improvements that result from staff completing Careerforce training programmes. Cleaners gain the skills needed to achieve nationally recognised cleaning qualifications.

Careerforce is the Industry Training Organisation (ITO) for the cleaning sector, supporting employers to deliver workplace-based training.

Call us about free enrolment in cleaning programmes!

careerforce.org.nz/cleaning 0800 277 486

“

Distributors need to know that what some are calling the new normal is ever evolving.

”

DISTRIBUTION

Which ‘new normal?’

A term that has quickly become overused and a cliché is referring to the future as the “new normal.” This new situation will be our way of life – at least until the pandemic is resolved, and possibly beyond that time – affecting how we live, conduct business, fly, eat, and even attend funerals.

But distributors need to know that what some are calling the new normal is always evolving. The supposed new normal seen in April, May, or June of 2020 may not look the same by fall of 2020 or spring of next year. All companies must be fluid and flexible in their strategies, tactics, and plans. They must know which ones to implement and which ones to let go.

E-commerce came 10 years early In 2017, Benfield Consulting predicted that “by 2025, one in four items sold will be transacted online in B2B markets, and half of all items will be sold online soon after 2030.” Like everyone else, having a worldwide pandemic was never part of their calculation.

In many regions of North America, B2B customers are already purchasing half of the items they need online – if not more.

So, how can distributors address this challenge?

The first thing distributors must realise is they are not just order takers or box delivery services. Leave that to Amazon and the other much larger online retailers.

If a distributor focuses on requests for proposals or purchase orders, they are in jeopardy of being squeezed out over the next few years by Amazon and other mega-retailers on the one side and jansan distributors offering greater value and service on the other side.

But this does not mean they should not enhance their e-commerce platforms. Far too many distributors still have primitive e-commerce websites. Those must be revamped or replaced as soon as possible.

COMPETING AGAINST ONLINE MEGA-MERCHANTS Nevertheless, the most effective way distributors can compete against online mega-merchants is with proven, demonstrated value and enhanced customer experience. Examples of this value include the following:

Focus Since there are limits on resources – people, dollars, space – businesses must choose which customers and prospects to focus on, and which to ignore. Be selective. Focus on those that are the fastest growing and most profitable.

Service Distributors will find one of the most significant values they can offer their customers is just being available. Never underestimate the power of personal, proactive, transparent communications and interaction with your customers.

Expertise Today’s successful distributor cannot simply call on their customers and take orders. Those days are gone. Today, when a distributor calls on a customer, they are expected to share their expertise.

COVID-19 has made this more necessary than ever before.

Online retailers may provide videos on how to use a product or step-by-step tutorials, but those often result in more questions than answers.

44 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND August 2020

DISTRIBUTION

An astute distributor can clearly demonstrate their product knowledge and proven ability to help customers lower their cleaning costs while at the same time increasing their level of cleaning, disinfection, and building safety.

THE “WOW” FACTOR

And even if they are not new technologies, we are finding new ways to use them in cleaning that considerably improves worker productivity and effectiveness, ensures enhanced cleaning and disinfecting performance, and helps keep facilities safer and healthier.

Electrostatic sprayers, robotic auto-scrubbers and vacs, prescreening devices at entry points, installation of antimicrobial coatings such as those in floor finishes, and new uses for UV technology are a few of the new and innovative uses of technology we are seeing. The more “wow” distributors can offer their customers, the more likely they will stay customers in whatever new normal we experience.

Although moving forward in the new normal may be easy, jansan distributors can confront the challenges they face by using these recommendations.

There is one more thing distributor must offer their customers going forward and that is the “wow” factor. Customers are looking for help in ways to more effectively and efficiently clean and disinfect. We are starting to see some amazing new products introduced into the jansan world.

Mike Sawchuk of Sawchuk Consulting. He can be contacted at Mike@SawchukConsulting.com; www.linkedin.com/in/MikeSawchuk.

This article first appeared in ISSA Today and has been republished with permission. ■

End-to-end customer experience Distributors need to focus on the overall, endto-end customer experience—from the quality of the sales team, to order placement and processing, to product delivery and invoicing.

People Select, train, and retain the people you will need for the upcoming years. Pay quality wages and make sure an effective training program is in place. This builds worker loyalty.

Leaders in Workplace Cleaning and Sanitising CrestClean takes its role as a cleaning service provider very seriously.

Our success comes from over 20 years of creating healthy clean workplaces across New Zealand.

CrestClean’s standardised cleaning systems govern the way our personnel approach their cleaning duties. Our teams are trained to follow step-by-step ‘safe systems of work’ to perform cleaning tasks. These processes ensure that our customers receive consistent quality and hygienic outcomes at each cleaning service.

At your next RFP project consider CrestClean for all your cleaning needs, including Hard Floor Care, Window Cleaning, Carpet Cleaning and Property Caretaking.

0800 273 780 or visit crestclean.co.nz

“

Businesses must choose which customers and prospects to focus on, and which to ignore.

”

INDUSTRY // SPONSORED

A driving force for innovation

M

akita has built its market leading reputation for quality and innovation on the back of its core philosophy “Listen, Act and Deliver”.

Makita believes the best products are made by spending the time to listen to the people who use them and send that feedback to its world class research and design facilities across the world to then act upon.

The team at Makita take the time to make sure they get these two stages right so they can deliver market leading products and innovation.

This philosophy has been applied to develop Makita’s latest innovation, the Cordless Backpack Vacuum Cleaner DVC660.

“There are so many great innovations on the DVC660,” explains Mark Casimiro, BME Business Development Manager, Makita New Zealand, “but to highlight just a few of its main features and benefits; they include freedom from the cord, not only are they a health and safety risk as a trip hazard but corded machines are limited to where there is a power socket.

“Cleaners who clean new builds will know how cords and extension leads scuff freshly painted walls. Another great benefit cleaners will find using our brushless battery system is little heat build-up. Users of electric backpack vacs will know the irritation of hot air being exhausted onto your back, from their electric motors.”

46 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND August 2020

SPONSORED

INDUSTRY // SPONSORED

“INNOVATION HAS BEEN THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND MAKITA FOR DECADES AND HAS RESULTED IN AN IMPRESSIVE RECORD OF WORLD FIRSTS.”

Another benefit of the Cordless Backpack Vacuum Cleaner DVC660 is its low maintenance costs. “This is due to Makita being at its heart a motor manufacturer, with its new range of brushless motor manufacturing abilities, and Makita’s infinite line up of tools, cleaning and gardening equipment makes Makita an obvious choice.”

Another key point is our run time of 70min of continuous high level run time or 140min of continues low level run time, with a class leading charge time of 55min to simultaneously charge 2x 6.0Ah batteries using our dual port rapid charger so they spend more time working and less time sitting on the charger.

Makita Corporation was founded in 1915 as an electric motor sales and repair company, which in 1958 became the first company in Japan to manufacture electric planers. Now, more than 100 years on Makita has built its reputation as the world leading manufacturer of power tool products for the building and construction, power garden and commercial cleaning industries. Makita’s LXT® 18V range is the world’s largest 18V range with over 275 tools, there’s a solution for every need.

In New Zealand, Makita continues to offer local service with Makita service centres and warehousing in all three major centres, including Auckland, CHCH and Wellington.

But according to Casimiro, it is the Makita New Zealand’s team’s industry knowledge and expertise that it one of its leading strengths, “Without our people Makita wouldn’t be the market leader that it is in New Zealand today.

Simply put, it’s our over 100 years of experience and manufacturing abilities that put us head and shoulders above our competitors, who would find it impossible to match our national footprint, dealer network, service, and reach with regards to our depth of spare parts stock holding, pricing, and quality.

“Another of Makita’s strength is its investment into R&D, which creates market leading technology and a very adaptive culture that allows ideas and feedback from thousands of employees across its global network to quickly adapt and improve.”

For those considering purchasing new equipment, Casimiro advises to speak to local service agents for the best quality and advice. www.incleanmag.co.nz 47

INDUSTRY // SPONSORED

“MAKITA’S STRENGTH IS ITS INVESTMENT INTO R&D, WHICH CREATES MARKET LEADING TECHNOLOGY AND A VERY ADAPTIVE CULTURE THAT ALLOWS IDEAS AND FEEDBACK FROM THOUSANDS OF EMPLOYEES ACROSS ITS GLOBAL NETWORK TO QUICKLY ADAPT AND IMPROVE.”

48 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND August 2020

“Buying new gear can be costly, and so it should be.

Let’s face it, none of us can afford to buy cheap in this industry, and competitor’s pedigrees are soon exposed.

Don’t ask a salesman, go straight to a service agent and ask them, they’ve probably seen it all.

“Let them tell you which brands they can’t repair either because spares are simply not available or that expensive that it’s economically not viable. They can also give you an indication on reliability and most importantly price and local availability.”

“Users will always pick quality and aftermarket support over price any day of the week. In a perfect world we all naturally would like the best quality, after market back up, and price. That scenario is a fantasy and no amount of marketing will change that.

“Our users have told us time and time again they buy our tools for the quality and the fact that we have Makita Service Centres and warehousing in all three major centres. Price no longer becomes the main focus as the cost of ownership of Makita works out to be the most economical option after all.”

Looking ahead, customers can expect to see more innovation and product releases from Makita New Zealand, which will be communicated on its website, social media, TV, and radio.

“We will soon be introducing our New 40 Volt range to market, with many exciting new additions of tools being added expanding that platform even further, and Makita’s 40V Range will be no exception, with more than 275 tools on our 18 Volt platform alone.

“Innovation has been the driving force behind Makita for decades and has resulted in an impressive record of world firsts for Makita. We don’t expect any different in our bringing to market new tools every year and despite COVID-19, 2020 will be no different.” ■

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makitasales@makita.co.nz makitatools.co.nz

MANAGEMENT

The myth of the working manager How to correctly manage the challenge of being short-staffed.

Words Ralph Peterson

MANAGEMENT

L

et me start by admitting that I have always believed in the myth of the working manager. I always felt that for managers to be effective, they should be working managers. In other words, they should be willing and able to jump into any job routine at any time and pitch in, especially when short-staffed.

I was wrong.

It turns out, jumping into a job routine when a manager is short-staffed, is the last thing they should ever do if they want to be an effective manager.

Let me explain.

If I were to ask any manager what they want more than anything when they are short-staffed, they would say: More staff. At the same time, if I were to ask any of my customers (the residents), what they wish they had when we were shortstaffed, they would ask for one thing: More attention and oversight. Conversely, if I were to ask the staff what they want when they are working short-staffed, they would say: More support.

Basically, a manager’s job can be broken down into three categories: Staffing, oversight, and support.

STAFFING Staffing is one of the most critical elements that all managers need. Without staffing–especially over a long period of time – managers, regardless of how fast they go, how many arms they have, or how hardworking they are, simply cannot do everyone’s job themselves.

Therefore, managers should spend time every day, or at least every week, on recruiting, hiring, and training new staff members. This is especially true when they are short-staffed.

“Work those phones,” I tell them. “Call everyone.”

OVERSIGHT Oversight is one of the most overlooked job duties that managers miss when they are short-staffed. It is nearly impossible to provide oversight to all the employees under your direction if you are busy working in a job routine.

The worst part – the part that no one sees but everyone should – is that many employees need oversight in order to stay on task and get their jobs done. If they didn’t, we wouldn’t need managers. Keep this in mind.

The irony is, the more a manager works in a job routine (especially when they are shortstaffed), the less oversight they can provide, and as a result, less (not more) gets done.

SUPPORT Most employees want to do a great job. Most of them love what they do, the people they work with, and the people they serve. However, there are a lot of things employees do not have control over, things that may make their jobs difficult and sometimes impossible. Therefore, they need a manager. They need someone who can help them solve problems and remove unnecessary roadblocks so they can do a good job.

None of this is possible if the manager assumes a fulltime job position when they are short-staffed. Please don’t misunderstand. I am all for managers pitching in and helping. I am all for managers to be hands-on. There is a difference, however, between being a hands-on manager and doing everything themselves.

DOING IT THEMSELVES There are only two reasons why managers eagerly want to jump into a job routine and “do it themselves,” and only one of them is any good.

First, (the best reason) it is usually out of fear. This is common with new managers who, when faced with having to ask someone to do something extra or something that is not already covered under their current job routine, would rather do it themselves than to risk confrontation.

This is fine in the short term and normal.

However, if a manager doesn’t quickly gain the confidence to direct others, they will always struggle to be an effective manager.

The second reason managers are quick to “do it themselves,” and perhaps the worst reason, is because doing the job (i.e. physical labour) is easier than managing. And too many managers, if given the choice, will always choose easy.

As always, I hope I made you think and smile.

But most of all I hope it helps you to continue to be effective managers.

Ralph Peterson is a bestselling author and owner and operator of Ralph Peterson Management Services. He can be reached at Ralph@RalphPeterson.com.

This article first appeared in Cleaning & Maintenance Magazine (CMM) and has been republished with permission. ■

“

A manager’s job can be broken down into three categories: Staffing, oversight, and support.

”

www.incleanmag.co.nz 51

COVID-19

CORONAVIRUS

IT’S TIME TO PREPARE, RESPOND AND RECOVER ISSA -- together with GBAC -- provides tools to help you in the wake of COVID-19

ISSA is the world’s leading trade association for the cleaning industry. ISSA’s more than 9,300 members include manufacturers, manufacturer representatives, wholesalers, distributors, building service contractors, in-house service providers, residential cleaners and associated service providers in more than 105 countries worldwide.

Access ISSA’s Cleaning & Disinfecting for the Coronavirus web resource at www.issa.com/coronavirus.

In 2019 ISSA and the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) merged to address a market need for advanced knowledge and application of science-based cleaning, disinfection, and infection-control practices worldwide. GBAC is a recognised leader in training, education, and certification in Forensic Restoration biorisk management, decontamination, and infection-control disciplines.

GBAC serves as a trusted resource to help businesses and organisations prepare for, respond to, and recover from public health outbreaks and crisis situations. Through GBAC’s global health preparedness platform, its experienced network of experts and certified partners prescribe best practices for public health response, including how to assess, contain, monitor, and eradicate pathogenic and microbial threats in organisations and businesses.

To learn more, visit www.gbac.org.

GBAC Fundamentals Online Course: Microbial Warrior Workshop This course teaches cleaning professionals to prepare for, respond to and recover from biohazards in the workplace. Participants will learn infection and contamination control measures for infectious disease outbreak situations such as the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). Individuals who successfully complete the course within 30 days will receive a Certificate of Completion from the GBAC. GBAC trains workers to be Microbial Warriors™, and arms cleaning professionals with the planning, knowledge and processes needed to respond to a biohazard crisis in the workplace. GBAC-trained professionals bring increased value to their employers and customers because they demonstrate the competence to carry out their responsibilities and they have a commitment to the standards of excellence and continuous learning.

The GBAC Fundamentals Online Course includes; preventative, response, infection control, and contamination control measures to known or potential infectious disease outbreak situations.

This course includes emphasis on the novel coronavirus, the importance of proper cleaning and disinfection for health, GBAC protocol for response and remediation and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), tools, cleaning and disinfecting equipment.

For more information and to enroll in this course visit issa.com/gbac-fundamentals.

GBAC STAR

TM

FACILITY ACCREDITATION GBAC FACILITY ACCREDITATION The cleaning STAR industry’s only outbreak prevention, response and recovery accreditation for facilities.

PROGRAM SUMMARY TM

Is your facility prepared to reopen?

By earning GBAC STARTM accreditation from the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC), a Division of ISSA, you can instill confidence in your customers, staff and key stakeholders that your facility has a proper cleaning, disinfection and infectious disease prevention system in place.

GBAC STAR is a performance-based accreditation program that helps facilities demonstrate they have the work practices, procedures and protocols to prepare, respond and recover from outbreaks and pandemics.

GBAC STAR is an annual accreditation designed for any commercial or public facility including: • Stadiums & Arenas

• Transportation Hubs

• Veterinary Clinics

• Schools & Universities

• Convention Centres

• Churches & Religious Buildings

• Restaurants • Retail Spaces OFFICES

RESTAURANTS

SCHOOLS & HOTELS

• Spas & Salons • Commercial Offices • Athletic Clubs & Fitness Clubs

AIRPORTS

STADIUMS

• Assisted Care Facilities • Grocery Stores • Hotels, Pubs, Clubs • Doctors Offices

• Day Care Centres

Program elements Accredited facilities will comply with the program’s 20 elements: 1.

Organisation Roles, Responsibilities & Authorities 2. Facility Commitment Statement 3. Sustainability & Continuous Improvement 4. Conformity & Compliance 5. Goals, Objectives & Targets 6. Program Controls & Monitoring 7. Risk Assessment & Mitigation Strategies 8. Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s) 9. Tools & Equipment 10. Cleaning & Disinfection Chemicals

11. Inventory Control & Management 12. Personal Protective Equipment 13. Waste Management 14. Personnel Training & Competency 15. Emergency Preparedness & Response 16. Facility Infectious Disease Prevention Practices 17. Worker Health Program 18. Audits & Inspections 19. Control of Suppliers 20. Documentation Management

Start your application today!

Scan QR Code or go to gbac.org Contact gbacsales@issa.com or your local ISSA representative at tomw@issa.com or phone 1800 621 872 for more information.

OPINION

How cleaning and disinfecting can impact indoor air quality

W

hat does a ‘clean and healthy’ indoor environment mean to you? Yes, hygienically clean, and spotless surfaces are important, but healthy bodies need clean air as well as clean surfaces.

In part two of a five-part masterclass series on Cleaning Well, this article will explore how cleaning and disinfectant products, tools, and techniques, can either enhance or reduce indoor air quality (IAQ).

THE IMPORTANCE OF CLEANING FOR GOOD IAQ Multiple studies have concluded that by improving IAQ, you can significantly improve the performance of workers and increase productivity by 4 to 10 per cent. Poor IAQ on the other hand, has been shown to affect individual wellbeing leading to increased rates of sick leave, breaks, mistakes, and risk of workplace accidents1.

The NABERS Indoor Environment Quality (IEQ) Rating and the WELL Building Standard have testing protocols for indoor air quality. A building’s cleaning protocols can significantly affect its air quality via: 1. Dust and mould particles being removed from the building, and 2. Cleaning and disinfectant products being brought into the building.

This article will explain the risks associated with dust and chemical contaminants and how to improve IAQ by cleaning well.

HOW DUST CAN AFFECT AIR QUALITY As every cleaner knows, the air is full of dust particles that continuously build-up on surfaces.

But not many cleaners realise that indoor dust is potentially harmful. While the most common 54 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND August 2020

source of dust is the natural erosion of soil, sand and rock, it can also contain pollen, microscopic organisms such as mould spores, fungus and viruses, plant material, dust mite droppings and dander (dead skin cells)2.

Particles of man-made building and furnishing materials are also commonly found in indoor dust, plus particles of tyres, concrete, herbicides and diesel fuel that are blown or walked into the building.

Many dust particles are invisible to the naked eye (which can see dust at 25 microns). Inhaling sufficient volumes of fine dust may trigger coughing, allergies or asthma. Dust that is .3 microns in size or smaller may penetrate deeply into the lungs where it can be absorbed directly into the blood stream or lead to respiratory disease.

PROTECT OCCUPANTS AND CLEANERS FROM DUST Here are three ways to remove dust effectively and safely: • Damp dust: ‘Feather’ dusters and soiled dusting wipes simply move dust from one surface to another. With the added risk of coronavirus being shed onto surfaces from asymptomatic people, the resuspension of virus particles in dust must be avoided. All surfaces should be damp wiped with a folded cloth, frequently turned to a fresh side, and rinsed out or replaced when soiled. Fully damp wiping on a weekly, fortnightly or even monthly basis, can significantly reduce overall dust levels, save time in the long run and improve IAQ. • HEPA filters in vacuum cleaners: Vacuum cleaners fitted with HEPA filters must trap at least 99.97 per cent of particles with a minimum size of 0.3 microns. Without HEPA

OPINION

filters, it is estimated that vacuum cleaners only retain 96 per cent of particles, meaning 4 per cent of the finest dust particles are blown back into the air.

• Empty vacuum dust bags: Prevent cleaner’s exposure to dust while emptying vacuum dust bags with the use of disposable liners, dust masks, and emptying inside a bin-liner.

VOCs can be in ‘natural’ ingredients such as citrus peel oil (limonene), Pine or Eucalyptus oil (terpenes), or in benzene and other crude oil derivatives which are often toxic. IAQ testing measures the building’s Total Volatile Organic Compound emissions, regardless of the source.

HOW HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS CAN AFFECT AIR QUALITY

HPC Solutions helps service providers identify risks to the health and wellbeing of occupants and cleaners, then use a risk hierarchy of elimination, control and prevention to make decisions. Below are some examples of this risk hierarchy planning to improve IAQ.

Disinfectants as an air contaminant Images of cleaners fogging disinfects while wearing hazmat coveralls and respirators, have featured prominently in media stories covering the COVID-19 pandemic: the cleaning industry fighting an invisible army. But the reality is that many cleaners won’t have access to that level of protection, and neither will the people who use the buildings being disinfected. Respiratory health risks can be equally as serious and must be considered on balance.

Our respiratory tract is the gateway to our body’s system. When a chemical mist, fume or gas is inhaled, it can be deposited in the airways or absorbed via the lungs into the blood stream where it is carried around the body. Multiple studies conducted on healthcare and cleaning workers have found risks of mucous membrane irritation, respiratory disease and work-related asthma 18Fassociated with the high use of disinfectant products, plus elevated rates of chronic bronchitis 3,4,5.

This risk is significantly increased when misting or fogging disinfectants within enclosed and poorly ventilated spaces, such as public transport or washrooms6. Depending on the airflow and disinfectant used, it may also expose sensitive occupants to hazardous chemicals.

On 19 May 2020, Safe Work Australia advised that due to safety risks, disinfectant fogging is not recommended for general use against COVID-19 and should not be undertaken as a response to, or element of a response to contamination of an area with COVID-197.

VOCs as an air contaminant Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a group of substances that easily evaporate at room temperature to create indoor smog. VOCs can be up to 10 times higher inside buildings than outdoors8 and depending on the type, have been linked to many health problems including: respiratory irritation; sensitisation; headaches; drowsiness; and confusion; to more serious neurological and central nervous system damage.

Many cleaning and disinfectant products are a source of VOCs: solvent-based degreasers; stain and graffiti removers; polish; air-fresheners; scented products; phenol, ethanol and QUATs disinfectants.

PROTECT OCCUPANTS AND CLEANERS FROM HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS

Eliminate the risk: • Chemical-free: Consider where mechanical cleaning tools and tap water, or technologies that convert tap water into cleaning agents can be used.

• VOC free chemicals: Replace solvent or alcohol-based surface cleaners with VOC-free products. (Check with the manufacturer as this data may not be readily available) • Fragrance-free: Fragrances, by their nature, contain VOCs.

References 1

reating the Productive Workplace C Ed.2, by D. Clements-Croome.

2

ealth effects of dust, Department H of Health WA. Source: www. healthywa.wa.gov.au/Articles/F_I/ Health-effects-of-dust.

3

ealth problems and disinfectant H product exposure among staff at a large multispecialty hospital; M.L. Casey; et al American Journal of Infection Control, 2017. Source: www.ajicjournal.org/article/ S0196-6553(17)30295-X/fulltext

4

uantitative assessment of Q airborne exposures generated during common cleaning tasks: a pilot study. Bello et al.

Environmental Health 2010, pp.9:76. Source: www.ehjournal. net/content/9/1/76.

5

ccupational health risks O associated with use of environmental surface disinfectants in health care, (letter), American Journal of Infection Control, 2016. Source: www.ajicjournal.org/article/ S0196-6553(16)30867-7/pdf

6

ustralia State of the A Environment. Source: https:// soe.environment.gov.au/theme/ ambient-air-quality/topic/2016/ volatile-organic-compounds

7

irborne exposures to A monoethanolamine, glycol ethers, and benzyl alcohol during professional cleaning: a pilot study. Gerster et al. The Annals of Occupational Hygiene, 2014 Aug; 58 (7): pp. 846-59. Source: https:// doi.org/10.1093/annhyg/meu028.

8

ffice Cleaning, Safe Work O Australia. Source: www. safeworkaustralia.gov.au/covid19-information-workplaces/ industry-information/office/ cleaning?tab=tab-toc-employer

Control the risk: • Reduction: Chemicals certified by eco-labels have restricted levels of VOCs, for example: GECA restricts the total amount of VOCs to 3.0 per cent by weight once diluted; recognised sets a range of restrictions according to product type, from 5 per cent to 12 per cent.

• Application: Aerosols and sprays generate fine droplets that can be readily inhaled and remain suspended in the air. Spray chemicals onto a damp cloth not the surface, with a jet rather than a mist.

• Ventilation: Turn on extraction fans, wedge doors open and open windows when working in small spaces. If using fogging equipment, isolate the air conditioner from the fogged area and switch it to external air. Exposure limits: Avoid using two different VOCs in the same area at the same time, or it could cause additive or synergistic health effects, and follow the SWA’s exposure limits for each chemical used.

Protect against the risk: • PPE: P2 respirator masks will stop fine mists and some fumes. If the VOCs are strong or working in a confined space for an extended time, add a charcoal filter.

Cleaning well means leaving the air as clean the surfaces.

Bridget Gardner is director of High-Performance Cleaning Solutions.Find out more about HPC Solutions programs at www.hpcsolutions.com.au or get in touch at: solutions@hpcsolutions.com.au ■

www.incleanmag.co.nz 55

OPINION

From survive to thrive: The battle of the mid-sized facilities services contractor

2

008 reminded the New Zealand cleaning industry that it was reasonably recession-proof, especially larger contractors.

This was primarily since it was the larger operators who held state sector contracts, health care, large enterprises (including significant transport and aviation clients) and a sizable education clientele. Of course, things are not even near to comparable this time around…

What was then termed a ‘global financial crisis’ pales in comparison to the current outlook.

There were health concerns that brought the importance of cleaning to the fore back in ‘08 and ‘09, but it is hardly arguable that the ‘swine flu’/H1N1 scare bears anything but the most basic perceptual similarity to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, more importantly for the purposes of this commentary, the recession-proof features of the contract cleaning sector in New Zealand in 2008 had – as its cornerstone – the aviation industry.

Given this has now faulted – a vast revenue gap in large and specialist businesses has now occurred – requiring those operators to adopt 56 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND August 2020

an aggressive stance towards smaller and less cohesive markets.

Smaller and less cohesive markets are the lifeblood of mid-sized facilities services businesses, who have enamoured clients through exuding their client care and attention to detail credentials over their multi-national competitors.

Nominal price point differences have never really been a sole-significant factor in retention or contract acquisition amongst this market – but individualised care, coupled with the local customers’ innate dislike of multinational operators – has seen mid-sized service providers carve out a market for growth.

But the stakes are now enormously raised when it comes to cleanliness, hygiene, and property user’s responsibility. This new environment will see a heightened priority given to cleaning contractor appointments, with a focus on compliance, liability transfer and brand protection.

Old loyalties and preferences will be quickly wiped clean from the ledger. The drive to regain revenues in a shrinking market has the potential to displace many mid-sized facilities services operators, with them being overwhelmed by

OPINION the brand message of larger contractors hungry for a parcel of smaller contracts in dispersed sectors. Mid-sized operators will, in turn, focus their attention on larger volumes of smaller contracts, placing vast business development energy into regaining the market losses suffered to new entrants, smaller businesses and franchisees when they were in their formative years.

Although the hard yards of volume business development in smaller markets are back, it may well be that this scenario provides mid-sized operators with an opportunity to develop a genuine suite of facilities services…rather than just a fancy drop down menu on a website with a buy line to match.

This mid-sized grouping has long aspired to balancing cleaning revenues with other service streams and realising the goal of widespread multi-service contracting.

Achieving this has often been dogged by specialised providers, with the economies of scale, knowledge and relationships geared towards retaining their work.

These specialist contractors are now more vulnerable than ever, with a cleaning focused provider a far more attractive proposition if their service bundle includes competitive pricing for those additional facilities services needs.

Not only can real service diversification at this time assist in revenue generation, but it could be a useful strategy to minimise the yo-yo effect of being again ousted by smaller operators and franchisees when price-point supersedes concerns regarding quality and liability transfer. It is an absolute inevitability that this re-prioritisation will again occur, but what remains the great unknown is when.

Accepting the reasonable assumption that the industries’ future does hold a return to some reflection of the past, when the aviation industry reinvigorates, swiftly followed by tourism and education, the moment of the mid-sized multi-service operator to drive for greater market share will be ushered in.

Large operators will, as it their instinct, throw their entire weight behind high-

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trust large-format sectors (aviation and education, with continued competitiveness in governmental resurgence and health) and deliver to their smaller and less cohesive markets either the reality or perception of neglect.

Trust, attention to detail and a proven track record of delivery of other services in addition to cleaning will be a real boon for the mid-sized facilities services provider at this point, with sizable clientele ripe for the picking.

The successful mid-sized operators of the future will be the ones who right now move quickly to establish smaller market clientele with multi-service needs and compete head-on with the smaller specialists. Given, however, the current environment and the unknowns regarding timings, it seems clear that later reward will require significant near-term risk.

Andre Reynolds is founder of Grow@ - a mobile app that connects businesses with available cleaners. He can be reached at andre@GrowAtApp.com ■

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OPINION

The trials and tribulations of Time and Attendance

T

he last five years have seen a global explosion of Time and Attendance (T&A) solutions available on the market. This has largely been driven by the growth of mobile phones and their ability to allow employees to clock in and out of sites, instead of static hardware devices at each location.

A Google search returns so many different providers that it would take hours just to list them all down, not to mention the weeks it would take to review all of them. So, it is understandable that there is a lot of confusion and frustration when contract cleaning companies look for an effective solution.

In this article I will share some of my personal experiences with T&A solutions and introduce some ideas that could help find the right solution for your business.

2. Improved payroll processing

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?

One of the biggest challenges you will face when implementing a T&A solution is expecting it to work 100 per cent of the time when you are relying on your cleaners to use their own mobile devices.

The psychological barrier that many of your staff might have when they are expected to use their own phones and data is huge. Many cleaning companies attack the rollout from the viewpoint that it will simply be accepted by employees, only to find the opposite very true.

Even if you do convince your employees to use their own devices and data, the technical challenges you might face across hundreds of unknown phones is still a barrier. Incompatibility with older operating systems, malfunctioning GPS units, no availability of data and batteries that are just not charged are some common culprits.

Systems are implemented for the benefits they deliver to your business. In my opinion there are two main benefits of T&A systems:

1. Improved customer service If you have ever been called by one of your clients and they let you know the cleaner has not turned up, then this will make sense to you right away. In an extremely competitive industry, it is vital to ensure services are delivered as specified, and that means knowing cleaners are on-site for their entire shift.

A reliable T&A solution ensures you know when cleaners are not on-site and whether they stay there for their entire shift. This promotes better service delivery and as a result, happy customers.

58 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND August 2020

Payroll in Australia brings us the complexity of the Modern Cleaning Award, and award interpretation relies completely on the capturing of start and finish times.

If you do not have a T&A system you are relying on your staff’s honesty to drive payroll, which is your biggest expense.

Not having working hours in an electronic format also means manual entry into your payroll/timesheet system. This wastes time before payroll is processed, and the errors created as a result waste more time after. T&A solutions allow you to manage real working hours in an electronic format, which opens up the entire process for improvement.

COMMON CHALLENGES OF SELECTING AND IMPLEMENTING A T&A SYSTEM

Relying on cleaners’ mobile phones

I remember dealing with one of our clients who had an employee using an iPhone 4 that had been dropped so many times the screen was only half visible! It simply is not possible to rely on accurate (or any data) from devices like these.

A partial solution is to provide site-based devices that the business maintains, and therefore you can ensure it is functional.

This, however, only works when multiple cleaners work at a single site as it’s simply not financially feasible to provide every cleaner with a device.

Not defining the T&A system as a part of an integrated whole In my last article I wrote about the need to have the final integrated end in mind before you buy any system. This principle cannot be broken when selecting a T&A solution, as the last thing you need is multiple systems with duplications all over the place.

Look at your existing systems and ask yourself, “what exactly does the T&A need to do and how will it fit into the rest of the business?”

The basic T&A functions such as clocking in and out, alerts and geo-location are easy to define. Knowing how the system will improve your payroll process will require more thinking. Your payroll process broadly consist of the following steps: 1. Setting budgets and rosters by sites 2. Publishing timesheets per fortnight 3. Capturing hours, manage exceptions and populating timesheets 4. Perform award interpretation on actual approved hours 5. Approval and finalise pay 6. Statutory pay process including tax, super, payslip and stp

OPINION Where will your T&A solution fit into the above process? What functions does it need to perform to improve the payroll process? What duplication might it add to the business? These and many other questions need to be asked to clearly define the place of the system in the process.

As the provider of a centralised system that manages all aspects of your cleaning contract in a single place, we always advocate that T&A should only be used to capture hours. This ensures you keep control of your payroll process but improves it by capturing hours in real-time.

If you do not use a centralised system, it may be wise to expect the T&A solution to perform other functions like award interpretation, budgets and payroll if these are not already catered for.

Look for one system that fits the entire business Considering the challenge you will face with cleaners and their mobile phones, it is perhaps wise to consider a mix of capturing technologies.

T&A systems use a broad range of technologies such as landlines, fingerprint scanners, Bluetooth tokens and Wi-Fi units to aid the capturing of staff hours.

Look at your site portfolio and consider that a mix of systems might be the best way forward.

Sites where security is critical might need a hardware device onsite such as a fingerprint scanner. Perhaps a landline-based system for those sites that are outside of cell phone range?

If your T&A system only has to provide start and finish times to your centralised business solution, this is possible to achieve as you can set site-based integration.

Budget for the cost when you tender Another common mistake that is made starts at the tender stage. If your prospect demands T&A information, consider what the best solution would be for their sites. Critical sites may require a larger investment in on-site devices, and if so, ensure you include it in your budget and tender.

Yes, it will increase the costs to your client but if they take it seriously, then you are already a step ahead of those contractors who did not specify a suitable solution. The biggest mistake you can make is to find an extra $2000 capital expense at each site that you did not budget.

“

Look at your existing systems and ask yourself, “what exactly does the T&A need to do and how will it fit into the rest of the business?”

”

Mark Fermor is owner of Facility ERP. ■

SPECIALIST CLEANING SUPPLIES

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WWW.RAPIDCLEAN.CO.NZ sales@rapidclean.co.nz www.incleanmag.co.nz 59

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For flexible options and more information call 0800 37 66 85 or visit proquipnz.co.nz 60 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND August 2020

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www.incleanmag.co.nz 61

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Whiteley Corporation 0800 257 352 www.whiteley.co.nz

62 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND August 2020

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