INCLEAN November-December 2020

DELIVERING SUSTAINABLE HYGIENE INFORMATION

www.incleanmag.com.au

November / December 2020

YOUR PARTNER FOR WORLD CLASS CLEANING SOLUTIONS

EDITOR’S LETTER

INCLEAN is published by The Intermedia Group Pty Ltd on behalf of ISSA – The Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association.

41 Bridge Road, Glebe NSW 2037 Australia

Editor’s letter

T

he hospitality sector was among the first to feel the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, not only in Australia, but around the world.

As restrictions begin to ease around the country, venues are beginning to re-open their doors, with effective cleaning procedures now top of mind to ensure the health and safety of staff and patrons.

In this issue, we explore some best practice strategies hospitality venues should implement. We also look at the retail sector, and how service contractors operating in high-traffic retail environments, are adapting their cleaning processes to the new normal.

As consumer behaviours continue to change, cleaning and restoration companies must change with them. Reliance on digital engagement and social media has increased during COVID-19, leading businesses to adopt new channels to communicate with customers, improve engagement and grow their businesses.

In this edition we examine how cleaning companies can connect with customers and improve the customer experience. One way is through text message marketing – one of the latest and fastest growing trends in digital marketing.

Just as mobile phones bring people together in their personal lives, text marketing connects businesses to their customers. Read how mobile technology is changing the way people engage with companies, and why businesses around the world are adding text messaging to their marketing communications.

On behalf of the team at INCLEAN, we would like to thank our readers and contributors for their ongoing support this year and wish you all a safe holiday season.

Happy reading,

Claire Hibbit Managing Editor

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4 INCLEAN November / December 2020

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What’s on 2020 Interclean Amsterdam 3-6 November 2020

Interclean Amsterdam will host a virtual event for the global cleaning community. www.intercleanshow.com

ISSA Show North America Virtual Experience 16-19 November 2020

ISSA North America has moved to a fully virtual experience for attendees. www.issashow.com

2021 ISSA Pulire

18-20 May 2021 The largest professional cleaning industry trade show in Italy. www.pulire-it.com/en

MOST CLICKED www.incleanmag.com.au

Wed 15 - Thu 16 September 2021

Newmarket Room, Ellerslie Racecourse, Auckland, New Zealand Clean NZ

ISSA reschedules ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Expo

TEAM Software acquires Templa

15-16 September 2021

ISSA reschedules ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Expo to October 2021 in Sydney.

New Zealand’s only dedicated event for the cleaning industry. www.cleannzexpo.co.nz

Wages recovered for stadium cleaners

CMS

21-24 September 2021 Europe’s leading cleaning trade fair will take place in Berlin. www.cms-berlin.de

Fair Work Ombudsman recovers $25,292 in unpaid wages for 270 employees.

ISS Facility Services appoints APAC CEO Country manager of ISS Australia and New Zealand appointed regional CEO for APAC.

TEAM Software acquires Templa, the software company behind TemplaCMS.

Dettol, Cricket Australia announce global partnership Dettol and Cricket Australia ink four-year partnership deal.

Eight common mistakes that risk COVID-19 in the workplace Eight common health and safety mistakes workplaces are making.

Total Facilities

11-13 October 2021 The FM event will be hosted in Sydney. www.totalfacilities.com.au

ON THE COVER ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Expo 19-20 October 2021

The industry’s premier trade event will be held at ICC Sydney. www.issacleaninghygieneexpo.com 6 INCLEAN November / December 2020

In our cover story this issue, read how the Kärcher - Bunzl partnership has continued to strengthen since its commencement in 2015, with Kärcher and Bunzl successfully developing an unsurpassed offering for the cleaning industry.

IN THIS ISSUE NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2020

ISSUE #6 VOLUME 33

Regulars

8

04 Editor’s letter 12 Industry 16 Cover story 26 Distribution 56 Sustainability 58 Opinion 66 Products

16 Features 24 Don’t play the blame game Take ownership of challenges and get them right the second time around

34

70

30 Is your restaurant ready?

Best practice strategies for hospitality venues 38 Hotel hygiene How hotels are ramping up cleaning protocols 42 Retail reimagined Rethinking retail cleaning methods 48 The power of mobile text message marketing How to drive engagement and increase sales 52 How to generate online leads Key points for high-quality lead generation

67

42 www.incleanmag.com.au 7

INDUSTRY // SPONSORED

Embracing a new era Academy Services remains a trusted partner for clients in this new era of hygiene and cleanliness.

T

eamwork makes the dream work. That has been the theme of communications from health professionals, government, media, and the corporate world since COVID-19 changed our life earlier this year.

Whether returning to work or embracing business as usual, teamwork is still front of mind for everyone in the community as we, hopefully, leave the worst of the lockdowns behind us.

Academy Services has been a trusted partner for many businesses during this time, helping to maintain operations at a critical juncture and ensuring the health and safety of their employees, clients, and assets.

At the pandemic’s peak in Victoria, Academy Services was contracted to provide soft services to a COVID-besieged nursing home.

When the contract commenced, there were upwards of 70 COVID cases traced to the home, among those were employees of the incumbent cleaning company.

8 INCLEAN November / December 2020

“We worked with the nursing home as it fought to get on top of the virus and we were on site when they announced they were COVIDfree three weeks later,” Academy Services CEO James Pollock said.

“It took a lot of teamwork to gain the trust of those on site. But we got there, thanks to our employees’ diligence and commitment to the job at hand.”

Meanwhile, also teaming up with Academy Services was Drake’s Supermarkets, which used Nanocyn disinfectant and sanitiser to reassure their customers they were taking the Coronavirus threat seriously.

Drakes applied Nanocyn across all stores and distribution centres in South Australia and Queensland.

“We hope this next level of sanitation will provide as much peace of mind as possible right now for the community at large and those who are most vulnerable,” Drakes Supermarkets Director John-Paul Drake said when commencing the service.

SPONSORED

Safe and cost effective Academy Services prides itself on its flexibility and ability to provide a safe and costeffective service to its clients.

A major national brand, giving 48-hours’ notice, contracted us to complete the bioclean of a large distribution warehouse.

Academy Services’ Victoria Corporate Service Manager Methmal Amarathunga assembled a 60-member team and completed a 30,000m2 clean in 24 hours.

This job was a massive undertaking and reflects that Academy Services is “Agile, Responsive and Flexible”, with a customer-centric attitude and commitment to providing a five-star service.

INDUSTRY // SPONSORED

“We have a duty of care to the wider public but also to the wellbeing of our staff, not just in our stores but at our Distribution Centre, truck drivers and all employees,” Drakes Supermarkets Managing Director Roger Drake added.

In Queensland, Academy Services helped tourism open again by working with Sunreef Mooloolaba and popular restaurant The Dock Mooloolaba.

“We have implemented a comprehensive COVID-19 infectioncontrol plan and have included Nanocyn, as part of our response, on our vessels and at the Dive Centre,”

Sunreef Mooloolaba owner Dan Hart said during his company’s reopening.

“Its non-toxicity means a newly cleaned area can be occupied immediately after fogging.”

In a period of uncertainty for so many, Academy Services’ employees ensured that business could carry on or reopen, delivering incredible results for clients in what is a new era of hygiene and cleanliness.

“Our employees have shown time and again throughout the pandemic the results that teamwork can bring.

I’m really proud of all that we have achieved during this period,” Mr Pollock said.

“Right now, we are about helping business prepare their sites for workplace re-entry and business recovery by providing a safe, cost-effective service and I look forward to seeing how our brand of teamwork can benefit other companies as we all strive to return to business as usual.” ■

Infection control specialists Academy Services has teamed with Microsafe Care Australia to meet the new demands regarding infection control, cleaning and the products used during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Microsafe Care Australia’s product Nanocyn has been a significant factor in keeping Academy Services’ clients’ employees, clients and assets safe against COVID-19.

Nanocyn is the only disinfectant and sanitiser of its kind to have certification from both GECA and the TGA – it is a non-toxic, non-corrosive, 100 per cent natural product that is also biodegradable and pH-neutral. It kills bacteria and viruses, including SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) and Norovirus (Gastro) in 30 seconds.

“We’re particularly excited that this product, which we have long championed, is taking disinfection services to new health and environmental levels,” Academy Services CEO James Pollock said.

“COVID has changed expectations regarding cleaning and the products used to protect employees and clients, it’s important to know there is a solution like this available for those wanting to do the right thing.”

Keep your people safe

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INDUSTRY // SPONSORED

Ganbara Facility Services In Barngarla, the language of the Eyre Peninsula and Upper Spencer Gulf people in South Australia, ‘Ganbara’ means fertile soil, supporting its purpose, “To create real opportunities for our people and the communities in which we live, work and play”.

S

outh Australia-based Ganbara Facility Services is an Indigenous company, committed to supporting Indigenous economic and workforce participation.

In Barngarla, the language of the Eyre Peninsula and Upper Spencer Gulf people in South Australia, ‘Ganbara’ means fertile soil, supporting its purpose, “To create real opportunities for our people and the communities in which we live, work and play”.

Formed in 2016, in association with its capacity supplier Academy Services, Ganbara offers a suite of services including commercial cleaning, infection control, hygiene and sanitation solutions, and waste and recycling solutions.

The company is headed by newly appointed general manager Marius Liddle. An Arrernte man who grew up in South Australia’s Riverland, Liddle has worked in various governmental roles linked to Indigenous affairs.

These include project management and coordination of service delivery for Indigenous communities, managing employment and training programs that support

10 INCLEAN November / December 2020

Indigenous workforce participation and contributing to Indigenous policy development for the improvement of quality of life for Indigenous communities.

Most recently, Liddle has established himself as an Indigenous business consultant specialising in employment and training, business development and promoting Indigenous culture within the workplace.

These skills have been brought to the fore at Ganbara where Liddle has grown cultural competency throughout the organisation, including developing: • Indigenous employment policies and procedures, • Cultural leave policies to support employees with their cultural obligations and commitments; and • Working with site managers to support the growth and development of the Indigenous workforce.

“Ganbara has an underlying commitment to working with Indigenous people and supporting Indigenous capacity development,” says Liddle.

Along with capacity supplier Academy Services, Ganbara has a presence in each of the mainland states and territories.

INDUSTRY // SPONSORED “During COVID-19 we have had to respond and adapt like everyone else. What has helped our team is the support of our partners.

“At Ganbara, we have access to the experiences and learnings of an established facility service company through our capacity supplier, Academy Services, and registered training organisation, Carey Training,” says Liddle.

For Liddle, the focus is on expanding Ganbara’s regional footprint, while also supporting community development and recruitment opportunities.

“At Ganbara, we aim to engage with regional areas, prioritising Indigenous employment and supporting local businesses. Regional economic stimulation needs to be supported at every level and it’s important Ganbara plays a role in this, particularly as these communities are among the hardest hit by COVID,” says Liddle.

Ganbara also procures products from Indigenous businesses including Adelaide-based washroom and cleaning products supplier, Nood Australia.

“We want to continue our commitment to supporting the Indigenous community, such as workforce participation, but also through economic participation, such as engaging with

Make us your trusted partner • Commercial cleaning • Infection Control • Hygiene and sanitation solutions • Waste and recycling solutions • Consumables supply • Consolidated invoicing

Supporting the communities in which we live, work and play.

1300 390 205

GANBARA.COM.AU

“

Ganbara has an underlying commitment to working with Indigenous people and supporting Indigenous capacity development.

other Aboriginal businesses and utilising their products and services where we can,” says Liddle.

“As the company grows, we will look to diversify our service offering. Commercial cleaning and infection control are the foundations but as we expand, we want to ensure we don’t lose connection to the roots of where we came from, or our purpose.” ■

”

INDUSTRY NEWS

ISSA reschedules ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Expo to October 2021 in Sydney In light of ongoing global COVID-19 concerns, ISSA has rescheduled the ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Expo to 19-20 October 2021 at the International Convention Centre in Sydney.

Previously, the event was scheduled for 23-24 March 2021, and this postponement will allow the event to be even bigger and better for the industry and its stakeholders.

ISSA made this decision to engage even more of the industry’s leading experts as speakers and provide a greater opportunity for more participants to attend.

“As we embrace the ‘new normal,’ we look forward to coming together again to share our experiences and insights faceto-face and showcase the industries latest products and innovations,” said ISSA oceania manager Lauren Micallef.

“ISSA Oceania would also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge

INCLEAN EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2021

the dedicated planning and effort that goes into the show, and to thank both exhibitors and participants for their patience and continued support throughout this dynamic period.

“As always, we are honoured to be the industry’s trusted source as we work to change the way the world views cleaning in these unique times.”

In addition to the event’s exhibits, education, and networking opportunities, the 2021 INCLEAN Excellence Awards will be a major drawcard and highlight of the ISSA Cleaning and Hygiene Expo in Sydney.

“We plan to make the awards bigger and better than ever,” Micallef said.

“The new and improved INCLEAN Excellence Awards program will feature a diverse and professional panel of judges from different sectors of the industry, as well as a robust and comprehensive judging process that guarantees transparent, fair and independent results.”

To learn more about the ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Expo, visit www.issacleaninghygieneexpo.com.

If you have any questions or would like further information, please call 1300 789 845 or email info@interpoint.com.au.

Callington offers outbreak solutions with approved range of cleaning products Specialty chemical manufacturer Callington offers a range of outbreak solutions for the commercial cleaning industry, with its globally approved range of disinfectants and hand sanitisers.

An Australian-owned family business operating since 1968, Callington specialises in the development, manufacture, and marketing of specialty chemical solutions to the aviation, industrial, and cleaning sectors worldwide.

“Using our globally approved disinfectants and hand sanitisers we have managed to offer the local market solutions to combat the crisis in various industries, such as aged care, hospitals, education, hospitality, mass transit, military, corporation offices and the public sector,” said Ivan Zrilic, group marketing manager – Callington Group of Companies.

Headquartered in Sydney, Callington has offices across 10 locations worldwide. According to Zrilic, Callington’s locally produced products allows the company to supply to the cleaning market without delays.

“We have the capacity in producing up to 200 tonnes per week of COVID-19 listed disinfectants and 50 tonnes per week of highquality hand sanitisers, locally.”

12 INCLEAN November / December 2020

“We have a dedicated R&D team that is focussed on formulating innovative solutions that add value to the end user, as well as highly trained technical sales representatives who are experienced in their respective fields and applications.”

Callington’s disinfectants have recently been approved for efficacy against harder to kill viruses such as Norovirus, Poliovirus and Adenovirus - in addition to SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19).

“Our COVID-19 certified disinfectants use innovative technology that are not reliant on old quat-based actives. Benefits range from rapid kill times for the virus and also the ability to 100 per cent safely use these in fogging applications.”

Outside of outbreak solutions, Callington provides a range of cleaning products for various industrial markets.

“With our experience in guiding both regulations and industry codes of practices for cleaning and disinfection, our aim is to help train and educate the cleaning industry.

“We believe public health and safety is best served by the right selection of products, combined with correct protocols and procedures, backed by knowledgeable, experienced, and fully tested technology.”

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To find your local Vacspare representative, call 1300 722 886 or email sales@vacspare.com.au

INDUSTRY NEWS

EcoTeq leading the clean-tech way to a greener future Conquest Equipment has launched a range of 100 per cent electric, zero-emission outdoor sweepers, washers and vacuums under a new brand – EcoTeq. Conscious that a key priority for many businesses today is reducing their impact on the environment, EcoTeq is passionate about ensuring it delivers products which both help organisations achieve environmental targets – safely and effectively.

Sourcing equipment from leading global manufacturers in Europe, EcoTeq units are manufactured from up to 92 per cent recyclable materials with a low-impact manufacturing processes.

Safe for both operators and pedestrians, EcoTeq machines can be operated without disturbance in public or built-up urban spaces. With noise levels 30 per cent quieter than diesel equivalents, low voltage systems, built-in safety features, dust control and contact-free collection of litter and debris, they are perfect for public places.

EcoTeq offer flexible, scheduled service packages to ensure the machine’s warranty is protected and the unit continues to deliver optimum performance.

Support is provided through a network of highly skilled and trained service technicians who specialise in servicing, maintaining, and repairing electric vehicles.

As EcoTeq machines are low voltage, the option for in-house teams to conduct their own maintenance can be safely performed.

As cleaner battery technology continues to advance, EcoTeq will stay at the

forefront of developments and grow their range of 100 per cent electric outdoor cleaning and maintenance equipment to help organisations meet their zero emissions targets without compromising on safety or performance.

Academy Services welcomes Nanocyn’s GECA certification Academy Services has welcomed news that the Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA) ecolabel has granted its quality certification to Nanocyn Disinfectant & Sanitiser.

The announcement means Microsafe’s Nanocyn is the first and only GECA-certified disinfectant in Australia also entered in the Australian TGA – ARTG as a hospital-grade disinfectant approved to kill SARSCoV-2 (COVID-19) and Norovirus (gastro) in 30 seconds.

Nanocyn is non-toxic, non-corrosive, 100 per cent made from only natural ingredients and is also biodegradable and pH-neutral.

The GECA certification reinforces that not only is Nanocyn the most effective disinfectant and sanitiser available, it is also environmentally sound.

“We’re particularly excited this product, which we have championed for a long time, is taking disinfection services to new health and environmental levels,” Academy Services CEO James Pollock said.

14 INCLEAN November / December 2020

“COVID has changed expectations regarding cleaning and the products used to protect employees and clients, it’s important to know there is something like this available for those wanting to do the right thing.”

Microsafe Care Australia manager, Matt Seifert, said the certification will help Australians to make the “right decisions to protect their family, businesses and assets by using safe, TGA-registered and GECA-certified products”.

“We are constantly hearing reports of businesses of all sizes still using products that are harmful to people or the environment and that leave toxic residues,” he said.

“For us, it was very important to assure our customers that we mean what we say when advertising our ground-breaking technology as eco-friendly and safe for people, animals and the environment. Claims need to be backed up by evidence.”

INDUSTRY NEWS

Scott Davies

ISS Facility Services appoints APAC CEO Scott Davies, current country manager of ISS Australia and New Zealand, has been appointed as the new regional CEO for Asia Pacific (APAC), effective 1 January 2021.

After close to 10 years dedicated service to ISS, Dane Hudson, has announced his decision to retire from ISS at the end of the year to pursue his own business interests.

Hudson joined the team as country manager for ISS Australia in January 2011. He moved to Singapore in 2016 when he took over the regional CEO role for APAC and joined the executive group management (EGM) team of ISS. Jacob Aarup-Andersen, Group CEO, ISS said: “We thank Dane for his immense contribution to ISS. We are also glad that he has agreed to stay connected with ISS by coaching and mentoring key executives within ISS in his private capacity.”

Davies has been appointed to the role of Regional CEO, Asia Pacific from 1 January 2021. Davies, who is currently country manager for ISS Pacific has had a successful career progression in the Pacific after assuming the Pacific (Australia and New Zealand) country manager role in 2016.

Davies’ background and experience includes working in the hospitality, hotel property development sectors and Investor Relations in Asia.

“The fact that the Pacific region continues to perform strongly is a testament to Scott’s firm hold on the business as a modern CEO and of the capable team he has attracted and built around him.

He will also join my executive group management team and I look forward to working closer with Scott and the APAC team,” AarupAndersen, said.

Stuart Rose, current chief commercial officer and director of strategy in the Pacific region, will be promoted to the role of country manager of ISS Australia and New Zealand. Rose will assume responsibility from 1 November 2020.

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It is formulated with premium surfactants to attack and disperse soilage matter. The active ingredients in CounterFlu are specialised quaternary ammonium compounds which kill germs, bacteria, fungi, moulds, and Human Influenza Virus (common flu virus) and Herpes Simplex virus.

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WHY CHOOSE COUNTERFLU CounterFlu is Agar’s latest response for the growing need of a strong and cost-effective product that provides a simple and effective solution to preventing viral outbreaks in the workplace.

CounterFlu is proven to maintain its powerful cleaning action across the board on many different germs, bacteria, moulds, and fungi, highlighting its versatility and effectiveness.

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With years of experience in viricidal solutions, Agar has developed CounterFlu to kill viruses and help prevent the spread of infection that takes place each winter flu season and affects the health and wellbeing of individuals around Australia.

To maximise corporate uptime, CounterFlu is formulated to limit workplace absenteeism and presenteeism (coming to work while sick) caused by the flu virus. It is clinically proven to deactivate both Human Influenza Virus & Herpes Simplex Virus.

Keep safe. Use CounterFlu help prevent the spread of infection.

The Chemistry of Cleaning

www.incleanmag.com.au 15

COVER STORY

Successful partnership for Kärcher and Bunzl

B

unzl is a leading global distributor to the healthcare, cleaning and facility management, hospitality, retail, food processing and industry sectors. With over 16 branches in Australia and New Zealand, and a sales force that are perfectly positioned to supply the cleaning industry with complete, end to end cleaning solutions.

As part of Bunzl's growth strategy, they saw the potential to work collaboratively with Kärcher Australia, industry leaders in cleaning equipment & technology. The Kärcher - Bunzl partnership has continued to strengthen since its commencement in 2015, and today Kärcher and Bunzl have successfully developed an unsurpassed offering for the cleaning industry.

To best exemplify the end user of this strategic partnership is Trident Services Australia. Trident, a wholly Australian and privately-owned, Brisbane Headquartered, Queensland company, is today recognised as one of industry’s leading cleaning, security and integrated services providers.

Trident Services is a trusted, quality assured company and is powered by its own people that care and are committed to delivering high level service outcomes in Australian Airports and Retail Centres. Their focus is on innovation and training, wellpresented facilities and open spaces that not only provide a safe and clean environment 16 INCLEAN November / December 2020

for their visitors and other stakeholders, but enhances their experience.

Kärcher was the obvious choice to provide products that are unmatched in quality and the relationship with Bunzl meant that together they were able to offer Trident Services a ‘one-stop-shop’ from basic consumables and cleaning supplies, to major equipment such as scrubbers and sweepers.

Lance Ward, Managing Director of Bunzl Australia & New Zealand, firmly believes that “The success of any Bunzl business partnership boils down to how well we work together. Bunzl achieves

Norman Schroeder, COO Trident Services

this by developing and possessing a deep knowledge of the equipment and its capability, whilst Kärcher understands how our business model is geared towards improving results for our customers and delivering them a strategic advantage. As with Trident Services, we kept their vision in mind when developing, planning and executing a detailed mobilisation plan that provided minimal disruption to service.

The immediate impacts in cleanliness and presentation, within a professional and safe manner, all happened within the disruptive COVID-19 restrictions. At Bunzl, our aim is always to work in a true partnership style of support and collaboration.”

Trident Services’ approach to identifying strategic cleaning and supply partnerships is focused on innovation, service and technology. Through their discussions with Kärcher and Bunzl, they were repeatedly impressed with the scope of the Kärcher - Bunzl offering, which includes not only a complete product solution including pressure washers, vacuum cleaners, and carpet cleaners but full-service support from Kärcher, and the continued development of technologies which will see their cleaning operations streamlined, well into the future.

On the journey to establishing a partnership, Kärcher felt it was important for both Trident Services and Bunzl to familiarise themselves with the Kärcher

COVER STORY

Trident Services: Paul Davey and Ana Bitancurt

Kärcher Fleet The belief at Kärcher is that new technology that assists customers in maximising the value that they get from their machines is just as important as the quality of the machines themselves. This is why Kärcher has developed Kärcher Fleet – an advanced GPS system that allows those who use their machines to gain full transparency over exactly how their machines are being used. Kärcher Fleet is an innovative GPS technology where users can view the location of their machines, how long they have been used for, the distance they have travelled, and whether they are being over or underutilised. Cleaners need to have a complete understanding of how their machines are being used to maximise the capabilities of their fleet and taskforce.

brand by showing them exactly what the Kärcher promise means.

Trident Services and Bunzl took the opportunity to visit the Kärcher head office in Germany, where they were taken on a tour of Kärcher’s extensive manufacturing, distribution, and innovation facilities. This gave a firsthand look at the innovative heart of one of the world leaders in cleaning solutions. Kärcher was able to showcase their research and development departments as well as the production process first hand, impressing both Bunzl and Trident Services with their innovative solutions, attention to detail and quality assurance.

Trident Services was particularly impressed with the latest innovations from Kärcher, which include Kärcher Fleet, a state of the art GPS system which enables the transparent and remote management of equipment usage, and web-based reporting to support scheduling and maintenance.

The Kärcher promise does not stop at providing quality cleaning machines that are guaranteed to last.

With a sophisticated service network of technicians throughout Australia, who provide on the ground support to all customers as required, their quality assurance is confirmed. This was a particular consideration for Trident Services during their search as they were conscious of the need for a supplier whose support continues past the project delivery.

“The focus and investment in our Aftermarket and Service business is a critical success factor for us. We continue to invest in people, technology,

processes and systems that allow us to improve the service experience and have the stated aim of being the best in class service organisation across the Region. We are a service led professional business,” Hamish Matheson - Region President Kärcher Oceania After successfully renewing a long term contract across 18 retail centres, Trident Services were interested in investing in new, fit for purpose machinery that would optimise their cleaning outcomes. The recent rollout included the delivery of 128 individual pieces from Kärcher, across 18 prestige Retail Centres throughout South East Queensland. The implementation included a seamless handover and comprehensive training on site from Kärcher to all Trident Services staff members. This quality assured program has prepared staff to efficiently operate the machines to their full potential. This large rollout was expertly implemented to a tight time frame and the Trident Services team were very impressed with all aspects of the project.

“Kärcher and Bunzl have enabled a seamless integration of next generation equipment that combines Tridents’ software and processes in support of our people and clients. Kärcher Fleet’s transparent, real-time data/information has enabled detailed reporting to our clients, whilst delivering the highest quality of ongoing service,” Blake Simmons – Executive General Manager Retail and Commercial This project is a true demonstration of a three-way partnership where all parties work collaboratively to achieve their goals. ■ www.incleanmag.com.au 17

INDUSTRY NEWS

Melbourne Cleaning Supplies signs on as IPC distributor Melbourne Cleaning Supplies (MCS) has signed on as an IPC Australia distributor.

For many years MCS has been a Tennant Australia distributor for the eastern and inner suburbs in Victoria, based in Mt Waverley. With the launch of IPC earlier in 2020, MCS and Tennant said they saw this “as a natural progression” for the two companies.

Cameron McKean, National Accounts Manager Distribution and Strategic Accounts, Victoria, has worked closely with MCS over the last four years.

“Seeing the growth and development of cleaning machinery, and now the changes that have impacted the market, MCS are the right distributor to handle both brands under the Tennant Australia & NZ umbrella. I’m excited to see what 2021 and beyond holds for them,” McKean said.

Pasquale Di Virgilio, director of MCS, said the company is excited by the quality and value of IPC products.

"We are excited by the quality and value of the IPC products and look forward expanding our relationship with Tennant in the commercial equipment space.”

MCS has been operating since 1992 and has almost 30 years of knowledge and customer service experience. MCS specialise in supplying all industries including healthcare, sports and recreation centers, councils, offices, retail, industrial industries as well as the education sector.

The IPC value range that will be available at MCS includes both Walk Behind and Rider Scrubbers- Dryers. CT5, CT15, CT40, CT80 and CT90.

In addition, IPC’s 510M push sweeper, one of its bestselling lines globally, and the 1050 Compact Rider Sweeper are available.

From left: Cameron McKean, National Accounts Manager Distribution and Strategic Accounts, and Pasquale Di Virgilio, director of Melbourne Cleaning Supplies

Polivac promotes workplace health and safety training Polivac has introduced international occupational safety and management training and protocols for its entire range of machinery.

According to the company, the risk assessment and training for each machine will help operators to be equipped with knowledge to perform their jobs with safety and efficiency.

“At Polivac we believe building a safe working environment is paramount for employees, operators, and our community,” the company said.

“We have taken measures to help promote workplace safety especially during these

18 INCLEAN November / December 2020

unprecedented times of COVID-19 and will work closely to keep on supporting our local and international community.”

There are different risks associated with different working environment and cleaning machines used, hence identifying potential risks, and taking diligent measures to mitigate such risks is one of our main objectives.

“Handling heavy duty cleaning equipment requires special attention and expertise, hence we have joined with industry experts and carefully curated Polivac International Occupational safety and management protocol.

The risk management process involves three major steps, starting from identifying the potential hazards and the risk associated with the same. The second step involves assessing the risk which helps in prioritising the risks, and the third step involves deciding on the control measures which helps operators to comprehend the different steps which can be taken to eliminate hazards or prevent/minimise risks.

Polivac supplies risk assessment manuals for all machines, which are available on its website.

■ Automatic brush height adjustment for carpet and hard floors ■ Lightweight ■ Two vacuum cleaning path sizes available ■ New bumper height to protect furniture when vacuuming ■ Ergonomic handle for easy maneuverability

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Armor Plate Floor Sealer Finish delivers on appearance and durability

Australian Pump Industries ramps up production of locally made pressure cleaners Australian Pump Industries, operating from a two and a half acre plant in Norwest, Sydney, has dramatically upped production of its range of locally designed and built Aussie pressure cleaners, with a focus on schools, councils and contractors.

The company has also more effort into the supply of hot wash machines and steam cleaners.

Aussie Pumps’ Anne Wilde said the Aussie Sizzler machine “offers a wide range of features that make it virtually operator proof and delivers 80°C hot wash”.

The company has also beefed up steam cleaner supplies. Its range of bigger single and three phase steam cleaners capable of 130°C, are available in a wide range of pressures from 1,500 psi through to 4,000 psi.

These heavy-duty machines are all built like the Sizzler in stainless steel covers, steel chassis and integrated bumper bars. The company has also developed a portable steam cleaner, powered by a 13hp Honda electric start petrol engine.

The Aussie Heatwave delivers 130°C at 4,000 psi. It comes in a stainless-steel frame, complete with infinitely variable temperature control, and a diesel fired burner to provide super high temperatures.

The Heatwave is ideal for contractors.

The wheels can be removed for hard mounting on a ute bed, trailer mount or permanently attach it in a static location.

“The Heatwave has been a huge success and by using steam, operators can do away with carcinogenic chemicals, cutting costs and providing a cleaner, more hygienic result,” said Wilde.

Armor Plate Hard Floor Care Range is making a footprint in the cleaning industry, with its range being used nationally in high profile department stores, shopping centres shopping centres, state schools, and universities across the country.

According to Chemeco, distributor of the Armor Plate Hard Floor Care Range throughout Australia and New Zealand, users are reaping the benefits of an extended maintenance program and the longevity and durability of the Armor Plate Floor Sealer Finish.

“These are unprecedented times around the world, and the industry focus is on saving money and cutting costs without hindering performance,” the company stated.

“We are working closely with our clients to deliver a program suitable to individual needs and scheduling. Armor Plate Program can be adapted to work within current service systems with the added reward of prolonged product life.

Chemeco also recently welcomed Kosta Agouridis as operations, who the company says “brings a fresh and innovative business model, one that will see Chemeco reach new heights.”

i-team launches ANZ division to spearhead local growth strategy i-team has announced the formation of a local i-team ANZ distribution team, aimed at developing its footprint in Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea.

The newly formed ANZ team will represent and distribute products manufactured by i-team Global, as well as support the activities of current and new i-team distribution partners and end users.

Frank van de Ven, CEO of i-team Global, said the establishment of i-team ANZ is a strategic initiative to build upon the growth of the i-team brand throughout the Asia Pacific and Oceania regions.

20 INCLEAN November / December 2020

“Establishing i-team ANZ is one of the latest steps we are taking to ensure that the i-team brand and portfolio of products is well positioned to continue to serve as the industries innovation expert and a trusted brand of cleaning professionals worldwide.”

Steve Bagshaw, CEO of i-team ANZ, said the company is excited at the opportunities the formation of i-team ANZ brings to the market, combining global resources and innovation, with local personnel and market knowledge.

“We look forward to working closely

with our i-partner network to ensure as many end users as possible experience the benefits of the current i-team innovations, as well as exciting new technologies about to be released.” i-team Global is a company based in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. i-team ANZ is based in Sydney, distributing through a selected network of partners across Australia and New Zealand.

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To learn more, call (03) 8542 2182 or email corporate@godfreys.com.au

INDUSTRY NEWS

CSIRO scientists publish new research on SARS-COV-2 virus ‘survivability’ Researchers at CSIRO have found SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, can survive for up to 28 days on common surfaces including banknotes, glass – such as that found on mobile phone screens – and stainless steel.

The research, undertaken at the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP) in Geelong, found that SARS-CoV-2: • survived longer at lower temperatures • tended to survive longer on non-porous or smooth surfaces such as glass, stainless steel and vinyl, compared to porous complex surfaces such as cotton • survived longer on paper banknotes than plastic banknotes.

Results from the study The effect of temperature on persistence of SARS-CoV-2 on common surfaces was published in Virology Journal.

CSIRO CEO Dr Larry Marshall said surface survivability research builds on the national science agency’s other COVID-19 work, including vaccine testing, wastewater testing, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) manufacture and accreditation, and big data dashboards supporting each state.

“Establishing how long the virus really remains viable on surfaces enables us to more accurately predict and mitigate its spread, and do a better job of protecting our people,” Dr Marshall said.

Dr Debbie Eagles is deputy director of ACDP, which has been working on both understanding the virus and testing a potential vaccine.

“Our results show that SARS-CoV-2 can remain infectious on surfaces for long periods of time, reinforcing the need for good practices such as regular handwashing and cleaning surfaces,” Dr Eagles said.

“At 20 degrees Celsius, which is about room temperature, we found that the virus was extremely robust, surviving for 28 days on smooth surfaces such as glass found on mobile phone screens and plastic banknotes.“ “For context, similar experiments for Influenza A have found that it survived on surfaces for 17

22 INCLEAN November / December 2020

days, which highlights just how resilient SARSCoV-2 is.”

The research involved drying virus in an artificial mucus on different surfaces, at concentrations similar to those reported in samples from infected patients and then re-isolating the virus over a month.

Further experiments were carried out at 30 and 40 degrees Celsius, with survival times decreasing as the temperature increased.

The study was also carried out in the dark, to remove the effect of UV light as research has demonstrated direct sunlight can rapidly inactivate the virus.

“While the precise role of surface transmission, the degree of surface contact and the amount of virus required for infection is yet to be determined, establishing how long this virus remains viable on surfaces is critical for developing risk mitigation strategies in high contact areas,” Dr Eagles said.

Director of ACDP Professor Trevor Drew said many viruses remained viable on surfaces outside their host.

“How long they can survive and remain infectious depends on the type of virus, quantity, the surface, environmental conditions and how it’s deposited – for example touch vs droplets emitted by coughing,” Professor Drew said.

“Proteins and fats in body fluids can also significantly increase virus survival times.

“The research may also help to explain the apparent persistence and spread of SARS-CoV-2 in cool environments with high lipid or protein contamination, such as meat processing facilities and how we might better address that risk.”

CSIRO, in partnership with Australian Department of Defence, undertook the studies in collaboration with the 5 Nation Research and Development (5RD) Council, which comprises representatives from the UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.

Each country is conducting research on different aspects of virus survivability with the results shared as they become available.

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CONTRACTING

Don’t play the blame game Take ownership of challenges and get them right the second time around.

Words Tim Poskin

24 INCLEAN November / December 2020

O

ne of the definitions of failure is the omission of an expected or required action that generates a lack of success.

The need for rapid change caused by the coronavirus pandemic arrived so quickly there was little time to make critical decisions.

Many previously reliable and trusted sources provided misinformation that may have caused confusion and slowed the ability to pivot quickly.

This misinformation, combined with an overabundance of news, lead to wasted time trying to understand the validity and relevance of all the data.

In larger organisations, leaders formed committees to ponder the right plan for reopening facilities and businesses.

Once a reopening plan was agreed upon, committee members sent out mass communications to all levels.

Implementation of the reopening plan often required holding firm on agreed solutions and came under enormous pressure from stakeholders to change the plan to suit departmental or individual needs.

Some organisations did well with reopening; others saw their plans crumble when people involved in the reopening tested positive for COVID-19.

CONTRACTING

“ In some cases, key decision-makers agreed the risk of reopening wasn’t worth the reward and chose to open virtually.

Some organisations and businesses did not reopen at all. If any of these scenarios sound familiar, this information is for you.

EXAMINE REASONS FOR REOPENING STRUGGLES Over the last six months, we have collected feedback from organisations that have struggled to reopen or operate virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The feedback below was submitted by many industry segments including K-12 schools, higher education facilities, restaurants, manufacturers, retail businesses, hospitality facilities, and people in positions from the custodian to the vice president: • We just were not ready, and we did not move fast enough. Analysis paralysis caused decisions to be made too late or not at all. When we finally were given the green light, there was very little time to implement solutions.

• There were too many competing priorities.

Stakeholders had their own ideas of what comes first and what is the most important.

• We experienced an overall lack of understanding and limited training on pandemic response.

• People had conflicting beliefs and attitudes.

For example, the belief that masks are necessary varied at all levels throughout t he planning.

• With so many people involved it was hard to get the message out. In some cases, there were too many people who did not belong involved in the communication, which slowed the process.

• We experienced fear and pushback from stakeholders who did not understand the reopening plan and its components. At the leadership level, there was limited education and understanding on the cleaning and disinfection needed.

• We had limited supplies and resources from personal protective equipment (PPE) to disinfectant.

AVOID FINGER-POINTING The most prevalent advice was not to get caught up in the “the blame game.” Instead of trying to figure out who is at fault for the situation – such as management, administrators, or the government, it’s more productive to determine what may have gone wrong and how to fix it.

Leadership is critical from the top to the bottom. In difficult times leaders can rise to the challenge, pull away from the problem, and sometimes even burn out.

There is much you might not be able to control, and even less you can predict, but you still get to decide on your values as a person, as a manager, and as a team player.

The decisions you make during challenging times reveal your character, and the way your team responds reveals whether the culture you’ve built can withstand the pressures of a world that sometimes seems like it’s falling apart around you.

When faced with hard choices, good leaders hunker down and try to figure out the best path forward that includes taking care of their people and their organisation.

If you failed the first time to reopen, return to work, go live, go virtual, or whatever solution you chose, learn from those that achieved success by: • Asking others that got it right and benchmarking your plan against their criteria • Acquiring the supplies you need for an appropriate time • Communicating the plan with your team • Setting up the training your team needs to be ready • Not being afraid to say, “That’s not the plan we agreed to” • Holding firm in your values and beliefs • Not playing the blame game These difficult times will not be over anytime soon. If you know someone in the facilities world who has successfully tackled the challenges of creating safe and healthy buildings, reach out today and say, “Thank you!”

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. ■

The decisions you make during challenging times reveal your character, and the way your team responds reveals whether the culture you’ve built can withstand the pressures of a world that sometimes seems like it’s falling apart around you.

”

How to avoid playing the blame game 1 Recognise when

you are blaming.

Awareness is always the first step.

2 Remember it’s better to take ownership of a problem than to blame others.

3 Be empathetic, not

judgmental. Focus on understanding the other person and the situation.

4 Know your job.

Own your role.

5 Don’t let problems stop you from taking action and moving forward.

www.incleanmag.com.au 25

INDUSTRY // SPONSORED

The Rapid Group at the 2019 RapidClean conference

RapidClean

continues to deliver growth The Rapid Group has continued to deliver growth in 2020 despite the disruption and unprecedented demand for products during COVID-19.

26 INCLEAN November / December 2020

T

his year the Rapid Group ramped up its digital capabilities – with a new state of the art RapidClean website and online ordering system – increased personnel and released new product lines – all while facing increased demand across the country.

“Overall, it’s been a solid year for the business,” explains Bruce Lees, General Manager of the Rapid Group.

In Australia, the Rapid Group reported growth of 16.5 per cent last financial year, while New Zealand grew 43.4 per cent. The Rapid Group has more than 55 stores across Australia and 12 stores in New Zealand, having recently opened its second site in Auckland.

“Like all businesses, we were affected by COVID-19, and the huge demand for a narrow range of products at the peak of the pandemic, but as a group we have managed the past few months really well.”

The group’s key account program grew 56 per cent, with the co-operative securing new major supplier agreements with Karcher, Whiteley Corporation and GOJO, taking the total number of key suppliers in its preferred supplier program to more than 30.

CLICKS AND BRICKS The Rapid Group invested significantly in digital this year, with a new website for its Australian network.

Launched in August, the website features additional resources such as online training courses, videos, product information, industry specific catalogues and safety data sheets. A new website for New Zealand is expected to be launched early 2021.

“We have aimed for the website to be state-of-the-art in terms of providing information for the industry. It is crucial for us to make sure our customers can find the product information – or supplementary information – they need to then order on online or go in-store and make a purchase.”

The group also launched its new bespoke online ordering portal for key account customers, RapidNet. “RapidNet has been a big game changer for us,” explains Lees.

The fully automated system has been designed specifically for building service contractors (BSCs). BSC management can use RapidNet to select a basket of goods from which their area managers can order.

INDUSTRY // SPONSORED Users can set a site budget per month complete with a management approval system for orders over budget. An order placed via RapidNet is directed to a local store within seconds, and commonly delivered within hours.

“This system allows companies that are cleaning multiple sites to manage the products used on each of their sites and negotiate national pricing complete with having the support of our local stores throughout Australia,” says Lees.

RapidNet is expected to be launched for New Zealand customers early next year.

New products released by the group this year included a RapidClean range of eight floorcare products for both carpet and hard floors, as well as a new range of sanitisers for both hands and hard surfaces.

The Rapid Group also continued to develop its RapidGreen website and expand its online product range. RapidGreen is a dedicated e-commerce platform of fully accredited and certified environmentally friendly products. The website features products that hold third party environmental certifications including GECA, FSC, Recognised or PEFC. But for Lees one of the biggest innovations has been within human resources.

“We have seen many of our competitors reducing their personnel and offering less service to their customers, however, it is our belief that our customers still want to be able to talk to suppliers with good product knowledge and the ability to solve problems.

“Whilst we have significantly improved our online services, we have also increased our numbers including recently promoting Donna Willmette to a Key Account Manager position to look after our national accounts in support of our General Manager of Sales, Lucas Paris.

“We will continue to increase the service offering to RapidClean customers at both a national and local level in keeping with our national strength, local service spirit.”

COVID-19 RESPONSE The major challenge for the group’s network during COVID-19 has been meeting the unprecedented demand for products such as disposable gloves, hand sanitiser, and toilet paper.

RapidNet is a bespoke online ordering portal for key account customers

“At the height of demand, our stores rationed product to fulfil existing customer needs,” explains Lees.

“We were inundated with people wanting products who were not previously customers with Rapid, but we were careful to make sure we supplied to our existing customers conservatively. Some of our stores temporarily closed the doors to walk in-trade in order to supply to existing customers and to maintain the wellbeing of the staff in those stores where demand was unprecedented.

“In March we had almost double the turnover of a normal month. For any business to be able to manage that puts a lot of stress on systems and also on people. Our members should be congratulated on how they accepted the challenge, responded to it, and managed their team’s mental wellbeing.”

In response to the pandemic, Rapid launched COVID-specific online training courses in collaboration with Daniels Associates, available via the RapidClean website, including a free to access Chemical Handling Course.

“There were a lot of people handling chemicals who had not had previous exposure to handling dangerous goods, so we made this

“

We will continue to increase the service offering to RapidClean customers at both a national and local level in keeping with our national strength, local service spirit.

”

www.incleanmag.com.au 27

INDUSTRY // SPONSORED

Bruce Lees and Donna Willmette

“

The current pandemic has shown we cannot be totally reliant on imported products and there has been a significant increase in demand for local products, which is a strong opportunity for us as an Australian and New Zealandowned entity.

”

28 INCLEAN November / December 2020

course free to the industry to try and prevent injuries. From there we created COVID-related training courses for those looking for more extensive training.”

Despite the challenges, Lees says COVID-19 has provided new opportunities for Rapid and broadened its existing customer base.

“Demand from some of our traditional customers such as office buildings, schools and stadiums, has lessened while they’re either closed or starting to re-open, however, we have been able to gain many new customers in new sectors such as healthcare and aged care.”

Looking ahead, the immediate focus for the Rapid Group heading into 2021 is continuity of supply.

As Lees explains: “We want to maintain our high levels of customer service, great pricing, online efficiency, as well as ensure consistency of supply with our customers.

“A lot of customers were unable to obtain the products they wanted during the peak demand period earlier this year, so we are constantly working hard to maintain continuity of supply.

“People who traditionally would purchase based on the cheapest price are now looking a bit closer in terms of who they are dealing with and making sure that who they are working with is able to sustain supply. That is where we believe our national service, local service combination is a huge strength in the market.”

The Rapid Group will also expand its range of products and programs in 2021.

“We have some really exciting new programs and products coming soon, which we think will encourage more people to trade with their local Rapid store.”

But for now, the challenge for the market is adapting to the new normal, according to Lees, who believes more attention is now being placed on products from both an environmentally and efficacious standing.

“People are more conscious of cleaning than they ever have been. It was previously seen as something that needed to be done, but there was not a lot of attention paid to the product or the process. Now the cleaning process is being more carefully monitored.

"We think this is an opportunity to lift the prominence of our industry. We have recently partnered with Karcher to support the Thank Your Cleaner Day which is a wonderful initiative to show genuine and heart felt appreciation to the people who clean our facilities and keep us safe. It is often a thankless task and we want to play our part in generating recognition for the crucial role that cleaners play in our society.

“The current pandemic has shown that we cannot be totally reliant on imported products and there has been a significant increase in demand for local products, which is a strong opportunity for us as an Australian and New Zealand-owned entity. We are committed to offer genuinely effective environmentally accredited products with supporting material and training to help lift our industries performance and prominence.” ■

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HOSPITALITY

Is your restaurant ready?

Ready your venue by implementing these best practice strategies.

Words Peter Teska

30 INCLEAN November / December 2020

HOSPITALITY

N

ot only in Australia but globally restaurants were among the first to feel the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bookings disappeared almost overnight, followed by long imposed periods of closure and staff inactivity.

Thus, putting effective cleaning procedures in place is crucial to reaffirming your reputation and for your future success.

NEW EXPECTATIONS AROUND CLEANLINESS There are few sectors prior to the pandemic in which hygiene has been of such a high priority.

Thankfully, the food service industry is well-versed in the necessity for cleanliness in both front-ofhouse (FOH) and back-of-house (BOH) areas.

Yet diners’ sensitivity to hygiene standards was previously based primarily on appearance. The presence of COVID-19 requires you to conform to unparalleled and explicit new levels of cleanliness. With this heightened expectation of hygiene, both diners and staff will want to know - and to confirm with their own eyes - what you are doing to ensure health and safety.

Before you focus on enhanced cleaning, create a clear plan based on a feasible reopening date.

Having gone through a disruptive period of high uncertainty – and with much uncertainty still to come – this enables you to assess risks and measure daily progress. It also helps to raise team spirit by creating a mutual goal among staff and allows everyone to work backwards from the intended opening date to determine how quickly other tasks need to be completed.

Aim to have everything completed to your satisfaction by this date but shift it if necessary as you progress. In the new normal of hypervigilance, first impressions are critical as you seek to rebuild previous levels of customer confidence. Anything less than best public health practice creates another obstacle to survival when you already face many more.

BEST PRACTICES FOR YOUR BUSINESS Ready your restaurant for reopening by implementing the following strategies: • Implement social distancing: Understanding the requirements of social distancing laid down by governments and health authorities is essential. Social distancing defines the constraints for everyone in your restaurant.

With strict limits on the number of diners, evaluating the layout of your restaurant and clearly defining entrance and exit routes is essential for safe movement. Instruct staff in procedures. Emphasise that social distancing applies everywhere and will change only with new guidance from applicable authorities.

• Use training and communication to your advantage: Training on all new public health practices is important, especially for employees whose duties have not involved cleaning before. Develop cleaning kits that combine essential products ensuring ease of use, prevention, and best practice. Then, clearly outline to staff and customers the measures you are taking to protect them, and that you are using recommended and safe products. Establish an emergency protocol, as the pervasiveness of COVID-19 means that workers may test positive.

• Prioritise hand hygiene: Hands are the main route for personal infection and the spread of pathogens. Thus, regular hand washing procedures and use of hand sanitiser are central to limiting exposure. Ensure access to wall-mounted dispensers and free-standing hand hygiene stations offering alcohol-based hand sanitiser.

• The percentage of alcohol in hand sanitiser is key to its effectiveness. Many products have rushed to market on the back of the pandemic that should be treated with caution.

A professional product will provide assurance and its efficacy should be proven according to recognised standards. An alcohol content of www.incleanmag.com.au 31

HOSPITALITY

“

The presence of COVID-19 requires you to conform to unparalleled and explicit new levels of cleanliness.

”

60 per cent is the minimum recommendation from the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). However, sanitisers that have more than 70 per cent alcohol content ensure a faster kill rate.

• Select the right chemicals for added assurance: Preferably use disinfectants that are specifically approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) for use against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

The shorter the contact time – one minute or less – the better for inactivating the virus. Also ensure you choose hospital grade disinfectants, which are rapidly becoming the new normal in disinfection. They use technologies like Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide (AHP), which are markedly safer for people and surfaces while still being tough on pathogens. These disinfectants are also more efficient than the existing slower Quats-based (quaternary ammonium compounds) products, or those formulated on Hypochlorite or Peracetic acid.

AHP achieves the balance of maximising potency while minimising toxicity, breaking down into water and oxygen just minutes after use.

• Conduct hand contact surface disinfection: Studies show that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can remain on surfaces for up to several days, including 48 hours on stainless steel and 72 hours on plastic.1 Routine disinfection of high hand contact surfaces is an important part of preventing the risk of transmission. Commonly touched surfaces should be put on a cleaning schedule

https://hub.jhu.edu/2020/03/20/sars-cov-2-survive-on-surfaces

1

32 INCLEAN November / December 2020

to ensure they are disinfected frequently throughout the day.

• Incorporate a disinfectant range that offers numerous applications, including ready-to-use liquids, pre-moistened wipes and concentrates for added convenience and consistency. It may also help if you colour code products, tools and equipment for different cleaning procedures to help prevent cross-contamination and the spread of germs.

• Work with a trusted provider: With supply chains struggling to achieve pre-pandemic levels, using multiple suppliers for cleaning essentials can complicate your cleaning program. Being able to rely on a single hygiene partner for everything from chemicals to training improves efficiency. Don’t make the budget supply option your main criteria and avoid buying ineffective, unproven products from an unfamiliar source online or from your general distributor. Instead, identify a trusted hygiene provider that can offer expert advice and the appropriate products during this critical time.

There is nothing certain in the new normal for the food service industry. Nevertheless, by implementing a clear plan and the appropriate cleaning and hygiene measures, you can create the safest restaurant environment possible for your staff and customers, while giving yourself the best chance of success in these very difficult times.

Peter Teska, Global Infection Prevention Application Expert, Diversey. ■

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34 INCLEAN November / December 2020

INDUSTRY // SPONSORED SURFACE CLEANING WITH CONFIDENCE

How different is our world looking at present? We are all wearing face masks, using hand sanitiser regularly and avoiding pushing elevator buttons because we all have hygiene front of mind. Gone are the days of “it looks clean enough”. The new normal is, “how clean is it really?”

Virus, dirt and bacteria can multiply over time on high-touch surfaces. Be sure to use products validated with both high bacterial and virus removal for assurance that your surfaces are really clean.

These products validations are particularly important in recent times. Having surface cleaning cloths and wipes that are certified to remove virus over 99% can make a big positive impact for cleaning companies in restoring trust regarding getting facilities really clean.

It is important to highlight that viruses behave differently to bacteria. They can be up to 100 times smaller than bacteria and are not living organisms. Be sure to use effective cleaning procedures and equipment to remove viruses before they can make an association to a host.

At Oates®, we have high performance cloths verified by a third party lab to remove up to 99.86% of viruses. We’ve got you covered.

Microfibres deliver a significantly better cleaning performance due to their mechanical cleaning action. The fibres are split into many finer fibres optimising its surface area to pick up the tiniest dirt in every nook and cranny.

99.99% (^^)

99.86% (**) G

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ST WATER JU

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99.51% (*)

MicronQuick

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Viruses

99.98% (^)

”

US IN

Bacteria MicronSolo

“

The new normal is, ‘how clean is it really?’

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A combination of simple cleaning measures, professional cleaning equipment, and disciplined execution can dramatically reduce risks to give you confidence in cleaning.

Oates® has more than 85 years of experience in the Australian market and access to the latest cleaning innovation from Freudenberg Home and Cleaning Solutions. We are working hard to provide the best solutions to give you confidence that your facilities are really clean.

It is our responsibility to give our customers and end users confidence that their facility is really clean. No matter if it is a stadium, shopping centre, office building or hospital we will have the right tool to ensure your facility is maintaining a high level of hygiene.

Co ron

HOW OATES® CAN GIVE YOU CONFIDENCE IN CLEANING

US IN

A NEW NORMAL IN CLEANING

Ex e ter vin nal ly tes ted with Bo

www.incleanmag.com.au 35

INDUSTRY // SPONSORED

“

At Oates®, we have the right microfibre cloth to prepare you for the new normal to really clean surfaces in your hospital, school, hotel, or office building.

”

Our non-woven microfibre cloths combine the latest technology to improve the cleaning performance you love about microfibre cloths.

Their intense surface contact has been validated with high bacteria and germ removal while still delivering a streak-free performance to give you confidence in your surface cleaning.

Our knitted microfibre cloths are the best option for general cleaning maintenance and removing larger particles.

Oates and Vileda Professional microfibre cloths will give you confidence in your surface cleaning. Vileda Professional’s MicronSolo1 and MicronQuick2 have been tested and verified by a third party lab to remove more than 99.5% of viruses and 99.99% of bacteria from surfaces.

The most important factor is to choose the correct type of microfibre cloth for your specific application.

Non-woven microfibres are the best at removing bacteria and viruses as they have intense surface contact. Knitted Microfibre cloths are heavier and better at removing loose dirt and larger particles.

EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS FOR SURFACE CLEANING At Oates®, we have the right microfibre cloth to prepare you for the new normal to really clean surfaces in your hospital, school, hotel, or office building.

In these challenging times, we are proud to offer high performance cloths and wipes that are verified to remove up to 99.86% of viruses tested using a surrogate of COVID-19.

We understand the importance of giving confidence back to the workers, students and the general community when returning to any kind of facility and be able to demonstrate you have the right equipment to get these facilities really clean.

Reducing the risk of cross contamination To maintain a clean facility, we recommend implementing up-to-date procedures to reduce risk of cross contamination, such as: • Using clean/sanitised cleaning equipment • Wearing the appropriate PPE and changing gloves between tasks • Using the correct colour-coded equipment for corresponding areas: – Blue: General areas – Green: Kitchen areas – Red: Bathroom – Yellow: Infectious areas • Use microfibres for their proven ability to remove bacteria • Use RESEARCH disinfectant solutions with single-use mops and cloths for infectious areas • Use separate buckets for unused and soiled cloths • Replace cleaning solution, mops, and cloths regularly • Mix RESEARCH chemicals as per manufacturer’s instructions.

36 INCLEAN November / December 2020

FLOOR CLEANING WITH CONFIDENCE Having your floor really clean provides two key main benefits. The first is that you are providing a hygienic environment for facility users.

This translates in a space where risk of contamination is reduced, and users can have confidence they are in a really clean environment.

The other key benefit is the understated welcoming atmosphere that you feel when entering a really clean facility. Both key benefits have one thing in common for the end user – confidence in hygiene.

EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS FOR FLOOR CLEANING Our specialised range of mops cater to virtually all your cleaning needs, facilities, and applications. Pre-preparing your mops will give you confidence your staff are hygienically and effectively preparing their tools to deliver the best cleaning performance.

The Fluid Dispomop delivers the highest cleaning performance verified by a third party lab to remove up to 99.999%3.

The Fluid Dispomop can be used wet or dry and is ideal for use in high risk areas or controlled environments such as operating theatres or within the pharmaceutical industry.

The HyPro MF is a cost effective floor cleaning solution and features full colour coding including cytotoxic areas. It has been verified

INDUSTRY // SPONSORED

by a third party lab in Australia to remove up to 99.85%, 99.89%, and 99.85% of MRSA, VRE and spores of C. difficile, respectively4.

CONFIDENCE IN SPOT DISINFECTION How confident are you on the hygienic level of your floors and surfaces?

“It looks clean enough” is no longer acceptable. The new normal is ensuring surfaces are also hygienic and properly disinfected.

Disinfection is the removal or destruction of bacteria and viruses from inanimate objects. Cleaning and disinfection should usually be done as separate processes.

Since a disinfectant does not know the difference between greasy soil and germs, it is best to pre-clean heavy soiled surfaces first to give you confidence that your disinfectant is at maximum performance primarily attacking germs and not the dirt.

EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS FOR SPOT DISINFECTION Oates and Vileda Professional have a range of disinfectant solutions that will give you confidence in your surface cleaning.

One of our most effective solutions for on the spot disinfection is the new and unique BAC-OFF disinfectant microfibre wipes.

BAC-OFF is a revolutionary new cleaning product combining our single use non-woven microfibre cloths with a disinfectant to clean and disinfect in one step.

Ideal for cleaning and disinfecting hard non-porous and non-food contact surfaces, BAC-OFF has been verified by a third party lab in Australia to kills 99.99% of bacteria5.

For more information about Oates and Vileda Professional products please contact csvic@fhp-ww.com or call us on 1300 669 686. ■

Tested by BMA laboratory report. BE171102-03/1/K1 as substitute for BE171102-03/1

1

Tested by BMA laboratory report. BE141212-07/1/K1 as substitute for BE141212-07/1

2

Tested by Laboratoire Midac test report no. RE 18163-2

3

Eurofins Analytical Report: AAC57381

4

Eurofins Laboratory Analytical Report: AAE60659

5

MicronQuick virus removal validation: Dr. Brill + Partner GmbH, Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, Germany Test report L20/0406bBC.1 MicronSolo virus removal validation: Dr. Brill + Partner GmbH, Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, Germany Test report L20/0406aBC.1

www.incleanmag.com.au 37

HOSPITALITY

38 INCLEAN November / December 2020

HOSPITALITY

Hotel hygiene As travel restrictions ease around the country, hotels and cleaning teams are ramping up their cleaning protocols.

C

OVID-19 has changed the way we live, work, and travel.

As travel restrictions ease around the country, hotels and cleaning teams are ramping up their cleaning protocols.

According to a new report commissioned

by TripAdvisor and the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), health and safety precautions are now more important to travelers than price.

The study, The Impact of Health and Hygiene on post COVID-19 Destination Competitiveness in Asia Pacific’, found 91 per cent of respondents said health and safety precautions were more important now than price (36.8 per cent), location (46.3 per cent) and exclusive offers (34.8 per cent), More specifically, 65.6 per cent of respondents said the availability of hand sanitisers for guests and staff was critical in their comfort levels when on-site at their hotel. This was followed in importance by regular cleaning and sanitising of public areas (58.5 per cent), requiring face masks to be worn by staff (57.3 per cent) and guests (54 per cent) in public areas.

“Cleanliness standards have never been as important as they are now,” says Craig Coughlin, CEO of Luxxe Outsourced Hotel Services.

“Consumers are expecting visual confirmations that hotels have put in place COVID Safe measures and that hygiene is on the forefront of the hotel operation.”

HYGIENE THE ‘NEW AMENITY’ In response to COVID-19, many of the world’s largest hotel chains have announced new cleaning measures including increased cleaning and disinfecting, with a focus on high touch surfaces, the introduction of hand sanitising stations, and personal protective equipment (PPE) for staff.

Airbnb also announced the launch of its own cleaning protocols for hosts in response to the pandemic – understood to be the first

overarching standardised protocol for cleaning and sanitisation in the home sharing industry.

Research by hotel asset management company, Hotel Asset Value Enhancement (hotelAVE), has reported these new cleaning protocols in response to COVID-19 could potentially cost the US hotel industry as much as $9 billion.

Coughlin says Luxxe’s people and culture team had to “pivot quickly” due to the pandemic, transitioning its traditional face-to-face onboarding and training modules to a cloud-based online platform along with competency-based learnings.

“This training was also rolled out to all existing team members across the country and had to be completed prior to them returning to work.”

“The first critical task from a compliance perspective was conducting Safety Audits and Risk Assessments across all the hotels we operate within and this assisted in creating a strong foundation for the training modules and what key focus areas were required to be focused on.

“The extensive training platform included hand hygiene, chemical retraining with new TGA approved chemicals, social distancing, donning and doffing PPE, the LUXXE Touch (a second sanitisation process conducted in all departure rooms) and the introduction of “Hygiene Heroes” to be our hotel-based champions for everything safety.”

According to Sean Hunt, area vice president of Australia, New Zealand & Pacific for Marriott International, the hotel has rolled out a “multipronged platform” to elevate its cleanliness standards and hospitality norms and behaviours in different phases. It has also established a Global Cleanliness Council made up of in-house and outside experts in food and water safety, hygiene, and infection prevention.

“Given the heightened concern for health and safety, travellers are more likely to book with trusted brands that are familiar to them and are committed to cleanliness,” says Hunt. www.incleanmag.com.au 39

HOSPITALITY Marriott International has introduce new technologies to its cleaning programs

Do’s and don’ts’ for housekeeping staff to keep in mind Michael Patterson, director of the International Executive Housekeepers Association (IEHA), a division of ISSA, shares tips for housekeeping staff:

DO: • Effectively communicate safety and sanitation measures taken on behalf of your team to guests • Find ways to incorporate surprise and delight into your guest’s experience (with safety and sanitation in mind) • Encourage your team to stay healthy!

DON’T: • Do not solely depend on guests to adhere and maintain your safety standards; train your teams to support guests by leading by example • Do not make it exceedingly difficult for guests to understand your new protocols • Do not forget to double and triple check your inventory of cleaning and sanitation products/ supplies. Stay ahead of the demand!

40 INCLEAN November / December 2020

“Hygiene is the ‘new amenity’ for all hotels and will be standard expectation for guests in a post COVID-19 world.”

Among its new cleaning processes, Marriott International has increased cleaning and disinfecting, with a special focus on high touch areas, as well as deep cleaning each guestroom between stays.

Marriott International has introduced the use of hospital-grade disinfectants on high touch points and surfaces such as door handles, tables and nightstands, furniture knobs and handles, light switches, and thermostats.

The company has also installed more hand sanitising stations and implemented signage to remind guests to maintain social distancing protocols and the removal or re-arranging of furniture to allow for social distancing.

It is also testing new technology such as electrostatic sprayers with hospitalgrade disinfectant, which have been implemented across all Australian and Pacific Island hotels.

GUEST SAFETY Jonas Cruz, head of Rubbermaid Commercial Products (RCP) Australia and New Zealand, says the right equipment can optimise cleaning procedures in hospitality.

“As people come to terms with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitality customers are looking for reassurance that the businesses they visit are safe,” says Cruz.

“Having the right cleaning equipment not only improves standards of cleanliness but also reduces the risk of employee injury and increases customer satisfaction.

“Visible cleaning and maintenance procedures help to ensure that everyone feels comfortable dining in restaurants, visiting pubs and staying in hotels.”

According to Cruz, cleaning staff need durable, reliable equipment, such as high-capacity cleaning carts and microfibre cloths.

Visibility of cleaning procedures is also important to help guests feel comfortable. Safety signs and mobile barriers can block off potentially contaminated areas until they can be properly sanitised. Vibrant yellow signage stands out in any environment, letting guests know that the business is taking care of its cleaning responsibilities.

“When cleaning staff have the right equipment and are trained in its proper use, their risk of

HOSPITALITY musculoskeletal disorders decreases.

Considering workplace injuries and disease cost the Australian economy roughly $61.8 billion annually, there is a clear need for better workplace safety education,” says Cruz.

“High standards of cleanliness have always been an important pillar of customer service in the hospitality industry. Now, those standards will be held to a greater level of scrutiny.

“A single instance of noncompliance with cleaning policies could cause irreparable damage to a hospitality brand. Having the right equipment and training is essential to ensuring the highest standards of cleanliness are upheld.”

Michael Patterson, director for International Executive Housekeepers Association (IEHA), a division of ISSA, says the number one challenge in hospitality settings is keeping team members healthy and COVID free.

“With so many factors potentially impacting their health, it is crucial that we do all we can to maintain a safe work environment in additional to educating and equipping them with safe practices to use while on and off duty,” says Patterson.

“Guest safety and peace of mind is top priority, without it, guests will not return to your property

and certainly will share their unacceptable experience with friends.”

For Coughlin productivity remains the biggest challenge.

“You need to find the balance between quality, safety, hygiene and efficiency.

“You cannot spend one hour deep cleaning every departure room before the next guest arrives; you will have a queue of guests at reception waiting until 6pm to check in to their room and you will probably go broke as wages are so expensive in Australia.”

He says safety of both guests and staff, also needs to remain top of mind when developing a cleaning program.

“Front office staff should no longer be requesting “rush rooms” as this is not a good hotel practice (both pre and post COVID) and only promotes staff rushing and potentially cutting corners and/or injuring themselves “The key thing to focus on when developing a cleaning program or scope of works is the results of your time and motion study; some things just take time and you cannot rush them. The cheapest price is not necessarily the best price or give you the best outcome.” ■

“

High standards of cleanliness have always been an important pillar of customer service in the hospitality industry. Now, those standards will be held to a greater level of scrutiny.

”

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RETAIL

The customer experience is paramount in retail.

42 INCLEAN November / December 2020

RETAIL

RETAIL REIMAGINED www.incleanmag.com.au 43

RETAIL

A

ustralia is set for a ‘staycation’ boom as domestic travel restrictions ease across the country.

With Australians expected to travel closer to home, a greater emphasis will be placed on ensuring high traffic environments, such as shopping centres, are safe and hygienic for patrons.

“The customer experience in retail is paramount,” explains Mark Whyte, Queensland state manager, BIC Services, “and cleaning is a core part of that customer experience.”

“We’ve witnessed increased footfall in recent months as more people visit shopping centres for a day out – whether it be to shop, go to the cinema or dine at a restaurant. As service providers we need to ensure that we’re doing out bit to make sure customers feel safe and comfortable.”

Since the onset of COVID-19, people have become hyper aware of hygiene activities such as cleaning, sanitisation and disinfection. The need for frequent cleaning, as well as the disinfection of high touch points, has also become a common occurrence.

“Customers want to see hygiene activities happen,” explains Patricia Olinger, executive director of Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC), a division of ISSA. “We want to see individuals cleaning. We want to see the robot floor cleaners working. The bathroom is still the indicator to the customer on the cleanliness for the rest of the facility.”

COVID-19 has led service providers to rethink their cleaning methods and procedures. In high traffic settings such as retail, cleaning teams have adjusted their standard operating procedures to increase cleaning schedules and visibility while cleaning.

Service providers have also introduced new infection control measures, such as increased air flow, hand sanitisation stations, physical distancing signage, as well as wearing face masks or coverings. As Olinger explains, the validation of when is clean ‘clean’ has become extremely important.

“Historically businesses have gone with the assumption that if it looks clean and smells pretty, 44 INCLEAN November / December 2020

then it is clean. We are now moving to a model where we not only accomplish the aesthetics but also where we want to verify and validate that what we are doing is effective. The question of “when is clean ‘clean’?” comes up all the time.”

PEOPLE POWER Considering these new cleaning protocols, training, and competencies of those who clean, disinfect, and manage infection prevention measures has become imperative.

For Whyte, investment in people is crucial.

“Staff need to be trained properly so they understand what their role is. In retail, a cleaner’s job is not just a cleaning role, it is also a customer service and ambassadorial role.

“We take the time to make sure our staff understand the expectation of their role from a cleaning perspective as well as a customer service perspective,” he says.

“In addition to the challenges that COVID-19 has presented, staff are also still dealing with the dayto-day operational challenges of running a retail environment, such as slips, trips and falls. We conduct regular training sessions with our team and with our suppliers and product manufacturers.

“We also invest in new technologies and innovations – but we don’t just look at innovation from a tangible sense, such as a new product, but also from an intangible sense, such as innovation in management.”

Just as service providers are reshaping cleaning methods, retailers are needing to rethink how customers will try on clothes, observe a product, and interact in-store.

For Olinger one of the biggest challenges in retail is human traffic and people wanting to touch items, try on clothing or sample products. In response to this, Olinger advises cleaning teams to have a plan.

“Sit down with your team and go through different scenarios ahead of time. Ask yourself, if this happens, what is our response and what will you do. Signage is also important to remind customers to wear a mask, wash their hands and not to touch their face are important reminders.

RETAIL “I think of a spa that I recently worked with. In their, lobby they had many different bottles and items for purchase. They used an electrostatic sprayer to deliver their disinfectant. They had a plan as to when they would routinely disinfect and had thought about the “one off” situations when they would disinfect.

“They had a plan as to when they would use a trigger sprayer.

There were disinfecting wipes available for customers to use when they would pick up items and hand sanitiser located in a variety of different places throughout the facility.

“They had a plan. What I find is that when you sit down and go through the different situations and decide how you want to address the different situation, there is a confidence and comfort that comes with the process.”

Olinger recommends to also conduct a risk assessment to identify and document the high touchpoints that you want and need to pay attention to.

“Do you have procedures in place that can easily be followed to address the needs identified from the risk assessment? As you clean, document that you have cleaned those touchpoints.

“Then to close the loop, periodically audit the process, are the touch points being taken care of as you expected. Review the information that you gathered and modify your plan where needed.

“By doing the above steps, you help safeguard the area and can show anyone who asks what you are doing. This helps provide the confidence that you are putting in place a hygienic cleaning program.”

FLOORCARE Equally important in retail settings is floorcare. Education, training, and product knowledge crucial for proper floor care and maintenance, according to Daniel Pisaniello, GM wholesale, Godfreys.

Pisaniello advises service providers to implement a regular maintenance schedule, with floors to be cleaned frequently to stay on top of dust and dirt build-up. Cleaning equipment should also be cleaned frequently.

“It sounds simple, but untrained or hurried cleaners won’t always sweep or vacuum up excess dirt, dust and debris before introducing water to a floor.

“Cleaning in this manner tends to spread dirtiness around the floor and make the task at hand much more difficult. Always remember to sweep up first.”

Cleaners are advised to not use excess concentrations of cleaning agents, or floor scrub or steam clean carpet without sweeping or vacuuming up excess dirt, dust and debris.

“Another mistake some cleaners can make is using the ‘glug’ method, pouring excess chemicals into their mop buckets or clean water tanks. This is not only wasteful, but can cause re-soiling and have potential safety risks depending on the product used.

Remember, ‘more’ is not always more and cleaning is a skill that requires training,” says Pisaniello.

“Cleaners face mounting pressure to complete larger jobs in less time, which can be really challenging. Access can also be problematic, as increased trading hours provide

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www.incleanmag.com.au 45

RETAIL

“

Historically businesses have gone with the assumption that if it looks clean and smells pretty, then it is clean. We are now moving to a model where we not only accomplish the aesthetics but also where we want to verify and validate that what we are doing is effective.

”

46 INCLEAN November / December 2020

constraints around floor maintenance and cleaning programs. It’s an area that we need to pay close attention to,” he says, adding floorcare must remain part of a wider cleaning program.

“Cleaning is an important part of safeguarding ourselves and the public from harmful germs.

However, keeping floors clean is just one small part of that. We’re constantly educating customers and staff on the difference between cleaning and disinfecting, as the two are not the same.”

“The removal of dirt is one aspect, but disinfecting is what ensures the germs are killed.

To properly disinfect an environment, there needs to be a cleaning and maintenance program run by trained cleaners.”

DATA IS KING According to CY Lee, APAC chief operating officer, SoftBank Robotics, simply increasing cleaning frequency and visibility is not enough to meet increased customer expectations.

“We see more and more retailers looking at new technologies – from UV-C disinfection to autonomous cleaning – to give them an edge and demonstrate to their customers they are innovating to provide a cleaner, more hygienic experience.”

According to Lee, one of the ways to ensure a clean facility and to minimise the chances of outbreaks is through consistency and frequency.

“Autonomous machines and robots offer both - giving facility managers predictable cleaning activity and trackable performance data that can be used to identify further efficiencies in their operations.”

In recent months, facilities around the world have ramped up their use of autonomous floorscrubbing machines and sanitising robots.

According to internal data from Brain Corp, median robotic usage among retailers in US locations rose by 13.8 per cent during Q1 of 2020, compared to the same period last year, and jumped by 24 per cent during Q2 of 2020.

According to the AI company, the median daily usage of BrainOS-powered robots grew by 20 per cent in the first half of 2020 compared to 2019, from 2.15 hours to 2.58 hours per day. The median daily usage reached a new high of 2.73 hours in June 2020, up 26.2 per cent over 2019.

“Floor cleaning can take up to 30 per cent of total cleaning time - time that can be spent on disinfecting and wiping down high touch surfaces, explains Lee. “Automating this task through robotic solutions allows cleaning operations in shopping centres to redeploy staff to spend their time on these critical tasks and reduce chances of outbreaks.”

According to Lee, they can also handle labourious, time consuming tasks such as floor cleaning to mitigate staff turnover risks. This then allows employers to redeploy teams to more high value tasks and upskill teams in the operation of robots.

“The pandemic has shown people can be adaptable to change - the move to remote working being the obvious example. Similarly, as the bar for cleanliness and hygiene is raised even higher, what was once a novel concept of cleaning being performed by autonomous machines would be more readily accepted and adopted as the standard in providing a quality clean.”

Lee believes technology - particularly big data - will be the driving force behind changes in the cleaning sector in 2021 and beyond.

“Other sectors such as facility management have adopted big data into their operations to make smarter, holistic decisions. I see the cleaning sector to follow this path, drawing in the wealth of data from cleaning tasks to reshape these operations for better efficiency and effectiveness.”

BIC’s state manager Mark Whyte agrees.

BIC Services’ Interactive Customer Experience Platform (ICXP) offer real-time responses to client requirements. The technology works via a combination of Customer Experience Kiosks (tablets), wearables, Bluetooth beacons and IoT sensors.

Building occupants can use Customer Experience Kiosks to make a service request, and the closest technician will be alerted.

The program also uses a range of IoT sensors to measure asset utilisation (e.g. foot traffic, bathroom use). The Platform also tracks service team movement and provides heat mapping of service levels.

“Data is king, and this type of technology, where we can provide real-time data of the tasks being performed by our staff to clients, is going to play a huge part of cleaning in the future.” ■

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MARKETING

The power of mobile text message marketing How cleaning companies can connect with customers to drive engagement and increase sales.

Words Nia Pearson

48 INCLEAN November / December 2020

MARKETING

18Vx2 LXT Brushless Upright Vacuum DVC560Z

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ver the last several decades, technology has significantly improved business performance by streamlining workflows. Technology has also changed how businesses need to interact with their customers in this new, mobile-first economy. This evolution has enhanced companies’ marketing efforts and has opened opportunities to build customer loyalty.

By now, most leading companies have adopted a mobilefirst strategy that stretches beyond digital marketing and a mobile-friendly website. When used in conjunction with customer relationship management software, this new strategy can influence the interactions and purchase patterns of consumers in ways that were not previously possible.

One significant component of marketing that has not changed is that competition makes improving the customer experience critical. To elevate your business, you must outperform your competitors on multiple levels. Having a customer-centric outlook has always been a driver of success, and that is still true.

For cleaning and restoration companies, offering a valuable service, communicating effectively with your customers, and staying top of mind with your target demographic are a few ways to maintain a position as market leader. Your mix of marketing communications should aim to do the following: • Build brand awareness • Identify the best ways to push products and services • Increase engagement with both new and existing customers.

Companies that communicate in a responsive, costeffective, and integrated manner that supports these goals will succeed with mobile marketing.

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MakitaAustralia

E&OE / K059-20

Mobile text marketing is one of the latest and fastest growing trends in digital marketing. It involves sending your target customers personalised messages directly to their smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices, connecting with them where they spend most of their time. This attentiongrabbing marketing method keeps customers, employees, and communities informed and connected in the timeliest manner available. The recent coronavirus pandemic is a perfect example of the need to quickly reach a mass audience.

Just as mobile phones bring people together in their personal lives, text marketing connects businesses to their customers. When prospects and customers opt to connect with a company via text, they are agreeing to interact more deeply with that company. The benefits of these interactions will be unique to each business – the ability to obtain data on customer behavior and to foster intimate connections – are just a few examples.

MARKETING

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You can use text messaging to boost repeat business and generate sales.

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Mobile text message marketing statistics • To confirm appointments, 67 per cent of people would rather use text than email or phone (Source: Trumpia) • 95 per cent of texts from businesses are read within three minutes of being sent (Source: Forbes) • The average response time for a text is only 90 seconds (Source: Tatango) • Engagement rates for text marketing are six to eight times higher than those for email marketing (Source: EZ Texting) • Text verification conversion rates can be as high as 85 per cent (Source: Salesforce) • The Delhi School of Internet Marketing reports that SMS marketing campaigns perform seven times better than email marketing campaigns

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Businesses around the world are adding text messaging to their marketing communications. They are empowering sales associates, customer service representatives, and their marketing teams with this simple but powerful technology. This strategy cuts through the noise of competitors and builds authenticity. Imagine a world with only your cleaning or restoration business and no competitors – that is the space that text marketing creates.

Mobile technology is changing the way people engage with companies.

Everything that used to require a desktop computer is now possible on a mobile device. From opening an email to visiting a company’s website and reading its content, customers can access everything on their small mobile screens.

Increase sales Business owners should focus on the aspects of marketing that measurably impact the bottom line. By sending perfectly timed, personal, and highly targeted offers based on your customers’ interests and behaviors, you can use text messaging to boost repeat business and generate sales. Other valuable applications include encouraging membership in loyalty programs, sending appointment reminders, informing customers about promotions, and delivering mobile coupons.

Improve customer satisfaction After every transaction, consider sending a brief follow-up text message to keep communication flowing and to encourage customer satisfaction.

This action builds customer loyalty and increases business growth, and also supports another important marketing tactic: online reputation management and reviews.

Your text marketing strategy should employ both Short Message Service (SMS), which is used for sending and receiving texts and Multimedia Message Service (MMS), which builds on the SMS technology to deliver multimedia content.

When critical circumstances arise, SMS is the fastest communication channel for sending alerts. Effective mobile marketing means understanding your mobile audience, designing content with mobile platforms in mind, and making strategic use of SMS and MMS marketing.

As consumer behaviors continue to change, cleaning and restoration companies must change with them.

Adopting these preferred channels creates an opportunity to communicate with your customers in a meaningful way, improve engagement, and grow your business.

Nia Pearson is CEO, founder, and senior consultant at Marketing 4 Real Results. Pearson can be reached at info@m4rr.com. ■

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TECHNOLOGY

How to generate online leads during unprecedented times Key points for high-quality lead generation and getting your company in front of the people who want your services.

Words Sonny Ahuja

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highly optimised lead generation system can help your cleaning and restoration company drive sales and stay competitive even in a market where customers have multiple choices to pick and choose from. In addition, you also face two major challenges: Your customer journey is continually evolving. They are very aware and self-educating, so they already know what they want and from whom they want it. Customers today actively seek brand experiences that meet their expectations. In fact, 73 per cent of customers are of the opinion that good customer experience can influence their decision to be loyal to a brand.

An effective lead-generation strategy, however, can help you overcome these challenges while also delivering fantastic gains in the form of increased conversions and sales to drive business revenue. If you are looking for strategies to turbo-charge your lead generation, then consider the following.

GOOGLE MY BUSINESS Setting up your Google My Business account can effectively give you access to a massive pool full of potential leads.

In the digital space, Google My business is like the yellow pages in the old days – 52 INCLEAN November / December 2020

it can connect you to customers who are looking for your services.

The best way to generate leads for your cleaning and restoration business is to ensure that your brand is in front of potential customers in their exact moment of need. And Google My Business can do just this. Consider the following: Target customers based on location: Most customers use search engines such as Google to search for products and services, and most customers focus on proximity when making a buying decision. Using Google My Business will ensure your business shows up in search engine results pages (SERPs) and in Google Maps so that customers can quickly and easily find and locate your services.

Highlight the right kind of information for customers to connect with you: By optimising important information such as your hours of operation, address, contact details, and reviews, you make it incredibly easy for customers to find and connect with your brand—regardless of the device they use to find you.

Leverage the power of reviews: Reviews matter to your customers. So, when a prospect searches for nearby services, Google will display your business listing – with those power packed star ratings!

TECHNOLOGY

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Tell your brand product/services story via highly relevant blog posts to generate quality leads.

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AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND

1800 226 843 contactanz@ipcworldwide.com

TECHNOLOGY

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Design aesthetics can either deliver a clean efficient look, or it can mess up your design completely.

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Win customers, even if you are not the first choice: Even if you don’t rank at #1, you can still win customers. Why? Well, consider this – if a prospect doesn’t find what they are looking for with their first or even second choice, if your brand is listed among the top searches, they will come to you. Once they show interest, you can use your brand/service differentiators to win them over.

GOOGLE SEARCH ADS Search ads can put you in front of customers who are actively looking for your cleaning and restoration service. And nothing delivers ad dividends like Google search ads.

If you want to generate quality leads for your business, then Google ads should be your first choice. There are, of course, multiple

other platforms such as Bing that can help you generate leads. However, if you are looking to generate high-quality leads, then Google ads is a clear winner.

For a majority of your customers, Google is the platform of choice when searching for information on services near them. This means the leads generated on Google are pre-qualified because they already have a need that want addressed. In a lot of cases, their need could be urgent.

So, if you can run customised ads, packed with highly relevant keywords that offer solutions and answers to customer queries and problems, it can help bring in customers who not only want to engage with your brand, but there is every chance that these customers will be more than ready to convert.

TECHNOLOGY GOOGLE DISPLAY ADS (RE-MARKETING AND IN-MARKET) The Google Display Network (GDN) has been designed to deliver visual-based ads to customer across websites, videos, and apps. More importantly, GDN offers targeting capabilities that you can use to generate leads.

Consider the following: Run re-marketing campaigns: Target and attract customers who have previously engaged with your brand or shown interest in your business to bring them back.

Actively engage with in-market audiences: Boost incremental conversions. The search giant uses history and browsing trends of users who are looking for products and services that match or mirror what you are offering when selecting potential prospects for your offers.

Use managed placement targeting: Control the placement of your ads. You can specify the sites where you want your ads to show. This kind of targeting can further narrow your audience selection, thus, boosting your lead generation.

Select the “similar audiences” targeting option: Expanding your re-marketing campaign reach and push new users who have similar browsing habits to those looking into your business.

FACEBOOK Did you know 74 per cent of Facebook users visit the site daily? Tapping into that pool of potential customers using a robust lead-generating strategy should be your major area of focus. Here are six strategies for generating leads using Facebook.

Tell your brand product/services story via highly relevant blog posts to generate quality leads. And make sure you provide readers with a signup and inquiry form.

Engage with quality content because your target audience base will be more inclined to interact if your content is creative, relevant to their needs, and highly engaging. So, make sure your profile, groups, and pages are populated with quality content.

Use Facebook lead ads to generate leads quickly and effectively. So how does lead ads work? Simple: You display your ads to users, and if they are interested, all they need to do is to click the call to action (CTA). This will pull up their information (shared via Facebook), which they can review/edit before submitting.

You can use these forms to understand your audience better, which, in turn, will help you customise your lead generation. If you need more information, then Facebook allows you to customize your leads ads form further.

Create landing pages that are optimised for converting leads. Make sure you have a strategy in place and focus on the design elements. These are critical if you want to attract users.

Leverage interactive videos that are designed to capture user attention and keep them coming back for more or even to convert.

Contests and events are again a great interactive medium for engaging users, provided they are used strategically.

OPTIMISED MOBILE LANDING PAGES What your mobile landing page offers by way of content and user experience will have an impact on lead generation. Here are a few things to consider when optimising your mobile landing pages: Build a responsive site for multiple device types: A responsive website is critical if you want your landing pages to display in a consistent manner across multiple device types.

Focus on design aesthetics: Everything from your color, fonts, and schemes, among other things, matter on mobile. Design aesthetics can either deliver a clean efficient look, or it can mess up your design completely.

Create user-friendly navigation: Intuitive navigation is integral to mobile optimizing of your landing page(s). You want users to quickly and easily find what they are looking for or to take a desired action. And the best way to do this is by offering fewer navigation options.

Too many options and steps will only serve to increase your bounce rate since it expands the distance between the user and their intended goal/action.

Strategise content placement, length, and graphics: Space is a luxury on mobile screens.

You obviously want everything optimized for viewing on mobile screens. Consider replacing chunks of text content with graphics that serve the same purpose, as well as, displaying important content above-the-fold (in the immediately visible area) and using appropriate sizing so users can get to what they want without having to scroll endlessly.

Use clear and effective CTAS: Concise layout, limited navigation options, and compelling graphics can enhance and optimise your mobile landing page CTAs. By ensuring your desired action is highlighted, you make it easy for users to follow through.

The fluid nature of customer behavior and expectations and an evolving market space can make lead generation challenging for cleaning and restoration companies. However, these strategies can help you drive generation of quality leads and expand your brand presence in front of your target audiences.

Sonny Ahuja, a certified Google Partner, is an online lead-generation expert who specialises in high-conversion responsive websites, optimized mobile sites, Google Ads, and SEO. Visit www.killitonline.com for more from Ahuja. ■ www.incleanmag.com.au 55

SUSTAINABILITY

The change

makers How two organisations are driving social and sustainable change.

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usiness service contractors (BSC) and facilities management (FM) contracts are increasingly looking for corporate social responsibility (CSR) outcomes as a result of COVID-19.

But how do you ‘do good’ when word on the street foresees a recession?

TWO GOOD CO For many of us, COVID-19 has shifted our office life to working from home which has seen the rise of one social issue in particular – domestic violence. Domestic violence is a major national health and welfare issue affecting both men and women that can have lifelong impacts.

According to a survey by the Australian Institute of Criminology, more than half of women who had experienced physical or sexual violence before the COVID-19 crisis said the violence had become more frequent or severe since the start of the pandemic.* One social enterprise that is using procurement to deliver positive societal outcomes in this area is Two Good.

Through sustainable social procurement 56 INCLEAN November / December 2020

with the likes of Charter Hall, Lendlease, and American Express, Two Good creates employment for vulnerable people giving them a pathway out of living in crisis.

“Social enterprises focus beyond simply generating a profit, rather measuring its performance on the positive social impact the business creates within society,” says Dani Harris, partnerships manager at Two Good.

“Working with a social enterprise, businesses can create a consolidated approach that simultaneously delivers procurement plus social impact – without costing an extra cent - which in the current environment is a win/win for all parties involved.”

Two Good makes and sells products corporates are already buying like catering, soap and cleaning products – making it easy for building service contractors and facilities management to make the ‘shift for good’ where their procurement strategies deliver social employment outcomes and ladder into business’ CSR objectives.

“By utilising a social enterprise’s products or services within your procurement

strategy, building service contractors and facilities management will be creating social currency and social impact. It’s this social currency that gives you a foundation to nurture a sense of wellbeing and community spirit,” says Harris.

Five per cent of revenue from Two Good’s social procurement contracts with Charter Hall, 151 Property, Lendlease and American Express goes towards its ‘Work Work’ program that delivers social employment outcomes.

“The social impact your procurement strategy creates can be spotlighted as corporate social responsibility outcomes, driving winning tenders across the line while authentically delivering positive outcomes for the vulnerable within our community,” says Harris.

Sustainability is also ingrained in every aspect of Two Good’s operation. Whether it be recycled RPET plastic of their toiletry bottles, dispenser components made from waste fishing nets pulled from our ocean, biodegradable lunch boxes or the sustainable farming practices of their meat and produce suppliers.

SUSTAINABILITY “It all comes down to respect. Respect of craft, respect of people, respect for the world we live in. The respect in creating the best product we possibly can – to demonstrate worth to someone who has experienced domestic violence or homelessness,” says Harris.

Two Good’s social procurement contracts support their employment pathway program.

The program bridges a ‘love and skills gap’ in the marketplace. Two Good enable vulnerable people to re-establish their independence in a supportive, trauma-informed environment.

“These are social procurement contracts that align business growth with impact – that’s fiscal and humanitarian value coming together sustainability.

“When social enterprises are engineered to deliver competitive procurement contracts that align to building services contractors and facilities management objectives, yet don’t cost extra and give people a second chance in life – the only question becomes, why wouldn’t you?”

OCS AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND Sustainability has long been a trending buzzword but one of the most noticeable shifts in recent years has been the growing focus on solutions – not only understanding what issues matter, and why, but also how the private sector can accelerate change.

Sustainability is a major immediate focus for the Australian and New Zealand operation of OCS – social, financial, and environmental.

OCS Australia and New Zealand managing director Gareth Marriott says the company continues to set itself tough goals to reduce waste and emissions – and challenges other businesses to do the same.

“As an industry, we need to take a real stand – walking the talk. Sustainability isn’t a nice to have, it’s a must have,” Marriott says.

OCS places its focus on three key areas of sustainability: People, Environment and Community. Marriott says the issues and goals under each of these pillars are not isolated to OCS alone.

“We live in a time of fundamental change and we recognise that sustainability is increasingly important to our customers, their customers, and all stakeholders. COVID-19 hasn’t altered that – we can’t use the pandemic as an excuse to ignore the efforts we’ve put in and the changes still to be made.

“All companies around the world need to recognise that embracing systemic change and disruption to address the world’s urgent challenges will create huge opportunities for innovation, investment, greater relevance and market share.”

Global trends such as climate mitigation, antiplastic sentiments, sustainable consumption and

investing in human wellbeing have all been top of mind this year.

“At OCS, our people are at the heart of what we do and through them we’re able to continue to deliver exceptional customer service – they’re our most important asset – as they should be for every company,” says Marriott.

“We’ve invested in initiatives to support inclusion, diversity, engagement and education.

Seeing the differences we’re making through community partnerships, as well as other initiatives, strike at the heart of what we want to achieve – creating positive outcomes for all of our people.”

Having a key focus on workforce development comes at a time when Gen Z’s are entering the workforce. For this younger generation, like their millennial counterparts, they’re increasingly committed to making social and sustainable impacts. They want to know the companies they’re working for are looking to make a positive impact on the planet.

Marriott believes all businesses should ensure their present needs are met without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs too.

“This guides our actions and is embedded in our business practices,” says Marriott.

“Our goal is to ensure OCS is an organisation which is in harmony with our environment, setting an example for other facilities management businesses.

“Changes don’t need to cost money – in fact, some of our changes have saved us money! In 2018 we kicked off our energy consumption reduction by changing to a new national provider for our New Zealand office, Ecotricity.

“Ecotricity is New Zealand’s only provider of 100 per cent renewable and carboNZero certified electricity. By being an Ecotricity customer OCS is helping New Zealand get one step closer to becoming 100 per cent renewable and enables us to benchmark our carbon footprint – in the first year alone avoiding more than 170,000kgs of carbon emissions.

“We believe every business has a clear duty of care to all stakeholders connected to or impacted by a company’s operation.

Together, we can make a difference to the health of our planet.

“As we face unprecedented challenges with potentially catastrophic consequences for life on our planet – it’s important to remember that there is also reason for optimism. We can all do our bit and that, at scale, can help us rapidly transition to a more sustainable, low-carbon economy.”

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Social enterprises focus beyond simply generating a profit, rather measuring its performance on the positive social impact the business creates within society.

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* Domestic Violence on the Rise During the Pandemic, Sydney Morning Herald, July 13 2020, Anthony Galloway www.smh. com.au/politics/federal/domesticviolence-on-the-rise-duringpandemic-20200712-p55b8q.html

Hear more about the importance of sustainability and social procurement at the ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Expo in October 2021 in Sydney ■ www.incleanmag.com.au 57

OPINION

Why cleaners are at risk of spreading COVID-19 Words Bridget Gardner

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he coronavirus pandemic has placed a spotlight on risks in the cleaning process like never before.

We’ve been focused on cleaning and disinfecting surfaces effectively to remove the virus and protect building occupants.

We’ve talked about hand hygiene and preventing the risk of cross-contaminating surfaces. And we’ve paid attention to protecting cleaners on the front-line via properly fitted (and removed) PPE. But until recently, I had not considered the risk of cleaning personnel being a potential source of COVID-19 transmission. Yet that is exactly what is occurring here in Victoria.

CLEANERS ARE A HIGH RISK OF SPREADING COVID-19 Victoria’s Hotel Quarantine Inquiry found the casual workforce were at the epicentre of Melbourne’s second wave. The report states casual workers pose a high risk of spreading the virus because: • They are often migrants who don’t understand the risks and rules, or young people who ignore them • Without paid leave entitlements or job security, casuals cannot afford to isolate for two weeks and are scared of losing their job if they do, so they keep quiet and keep working • Being on minimum wages, they often hold two or more jobs, spreading germs between workplaces.

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This is a huge risk for Australia and the cleaning industry. According to a 2019 parliamentary inquiry, there are more than 2.6 million casual workers employed in Australia, representing 24.4 per cent of all employees. More than 40 per cent of cleaners are casually employed, with many more permanent part-time workers.

LESSONS FROM A SHOPPING CENTRE OUTBREAK In August a cleaner working at The Butcher Club at Victoria’s Chadstone Shopping Centre tested positive for COVID-19. By early October, there were 31 active cases with two other shops and members of the public affected, and The Butcher Club manager in intensive care. A delivery man travelled 115kms north of Melbourne and sat in a cafe, infecting a further 5 people.

At least four businesses had to close and all associated staff and families placed in two weeks isolation, some seriously ill, because one cleaner failed to self-isolate after family members were diagnosed with COVID-19.

FIVE STRATEGIES TO PREVENT THE SPREAD The potential risks and consequences of your cleaners inadvertently spreading COVID-19 to your customer’s staff, and visitors through your own team could be devastating. I highly recommend you add this risk in your risk management plan and consider the following five strategies.

OPINION

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Hand and surface hygiene

We really can’t expect cleaners to take hygiene seriously unless they are given a workspace and supplies that allows them to take it seriously.

So now is great time to request and fit out the cleaner’s room with improved ventilation, shelving, and running water for sinks and cloth laundering facilities.

When I audit cleaner’s room, I want to see: • Dispensing systems for accurate dosing of detergents and disinfectants • Washing bucket or washing machine, a drying rack or electric dryer, plus clean cloths and mops • Hand soap, hand sanitiser and plenty of gloves • Posters for washing hands, using hand-rub and removing gloves safely.

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Supervision

How did the employer of the cleaner at the heart of The Butcher Club outbreak, not know their staff member was told to self-isolate by the DHHS? Would you have known? We provide procedure templates with our Guide to Cleaning for COVID-19* that require: • Cleaners to sign an agreement to inform you if they need to isolate • COVID-Safe Champions to inform cleaners about symptoms and rules, and to regularly check on each staff member • Managers to report all cases and contact all other team members if it occurs.

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Training

Cleaning and disinfecting practices in your standard operating procedures and cleaning manuals must align with government guidelines. Cleaners should be given COVID-19 infection control training covering: • The correct handling of cloths and wipes to prevent cross-contamination • The correct use of disinfectants: cleaning first and allowing sufficient contact time • The correct method of taking off gloves and masks so they don’t reinfect themselves Wear masks and don’t share equipment while cleaning and training.

Hold hands-on training outdoors or in large well-ventilated spaces that enable physical distancing

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Scheduling duties – to enable physical distancing

Physical distancing while cleaning has unique challenges, such as: • Cleaner’s rooms are often small and poorly ventilated • Daytime cleaning personnel move around all staff and visitors • Cleaners often work and take breaks unsupervised.

• Cleaners working after hours may be used to car-pooling when travelling to and from different sites.

An effective solution is to schedule cleaner’s shifts and duty workflows to enable physical distancing: • Stagger break times or set up physically distanced areas • Stagger start and finish times: e.g. one cleaner prepares supplies in the cleaner’s room before other staff arrive; and one cleaner remains after the others have left to disinfect high touch points without the risk of recontamination • Adjust workflows: e.g. one cleaner washes cleaning cloths while the other finishes mopping and waste removal.

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Scheduling duties for high touch point cleaning

Schedule cleaning and disinfecting of high touch points (HTPs) according to the surface and level of risk. For example, in busy public spaces high touch points should be cleaned throughout the day.

Along with your customer, list the critical HTPs (surfaces that many people touch and at higher risk of being contaminated), then schedule the frequency of cleaning shared between the occupant’s staff and your team.

Make sure the same disinfectants are used, so they don’t react or neutralise each other.

You may need to adjust the cleaning schedules or budget to make this work, and invest in better systems and training, but it’s in everyone’s best interests to do so. You need to be confident that your cleaning teams are removing the risk of infection from a building – not bringing it in with them.

Bridget Gardner is director of High Performance Cleaning (HPC) Solutions. and has written the Guide to Cleaning for COVID-19. Get in touch at: solutions@hpcsolutions.com.au. ■ www.incleanmag.com.au 59

OPINION

Managing stress in challenging times How to manage risks to employee psychological health during COVID-19.

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ou might be surprised by the extent of the risks retail workers and cleaners face to their health and safety.

Recognising the problem is the first step in preventing such injuries. Not focusing on safety could be part of the problem.

Many workers in the retail and cleaning sector work parttime and are reluctant to forfeit those hours if they have a minor injury and will continue to work with a minor injury instead of reporting it and seeking medical attention.

Minor injuries or repetitive motion injuries, when untreated, can get worse over time. In many cases, the employer is complicit in furthering injuries instead of insisting on treatment and preventative measures.

While there are plenty of practical measures you can put in place to keep your employees safe and healthy, there are situations which you cannot plan for which have the potential to cause harm.

Retail workers and cleaners are at increased risk of becoming infected with COVID-19. There are guidelines which are intended to assist businesses meet their obligations to keep both their staff, and the public, safe from COVID-19.

60 INCLEAN November / December 2020

Measures can ensure physical distancing, wearing a mask can be mandatory, and employing security will help ensure compliance with physical distancing obligations.

However, staff still have a key role to play in monitoring the behaviour of customers and ensuring measures put in place to achieve appropriate physical distancing are followed, and this can result in abuse from the public.

We have seen this in the now infamous “Bunnings Karen� incident in which a woman unleashed a tirade of abuse towards a mild-mannered Bunnings employee after he asked her to put on a mask when entering the store.

It is worth a reminder that WHS laws cover risks to psychological (mental) health as well as physical health.

This is a stressful time for all Australians, and you must do what is reasonably practicable to eliminate and reduce the psychological risks to your employees.

To determine what measures to put in place, you should carry out a risk assessment and consider all the risks to psychological health in your workplace.

You must also consult your workers, who will know what the issues are and have ideas about how to manage them.

Once you have consulted workers, determined appropriate measures and put them in place, you must

OPINION continue to review how you are managing the risks to check your measures are working.

The pandemic has not only increased hazards in the workplace, but also led to increased stress due to outside factors such as uncertainty about future employment and social isolation.

Employees working in retail or cleaning are rightly concerned with exposure to COVID-19 at work and may be worried about things such as insufficient appropriate PPE. There may also be concerns about increased work-related violence, aggression and incivility from customers and members of the public.

Many employees in the cleaning sector have increased demands on their time due to additional shifts to meet increased demands.

There may even be a deterioration of workplace relationships as competing demands lead to less regular and effective communication.

Poor organisational change management will have a negative effect on employees. With the pace of the pandemic it can be hard to plan ahead, and this can result in insufficient information and training being provided to staff.

So, how can you manage risks to your employee’s psychological health?

Safe Work Australia has some resources to help employers know how to prevent psychological injury at work1.

Here are our top tips for managing stress from COVID-19 • Regularly ask your workers how they are going and if anything is stressing them • If a worker is distressed, acknowledge their feelings about the situation and reassure them • Stay informed with information from official

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• • • •

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sources and regularly communicate or share this information with workers Consult your workers on any risks to their psychological health and physical health and safety Address risks where you reasonably can Provide workers with a point of contact to discuss their concerns Make workplace information available in a central place Inform workers about their entitlements if they become unfit for work or have caring responsibilities Inform workers about their rights under WHS laws, including the right to stop work in certain circumstances and the right not to be discriminated against or disadvantaged for raising work health and safety concerns in the workplace Proactively support workers who you identify to be more at risk of workplace psychological injury (e.g. frontline workers or those working from home), and Refer workers to appropriate mental health support services, such as employee assistance programs or mental health helplines such as Lifeline on 13 11 14.

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Employees working in retail or cleaning are rightly concerned with exposure to COVID-19 at work and may be worried about issues such as insufficient appropriate PPE.

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Libby Roberts is founder and director of WRM and LeapForward.

Roberts will be presenting at the ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Expo in October 2021 in Sydney. ■

www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/doc/ infographic-four-steps-preventingpsychological-injury-work 1

www.incleanmag.com.au 61

OPINION

Keeping your head above water

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he commercial cleaning industry in Australia is worth around $11.7 billion in revenue, according to a new report from IbisWorld*.

In 2019/20 the industry reported a decline of 0.4 per cent due to COVID-19 and subsequent decrease of the number of cleaning companies in the market.

The good news is the industry is predicted to grow more than 3 per cent annually between 2021 and 2026.

According to the report, this growth will be largely led by facilities re-opening their doors, and the implementation of new deep cleaning services.

More than half (55 per cent) of the $11.7 billion market is made up from internal commercial cleaning*.

This is positive news for the top line; however, it is not so great for the bottom line, with margins expected to drop between 2-3.8 per cent due to high competition and COVID-19.

This outlines the importance of managing the cost to serve by client if you want to keep your head above water in this fastchanging environment we all now find ourselves.

Not only is the competition becoming fiercer in the market, our two largest industries – tourism and hospitality – are hurting due to the pandemic which has a negative flow on effect to the commercial cleaning industry.

Every industry has its own needs and wants, and business leaders need to be able to identify, communicate, and renegotiate quickly to keep on top of costs and service expectations.

Why? The hospitality industry is struggling financially as costs across that market have exploded as a result of COVID-19.

As an example, look at the industry’s continuously changing cleaning regimes. It is more important than ever cleaning companies understand these regimes and adhere to them.

Cleaning teams will need to have all relevant and up to date documentation and protocols in place in order to sustain these contracts.

Not only that, these regimes have an impact on your cost to serve. Keeping hard and soft costs under control will be vital to the survival of your business.

Some examples of hard and soft costs include:

• Labour hours increase • Insurance • Equipment (depreciated over time)

Soft costs: • Implementing new cleaning, safety, and workplace processes • Training or new services such as deep cleaning • Documentation/administration

SUCCESS FACTORS

Ability to compete on tender: Firms that can professionally cost and prepare cleaning service quotes, tenders and contracts for clients can maximise revenue and profit. Operators must match required service standards to contract payment.

Set clear internal protocols and communicate these to enable you to compete: Staff must communicate and negotiate effectively with clients to meet service requirements in a timely manner.

Use of production techniques that add value to base product(s): Firms can show a point of difference by providing clients with a choice of more expensive, value-added services, developing bespoke services, or demonstrate how environmental products are socially procured are cost effective. Most importantly across all these points: You must be clear and price accordingly.

Self-employed cleaners: You must develop entrepreneurial skills, particularly those relevant to operating a small business to maximise time and business opportunities, otherwise you will not survive.

Building relationships: Understand who the decision maker is and who the influencers are – they are both vital to the success of you winning the contract.

Economies of scale: If you are a smaller cleaning company understand your niche. If the market has changed or become more difficult to maintain cost wise, explore other markets that are more flexible – refocus your business or have a mix of large and small commercial contracts to maintain margins.

Susan Crane is a business coach and director of Susan Crane Consulting. She can be reached at info@susancraneconsulting.com Crane will be presenting at the ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Expo in October 2021 in Sydney. ■

Hard costs: • Product pricing increases • Product volume increases • Additional cleaning products 62 INCLEAN November / December 2020

*Commercial Cleaning Services in Australia - Market Research Report, IbisWorld August 2020

AN EVENT NOT TO BE MISSED FOR:

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OPINION

Cleaning in changing times

O

ver the past eight months, the cleaning industry has never had so much attention on it.

The impact of COVID-19 has affected the sector in various ways. On one hand, the government imposed public health restrictions, which forced many employees into working from home arrangements. This resulted in vacancies in large office buildings, and subsequently reduced the need for regular cleaning services – placing the livelihoods of many cleaners at risk.

On the other hand, the role of cleaning has been pivotal in preventing the spread of the virus (SARS-CoV-2). There has been an intense public spotlight on cleanliness standards and the importance of proper and effective cleaning methods. Either way, many commercial cleaning businesses have seen changes in the volume and method of their service delivery models.

An example of a cleaning services company being agile and adaptable to current circumstances is Melbourne-based Sebastian’s Property Services. According to team member Dave, who has been with the company since 2014, the business has responded and adapted well during COVID-19.

Through the use of the JobKeeper subsidy the company has retained its employees, including Dave. Cleaning staff have also been upskilled in new cleaning processes and procedures in order to effectively respond to COVID-Safe management plans implemented by organisations.

“Prior to COVID-19, a cleaner would empty the rubbish like many of us would. Under COVIDSafe plans, cleaners must remove the bin liner, wipe over the bin and lid with sanitiser,” explains Dave, who cleans a school in Melbourne’s eastern

suburbs. According to Dave the company has increased its usage of sanitiser from 20 litres every couple of weeks to more than 20 litres per day.

MAINTAINING EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT IN UNCERTAIN TIMES So how can a company ensure they have engaged their employees during this uncertain time?

Engaged employees are those who care about their work and performance of the company. It also shows in the level of enthusiasm they have for the job.

For Dave, company measures such as the introduction of temperate checks, made him confident in the company’s management of the situation. Management also introduced masks before it became mandatory in Victoria. He felt the company also demonstrated flexibility in enabling him to wear a re-usable mask made by his wife, which he says is more comfortable.

Supervisors also told employees if they felt at all unwell, not to come to work.

This pandemic has put cleaning in the spotlight and has shifted public perception of cleaning and cleaners. The requirements for public spaces and facilities to be clean has also reinforced the importance of the cleaning industry.

At the school that Dave works teachers are expressing their thanks for keeping their working environments clean and safe during this time.

“It’s unexpected but appreciated,” he says.

Sometimes, the little things employers do mean the most to their employees.

“

There has been an intense public spotlight on cleanliness standards and the importance of proper and effective cleaning methods.

”

Melissa Behrend is director of HR on Call and will be presenting at the ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Expo in October 2021 in Sydney. This was written in conjunction with Sebastian Property Services. ■ 23-24 MARCH 2021 SYDNEY

64 INCLEAN November / December 2020

OPINION

New hand sanitiser industry benchmark

W

ith numerous new entrants to the hand sanitiser market as demand skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic, some concerns around hand sanitisers emerged.

These mainly related to efficacy, with a small number of products found to contain well below the levels of alcohol required to be effective or containing no actives at all; safety, with some overseas reports of methanol being substituted for ethanol and isopropanol; and product presentation and safety labelling, with increased calls to the Poisons Information Centre relating to child exposure to hand sanitisers.

With so many consumers relying on hand sanitiser to help protect their health, the efficacy, quality, and safety of these products is vital.

It is also vital manufacturers of hand sanitiser products are aware of best practice in relation to efficacy, quality, and safety, and in terms of what should and should not be communicated on the product label.

NEW INDUSTRY BENCHMARK FOR HAND SANITISERS For these reasons, a new Hand Sanitiser Industry Benchmark was developed, applying to ‘no-rinse’ or ‘leave-on’ hand sanitisers and handrubs that are not regulated as therapeutic goods.

Input to the Industry Benchmark was provided by industry experts from member companies of Accord Australasia, the peak national body for hygiene product suppliers.

The Industry Benchmark comprehensively addresses issues of efficacy, quality, and safety. It provides a wide range of stakeholders with guidance on best practice relating to ingredient and product safety, efficacy, quality management, record keeping, labelling and claims, whilst still maintaining important flexibility for industry.

It does not replace any existing regulatory obligations but provides a useful resource that may also assist in meeting existing regulatory obligations, providing a timely, comprehensive, and cost-effective solution to the issues that have been raised in relation to hand sanitisers.

The Industry Benchmark is being distributed widely and members of the mainstream hygiene products industry represented by Accord are committed to meeting its product standards.

Indeed, the high standard for product quality on which the mainstream hygiene industry prides itself was upheld by the recent CHOICE survey findings: testing of 29 hand sanitiser products sold to Australian consumers confirmed that all contained greater than 60 per cent alcohol, which is the generally accepted threshold for efficacious alcohol-based hand sanitiser.

The Industry Benchmark can be accessed at www.accord.asn.au/sustainability/codes-guidelines.

“

With so many consumers relying on hand sanitiser to help protect their health, the efficacy, quality, and safety of these products is vital.

”

Jennifer Semple is manager, innovation, and education at Accord. ■

www.incleanmag.com.au 65

PRODUCTS

New release – Makita 18Vx2 Brushless Wet/Dry Vacuum Makita’s NEW 18Vx2 Brushless Wet/Dry Vacuum (DVC155LZX1) provides powerful suction at 11kPa while remaining cord-free and quiet at just 64dB! • • • • •

Powerful 35L/s Max. airflow 40 minutes continuous runtime on 6.0Ah batteries Market leading charge time of 55 minutes with DC18RD charger Ergonomic handle and low-profile floor tool Rubber bumper prevents scratches to walls & furniture

Makita Australia 1300 361 690 enquries@makita.com.au www.makita.com.au

CleanSpace respirators offer safety, comfort, and compliance When looking to protect yourself or your staff from airborne contaminants powered air purifying respirators (PAPRs) offer superior protection and long-term cost savings when compared to N95 disposable masks. CleanSpace Respirators are free from belts, battery packs, and hoses usually associated with PAPRs, making them comfortable and easy to deploy. Even in hot and humid conditions, CleanSpace respirators provide cool, clean air to the user and eliminate fogging and moisture. CleanSpace respirators are light, easy to put on, reliably safe and are operated using a one-button smart system. CleanSpace Respirators are available in four models, CleanSpace2, CleanSpace EX, CleanSpace ULTRA & CleanSpace HALO, depending on the requirements. For the cleaning industry, CleanSpace recommends the CleanSpace ULTRA (water tolerant IP66) with a full-face mask.

CleanSpace Technology 02 8436 4000 www.cleanspacetechnology.com

EcoSweep 2000 – Deluxe EcoFriendly Street Cleaning Solution Introducing the all-new, 100 per cent battery powered, ecofriendly, heavy duty street sweeper: the EcoSweep 2000.

Combining advanced technology with innovative design, this battery-powered, emission-free sweeper is powerful but quiet.

With a large 2000L waste capacity and 10 hours of continuous running time, it is the ultimate electric street cleaner for a range of public spaces and outdoor environments, from busy streetscapes and carparks to quiet parks and reserves.

To learn more about the EcoSweep 2000 and EcoTeq's range of zero emission solutions visit ecoteq.com.au.

Conquest Equipment 1800 826 789 www.conquestequipment.com.au 66 INCLEAN November / December 2020

PRODUCTS

Janitor Commercial Backpack Vacuum At only 4.6kg, this lightweight, commercial vacuum will make your cleaning quicker and easier. The adjustable harness ensures optimum comfort while the Gulper floor head, and long power cord give you more reach.

Ideal for small to medium sized spaces.

CounterFlu CounterFlu is a TGA approved hospital grade disinfectant which kills germs and viruses such as Human Influenza Virus, Herpes Simplex Virus and Coronaviruses including SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19 virus). It can be used on all washable hard surfaces, as well as fabrics such as carpets and curtains and air conditioning filters. Unlike other solutions CounterFlu dilutes to 1:20 for hospital-grade disinfection so you can get more uses from a single bottle.

• • • •

1200W motor 4L dust bag capacity Ambidextrous design Includes crevice tool and dusting brush

Godfreys 1800 815 270 corproate@godfreys.com.au www.godfreys.com.au

Agar Cleaning Systems 03 9480 3000 www.agar.com.au

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www.incleanmag.com.au 67

PRODUCTS

CleanSpace ULTRA: A revolution in respiratory protection CleanSpace Ultra is the perfect choice for the cleaning industry • • • • •

High protection PAPR P3/TM3 99.95 per cent Reusable and cost-effective No belts or hoses Comfortable and lightweight 500g IP rated 66, water tolerant

CleanSpace recommends the CleanSpace Ultra with a fullface mask. “The feedback we get from those that wear the CleanSpace Ultra full face, is the mask is soft and comfortable to wear all day, and the cool fresh air is a dramatic improvement on what they wore previously,” said CleanSpace CEO Alex Birrell.

“They have also told us that they don’t get any fogging or hot moisture on their face.”

CleanSpace Technology

MIRA 40 battery powered floor scrubber and trolley

02 8436 4000 www.cleanspacetechnology.com

The commercial-grade battery powered Mira 40 scrubber dryer offers a range of functions, including scrubbing, buffing, and stripping all in one machine. With its 1 x 36V Lithium battery and 1500 recharge cycles, the Mira40 can perform for up to four hours cleaning 500m²/hour!

The winner of the INCLEAN 2019 Innovation Award, Mira 40 has three brush speeds and eight suction speeds, all managed by only one easy-to-use electronic control board. An optional, attachable trolley is also available to conveniently transport the unit.

Cleanstar 03 9460 5655 sales@cleanstar.com.au

MMG - with customised disinfection misting attachments COVID-19 has thrown cleaning into the spotlight like never before. But now with advanced technology and cleaning products you can scrub and sanitise in a single pass.

Conquest is proud to bring to Australia a customisation which turns your Conquest Floor Scrubber into a 4-in-1 cleaning and disinfection solution.

While the MMG cleans the floor, multiple nozzles above the tank and at the base of the machine electrify and spray the sanitising liquid on the floor, walls, and surrounding furniture, up to a distance of 3 meters.

Conquest Equipment 1800 826 789 www.conquestequipment.com.au 68 INCLEAN November / December 2020

PRODUCTS

Foaming Hand Wash

Superbowl

Foaming Hand Wash is an environmentally responsible choice in hand soaps with GECA certification and biodegradable, non-thickened liquid hand soap that provides a rich foam lather that is designed to be dispensed from special foaming hand soap dispensers that delivers the soap in the form of a foam rather than a liquid or lotion.

This is a more economical way to dispense the hand soap. Foaming Hand Wash’s aloe vera and glycerine floats away dirt and grime from the hands and leaves the skin soft and supple.

Superbowl has been specifically designed to efficiently clean toilet bowls, including the rim, bowl and seat. Superbowl can easily and quickly remove different soils and stains from toilets and urinals including rust, scale, hard to remove toilet stains and algae growth.

It is septic safe and safe to use on porcelain, stainless steel, tiles and most surfaces. Superbowl is available in 5L and 1L bottles.

Agar Cleaning Systems 03 9480 3000 www.agar.com.au

Whiteley Corporation 1800 833 566 marketing@whiteley.com.au www.whiteley.com.au

www.incleanmag.com.au 69

PRODUCTS

Willmop 50 Vertical Scrubber-Dryer Willmop 50 is a light and extremely manageable vertical scrubber-dryer, combining the high performance of a professional machine with the flexibility of a traditional mop.

• Fully 360 rotatable steering guarantees revolutionary manoeuvrability • When hands are removed, the machine will remain upright and automatically enters the stand-by mode • Swappable lithium battery • 50cm scrubbing paths, 2100m /hr coverage and ~1h 15 mins working time • Free demonstration available

Armor Plate Floor Sealer Finish Armor Plate Floor Sealer Finish is a highly advanced floor finish with superior “off-the-mop” initial gloss. This ultrahigh solid formula provides extra floor protection, exceptional film clarity, repels soil and scratches, and extends the time between stripping cycles from 18 to 36 months. A wet-look gloss floor finish incorporating proprietary polymer technology producing outstanding longterm clarity, excellent abrasion resistance and extended durability. This is a waterbased floorfFinish.

Central Cleaning Supplies 1300 347 347 www.centralcleaning.com.au

Whiz by SoftBank Robotics Whiz is the autonomous floor care vacuum robot

by SoftBank Robotics that works with cleaning teams to build happier, healthier working environments. Whiz takes care of the vacuuming, so cleaners have more time for important tasks such as wiping and disinfecting.

Armor Plate Floor Sealer Finish has the highest gloss, recording readings over 90 GU before buffing and provides coverage of up to 80sqm per litre. Reduces the need for burnishing by 50 per cent. To maintain the high-quality appearance, avoid fumes and noise when buffing, it is ideal to use an electric or battery burnisher.

• Works straight out of the box – simply teach it a route and its ready to go • Up to three hours of continuous operation, covering up to 1500sqm • Easily navigate complicated and dynamic spaces • Powerful tools to track and analyse performance

Available in 5 Gallon (18.93L) and carton of 4 x 1 Gallon (3.73L).

1300 197 357

SoftBank Robotics Australia softbankrobotics.com/apac/au

Chemeco (Aust) Pty Ltd 03 9408 6899

TruShot Mobile Dispensing System No mixing, no measuring, no stopping. A revolutionary and patented spray-and-wipe cleaning system that allows you to use various concentrate cartridges with a single dispenser while you clean.

Combining chemicals with water from an on-board 296ml water reservoir, the system provides optimised dilution delivery • • • •

Each cartridge delivers up to 6 to 20 in-use litres equivalents Reduce cart prep and clean up with portable, no-spill cartridges Rugged bottle construction – withstands 1.8m drop test Ensure Safe Work Australia compliance with pre-labelled cartridges

Central Cleaning Supplies 1300 347 347 www.centralcleaning.com.au 70 INCLEAN November / December 2020

PRODUCTS

IPC 1050 Ride-On Sweeper Easy to operate and manoeuvre, the 1050 is a compact ride-on sweeper ideal for small to medium spaces, cleaning up to 6,300m2 per hour. The zero-emission battery-powered sweeper with an easy to access manual waste hopper.

• Features a self-levelling system (SLS™) to allow it to adjust to any surface, and an electronic filter shaker for added convenience • Designed for small to medium warehouse applications and offers great maneuverability with a 185cm turning radius • Auto stop function disables brush sweeping when not in acceleration to save battery run time • Ramp climb of up to 16 degrees • Low maintenance ‘No tools’ access ideal for industrial or commercial applications • Delivers a run time of up to three hours • A carpet kit is also available for indoor carpeted applications

Tennant Australia 1800 226 843 contactanz@ipcworldwide.com

NEW! The Chemistry of Cleaning

GET THE AGAR ADVANTAGE Trust your kitchen is hygienically clean with Agar’s range of high performance, value for money hospitality products.

Each product is formulated to act quickly and effectively to reduce cleaning time and improve productivity. Backed by consistent and responsive technical support, you can be sure to get excellent service and advice when you need it.

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PRODUCTS

EscaTEQ and Riser-TEQ escalator cleaning systems The EscaTEQ and Riser-TEQ escalator cleaning systems available from Cleanstar provide high performance escalator cleaning in high traffic facilities such as airports, train stations, hotels, office buildings, and retail centres.

The easy to use Riser-TEQ system cleans the vertical risers of escalator quickly and easily. The head unit is lightweight, so it moves quickly, with little effort for faster, more effective cleaning.

The removable, washable, reusable cleaning pads mount and remove easily, to wash, dry and reuse.

Cleanstar 03 9460 5655 sales@cleanstar.com.au

New – SANITOL™ Jade Sanitol Jade is a new addition to the Sanitol range, with a refreshing new fragrance. Sanitol Jade’s rapidly acting formula kills 99.99 per cent of germs - protecting you against a range of potentially unsafe micro-organisms. It is an effective component of a hand and personal hygiene program and its scientifically advanced formula is gentle on most skin types.

Sanitol Jade contains natural emollients to replenish the skin’s lipids leaving hands feeling soft, smooth and revitalised. Its natural skin conditioners and light pleasant fragrance is ideal for all ages to use. Sanitol Jade is proudly Australian made in Whiteley Corporation’s manufacturing facility in the Hunter region of New South Wales.

Sanitol Jade is available in 500ml pump bottles and 1L pods for use in Whiteley Dispensing Systems (automated or manual).

Whiteley Corporation 1800 833 566 marketing@whiteley.com.au www.whiteley.com.au/our-products/sanitol

Pullman PC4 15L Dry Commercial Vacuum Take on larger office spaces with this compact machine from Pullman. Featuring a Super Gulper floor head to maximise dust and dirt pickup, it’s the hard-working companion you need to get the job done. Includes a reusable cloth dust bag to help you save on costs.

• • • •

1200W motor Low-noise emissions 12m cleaning reach Automatic motor protection safety system

Godfreys 1800 815 270 corproate@godfreys.com.au www.godfreys.com.au

72 INCLEAN November / December 2020

PRODUCTS

Camill Electric Utility Vehicles Introducing the first two models in the new range of Camill electric vehicles – a fully enclosed and a tray carrier version. These quiet and stylish workhorses come with a suite of features as standard and are ideal for any sites where heavy-duty utility vehicles are required.

• • • • •

Custom branding available Range of 80-100km. Maximum speed 28-32km/h Full loading capacity of 1000kg Tailgate with lifting capacity of 500kg available on the tray model Free demonstration available

Central Cleaning Supplies

Tile Plus Tile Plus is a water soluble, concentrated alkaline detergent designed for use as a heavy-duty cleaner and degreaser. It rapidly emulsifies, suspends, and removes all types of animal, vegetable and petroleum oils. It is also extremely efficient at removing greases and grime in industrial, commercial and food processing areas. Tile Plus has a corrosion inhibitor to protect surfaces and equipment, it does not impart any cleaning odours and is non-flammable. Tile plus is available in a 5L pack size.

1300 347 347 www.centralcleaning.com.au

Whiteley Corporation 1800 833 566 marketing@whiteley.com.au www.whiteley.com.au

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www.incleanmag.com.au 73

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20/

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Aussie Sizzler sanitises!

Australian Pump’s Sizzler is a 240-volt hot wash loaded with features and customer benefits for a faster, more hygienic clean. Effective at reducing and eliminating viruses, germs, and bacteria. Use less water, less fuel and less chemicals!

• • • • • • • •

Slow speed 4 pole motor with thermal cut-out Heavy duty triplex pump Adjustable temperature to 80 ° C Protective stainless-steel cover Steel chassis with 4 large wheels for easy mobility Optional stainless-steel protective roll frame & lifting bar 18 litre diesel tank Packed with safety features including delayed stop, microleak detection, nozzle clog control, flooding prevention system, auto switch off, dry running protection

Australian Pump Industries 02 8865 3500 www.aussiepumps.com.au

U.S. Battery Deep Cycle Batteries The U.S. Battery range of 6-volt, 8-volt and 12-volt deep cycle batteries are 100 per cent manufactured in the U.S.A. Built with Xtreme Capacity 2™ (XC2) Diamond Plate technology, these batteries can be deeply discharged and provide faster regular recharge. This makes them the best choice for powering any floor cleaner or access equipment. Maintaining peak capacity for longer periods between charges means greater reliability and lower annual operating costs. U.S. Battery Deep-Cycle batteries deliver greater watt-hours per litre and per kilogram compared to any other flooded lead acid battery on the market. Exclusively available from R&J Batteries stores and distributors across Australia.

R&J Batteries 1300 769 282 Rjbatt.com.au 74 INCLEAN November / December 2020

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