Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 19th January 2012 Issue no. 502
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International News
Products New Year rings new heights for Canadian 'Men In Kilts'
New methods 'save time and money'
More youngsters enter FM profession as average salaries near US$100,000 pa Today's facilities management professional is, on average, college educated, manages more than one million square feet of space and multiple employees, has experienced a growth in job responsibilities over the past two years, and is enjoying a base salary increase of 8% from 2007 levels, according to the results of an International Facility Management Association salary and demographics survey. WFBSC secures observer status at UN Commission Last Thursday, the World Federation of Building Service Contractors secured observer status at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe GHS subcommittee in Geneva. This subcommittee is responsible for global policy on the regulation of chemical products including cleaning chemicals. |
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The Christmas and New Year holidays were not ambushed by the snowy and icy weather that had threatened - well - in my neck of the woods anyway, so I took advantage of mild days and an extended break from producing Cleanzine to do some much needed clearing out in my home and garden. This resulted in numerous trips to the British Heart Foundation shop (which takes furniture and electrical goods) and other charity shops, as well as frequent visits to the local dump. I was not the only one making changes at home and the dump was fairly busy. It's always well staffed and seems pretty well organised with council workers directing residents to where they needed to take their various unwanted goods and helping carry heavy items. On each trip I was dismayed to see skips full of clearly reusable items, from household and office furniture of all types to toys and garden items - much of it newer and in seemingly better condition than that which I have at home. The charity shops could have had a field day with that lot! This was just Epsom though, and I paused over a lovely sofa wondering how many such items were being dumped in local amenity tips throughout the UK, which would have been loved and valued by those who can't afford to buy them new. And then I thought of how many of these items were also being so thoughtlessly discarded throughout the civilised world. Civilised? Well... when you consider that huge parts of the world are wanting, and parts of it seem to have such abundance that items others would covet can be so easily confined to rapidly filling landfill sites or sent for incineration, I question just how civilised we all are. The New Year is a time for making resolutions. It's January. Let's help one another and help the planet by disposing of our unwanted goods in a responsible fashion. You may not want it, but there's a good chance that someone else will, so use the Web to find out how to dispose of it in the best way possible. It will make you feel virtuous, it will allow local authorities to redeploy the people manning these tips to cover areas where there is insufficient manpower and will help keep our taxes down too! Yours,
This Week's News
New Year ambitions to reduce healthcare associated infections New ambitions have been set for the National Health Service which build on the progress made on infections last year, Health Minister Simon Burns has announced. If delivered, there would be a further 29% reduction in MRSA bloodstream infections and a further 18% reduction in Clostridium difficile infections by April 2013 - bringing annual numbers of MRSA bloodstream infections down to 880 and reducing Clostridium difficile infections from 19,754 to 16,100. Ecolab China again named Outstanding Enterprise for Corporate Social Responsibility Ecolab was named an Outstanding Enterprise in Delivering Corporate Social Responsibility for the second consecutive year by China Business News, China's premier business media group. At the CBN 2011 China Corporate Social Responsibility Award ceremony in Guangzhou, China, Ecolab was presented with the Top 20 Outstanding Enterprise Award for the company's contributions in driving social responsibility to all stakeholders in China. "As the global leader in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services, corporate social responsibility is a core value within our vision to make the world cleaner, safer and healthier," says Sam Hsu, Ecolab senior vice president and general manager of Greater China. "We continue to expand our presence in China, and as we're doing so, we're helping to advance 'Select few' grabbing all the growth A new study by industry analyst Plimsoll Publishing has identified a group of 70 emerging companies in the UK Cleaning Equipment & Materials industry. In the last year these companies have increased sales by an average 15% and are taking further control of the market as we start 2012. Over the last two years, growth in the market has been sporadic, averaging 3% two years ago and 2% last year. However, these high growth companies have managed to grow much faster. The following table highlights how they are grabbing market share at the expense of the rest: Getting out of a sticky situation Even for the most skilled technician, there can be a variety of variables impacting the success of floor refinishing. Take the case of a pier in San Francisco harbour, which was converted into an office building, for example. Recently, the cleaning crew spent several hours stripping and refinishing the building's hard surface floors. At about 02.00 and upon final inspection, the crew was satisfied with thework and went home. The next morning, the customer called and complained that the floors were "sticky" and wanted the problem corrected as soon as possible. The cleaning crew, uncertain how this could have happened, was also unsure how to correct the problem. OCS helps International Aid Trust to stock up OCS has supported the International Aid Trust's work with disadvantaged people in the UK and overseas by donating a consignment of surplus hygiene consumables to the charity. The stock of hand gel, hand wipes and surface wipes was transported by OCS to International Aid's distribution centre in Lancashire. "We are delighted that International Aid will be able to make good use of the hygiene products," says Adrian Shuker, Sustainability Director for OCS. "OCS is a privately owned company with over 110 years of trading. During this time, the family values of five generations have underpinned a culture of corporate responsibility which has been supported strongly by our staff." After 22 years as the American Cleaning Institute's top lobbyist, Dennis Griesing is retiring as Vice President of Government Affairs. He will be succeeded by Senior Director of Government Affairs Douglas Troutman, who was named Vice President and Counsel, Government Affairs, effective January 30. "The cleaning products industry has never had a more effective legislative and regulatory advocate than Dennis Griesing," said Ernie Rosenberg, ACI President and CEO, as the announcement was made. Shropshire town's paving feels the force! A firm specialising in environmentally-friendly cleaning solutions has scrubbed up well after completing a contract that helped with the repaving of a Midlands town. G-Force Steam was called upon to clean and apply a nanotechnology-based protective coating to approximately 300,000 new concrete paving stones used as part of a major refurbishment of Wellington town centre in Shropshire, which saw the entire repaving of New Street and Market Square, an area spanning approximately 5,000m2. Transport for London awards 'greener' cleaning contract for coach and bus station Transport for London has awarded its cleaning contract for Victoria Coach Station and dozens of bus stations and bus stands to ISS Facility Services in an agreement that will deliver high levels of cleanliness and hygiene as well as deliver environmental benefits for the Capital. ISS Facility Services has been contracted to clean Victoria Coach Station, 44 bus stations and 64 bus stands across the Capital. A key element of the contract is that ISS carries out the cleaning with minimal impact on the environment. This includes the use of the first fleet of six electric Renault Kangoo vans in the UK. Norse cleaning up in social housing Norse Commercial Services' cleaning division has built on its long-established relationship with social housing provider Flagship, with the award of a contract for its West Region. Norse won the EU compliant competitive tender that was run under the Restricted Procedure. The three year, £70,000 per annum contract covers the cleaning of communal areas for the housing association's 2,600 housing stock based in West Suffolk. British Cleaning Council backs London 2012 cleaning jobs pledge The British Cleaning Council has welcomed the announcement from the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games that London 2012 will create over 100,000 paid games time jobs in operational services. The jobs will come from catering, cleaning and waste management, security and transport, and will be used to supplement the 70,000 'Gamesmaker' volunteers who will fill similar roles. Cresswell wins back high-status contract after a year away Cresswell is delighted to have regained a high-status contract which it lost just over a year ago. Cleaning company wins top Environmental Award Alliance Cleaning Company, has received a top Award - 'The Environmental Business of the Year' - in competition with hundreds of organisations. Barnsley Council agreement pioneers new public/private partnering Norse Commercial Services has completed the formation of another groundbreaking, £45 million plus, Local Authority partnership company, its second in the last 12 months. Barnsley Norse is a subsidiary of the existing Joint Venture Company which sister organisation NPS Group set up with Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council in February this year. The Cleanzine Archive Search We keep an extensive archive of news stories and product information that have featured in past issues of The Cleanzine. If you would like to run a search of the The Cleanzine web site using the search tool below please just go ahead by entering in the name of the person, product or company or any other key words that you are looking for. How to contact us at The Cleanzine:
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Start the New Year with some training! The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning & Restoration Certification (which as we reported in a recent issue of Cleanzine, is currently being rebranded to become 'The Clean Trust') has published a new schedule of training and certification courses for those wishing to upgrade their skills in 2012. |