Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 6th October 2011 Issue no. 490
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International News
Products A decade after September 11, room to improved emergency preparedness say FM professionals Some 88% of facilities management professionals consider their workplaces better prepared for an emergency situation than in 2001 - with fewer than 2% saying they are less prepared - according to the results of an International Facility Management Association emergency preparedness survey. |
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Stress is, for the first time, the most common cause of long-term sickness absence for both manual and non-manual employees and there is a strong link between job security and mental health problems, according to this year's Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development /Simplyhealth Absence Management survey. And although the survey was based in the UK, its results are probably fairly indicative of the way we were feeling wherever we are in the world so here follow the survey results together with some useful tips on how to help employees' mental and physical health. Employers planning to make redundancies in the next six months are significantly more likely to report an increase in mental health problems among their staff (51% compared with 32% who are not planning redundancies). For manual workers, stress is now level with acute medical conditions and has overtaken musculoskeletal problems to become the top cause of long-term absence. While among non-manual staff, stress has moved ahead of acute medical conditions. There is a particular increase in stress-related absence among public sector organisations, with 50% of these respondents reporting an increase. Public sector respondents identify the amount of organisational change and restructuring as the number one cause of stress at work, highlighting the impact of public sector cuts to jobs, pension benefits and pay freezes. Job insecurity is also reported as a more common cause of work-related stress in the public sector this year (24%) compared with last year (10%) and is higher than in the private (14%) and non-profit sectors (14%).
Unsurprisingly, given the significant budget cuts in the UK, more than two-fifths (43%) of public sector organisations report they will be making redundancies over the next six months (compared with 17% in the private sector and 24% of non-profits). Yours,
This Week's News
A new study published in the September 2011 issue of the American Journal of Infection Control (vol. 39 No. 7 pps 555-559) has confirmed that soft surface textiles are significant sources of bacterial contamination in healthcare settings, with 63% of physician and nurse uniforms testing positive for pathogenic organisms, including those that are multi-drug resistant (11%). The study was conducted by the Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem. It looked at 238 samples from 135 of its hospital personnel [60 (45%) physicians and 75 (55%) nurses]. WEEE Directive recast negotiations sparking disagreements The European Parliament and the 27 EU member states are set for difficult negotiations over the recast of the bloc's electronic waste directive as MEPs insist on ambitious targets for collecting and recycling discarded fridges, phones and other e-waste than the member states can accept, reports EurActiv. Study confirms 'no link' between use of antibacterial soaps and antibiotic resistance Newly published research reaffirms that the use of antibacterial wash products does not contribute to antibiotic or antibacterial resistance, confirming previous research that showcased similar findings. New HiFlo Indoor Window Cleaning System from Unger The team behind the number one Window Cleaning brand utilised its world class expertise to produce an easy-to-use, one step System for indoor window cleaning. The System is perfect for any user without window cleaning experience and does not require extensive training - just a few practice runs. It also offers safe and quick access for cleaning high level windows, skylights and glass balustrades, with Unger's best selling telescopic pole. Five companies earn top accolade in ISSA Innovation Awards ISSA has announced that five companies - each in a unique category - earned the ISSA Innovation Award for products that industry distributors, building service contractors, in-house service providers and wholesalers voted as the most innovative for 2011. The 2011 Innovation Award Program categories and winners are: After a few weeks of planning, filming and creative editing, Brightwell has launched its first product demonstration video. The video details the technical aspects of Modular hand care dispenser, showing you all the capabilities and opportunities of the system. It is available on Brightwell's newly launched Youtube channel, which will soon also feature a demonstration video of the SuperC dilution system: T: +44 (0)1273 513566 Rubbermaid demonstrates benefits of its Hygen Clean Water System Rubbermaid used the recent CMS show in Berlin to demonstrate the attributes of its new Hygen Clean Water System, which consists of a filter bucket & wringer and eight specially engineered double-sided microfibre mops and is designed to improve productivity and reduce water consumption and chemical usage. This system, launched in Geneva in June and one which has just won an ISSA/Interclean Innovation Award, generates cleaner water, cleaner mops and cleaner floors. Sebo launches new Pro vacuum cleaner In developing its new Sebo Professional D vacuum cleaner, Sebo Stein & Co has aimed for the best possible combination of performance, comfort and ease of operation. Numatic International: new machine features powerful two-stage motor Although we reatured Numatic's new PVT390A commercial trolley vacuum cleaner in Cleanzine last month, we'd never seen the machine in it's flesh, as it were, so took the opportunity to examine it at CMS Berlin. Clever Lucart produces recycled paper from drinks cartons Whilst at the Pulire exhibition in Verona in May, John and I became very excited about the Lucart display and tried many times to speak to the people who could talk us through exactly what the company did. Unfortunately, we were unsuccessful.
CMS Berlin provided that opportunity and we met with Export Manager Francesco Pasquini and Simone Massei, who quickly made us realise that we'd been right to persevere. Research proves economic benefits of Activeion cleaning technology in hotels In depth research carried out at INTEHL - the Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship - at the Ecole hoteliere de Lausanne, Switzerland (EHL) has established that innovations such as Activeion's cleaning technology can cut hotel cleaning costs. Dhofar 'clean-up' effort lauded at Arab summit It was a triumph of its green cause for an Oman-based company which was honoured for reducing its carbon footprint recently, at the Arab Achievement Awards - the highlight of the second Arab Investment Summit in Abu Dhabi. A MITIE partnership with Essex County Council Essex County Council has announced that MITIE Group has been selected as the preferred partner for delivering a transformational contract which includes facilities and property management as well as energy services. Currently, details of the contract are being finalised and both sides will be in a position to sign a contract in the coming weeks. An announcement will be made shortly with full details. Emprise teams up with Brainwave to launch 'Walk for Kids' charity fundraiser Support services provider, Emprise Services, and children's charity, Brainwave, sent some 200 people on a 5km treasure hunt around London to raise funds for a child with Cerebral Palsy. Emprise is part of the Brainwave Guardian Scheme through which Emprise has sponsored Chase, a little boy from London who has cerebral palsy, to receive a year's home based therapy. Desderman hand disinfectant solution from Schulke - 50ml bottle Effective within 30 seconds against bacteria, fungi, enveloped viruses (including Influenza A) and Noroviruses. Packed in cases of 20 units ONLY £10.00 per case but with a minimum order quantity of 10 cases. Offers invited for larger quantities in excess of 50 cases. There is an expiry date of April 2012 on the product.
There are a very limited number of spaces still available for the British Cleaning Council Conference which is taking place Kings Place in Central London this coming Tuesday. To register, visit:
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clicking the link above. Hospital Hygiene Our weekly updated Hospital Hygiene features current developments and product solutions cleaning and hygiene industry manufacturers are coming up with. Read More. Recent UK News
Upset stomachs cost UK 11 million working days a year Nearly 17 million people suffer from stomach upsets in the UK every year, leading to about 11 million lost working days, new research published by the Food Standards Agency has found. BICSc honours UK cleaning industry achievements Individuals and companies working within the UK's cleaning industry and those providing support services, were honoured at the British Institute of Cleaning Science Annual Awards last Thursday, at an event that also celebrated the Institute's 50th anniversary. Deb celebrates with HRH The Princess Royal
The British Toilet Association's Annual Conference provides once a year opportunity for providers of publicly accessible toilets to network with product and service suppliers, as well as user group representatives, to discuss best practice and learn what can and is being done to improve toilets throughout the UK. It also provides an ideal opportunity to recognise the cutting edge of washroom product development and service provision. This year's Conference, which was held in Stratford on Avon last Wednesday, provided some real solutions. Employers in FM and cleaning: funding offer for technical certificates Government funding is available for facilities management and cleaning employers to put staff through training for the following technical certificates: * Cleaning Principles Technical certificates are specialist courses that link to key components of a set job role. UK's first absorbent hygiene product recycling plant opens for business
New research highlights potential corrosive impact of some chlorine-based disinfectants New research has highlighted the potential corrosive damage to medical devices caused by ongoing exposure to some chlorine-based disinfectants. This could result in infection risk as well as expense in replacing damaged equipment, according to Synergy Health, which commissioned the laboratory tests. UK's C diff deaths down by 31% The national office of statistics has announced that the number of death certificates mentioning Clostridium difficile infection in England and Wales decreased by 31% in 2010, down to 2,704 from 3,933 in 2009. UK Contract Cleaning Market - optimism for 2012 A new report on the Contract Cleaning market from MTW Research suggests that the industry is on track for above inflationbgrowth from mid 2012, with specialist cleaning services in particular set to drive market value in the near term. Gatwick gets Green Apple award
PPC's new storm pad Re-vives cathedral floor!
Truvox burnisher goes on safari
From rags to riches and Royal praise
Events & Exhibitions Cleaning Products Europe Care Show London Interclean Amsterdam Cleantex Africa ISSA Pulire 2025 |