Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 12th March 2015 Issue no. 664
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International News
Products Nilfisk-Advance becomes Nilfisk Nilfisk-Advance is changing its name and corporate brand to Nilfisk, to create a stronger alignment with Nilfisk's main global product brands and to increase brand impact as well as understanding for Nilfisk's customers. The new company name will be implemented globally as of April 2015. Karcher and ISS Group agree to global partnership
Americans dish the dirt on handwashing, germs and washrooms
Wall-mounted sprays in health centres and hospitals 'not as effective as soap and water' Hard-pushed NHS trusts up and down the country are spending thousands every week on gel sprays in bids to avoid visitors transmitting infections, when simple soap and water is cheaper and far more effective. Rules are changing for corporate reputation management, reveals Workplace Trends Report
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Welcome to the
Cleanzine - the original Cleaning & Hygiene industry e-news Read by industry professionals in 163 countries worldwide! I write this having spent two days at the Cleaning Show at its new home in London’s Docklands, where – if the last two days are anything to go by - it’s very busy. It was touch & go for some time as to whether the event would take place at all so I’m pleased that everyone we spoke with was enjoying themselves and that the exhibitors were happy they’d booked space – indeed two told us that had they known how busy they would be, they’d have taken larger stands. Once again it was lovely seeing all the familiar faces and catching up with people’s news. There were many cases of: “What are you doing on this stand?” where friends have moved to a different company (lots of badge gazing follows – not because we’ve forgotten a name but because we’re trying to process the new information!). I wonder whether the cleaning industry is as iclosely linked in other places as it is in the UK… Despite living on the outskirts of south-west London, travelling to ExCel has proved a challenge. The National Rail website offered a different ‘best’ route whenever I logged on and these were different from what the rail-workers themselves told me! My train to Canning Town (my supposed switch to the Docklands Light Railway) terminated two stops early at Canary Wharf but knowing that this station connected to the DLR I followed signs which had me exit the station where one sign pointed to DLR’s Heron Quay and another to a different DLR station; no maps anywhere showing which I needed, no indication as to distance and when I looked to see where they led I drew a blank; no further signs and a myriad of pathways from which to choose! No crowds to follow either - just people milling around, (perhaps also lost). Vectair’s Matt Wonnacott had the same experience and was just as bamboozled so it’s not me being blonde... Also, rail maps don’t indicate the distance on foot between different tube lines at stations; frustrating for new users scurrying along seemingly endless tunnels but painful for those who’ve spent two days working an exhibition in high heels. And for those lugging heavy suitcases… London could (and should) make itself more user-friendly! Whinge over; on to this week’s news… Please get in touch either by emailing me or posting a comment on our Facebook page. www.facebook.com/Cleanzine You can also follow us on Twitter @cleanzine Yours, This Week's News
Vax Commercial launches VCSD-03 cordless hard floor spot washer There's a spillage stain on the canteen floor... or a leaky tap has caused a flood in the office washroom... or clients have ignored your entrance mats and walked-in mud, rain and debris from outside... If only there was a machine that offered all the convenience of a mop and bucket, but which didn't demand all the hard work... Now there is - the VCSD-03 cordless hard floor spot washer from Vax Commercial! "It's so easy to grab a mop and bucket from the cleaning cupboard," says the company's Emma Tomkins (pictured). New networking opportunity exclusively focuses on cleaning industry professionals The Hill Club is a new cleaning & soft-service-related professional networking community (Ed: My thanks to industry stalwarts Sally Ayres and Gary Fage for tipping me off about this story, when we bumped into one another at the Cleaning Show, and to Facilicom's Phil Smith who expertly filled me in on the details. Now that's what networking's all about!). Created by a group of leading industry professionals - drawn from a broad cross-section of organisations and disciplines - the club aims to provide a comfortable environment for business people in our industry (or associated with it) to connect and build mutually beneficial commercial relationships. Innovation Awards winners take centre stage The judges had to choose from a record number of entries into this year’s Innovation Awards competition and from a final shortlist, the following winners were chosen: · Best Cleaning Product - Vileda, SpillEx super absorbent pads · Best Floor Cleaning Product - T L Killi’s, iMop New iMop floor scrubber dryer takes top award “This machine is going to change the cleaning industry the same way iPhone changed mobile phones,” claims T L Killi’s – and the judges of the Innovation Awards clearly think the company has a point as the machine was judged ‘Overall Winner’ of the Innovations Awards… Said to offer the cleaning performance and speed of large ride on floor scrubbers whilst giving the flexibility of a flatmop, the iMop can clean under beds and tables, clean right up to the edges of floors and also clean inside washrooms and even toilet cubicles. OspreyDeepclean’s GB1 self-motorised gum removal system impresses Awards judges OspreyDeepclean’s Thomas Stucken told us he was proud that his new GB1 machine took first place in the ‘Outdoor Cleaning’ category at this year's Innovation Awards. Victory for Vectair’s V-Air Solid multi-phasing air freshener with sub-micron technology Vectair Systems' V-Air Solid passive air freshener - packed into one single component - is completely free from any solvents, propellants, HFCs and harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and it does not contain batteries.
It is thus deemed a truly safe fragrance solution for public places such as hotel guest rooms, healthcare facilities, reception areas and washrooms. It went down well with the Innovation Awards judges too… Best Management System Award goes to ICE SMARTtrak ICE managing director Mark Bresnihan is pictured here showing a group of onlookers just what can be achieved when the SMARTtrak management information system is used. This downloadable app offers real-time monitoring of equipment and easy-to-follow on-site training via video links. As well as tracking when a particular piece of equipment is being used and for how long – thus facilitating schedules for planned maintenance based on real run-times, it can monitor both battery and motor performance, warning users of potential problems that may be looming. TemplaCMS Dashboards – how good are you at producing management information? Templa used the Cleaning Show to launch a new Dashboards Module for its popular TemplaCMS Contract Management software. TemplaCMS Dashboards delivers summarised management information across different performance measures in clear graphical format direct to a member of staff’s CMS log-in screen. It ensures that up-to-date financial, operational and compliance data is available for immediate review and action, reducing the need to email reports and attend meetings. What are you doing on this stand? Paul Sherrington (right), whom we came to know and love from his many years as sales director for Contico Manufacturing, looked so at home on the Decitex stand with Nils Riancho (left) that we decided to take a photograph of the pair. Envirosystems to benefit from investment from TorQuest Partners TorQuest Partners announced this week that it has partnered with management and other co-investors to acquire a majority interest in Envirosystems, from Thornridge Holdings, a privately held investment firm. Headquartered in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Envirosystems is one of the fastest growing industrial services organisations in North America with over 1,000 employees in more than 40 locations throughout Canada and the US. Its services include catalyst changeout, chemical cleaning, dredging, high pressure cleaning, hydro-excavation, mobile spent caustic treatment, waste disposal/treatment and vacuum services. Nationwide conquers the country Jack McAvoy (27 years), a working at height specialist window cleaner with Nationwide Window Cleaning, has won the top national Award in the 2015 programme organised by the Federation of Window Cleaners, the profession's trade body. Jack, who has been a window cleaner for 11 years, (seven with Nationwide) was awarded the highly coveted and contested FWC 'Employee of the Year 2015' Award from hundreds of nominations. The FWC said that Jack was: "The cream of a very talented professional crop." The Federation of Window Cleaners: the facts Established in 1947, the Federation of Window Cleaners is an independent, non-profit making organisation supporting the needs of domestic & commercial window cleaners in the UK. Its purpose is to support and improve the window cleaning industry by ensuring that the information and training it provides to its members is of the highest standard to help them advance their skills and knowledge of the profession in which they work. Window cleaners and those wishing to chance their hand, gather to try and take Terry ‘Turbo’ Burrows’ Guiness World Record as ‘Fastest Window Cleaner in the World’, in a competition sponsored by Unger and Principle Window Cleaning and organised by the National Federation of Window Cleaners. Try as they might, none managed to strip Terry of his crown. Better luck next time perhaps... 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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Lake District council prosecuted over bin lorry deaths A council in the Lake District has been fined £120,000 after two women were killed by reversing rubbish trucks within a year of each other. South Lakeland District Council was prosecuted by the Health & Safety Executive after an investigation found the local authority had failed to tackle the risks from reversing vehicles. |