TOMORROW’S CLEANING NOVEMBER 09
Cleaning for the environment
KAREN WATERLOW, SPECIALIST ADVISER FOR FACILITIES MANAGEMENT
AND CLEANING WITH ASSET SKILLS, TELLS US WHY THERE IS MORE TO
BEING GREEN THAN SWITCHING PRODUCTS.
Karen Waterlow, Specialist Adviser for Cleaning important. But training and developing
with Asset Skills, suggests that investing in staff the staff in the correct way to use those
training and development can help any products and equipment and in applying
company improve its green credentials. the procedures, is essential.
What do we mean by In the cleaning industry, the issue is also
green cleaning?
about improving basic skills levels to
I’m sure if anyone asked the cleaning industry ensure cleaning operatives can read
what is meant by “green cleaning” most answers instructions and work out volumes.
would refer to environmentally friendly products This is as much about keeping staff safe
and probably equipment as well. Would the and ensuring compliance as it is about
discussion extend to skills and the need to train being green.
staff to be more environmentally aware?
All the technical training programmes, such as Daytime working can also benefit employers
There is a growing awareness that skills and the ones run by the British Institute of Cleaning and cleaning staff. The jobs often become
training are becoming a big part of the picture.
Science (BICSc) and nationally accredited more attractive to employees with friendlier
At Asset Skills, we develop standards for the
awards such as National Vocational
shift times therefore cutting staff turnover and
cleaning industry and these form the basis
Qualifications (NVQs) in cleaning are about
increasing job satisfaction. A move to daytime
of vocational qualifications for the sector.
encouraging good technical practice. They
cleaning can mean training and staff
We have been asked if there is a “green”
have explicit green elements in them such as
development is easier to provide and becomes
standard or whether there is a qualification in
correct use of chemicals and disposal of
more accessible. Asset Skills has developed a
“green cleaning”.
waste, but the good practice they encourage is
guide to daytime cleaning for businesses
Our answer is that setting a standard for the
part of the real environmental picture.
considering making the switch from cleaning
industry is about good practice and therefore
only at night. The guide outlines the benefits to
Programmes such as the NVQ which are based
by definition, that’s green.
the customer, the employers and staff. It can
on assessment in the workplace, can help
be downloaded from the Asset Skills website
Train to be green
ensure that good practice is being translated
at: www.assetskills.org/Cleaning/Projects/
Using green products, selecting more eco-
into action. This can help any employer with
CleaningGuides.asp
friendly equipment and procedures are
green aspirations ensure those standards of
quality are also being met.
Improving your green
Daytime cleaning and its
credentials
For an organisation wanting to demonstrate
green benefits
their green efforts, investing in training and
We can also look at the way we deliver
staff development at all levels should be a key
cleaning services to make an environmental
aspect. This also presents an opportunity for
impact. Structuring the cleaning operation to
the cleaning sector to show through the profile
take place during the daytime or within working
of the environmental agenda that it is driving
hours can also help boost a company’s green
good practice and responding to the needs of
credentials. It can bring significant energy
customers.
savings by reducing the out-of-hours operation
www.assetskills.org
of any building. Daytime cleaning isn’t the
same as green cleaning but it can bring
environmental benefits for any client looking to
reduce their carbon footprint.
36
| TOMORROW’S CLEANING | The future of our cleaning industry
SUSTAINABLE CLEANING
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