University of Sheffield – Business Case for Mechanised Sweeping
The University of Sheffield have recently completed a detailed business case examining the feasibility of mechanised sweeping.
The ‘mile long’ University campus currently caters for over 24,000 students, there are a total of 49 academic departments and in excess of 5,700 staff across the sites.
Steve Long manages Portering Services for the Universities residential areas. Manual sweeping of external areas proved extremely labour intensive. Steve discussed the issues with his local Nilfisk representative who introduced a Nilfisk specialist to trial alternative solutions. Demonstration of a Nilfisk RS501 diesel road sweeper led to detailed time trials comparing the manual labour requirements for specific areas against the mechanised option.
Time trials proved that an area cleaned manually by one man in one hour took just 4 minutes with the RS501 sweeper.
Additionally the machine produced a much better finish; there was no evidence for example of a recent grass cutting. Armed with such positive evidence Steve Long produced a financial business case and presented it to the University. The business case clearly showed the cost of the sweeper and service was equivalent to the cost of one man. The machine however carried out the work of three productive heads.
The financial case was clear cut without the additional benefits of grass cutting collection and the powerful onboard pressure washer.
Steve Long commented: “It was previously impossible to clean the many remote waste bins and litter compounds we have around the site. The university takes great pride in the appearance of it’s’ grounds. The sheer size of our new residential complex presented us with the logistical problem of maintaining the standard of cleanliness that the university and our customers expect. Preserving the hygienic conditions of our litter bins and
waste compounds is of paramount importance, this machine and it’s 200 bar onboard pressure washer now allows us to comply with the exacting standards that we need to meet. Additionally efficient chewing gum removal is also of real benefit.”
In short Steve says: “We are delighted with our purchase. The level of pre and post sales support from Nilfisk has been superb. We received initial operator training on the machine and follow up refresher training as required. Our local service engineer lives nearby so we often receive visits the same day. I really cannot fault the machine, the cleaning result or the service.”
The Nilfisk RS501 diesel sweeper has a weight of only 1500kg making it easily transportable with a 4x4 and standard trailer. A compact working width of 1600mm and excellent turning radius allows easy access to footpaths, bus shelters and arcades. Tel: 01284 763163
www.nilfisk.co.uk
Email:
mail.uk@
nilfisk.com
Study released on real-world effectiveness of ec-H2O™ technology
Tennant Company, a world leader in designing, manufacturing and marketing solutions, and its dedicated chemical-free technology development arm, ORBIO Technologies Group, have announced the results of an independent third-party study by Elliott Affiliates, a leading innovator in janitorial performance evaluation, on the effectiveness of Tennant’s ec-H2O technology. ec-H2O converts plain tap water into a powerful cleaning agent without any added chemicals. Consistently lauded by both industry and environmental leaders for its cleaning performance as well as its health and sustainability benefits, the third-party study confirms that ec-H2O technology performs exceptionally well in very challenging environments. This study confirms ec-H2O powerfully cleans as well as or better than automated scrubbing technologies using traditional chemicals in four key categories, including cleanliness, hygienic safety, appearance, and sustainability.
“Since we introduced the cleaning industry to chemical-free floor cleaning in 2007, we have been overwhelmed by the exceptionally positive feedback we’ve received from customers and industry experts alike,” said Chris Killingstad, president and CEO of Tennant Company. “It is both gratifying and affirming to receive that same kind of positive feedback
14 feature :: cleaning & hygiene
in the form of a credible third-party study.” The Elliott Affiliates study was specifically designed to test ec-H2O’s performance under real-world cleaning conditions. For that reason, testing occurred in a Baltimore-based soft drink bottling plant that is operational 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Floor conditions in the plant included sugary syrup residue; petroleum-based stains and residue; and dirt, oil and other outside debris. Five different test areas within the plant with either unfinished concrete or VCT flooring were identified, including the pallet area, a corridor, a loading dock, a bottling area, and a cafeteria, and, over a period of three days, half of each test area was scrubbed with a traditional scrubber- dryer and the other half with Tennant’s ec- H2O technology.
The study focused on four key test categories, including cleanliness, hygienic safety, appearance and sustainability. Cleanliness and hygienic safety were measured by testing for the presence of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which indicates the presence of contamination, such as food residue, allergens and/or bacteria. Appearance was measured by taking before and after photographs. Sustainability was measured by testing and comparing a list of factors related to the social, economic, and environmental
impacts of the technologies. Study results show that ec-H2O technology outperformed the scrubber- dryer using traditional chemicals by reducing the presence of ATP by an average of 90.1 percent versus 84.2 percent and reducing the presence of aerobic bacteria by an average of 95.1 percent versus 89.7 percent. Results also show that ec-H2O performed as well as or better than the traditional scrubber-dryer in removing visible soil and improving overall floor appearance. And, based on the sustainability factors outlined and measured, ec-H2O technology provided superior environmental, economic and social benefits over the scrubber-dryer using traditional chemicals by using 70 percent less water, releasing no used detergent discharge into water systems, eliminating chemical residue, enhancing worker safety, and reducing costs for purchasing and disposing of chemicals. To request a copy of the Elliott Affiliates ec-H2O cleaning effectiveness study, please contact the Tennant Company at 0800 111 4402 or visit
http://eu.tennantcompany.com
Building & Facilities Management – June 2010
Cleaning & Hygiene
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64