This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
CLEANING & HYGIENE


TIME TO STEP UP David Davies, Managing Director of Checkit, discusses the importance


of maintaining a regular cleaning and hygiene regime and the possible consequences of neglecting to stay on top of this.


Every company, regardless of size or sector, has a duty to look after the health and safety of its employees during the working day and a key part of this concerns the maintenance of the working environment. Potential hygiene and health and safety incidents can not only damage the company’s reputation, but also lead to losses in productivity, not to mention costly lawsuits.


Prevention is always better than cure, but if no specific incidents occur in the workplace, potential hygiene and cleaning breaches can be ignored and reviews of processes postponed. Unfortunately, this approach has the potential to cause irreversible damage to the business: once something happens, especially if the incident results in an injury, it is already too late to take action. That’s why the most efficient way to protect the business and its staff is to pre-empt, with a clear policy of comprehensive action that includes implementation of a consistent cleaning and hygiene regime.


For hygiene and cleaning standards to be improved, a full assessment based on the current status of the facility, the legal requirements for H&S and the areas most likely to pose a risk should be undertaken. The failure to achieve appropriate standards of hygiene and safety can impact many areas of a business. For example, failure to maintain the appropriate HACCP controls in the staff canteen can lead to food safety incidents and faulty


www.tomorrowshs.com


washroom facilities can heighten the risk of slips, trips and falls which could result in serious injury.


It’s essential that all risk areas are physically monitored, but it is not always practical for one individual to do so. Once responsibility is distributed across a team of people, the standard of assessment can vary, especially when the estate concerned is spread across multiple sites. Coupled with the time- consuming nature of the traditional paper-based record keeping and the lack of real-time information, the facility manager can struggle to sustain standards, let alone raise them.


“THE POSSIBILITY OF


MISSING CHECKS OR TAMPERING WITH THE RESULTS IS REMOVED.”


A digital solution can help improve monitoring and record keeping. Digital hygiene records and digital work management technology can help businesses improve hygiene and cleaning by enforcing an efficient cleaning regime with accurate, real- time monitoring. Digital checklists provide simple instructions on what needs to be cleaned, how and when, and can show how to take necessary follow- up actions. Most importantly, managers are able to receive alerts on especially important issues and review detailed reports that highlight areas for concern.


In addition to the checklists, wireless sensors can be installed to monitor the key pressure points, such as temperature in the fridges in the staff kitchen or the humidity level in the building. Smart monitoring will relieve staff from completing the checks manually, and automatic alerts can be set to send notifications of any readings outside the set parameters.


With the time spent maintaining traditional hygiene and cleaning records vastly reduced, the staff responsible for the facility can optimise their time looking after the critical focus points and, for example, doing preventative maintenance. As the results of daily inspections are automatically uploaded to the cloud, and the facility manager is able to monitor the sites remotely.


From a legal and compliance point of view, digital checklists provide a time- stamped record of when the cleaning and hygiene checks have taken place. This can help demonstrate that the facility is maintained to the standards required by law, and provide an inspection-proof audit trail in case any incidents do occur.


By leveraging the benefits of digital technology, businesses can improve compliance with regulation and maintain a safe, clean and hygienic work environment to minimise risk to staff.


www.checkit.net 35


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