W:
www.ie-today.co.uk
and regular enough to deliver the high standards required, but also discreet, keeping disruption to a minimum, especially when classes or exams are taking place. As cleaning will
often take place when the building is being used, machinery and equipment needs to be quiet and unobtrusive, with cordless models being favoured as they improve health and safety by reducing the risk of trips and falls. Another way to increase the safety of pupils and students is to ensure that only properly qualified and security-checked people are allowed to work on site. Any cleaning contractor with a good track record in providing cleaning for educational establishments will be able to prove that the correct procedures are in place.
A healthy environment Improving atendance levels is something that is important to educational establishments, as this helps to ensure there are no gaps in the learning process, and course work is completed on time. A good cleaning regime can help to reduce absenteeism through illness – for staff as well as pupils and students – by incorporating common-sense infection control methods within the routine. This not only helps to improve learning outcomes for young people, it also saves money for schools by reducing the need to engage supply teachers to cover absences by academic staff. Consistent and effective day-to-
day cleaning will obviously include vacuuming, dusting, emptying bins and wiping down surfaces, ensuring that surfaces not only look pristine, but that germs are wiped away. However, bacteria lurk in many different places, with IT equipment being a prime example. Food debris, hair and skin particles, dust and germs can gather on keyboards, tablet computers and touch screens, so cleaning regimes should cover equipment such as this.
comprises 46 separate buildings that play host to 19,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students, supported by 3,000 staff. The usual challenges posed by educational establishment contracts, such as working around a busy academic schedule across an array of different buildings and environments, apply here. However, the key point of difference
“CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT THAT IS SIMULTANEOUSLY CLEAN, SAFE AND GREEN IS POSSIBLE”
Computers are regularly touched by
hands, which are one of the most frequent transmission routes for many types of infections, because they come into direct contact with the mouth, nose and eyes. As well as encouraging pupils, students and staff to wash their hands regularly, especially after using the toilet and before eating, the cleaning of IT equipment should undoubtedly be a priority. Cross-contamination is another
concern. When choosing your contractor, always check to ensure that members of staff are properly trained for the job in hand. Ideally, this means using colour- coded equipment to ensure that items used to clean washrooms are not used in food preparation areas, as well as knowledge of HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) procedures.
Green cleaning Independent schools, like many other organisations, are keen to reduce the negative impact their activities can have on the environment, and introducing green elements to the cleaning regime is a step in the right direction. This is something that Nviro specialises in, as shown through its work with the University of Portsmouth. The University of Portsmouth
is the importance placed on cleaning without chemicals. John Carns, contract manager at the
University of Portsmouth, explains: “The university is extremely keen to prove its environmental policy. Other than the introduction of chemical-free cleaning, my team and I have been heavily involved in the introduction and implementation of the recycling waste policy introduced by the university in April 2013.” As part of this approach, in spring 2012
HTC Twister Pads were introduced, with pulse mops, microfibre mop systems and microfibre cloths following in March 2013. This equipment has removed the need to use hard surface and washroom cleaning chemicals, thus eliminating risks to operatives’ health, and damage to surfaces caused through incorrect dilution. “I am hoping to replace toilet cleaner and limescale removers with chemical-free stainless steel and glass cloths,” continues Carns. “It is also my intention to reduce chemical use to one other product, a green carpet shampoo, by the beginning of September 2014.” The introduction of chemical-free
cleaning can be difficult within any cleaning contract, mainly because it’s a common misconception that if you can’t smell disinfectant, then an area isn’t clean. However, once these barriers are broken down, you can begin to help people understand the processes and how new products and methods work. Creating an environment that is simultaneously clean, safe and green is possible. iE
Carl Robinson is marketing manager for cleaning specialist Nviro W:
www.nviro.co.uk
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