Prioritising Health: Upholding Facility Hygiene By Lee Hatwell, Director at Munday + Cramer.


In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, effective facilities management has never been so


vital. Whilst many facilities face closures, this isn’t possible for everyone and many also have to keep their doors open.


For those who continue to operate, hygiene and cleanliness levels need to be upheld to the highest of standards and it is the responsibility


of Facilities Managers to


sustain this. However, regardless of how the current concerns continue to unfold, it has undoubtably highlighted the issue of hygiene within facilities. It is something that should be prioritised at all times, to ensure the health standards are maintained.


Munday + Cramer are a multi-disciplinary building consultancy working with facility management to ensure commercial buildings are being maintained as they should. They have offered some expert advice on how to manage the upkeep of facility hygiene, ensuring it is prioritised at all times.


Make A Plan


The easiest and most effective way to ensure standards are upheld is by planning. Map out each area that requires cleaning, how often, and the intensity of cleaning needed. From here, you can make a timeline and ensure nothing gets forgotten or overlooked. As part of this plan, remember to factor in quieter periods and utilise them effectively, whether this is during the school holidays for educational facilities or during the summer and Christmas season when office attendance is low. These would be good


times to deep clean areas when there will be less disruption, allowing for more effective cleans.


Incorporating hygiene into maintenance plans can also be useful. This could include adding additional


hygiene and cleaning


facilities throughout buildings to help uphold standards. Companies like Munday + Cramer help facilities make these plans and ensure they are carried out using their online compliance portal and maintenance logging tools.


Cleanliness is ongoing. Of course, this recent viral


outbreak


Prevent Build-Up has made it


particularly


poignant at the moment, but cleaning must be kept on top of on a day-to-day basis as well as regular deep cleans. Regimes should be set in place that will prevent small issues from manifesting into bigger problems. For example, having a protocol for cleaning vomit, which ensures proper sanitisation even after the initial clean up, to avoid further illness. You can also encourage a ‘clean culture’, particularly in offices where it becomes routine for workers to leave their areas clean and have small, regularly 'tidy-up's', allowing more thorough cleaning.


Train Facilities Staff


Management need to ensure that all staff are aware of the processes that are in place and are confident with regards to what is expected. This particularly applies to cleaners and contractors who need to have updated training.


It is also important to ensure you are Pinpoint Priority Areas


"Clean" is not just visibly clean. Thorough sanitisation is required for particular areas as a minimum, and as an 'ideal' in many more. All of the facility needs to be cleaned to a high standard but there are some areas that will require greater care with more regular and deeper cleans. This will include areas such as canteens, bathrooms, and anywhere colleagues may have high levels of contact. Each area will have its own requirements and minimum standards. For example, kitchens will need to adhere to different standards for food hygiene, safety, equipment and surface cleanliness as well as storage hygiene. Consider which areas are key in your facility and ensure they are regularly kept in check.


Keep Up To Date


Health and safety legislation is constantly changing and being updated, particularly in high priority times such as during an outbreak, when cleanliness is more vital than ever. As certain areas have their own individual requirements, for example, kitchen extraction systems and the ventilation for air conditioning, you need to ensure you’re up to date and adhering to these to avoid penalties. Companies such as Munday + Cramer offer compliance packages that can monitor facilities and ensure they meet statutory requirements on your behalf.


fmuk 05


providing these staff members with suitable products and equipment. When it comes to cleaning products, it is always best to do some research and invest - the cheapest solutions are very rarely the best option.


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