Innovation at our heart
BCC Chairman, Paul Thrupp, highlights how the cleaning sector keeps close to the cutting edge of technical invention.
As companies and organisations adapt to the huge changes the world’s economy is facing, innovation seems to be more important than ever.
This places a huge responsibility on the shoulders of suppliers as they jostle to come up with new products that offer improved quality, better performance, safer operation and much more, whilst at the same time keeping the price competitive.
Contractors also have a big responsibility to introduce the latest technology, products, machinery and equipment to their clients to truly demonstrate that they are delivering best practice methodology.
I welcome the fact that innovation and sustainability are high on the agenda of every business within the cleaning industry, and along with the artificial intelligence and data advances of the fourth industrial revolution, these are throwing up huge challenges and opportunities for businesses and governments.
These forces are supporting change and innovation in the cleaning sector, with many manufacturers and suppliers pushing the bounds of automation in operational performance.
Window-washing drones that can fight fires, intelligent automated cleaning robots and household appliances that are connected to the internet, use 5G technology or save energy still sound like science fiction, but many are already on the marketplace and I expect they will become commonplace in the next few years.
There have also been huge strides in the development of environmentally-friendly cleaning products and sustainable packaging in recent years, and all of these ideas and products are the result of the constant drive for innovation at the heart of cleaning sector companies.
We at the British Cleaning Council believe innovation is a key part of a modern, professional cleaning sector delivering a high-quality service. That’s why we offer grants to support truly innovative projects and new research that enhance the cleaning industry’s ability to positively affect people’s lives, and improve the quality and cleanliness of the environment around us.
For example, we provided £10,000 to the British Toilet Association to support the development of a new toilet mapping system specifically for the thousands of
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individuals across the UK who have Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties, along with their families and carers. The Changing Places Toilet Map system allows people to locate over 700 toilets.
In a similar vein, we granted the Federation of Window Cleaners a £2000 grant to take part in a ground-breaking industry partnership carrying out research on how to reduce the risk of injury when using telescopic water-fed poles.
The resulting guidance notes, supported by the HSE and a host of other partners, could greatly improve the safety and wellbeing of workers who use water-fed poles when cleaning high windows.
They will also be useful in the operation of other long- handled or telescopic equipment both within and outside the cleaning industry.
But there are lots of other avenues in which innovation in the cleaning sector is being encouraged, supported and recognised.
As an example, BCC member, the CSSA (Cleaning Support Services Association), is next year holding its Innovation Showcase to celebrate the cleaning industry’s most innovative products, services and initiatives.
Backed by fellow BCC member, the CHSA (Cleaning & Hygiene Suppliers Association), the showcase takes place on Thursday 19 March 2020 in London.
If you have a new method, idea, approach or product, then you have until 20 December 2019 to enter it for this prestigious award. You can find out further details of the Innovation Showcase on the CSSA website.
I’m proud to be part of such a leading industry here in the UK, and confident that the next five years or so will see great steps forward in terms of innovation and sustainable operations.
www.cssa-uk.co.uk
At the same time, we will continue to show how we care for our people, their well-being and their terms and conditions, and will continue to make the cleaning industry a great place to be, with many people forging great careers within it.
www.britishcleaningcouncil.org twitter.com/TomoCleaning
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