Reversing the signs of ageing
In this Case Study, Axis Cleaning and Support Services helps a shopping centre improve its floorcare and bring life back to a dull, aged floor.
The Mercury Mall in Romford town centre is committed to improving its appearance, and one key area that instantly lifts the feel of a shopping environment is the vast floor.
Spencer Hawken, The Mercury’s Centre Manager, said: “The floor is always a dominating feature. So, naturally, it is an influential factor in how you feel when you are shopping; it is the one constant as you walk around between retail outlets and eateries. You can’t fail to notice it.”
The 41,000sq m Mercury shopping centre opened nearly 30 years ago and, with a traditional terrazzo floor, its age was beginning to show in areas where the high gloss finish had faded and persistent marks had appeared. However, a new approach to floor cleaning is reversing the damage.
Spencer continued: “We were introduced to a new chemical- free approach to our floor cleaning last year by Axis which is actually making our floors more attractive; it is removing some of the ground-in marks which had appeared over time and brought back the shine.”
Axis Cleaning and Support Services recommended Twister pads to be used on the scrubber dryer for daily floor maintenance. These new polishing pads are encrusted with micro diamonds that eliminate the need for any chemicals in the polishing process, and effectively restore the original high-gloss polish of the terrazzo.
The elimination of chemicals is not only more environmentally friendly and more economical, as the centre uses fewer consumables, but it also removes the risk of any residue ever being left on the floor from the cleaning process.
Spencer added: “We have seen a significant improvement in the floor’s slip reading when it has been assessed. So, we are not only rejuvenating the floor and improving the centre’s appearance, but we are also minimising the risk of potential accidents.”
Where an incident arises which requires immediate attendance from a cleaning operative (for example to clear up a spill), the way that the cleaning team is managed is leading to a significant reduction in response time. Since 2018, Axis Cleaning and Support Services has been working with its sister business, Axis Security, which has been providing the security officers to secure the estate. The two teams operate under a dual contract, which includes cross-training members of the security team so that they can support the cleaning operatives by dealing with incidents as they occur.
62 | FLOORCARE AND MAINTENANCE
twitter.com/TomoCleaning
Spencer explained: “In effect this has doubled the number of people on site who are capable of responding immediately to a spillage. Any one of our 26-strong team who finds themselves closest to the spillage can clear the area and promptly put out necessary signage to alert shoppers. This approach gives us ample cover and we have an extremely responsive team.”
The security and cleaning teams at The Mercury are using Overtec incident reporting software, which has been specifically designed for the Axis Group. The ‘InForm’ solution tracks and reports on all cleaning activities on site, significantly improving cleaning efficiencies.
It works by having Near Field Communication (NFC) tags strategically placed, which communicate with mobile devices carried by cleaners, recording activity, dates, times and identifying the employee. As well as recording routine activity, they also enable operatives to take ‘before and after’ pictures of an incident to prove the area has been left in a safe condition.
As it’s cloud-based, InForm ensures that the centre management has all the information immediately to show that the correct procedures have been followed, and they have access to it in the future if there is a complaint or claim made by a shopper.
www.axis-groupservices.co.uk
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 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76
