REGULAR
Setting the tone
Jim Melvin, Chairman of the British Cleaning Council (BCC), reveals how the APPG report sets the scene for the industry in 2023.
Under the auspices of a BCC-led project, the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the Cleaning and Hygiene Industry published its report last month into the role of cleaning during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is potentially one of the most important developments in our sector in 2022/23.
This excellent and comprehensive report,
which is informed by expert opinion from across the sector, sets the tone for our industry as we move into the new year.
In summary, the report recommended that:
• A joint Government-industry preparedness team be set up to draw up a plan for cleaning and hygiene requirements in time of emergency.
• Minimum levels of cleaning materials and equipment most commonly used in emergencies should be defined and their availability ensured.
• Government and the cleaning product supply industry should investigate how to increase production capacity in any pandemic.
• Key frontline worker status must be bestowed upon sector cleaning and hygiene staff and cleaning products production staff in any future pandemic.
• Urgent consideration within The Immigration Act must be given to making cleaning staff eligible for the Skilled Worker Visa scheme.
• A defined set of high-level minimum standards for hand and hygiene infrastructure and the cleaning of diverse venues should be agreed between Government/regulators and the cleaning and building management industry.
• A standard qualification for cleaning should be developed within the Apprenticeship Levy to improve the quantity, quality and career prospects of people entering the cleaning industry.
• Training budgets for cleaning staff within both public and private enterprises should be adequate.
• Government communications about hygienic practice and behaviour in times of pandemic or other emergency to be clear, consistent, sustained, timely, relevant and specific.
• A Government-led communications campaign should be deployed to widen and deepen public understanding of hygiene, and establish a norm of adopting hygienic
22 | TOMORROW'S CLEANING
www.britishcleaningcouncil.org (
www.chsa.co.uk)
twitter.com/TomoCleaning behaviour as part of everyday life.
• The Government should support the industry to promote a realignment in perceptions of the industry.
If adopted, these measures would make sure the nation is fully prepared if another public health emergency like the COVID-19 pandemic occurs, which I fear and recognise may only be a matter of time.
They would also be a huge benefit to the industry itself, and be a crucial step in transforming the nation’s attitude to cleaning and hygiene. It’s essential and arguably a public duty that Government sit up and take notice of this report.
It is being shared with the UK COVID-19 Inquiry, and an industry roundtable this month will consider how to take forward the findings. The BCC and our partners will continue to highlight and promote the report as a top priority in the immediate future. Watch out for news soon.
Another major priority for the BCC in 2023 will be continuing to highlight our ‘We Clean, We Care’ campaign. The campaign is designed to reflect the pride cleaning staff have in the vital, frontline role they perform keeping others safe, well and healthy.
We’ll be continuing to highlight this key message in the media and watch out for us giving out free ‘We Clean, We Care’ badges at the Cleaning Show 2023, which runs from 14-16 March at Excel, London. The Cleaning Show, which the BCC co-produces, is the industry’s biggest and best trade show, and will be one of the sector's 2023 highlights.
The Cleaning Show offers a chance to see the latest cleaning and hygiene products and to network with colleagues from across the industry, along with a fascinating conference programme and other attractions, including the Cleaning & Support Services Association’s (CSSA) Innovation Showcase.
All this, and it's also free to attend! You can register in advance for the show right here.
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