scrubber-dryer robot, an autonomous industrial cleaning unit which can wash, scrub and dry up to 1,000m² of flooring every hour without the need for human supervision. Of course, ICE is not the only player in this area, and there are others such as Diversey who are developing robots that can sweep, vacuum, wash, scrub and dry floors.


There is also an EU-backed international project called FLOBOT being undertaken by a multi-disciplinary academic team – including the University of Lincoln – which is trying to design a smart, autonomous floor cleaning system for large-scale commercial, industrial and public environments.


So, while floor cleaning seems an obvious discipline where automation could evolve, where else within the industry could robotic technology assist us?


I have seen first-hand many attempts at developing window cleaning robotics, particularly in the area of high- level cleaning. The successful implementation of such systems will undoubtedly impact on industry staff numbers, but it will also reduce health and safety risks in terms of mitigating the need to work at great height.


RISE OF THE ROBOTS


British Cleaning Council Deputy Chair Paul Thrupp reflects on recent news reports about how


technology could phase out mundane roles, raise productivity and bolster wages.


I recently came across a story in The Guardian headlined “Robots could take 4m UK private sector jobs within 10 years”, which suggested that the potential impact of robotics and automation on UK industry could affect up to 15% of the current workforce in the private sector.


There are varying thoughts within the report regarding the effect on jobs by the impact of robotics on working lives, and other research suggests huge swathes of job losses will come as a result of more automation.


But whilst finance and accounting, manufacturing, transportation and distribution are often cited as sectors where autonomy will have the biggest effect, one area rarely explored is the potential impact on the cleaning industry.


In my role as BCC Deputy Chair, my role within the Federation of Window Cleaners – and in my day job at OCS – I continually challenge stakeholders across cleaning to embrace innovation, and in particular robotics. I was therefore thrilled to see the advancements in terms of more automated floor machines at this year’s Cleaning Show.


One good example was the UK industrial cleaning equipment specialist ICE demonstrating their Robo 2


22 | REGULAR


I do not see this as a negative, as the high-level specialist window cleaners of today can become the specialist window cleaning system engineers and operators of the future. Further, there are many buildings that cannot be serviced by robotics due to their complexity, age or unconventional design.


In other parts of the cleaning ecosystem, we are seeing more advanced technology coming through such as intelligent washrooms with internet enabled dispensers, which can self-report when running low on soap or disposable hand towels, and ‘smart building’ apps can detect and measure a building’s footfall patterns to help inform the cleaning rota.


This technology is also available for waste management, with ‘smart bins’ compacting waste and sending signals when the receptacle needs emptying and servicing. There has also been an advancement in specialist treatments using Nano Technology or Nano Silver, as these treatments can be applied successfully to many vertical and horizontal surfaces to aid the surface in repelling dirt and thus reducing the frequency and intensity of cleans.


If you ask me whether more automation will have a reducing effect on workforce numbers in our industry, then of course I would say yes. However, with uncertainty over Brexit, we also need to consider the provision of future workers, especially as over 20% of cleaning staff are non-UK nationals. That, combined with the growing lack of young people entering the cleaning profession, means increases in productivity through more automation might be just what will be required to keep our buildings, homes and the public realm clean.


More and better technology within the sector will also surely enhance the image of cleaning as a profession, not diminish it. And while increased automation will inevitably drive efficiencies across many parts of the industry, the age of the cleaner as a skilled individual is still now – and will remain so in the future.


www.britishcleaningcouncil.org twitter.com/TomoCleaning


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