SAFETY IN LOGISTICS


Addressing cleAning chAllenges in the ‘AlwAys on’ logistics sector


Before the arrival of coVid-19, cleaning helped warehouses and distribution centres prevent accidents, satisfy inspection standards, and keep operations moving. But with the onset of the pandemic, the implications of cleanliness became far more significant. colin shute, group managing director at sBFM offers his insights on maintaining unprecedented hygienic standards in an age of uncertainty.


T


he unrelenting pace of distribution – particularly amid global supply chain uncertainties – brings its own set of distinct and complex challenges. Faced with the


unyielding growth of ecommerce, the departure of the UK from the European customs union, alongside driver and other skill shortages, today’s logistics businesses have a wealth of issues to contend with. All this before they even begin to consider


the implications of supply chain disruptions to the sector caused by the pandemic. For businesses operating in increasingly


unpredictable surroundings, supply chain and operational continuity remains of the utmost importance. This means that hygiene and cleanliness assume even greater significance, particularly amidst a global health crisis that has already led to “once in a generation” supply chain disruption.


Not only can maintaining unprecedented


cleaning and hygienic standards mitigate operational malfunctions, health hazards or accidents, it is now also imperative in order to protect employees from the risk of infection. For a sector that is already facing significant shortfalls in the workforce, the ability to maintain full staffing cannot be underestimated. Never has the issue of facilities management


and industrial cleaning been so prominent. The question now is how can logistics businesses deliver cleaner and more organised warehouses, and create a safer environment for employees and product handling?


Optimising cleaner, faster, smarter, supply chains Owing to the scale of today’s warehouses and distribution hubs, cleaning can be an overwhelming task, particularly when you consider the complexities of modern-day


logistics. From vast storage zones to busy loading and unloading bays, dedicated order picking and employee breakout areas, maintaining hygiene expands far beyond the remit of traditional daily cleaning regimes. Often keeping a facility clean, tidy and


safe necessitates a more tailored approach using an assortment of dedicated cleaning and facilities management solutions. This can include everything from high level cleans for racking, to deep cleaning, floor cleaning, window cleaning, and much more. Not to mention the requirement for


effective COVID-19 disinfecting, and decontaminating protocols to diminish or even react to secondary breakouts. All of which must be performed while facilities are in operation, making for an extremely difficult logistical challenge.


made-tO-measure Logistics and distribution facilities are fast- paced environments, with high volumes of traffic, tight deadlines, busy occupants, and constantly shifting requirements. As such they require a cleaning service solution to match. Cleaning strategies must provide in- built flexibility to respond to often daily changes in site activity and seasonal surges in demand, while also delivering the resilience to deliver service continuity. By creating a detailed profile of


operational activity against cleaning needs, cleaning resource and operations become much more closely mapped to the nuances of the operational requirements at each building. As a result, cleaning protocols are highly


tailored to any facility’s needs, and delivered based upon need and level of use, occupancy rates, and areas identified as requiring cleaning due to high usage or levels of footfall, rather than by simply following standard, routine cleaning schedules. To better optimise staff scheduling and


cleaning regimes, leading edge footfall analytics and data insights can determine


30 MArch/APril 2022 | industriAl coMPliAnce


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