Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 20th February 2014 Issue no. 611
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   International News
Products Karcher makes a splash at Bristol in yellow, anthracite grey… and green
European Tissue Symposium: sponsor, exhibitor and speaker at ISSA/Interclean Amsterdam 2014
Winter building care starts with a sound matting system
CTM UK launches compact ride-on scrubber drier with long warranty
Superbugs no longer ride in rescue vehicles!
Sustainability is an integral part of the paper tissue value chain
Pick up the Katrin Easy Pick, wherever you work...
New Valet Single Motor Upright vacuum cleaner is easy to manoeuvre
Robust and modern in design, this new model is perfect for healthcare, educational and office facilities, incorporating excellent manoeuvrability for hard to reach areas and a brush head that automatically senses the carpet pile height. Features and benefits include: OhioHealth and IBM scientists join forces to prevent infections in hospitals
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Welcome to the
Cleanzine - the original Cleaning & Hygiene industry e-news Read by industry professionals in 148 countries worldwide! A few years ago the UK's Labour government decreed that cleaning contractors should in future be responsible for the work that was at that stage being carried out by those qualified to do it properly: checking that workers from overseas were actually eligible to work in this country. I can recall writing in more than one leader that it was a crazy idea in as much as forged documents could be so authentic that they could (and already had) fooled the most qualified eye into believing that they were valid. Heavy fines were threatened for contractors who would subsequently no doubt get it wrong and I argued that it was both unfair and ridiculous to expect them to take on this responsibility. My argument was quickly backed up when I subsequently ran a news story on the eight (I believe) illegal immigrants discovered working as cleaners in the Home Office itself! The Immigration Bill was supported by our current Government and now we have lost a Government Minister who felt he should resign because he had failed to notice that he had in his employ a cleaner who should not have been working here. Immigration Minister Mark Harper says he had made what he considered to be thorough checks when he first employed the woman to clean his London flat in 2007, taking a copy of her passport and a Home Office letter which stated that she had the right to work in the UK. He said he considered the issue again when he was appointed Immigration Minister in 2012 but concluded that no further checks were necessary. Apparently, a year later, when talks about employers carrying out ‘reasonable checks’ on workers focused him on the matter, he thought it a good idea to recheck his cleaner’s documents. Unable to locate them, he approached immigration officials who found that his cleaner did not have indefinite leave to stay or work in the UK. Unlike most of our MPs these days, he did the ‘honourable thing’ and resigned (and for that reason alone I feel he was one of our better Ministers)! I say again, if those responsible for making and upholding our laws on immigrants’ rights to work in this country cannot get it right, how can a contract cleaner be expected to know what’s needed?
Yours,
       This Week's News
Healthcare-acquired infections fuel uptake of hand hygiene solutions in Western Europe The need to prevent and control healthcare acquired infections across Europe, of which there are 4.5 to 5 million cases annually, is driving the hand hygiene market in Western Europe. Outbreaks of norovirus and bird flu over the past five years have also served to highlight the importance of hand hygiene in containing infectious diseases. "Hand hygiene product manufacturers should take advantage of these trends by offering a one-stop solution for all disinfection requirements," suggests Frost & Sullivan, whose latest research finds that the market earned revenue of $415.4 million in 2013 and estimates that this will reach $680.8 million in 2019. Carpets versus hard floors: what do you consider to be more hygienic? Ed: We recently published an item entitled ‘Studies help settle great debate' in which we reported on the results of studies into the use of carpeting in US hospitals and their contribution to a reduction in hospital acquired infections. This has started a debate on our Facebook page and I’d be really interested in seeing what your feelings are about this argument. This is the debate so far: Chris Netherton, who many of us will know through his work at the National Flood School, wrote: The eight germiest public places... We have our Australian industry colleague John Laws of the Australian Cleaning Contactors' Alliance, to thank for the following article: 'Excerpt from The List Maker's Get-Healthy Guide, By the Editors of Prevention'. It reveals some surprising germ pick-up points and offers several useful tips on the best way to avoid picking up germs...
An average adult can touch as many as 30 objects within a minute, including germ-harbouring, high-traffic surfaces such as light switches, doorknobs, phone receivers, and remote controls. At home, you do all that you can to keep the germs at bay. But what happens when you step out the door to go to dinner, do some grocery shopping, or visit the doctor's office? Know where germs are most likely to lurk, as you'll find out here. Unger founder honoured with posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award
The story began back in 1964 when a young window cleaner decided to take a chance. It was in that year that Henry Unger took the latest window cleaning innovations from the US and introduced them to German window cleaners. Greyland reaches latest milestone - 15 years!
There have been many changes in the world since February 14th 1999. Valentine's Day, and the industry has been in love with the company ever since! Hydro Systems unveils the EvoDrain - an all-in-one solution to FOG problems
FOG build-up in kitchens can seem like a never-ending problem. As these materials cool, they thicken and coagulate within pipes and grease-traps, acting like a magnet for any waste that may find its way down the kitchen's sink. As a result, a kitchen can be left facing rancid odours, blockages, backed-up water and potentially even flooding. Redditch recycling firm fined £100,000 for worker's death A Redditch recycling company has been sentenced for safety failings after a worker was killed by a bale of waste weighing more than a tonne. Sodexo Canada recognised as a 'Best Diversity Employer' Global facilities services provider Sodexo, has been recognised as one of Canada's 'Best Diversity Employers'. Mediacorp examined Sodexo Canada's employee network groups, community partnerships and various training and skill development programmes for women, visible minorities, persons with disabilities, Aboriginal peoples and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered/transsexual (LGBT) peoples and discovered a forward-thinking culture that recognises diversity as a business imperative.
Last year Jangro produced eight modules, which included COSHH, Health & Safety, Colour Coding and Infection Control, Carpet Care, Kitchen Hygiene and Floor Care, 'Introduction to Equipment' and Washrooms. A further two new modules are currently being produced which will cover Housekeeping and an Introduction to Cleaning. Additional programmes are to be announced later this year. Addenbrooke's staff receive specialist training
Jigsaw's partnership with Medirest, part of Compass Group UK & Ireland, will see around 31 Medirest colleagues receive specialist training over a 12 to 18 month period. The Cleanzine Archive Search We keep an extensive archive of news stories and product information that have featured in past issues of The Cleanzine. If you would like to run a search of the The Cleanzine web site using the search tool below please just go ahead by entering in the name of the person, product or company or any other key words that you are looking for. How to contact us at The Cleanzine:
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Our weekly updated Hospital Hygiene features current developments and product solutions cleaning and hygiene industry manufacturers are coming up with. Read More. Recent UK News
Why not increase your revenue by adding bird control to your repertoire?
As a contractor, you've learned that one of the best ways to increase revenue is to increase the number of services you offer your customers. And one of the most revenue enhancing services you can offer today is bird control. Regardless of the size or type of building and no matter what the job, bird proofing is a vital part of protecting any building or structure from the damages imposed by pest birds. CK Consumables has just joined the social media world of Twitter. Suppliers of janitorial ancillaries, cleaning consumables, chemicals and cleaning machinery to a wide variety of markets, the company prides itself on bringing clients new technology and environmentally friendly solutions, and as such has become a leading name in sustainable cleaning. Working with many top manufacturers has enabled CK Consumables to develop and grow its offering. The company has a range of products that offer not only great "cost in use" value but are also some of the most environmentally safe cleaning options. "We will be regularly posting offers on our Twitter page," says the firm's Andy Cassie, "so make sure you follow us to take advantage." Looking for truckmount drying times but are thwarted by your budget?
Sanitex MVP soap dispenser image is 'Solid Edge' design competition winner
Warrington cleaning company plans to create 700 jobs
Are commercial cleaning firms too content to grow in 2014? Confidence is sweeping back into the UK Commercial Cleaning industry. Yet, latest figures show that just under half of all firms are increasing sales and improving profits. Plimsoll's latest 2014 market report suggests that commercial cleaning firms may well be putting security ahead of growth. Julius Rutherfoord one of top 50 fastest growing UK cleaning companies
Care home developer Castleoak installs Girbau laundries
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