Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 7th February 2013 Issue no. 556
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  International News
Products REACH regs remain 'Elephant in the Room' for industry as fears grow over awareness - EEF survey Britain's manufacturers are being urged to get to grips with the requirements of a European Directive on the restriction or banning of certain hazardous substances, or face the prospect of unlimited fines or even prison through a failure to comply. |
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I’m sure we’re all aware of how frustrating it is and how much ill feeling is created when a washroom doesn’t have toilet tissue or soap. Unnecessary waste and the theft of disposables from public or workplace washrooms causes problems for users as well as those who have to pay for the products in the first place. Manufacturers produce lockable dispensers designed to prevent waste and make things difficult for thieves, but a story shared with me by a reader shows that in some cases this can be taken to another level entirely! In what has been dubbed ‘Operation Klopapier’, Germany's police are said to have carried out an 18-month operation - complete with a surveillance camera and an assigned officer - to capture a suspected toilet tissue thief after cleaners reported that rolls were disappearing from their stocks. The investigation, which failed to identify the culprits, has been suspended. I can’t help feeling that it would have been easier, less expensive and less intrusive to the washroom users, to ensure that spare rolls were stored in a lockable cupboard until needed – that way only those with a key could have been held responsible if anything went missing!
Yours,
      This Week's News
Auditors slam Europe's waste system - for waste
CMS 2013 Berlin: allocation of hall space has already begun
Legal ruling on criminal record disclosures requires contractors/employers to take extra care Some cleaning contracts require those doing the cleaning to have a Disclosure & Barring Service check (formerly known as the CRB check) and while this has had its problems in the past - mainly due to the length of time it took for the checks to be carried out and their cost, when one considers the rapid turnover of cleaning staff - the process has run fairly smoothly in recent years. All that could be about to change though, with the recent ruling by the Court of Appeal, that the law compelling employees to disclose all previous criminal convictions to employers infringes the Convention for Human Rights. Don't let the Winter Vomiting Virus take hold
Cases of the vomiting bug have surged to a five-year high and the health service has reported outbreaks at dozens of UK hospitals. Front-line health workers are being struck down by the virus, leaving overstretched departments badly under-staffed. EU's REACH chemical review flags small business fee cut
Innovation in the hand towel industry: next generation products from Comax UK and Katrin
Cleaning contractors wade in to clear flooded NHS site
While other NHSBT sites around the country took in stocks of blood to continue supplying hospitals in the Midlands, South West and parts of the South East, Filton - home to one of the world's largest blood processing centres - was closed as the fire services pumped water from both inside and outside the waterlogged premises. Rubbermaid launches Spa Fragrance Collection for commercial environments
The fragrances have been proven to enhance the facility's image while increasing user satisfaction and customer retention. Singaporean washroom association launches awareness-raising online game and competition
Major expansion plans at Avica
Room disinfection robot gains UK acceptance after successful NHS trials
The remote-controlled Tru-D SmartUVC device is an automated total room disinfection system that uses SmartUVC technology to accurately measure and deliver the lethal UV dose required to break the DNA of bacteria, virus and spores to render them harmless. It is engineered to silently disinfect shadowed and line-of-sight surfaces from a single placement within a room, overcoming human error such as missed and difficult-to-reach surfaces, improper chemical applications, incorrect placement, and unreliable "blind-dose guessing" associated with lesser advanced and disruptive strobe light offerings. It is said to kill 99.9% of infectious room-surface pathogens in a fraction of the time now required for cleaning.. Canadians combine: Swish Maintenance acquires SK Sanitary Specialties Swish Maintenance, one of Canada's leading sanitation supply distributors, has acquired SK Sanitary Specialties Mfg. of Vancouver, British Columbia, effective 1st February, 2013. Swish has emerged as a leading distributor by being a local company with a national presence. Its mission is to support its customers in the communities they serve and to be recognised as the expert in providing complete cleaning solutions. Gojo signs agreement with US HealthTrust
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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
Cleaning industry welcomes wider support for the living wage The British Cleaning Council says it is delighted to see increasing support for the Living Wage. Advocates of the policy now include Jeremy Warner, assistant editor of The Daily Telegraph, one of Britain's leading business and economics commentators. FMA Certificate accredited by RICS The Facilities Management Association has announced that the FMA Certificate will now officially be recognised by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. Urgent reviews of anti-Legionella water treatment essential after HSE ban on elemental copper Thousands of property managers responsible for public buildings are being forced to carry out urgent reviews and source alternative water treatments following the recent Health & Safety Executive ban on the use of elemental copper as a biocide, particularly for legionella control. Cleaning linked to asthma risk, shows new study A new study has found strong evidence for a link between cleaning jobs and the risk of developing asthma. Andrew Large announces departure from cleaning industry
Healthcare firm in court over severed thumb Synergy Health (UK) has appeared in court after an "inadequately trained" employee at its Chorley factory lost part of his thumb when it became trapped in a dry wipes machine that was found by investigators to have insufficient guarding ICMMA launches design award for the Cleaning Show The Industrial Cleaning Machine Manufacturers Association has announced the launch of its vacuum cleaner design awards for the 2013 Cleaning Show, which is taking place from 19th to 21st March 2013 at the NEC, Birmingham. Staying pristine at every height, one year on!
Unilever brings zero waste to landfill commitment five years forward to 2015
FM professional and membership bodies "failing employers" - FM chief spearheads campaign for action
New colour for Karcher products makes differentiation easier
UK business needs smarter spending strategies for growth Industry report finds lack of awareness at board level of spending habits and inefficient supply chains holding back businesses. Clever FM solution can help increase efficiency and lower costs
Brighton hospitals pay dispute: an update Further to last week’s story regarding industrial action by cleaners and some of their support service colleagues at Brighton & Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust, this joint statement has been issued by the GMB union and Sodexo, the employer: |
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