Arrow's Chinese investment pays off with new contract wins

Investment in a new Chinese operation is already paying dividends for a Leicestershire manufacturer of cleaning and maintenance products. Arrow Solutions, which is based at a factory in Moira, has marked the first three months of trading in Shanghai with news that it has secured a string of new contracts to supply Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) and Beijing Metro.
more

Are the robots coming?

In this article, Peter Forshaw, of recruitment specialist Maxwell Stephens, discusses the effect robots may have on the facilities management industry, highlighting how they have had a positive impact in one hospital by and reducing cross infection, saving time and enabling those they have replaced to carry out more interesting work.
more

ACI issues statement on FDA's antibacterial soaps ruling

The American Cleaning Institute released the following statement in response to a final rule issued by the US Food and Drug Administration concerning consumer antibacterial soaps and washes:
more

Artificially-intelligent cleaning system could save food manufacturers £100m a year

The University of Nottingham is developing an artificially-intelligent sensor system to clean food manufacturing equipment more precisely, which could save £100m a year for the UK industry alone. This revolutionary AI-driven monitoring system could lead to greater production capacity and therefore cheaper food prices for consumers.

Food and drink production is the largest manufacturing sector in Britain and the highest industrial user of water at approximately 430 million litres a day. As current technologies cannot accurately determine exactly how dirty food and drink processing equipment is inside, cleaning can last up to five hours a day - to minimise food safety risks.
more

The Netherlands announces $50 million contribution to UN-based WSSCC for global sanitation coverage

The Government of the Netherlands announced on Monday a renewed investment of $50 million for the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC).

The funding will enable WSSCC, the only part of the United Nations devoted solely to the sanitation and hygiene needs of the most vulnerable people around the world, to empower five million additional people to access improved sanitation by 2020.
more

Nottingham hospitals' cleaning contractor slated for poor cleanliness

The contractor responsible for cleaning Nottingham's hospitals should be sacked for its "abysmal" management, Healthwatch Nottinghamshire has told the BBC. Healthwatch raised concerns over an alleged rat sighting, dirty plates and overflowing bins at the Queen's Medical Centre and City Hospital. It said Carillion, which provides the cleaning services, has shown a "poor record of cleanliness".

Martin Gawith, who chairs Healthwatch Nottinghamshire, said: "Carillion has shown that management has been abysmal with a poor record of cleanliness. They should hand the contract back."
more

Pitfalls of transferring a family business to offspring

Although some family-run businesses started by one generation continue to thrive when transferred to the next generation, this is rarely the case. In 1987, John Ward conducted one of the most in-depth studies on how well family businesses do once parents pass them on to the next generation. His study revealed:

* About a third of family businesses survive when transferred to the second generation.
* Just 13% of family businesses are still in operation by the third generation.
* By the fourth generation, only 3% are still in existence.
more

Clorox Healthcare introduces 'next generation' of bleach

Bleach has played an important role in public health for more than a century. This week, at the Association for the Healthcare Environment (AHE) Exchange 2016 annual conference, Clorox Healthcare announced its break-through innovation in healthcare disinfection with the introduction of Clorox Healthcare Fuzion Cleaner Disinfectant.

Clorox says that Fuzion is the next generation of bleach and the first product of its kind to combine trusted bleach efficacy against tough-to-kill pathogens with the aesthetics required for broad use throughout healthcare facilities.
more

Escalator cleanliness goes up as cleaning costs go down

Building managers need no longer compromise on escalator cleaning following the UK launch of a low cost and highly effective manual cleaning system.

Despite being the most heavily used, expensive and potentially dangerous piece of flooring in many buildings, escalators and travelators tend to be cleaned less often and less effectively than the floors around them.
more

Charity bins help keep streets clean and raise money for good causes

Tidy Britain Group's new initiative, supported by The Wrigley Company, has seen a massive 30% reduction in the amount of rubbish on our streets. #BinItForGood encourages people to do the right thing and put their rubbish in the bin while at the same time making money for local charities. The more rubbish that goes in the bin and the less litter that is thrown on the ground, the more money is given to good causes.

A pilot carried out successfully in five locations across England saw an average reduction of 30% but, in Prudhoe town centre in Northumberland, the reduction in litter was 52%.
more

Quantum Care models training for cleaners programme

While training for care home personnel is increasingly broad-based, its focus is on establishing and maintaining best practice in patient care terms. National care home provider Quantum Care has been tackling the training of its cleaning personnel in a new initiative with solutions and technology specialist, Prochem Europe.

As part of the Health & Social Care Act 2008, Care Quality Commission registration requires care home providers to comply with essential standards of quality and safety that includes risk of exposure to infections.
more

Grosvenor Services hosts European conference in Dublin, sharing FM best practice

Grosvenor Services hosted an event in Dublin recently where European facilities management companies exchanged ideas and shared best practice. Grosvenor Services is part of European Customer Synergy, a network of FM partners that supports pan-European FM contracts - all of whom belong to the top five suppliers in their national markets, representing major FM and support service companies.
more

Sky's the limit for Aerial FM

New facilities management firm Aerial FM is off to a flying start by using commercial drone technology to provide fast and effective services and solutions in the FM sector. But why is the ability to pilot an unmanned aircraft important to a facilities manager or property manager?

Drones help Grant Currie, (pictured) managing director of Aerial FM, and his colleagues to quickly and efficiently carry out building assessments and surveys or obtain stunning images that can be used in marketing a property for sale or lease.
more

ISS wins new integrated facility services contract with John Crane in North America

John Crane, the largest division of Smiths Group, which operates in more than 50 countries, has selected ISS as its integrated facility services provider for two key locations in North America.

Under the terms of the contract, which runs for five years and is now operational, ISS delivers maintenance, food services, reception, security, pest control, grounds and cleaning services. Initially, the agreement between ISS and John Crane covers two important locations in Morton Grove and Crystal Lake, Illinois, but the agreement has the potential to expand to additional sites.
more

Mitie launches new gutter cleaning service using Space Vac's 15m high super-vacuum

Mitie has announced the launch of a new gutter cleaning service. The new technology, courtesy of Space Vac, uses an extendable wi-fi gutter camera and vacuum unit that extends to 15m in length, helping pest control technicians spy on bird pests and then remove any nest debris they leave behind that blocks roof gutters. The extendable pole can reach into box gutters by three feet, aided by an assortment of nozzles to easily access awkward spaces.
more

A loss of income, or a boost for local businesses?

There's an interesting piece in the latest issue of Public Toilets UK, which raises a good question. Gill Kemp, the publication's editor, writes:

"There appears to have been some heated discussion in North East Lincolnshire Council on not ensuring that tourists to Cleethorpes pay for parking and toilets [Grimsby Telegraph 1/9]. Apparently because of vandalism the toilet barriers have not been in operation, making the toilets temporarily free for use - and the parking machines have also been malfunctioning, leading to lost revenue.
more

Risk assessment of pushing and pulling (RAPP) tool available from HSE

The Health & Safety Executive has produced a new tool aimed at those responsible for health & safety in workplaces - employers, managers and safety representatives.

This tool will help you identify high-risk pushing and pulling operations and check the effectiveness of any risk-reduction measures.
more

CHSA Golf Day raises record breaking £6,500 for charity

One of the highlights of the cleaning industry calendar, the Cleaning & Hygiene Suppliers' Association's annual Golf Day, which took place last week at Oulton Hall, Yorkshire, raised a record breaking £6,500 for the Chairman's charity, Helping Treat Cancer Together.
more

Open Day next week celebrates major investment in cleaning business

Hugh Crane (Cleaning Equipment) is holding an Open Day at its newly refurbished site in Whittlesey, Peterborough, on 30th September. This major investment shows the business strategically placed to meet the ever-increasing demands from customers along the A1 corridor.
more

BICSc announces Annual Awards 2016 Educational Programme: A day of cleaning insights and inspiration

The 15th September 2016 marks the date of the BICSc Annual Awards, celebrating excellence in training and assessment within the cleaning industry. As a special addition to this year's annual awards, The British Institute of Cleaning Science will be hosting an exclusive cleaning industry educational programme and exhibition.
more

New UK head office for Kärcher

This Autumn the global cleaning giant will have a new home in the UK - and it's streets ahead of the old facility, if not streets apart. Kärcher UK's brand new, purpose-built UK headquarters opened for business at Banbury's Brookhill Way on Tuesday.
more

How to cut budgets and improve hospital infection control

The inadequate assessment of cleaning procedures within hospital environments is a huge source of ongoing-costs with lost opportunities to save money as well as improve infection control. The patient environment is known to be closely associated with infection risks and superbugs are now resistant to almost all antibiotics.
more

UK Bank holiday's biggest clean-up

This year's Notting Hill Carnival - 11 times bigger than the Glastonbury festival - once again attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors to the streets of North Kensington. When Carnival stops a massive clean-up operation swings into play to have the streets clean by the next morning. This year over 320 tonnes of rubbish had to be cleared from the streets during the bank holiday weekend.
more

TCFM now part of the Colonel's secret recipe at KFC

TC Facilities Management is now an added ingredient at over a quarter of KFC restaurants across the British Isles. The contract being delivered by a team from TC Specialist Services, part of TC Facilities Management, started on 8th August. It will provide window cleaning services to over 200 KFC restaurants, along with jet washing services to sites with Drive-Thrus.
more

Working at height specialism lands CAM an Olympic-sized challenge

CAM Specialist Support's expertise in high level cleaning has secured it a contract to clean the Here East building in The Queen Elizabeth Park, Stratford, London. Previously part of the London Olympics site, the building was used as the media centre during the 2012 games. Current tenants include BT Sports studios, Loughborough University and a number of new start up and retail clients.
more

ISSA Pulire 2025
27-29th May 2025
Rho Fiera Milano
Italy
Website

CMS
23-26th September 2025
Berlin
Website

INTERCLEAN
22-24th October 2025
Shanghai
Website

Hygienalia
4-6th November 2025
Valencia
Spain
Website

ISSA Show North America
10-13th November 2025
Las Vegas
Website

INTERCLEAN
14-17th April 2026
Amsterdam
Website