Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 25th July 2024 Issue no. 1124

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Training is key to keeping a Covid-free Space

Commercial cleaning specialist Incentive QAS has urged the sector to prioritise training amidst the pandemic. Last month saw Channel 4 send a team of scientists around the UK to test more than 170 surfaces throughout six towns and cities as part of ‘Dispatches: How Safe Is It Going Out?'

The aim was to find out how clean big brands are keeping their stores in light of the pandemic and found that some commercial spaces fell short of the expected standards.

Jamie Wright, Incentive QAS managing director, has emphasised that some cleaning operations are forgetting pivotal aspects of creating a Covid-safe space. “Cleaning a surface is not the same as sanitising it, and both aspects are crucial,” he warns. “If a cleaning operation neglects one part of the process, unfortunately there will always be an increased risk of a contaminated space.

“Training is the key to keeping commercial environments safe during the pandemic. As a leader in this field, we have committed right from the start to take an aggressive and agile approach to our commercial cleaning operation, and we're currently increasing our training provision for our teams across the country.”

Working with specialist training facilitator UhUb, Incentive QAS is rolling out digital training sessions for all its teams. The app-based learning has been well-received across the network, reassuring clients that the highest Covid-19 cleanliness standards are being met, enabling the contractor to build on and adapt training in the future, reacting to customer needs as well as new environmental pressures.

Many companies are currently assessing the cleanliness standards of their commercial spaces and increasing their cleaning resource accordingly. One example is one of the world's largest privately held insurance brokerage firms that has introduced a regular, enhanced sanitisation service through Incentive QAS. Requiring a contractor capable of carrying out electrostatic disinfection to combat Covid-19, the company wanted to ensure the safety of the working environment for returning office staff.

With Incentive QAS already providing this specialist cleaning service in the communal areas of the building where the firm is located, Incentive QAS was ideally placed to step in and has subsequently been entrusted to mobilise teams for various locations within the midlands and the north.

“Now is not the time for any companies to compromise on the cleanliness and hygiene of their working environments,” warns Jamie. “If a leadership team is left questioning whether or not a commercial area is unclean, something has gone wrong in the process. This isn't a risk we will take with our clients, and we believe that training the relevant teams on how to deliver a Covid-safe space is vital, as is the ability to use extensive resources like electrostatic disinfection, after cleaning has been completed, of course!”

26th November 2020