The British Cleaning Council and members write monthly columns for both Cleaning and Maintenance and Tomorrow’s Cleaning. You can read recent columns below.
To read the columns as they originally appeared, please visit https://cleaningmag.com/columnists and https://www.tomorrowscleaning.com/back-issues
Put the focus on cleaning and hygiene to help relieve winter pressure
By British Cleaning Council Chair, Delia Cannings. (This column first appeared in Tomorrow’s Cleaning magazine).
As I wrote this column in January, the NHS was once again under the cosh, with sky-high virus rates leaving hospitals rammed with sick patients.
Winter pressures seem to have become a regular occurrence for our hospitals at this time of the year.
The news that some hospitals were advertising for staff to treat patients in corridors revealed the grim reality that many hospitals were housing patients in corridors and side rooms due to wards overflowing.
A number of hospitals declared critical incidents, with the average wait at one emergency department reaching 16 hours.
These demands have affected standards of care for patients and left some staff depressed, demoralised and considering leaving the profession.
Some patients are also more impatient and aggressive. Notices in healthcare premises warning visitors against anti-social behaviour have become all too familiar.
Partly, this situation is down to winter viruses such as flu combining with Covid and Norovirus to create enormous pressure on frontline services. As I wrote this, flu cases were on the way down, though they were still way above the level this time last year.
More hospital beds opened last year, the NHS adopted measures to cope with extra demand and there was a big vaccination programme in autumn, yet it was not enough.
In recent years, increased demand all year-round means hospitals are already stretched come December, so winter pressures are the straw that breaks the camel’s back.
The factor that is often overlooked by the public and Government is the potential of cleaning and hygiene to help reduce the spread of illnesses and infection.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) did issue advice in November as flu and norovirus first began to increase, calling on parents to take simple steps to protect their children.
Parents were urged to teach youngsters good habits such as regular handwashing and using a tissue to catch coughs and sneezes.
The UKHSA has also reiterated advice for flu and Covid sufferers with symptoms, especially vulnerable people, to wear a face-covering when leaving the house, wash hands regularly and use tissues and dispose of them carefully.
I doubt this occasional messaging has much cut-through with the public. A much more strategic, planned and thought-out approach is needed if we are to raise standards of hygiene across the UK.
That’s why the BCC has been campaigning in support of the excellent 2022 report ‘Embedding Effective Hygiene For A Resilient UK’.
It made 11 key and detailed recommendations, which included calling for the Government to work with our industry and also highlighting the need for a national campaign to promote hygienic behaviour. The key take-home fact is the need to step in and make cleaning and hygiene a national priority.
Flu and norovirus, along with many other infections such as hepatitis A and Shiga Toxin-producing Escherichia Coli (STEC), can all spread on surfaces. Cleaning is an important tool for helping control these infections, along with other measures such as handwashing and using personal protective equipment.
Multi-skilling is also becoming a feature for many healthcare cleaning teams, involving infection prevention and control assistants working alongside healthcare cleaning professionals to support the vital link from one role to the other, and embed best practices to reduce the risk factor.
The nation also needs to recognise that the sector and staff do a skilled and professional frontline role, protecting the safety and wellbeing of others and contributing to the nation’s health and wealth.
It is time for the Government to listen to our message. Putting cleaning and hygiene front and centre should help reduce winter pressures and could save lives.
A dialogue on cleaning-friendly building design: rewriting the future of building maintenance?
Lorraine Larman, Master of the Worshipful Company of Environmental Cleaners, on starting a dialogue about integrating cleaning strategies
at building design phase. (This column first appeared in Cleaning and Maintenance online).
When it comes to architecture and building design, one often overlooked yet crucial aspect is the consideration of cleaning and maintenance at the outset. I want to explore how we can design buildings that not only stand the test of time but also remain clean, pest free, and easy to maintain.
Designing for improved cleanliness has gained renewed importance in our post-pandemic world. By integrating cleaning and maintenance considerations into the initial design (or even refurbishment) phase, we can create buildings that are not only beautiful but also practical and sustainable.
Modern buildings often feature complex shapes and intricate designs, which can pose significant challenges for cleaning, especially when it comes to windows. Designing-in a functional cleaning strategy for those hard-to-reach areas would make a significant difference in maintenance. For example, how effective are tall building window cleaning cradles? Can they navigate the cutting-edge curves and angles of today’s modern buildings? I can think of a few examples where landmark buildings fall short because the cleaning machinery and its storage didn’t match or integrate into the cutting-edge architecture.
Furthermore, the integration of smart technology is revolutionising the cleaning industry. Automated cleaning systems, such as robotic vacuum cleaners and self-cleaning surfaces, can reduce the manual effort required to keep spaces clean; it allows cleaners to focus on more detail-driven work that demands human input. Smart sensors monitor air quality, humidity levels, and dust levels, providing real-time data that can inform maintenance schedules and practices. Taking these technological advancements into account only happens if there’s two-way communication in the design process – between our expertise as cleaners, and that of designers.
I am eager to open a dialogue with architects and designers on this topic. I believe that designing buildings that stay clean requires a holistic approach that considers materials, spatial design, ventilation, and technology. By prioritising cleanliness and maintenance in the design phase, we can create spaces that are not only beautiful but also functional and sustainable. I look forward to exploring these ideas further and am having key conversations over the next few months to try and enable more collaboration on this topic. Our cleaning industry expertise could revolutionise the way buildings are designed. Watch this space.