At the end of August 2011, the fantastic news was revealed that the number of MRSA Super Bug fatalities in the United Kingdom was at an all-time low.  Alongside this, it was reported that the number of people dying with CDF, had also dramatically fallen since the last count.  The new, stricter cleaning and hygiene systems in place in these hospitals have evidentially been a success.

MRSA, otherwise known as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most well-known, and most feared, infections transmitted within hospitals.  The MRSA bacteria creates a number of different infections if it enters your system, and is therefore particularly dangerous to vulnerable people already at risk in hospitals.  People with open wounds, and already weakened immune systems, can be exposed to the MRSA bacteria through contact with contaminated surfaces or hands.  MRSA can be extremely challenging to treat, as it is unaffected by a number of the most common antibiotics; making it an even greater threat to patients.

CDF, or Clostridium difficile bacteria, is also extremely dangerous to those who are already unwell, and have weakened immune systems.  It causes a number of problems in the patient’s intestine, including severe diarrhoea; dangerous to those who are already ill, as it can drastically dehydrate them.

In the constant battle against hospital-transmitted infections, hygiene and cleaning standards need to be impeccable.  The bacteria can spread through a hospital extremely quickly, through person to person contact and by the touch of surfaces that have been contaminated.  It is therefore a testament to the changes that have been made within the hospitals, that the infections have decreased so dramatically.

The Office for National Statistics made the discovery that the number of deaths caused by MRSA in England and Wales has dropped, by looking at how many death certificates mentioned MRSA.  Their research concluded that in 2010, the number of deaths caused by the Super Bug was four times fewer than in 2006.  In 2006, the number of deaths caused by MRSA was at its highest, with 1,652 individuals dying from it, and in 2010 this number had fallen to 485.  In addition to this, the number of people dying from CDF infection has also fallen; there were 2,704 in 2010, from the 8,324 recorded in 2007.

Hospitals have tackled the problem by preventing the patients being infected, and from any existing infections spreading.  The hospital staff, who encounter several patients a day, are extremely diligent with their hygiene; preventing the bacteria spreading from one patient to another.  There are particular hand washing techniques in place, which must be undertaken before they treat a patient, and after their work is complete.  This hand washing procedure must be followed after other activities, such as preparing food or using equipment; ensuring that at all times any bacteria is removed from their hands.  They use hot water and soap where available, or an alcohol gel or rub.
If hospital staff are tending to patients who have open wounds or handling needles, they wear gloves at all times.

If MRSA is found in the hospital, patients who have the infection are isolated to prevent them from infecting others, and all patients are only transferred around the hospital if absolutely necessary

Consistent and correct hand washing is also extremely important for the patients themselves to undertake, as well as using their own soap and wipes, and keeping their bed areas clean and tidy.  Their visitors must also follow similar stringent hand washing routines; there are regular dispensers which contain alcoholic gel which kills bacteria on their hands.  They have also been stopped from sitting on patients’ beds.

The cleanliness of the hospital itself, has also contributed to the decrease of the MRSA and CDF virus.  Every surface that can come in to contact with human touch, including beds, floors and toilets, is constantly cleaned, to particular and exacting standards.  These areas need to be washed, disinfected, and dried to ensure that these infections and bacteria are killed.

If these cleaning and hygiene measures continue to be followed and improved, MRSA and CDF infections will continue to fall.  To find out more about specialist hospital cleaning service, visit http://www.newlifecleaning.com/services/specialist-services/medical-clinical/hospitals/

Sources:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-14636224
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/MRSA/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Nowadays Smartphones have become integral to many people’s lives.  If you’re lost, you can access digital maps through your phone’s GPS system.  If you have something you’re compelled to share, you can tweet it, or change your Facebook status by just a tap of the buttons on your phone.  Now, one UK contract cleaning company have taken the Smartphone generation to a new level; utilizing their popularity to create an iPhone app to benefit their business.

The waste disposal cleaning company is the first of its kind to use this type of technology to theirs and their clients’ advantage.  Their app, which has been designed for clients looking for a waste collection service, allows them to receive a quote in a simple, convenient and immediate way.

Once the app is on the client’s iPhone, the welcome page invites them to video the waste they would like the company to dispose of; giving the company an accurate perspective of what they would be removing.  Once the video has been taken, the app then offers the opportunity to select a time when they would like the waste to be removed.  They have a choice of ‘Anytime’, a ‘Specific Date’ or a ‘2 Hour Window.’  The client is also made aware that the more specific their collection time, the higher the cost will be.  After they have requested this, the app uses the GPS on the phone to find their location, which they are then asked to confirm.  Once this is done, a summary of their request us shown to them, which when approved sends an email to the cleaning contractor, requesting a quote.

The contractor then receives all the information, and emails an accurate quote back to the client for this particular service.
This contract cleaning company is moving with the times in a fantastic and efficient way.  Once clients have this app, it is free to use, and makes arranging a waste collection service quick and simple.  They don’t need to make phone calls or arrange a time for an estimator to visit, and they can be given a quick quotation for the job cost without leaving their home.  All they need to do is pick up their mobile phone.

In terms of business, the cleaning contractors themselves are also saving money and time.  With a video of the waste arriving directly to them, they save money on sending a member of staff to the site to assess the cost of its removal.  It is also a very quick and immediate way to access business, and will open the company up to clients who would rather quickly use an app to receive a price, than liaise back and forth with the company.

The design of one of the first iPhone apps to benefit cleaning contractors is an exciting development for the industry.  There is only one element which makes me think the contractor should proceed with caution.  With this type of technology, there is always the danger that it will be misused, and that clients may video less waste than they actually have to remove; causing  complications later on.   Otherwise, I think this is a very positive advancement of technology in the industry, and it won’t be long until other companies follow suit.

Original article about this app, can be found at:  http://www.cleaning-matters.co.uk/stories/articles/-/newsletters/2011/july/news/waste_clearance_iphone_app_launched/.

You can see a video of the app at:  http://www.youtube.com/user/AnyJunkVideo?gl=GB&feature=mhee#p/a/u/0/VIWbrSgOMwQ

These difficult financial times, businesses are accounting for every penny they spend.  They are also looking for new and improved ways to cut their overall expenditure and save some of their much-needed funds.

At Newlife Cleaning Systems, we have found that one effective way to do this is through implementing a vehicle tracking system.  As a nationally-operating contract cleaning company, we have many vehicles on our books which are used by members of staff to allow them to service jobs all over the country.  We made the decision to install tracking systems into our vehicles, to ensure that they are only used for the appropriate jobs, at the appropriate times.  Since doing this, we have received countless benefits from installing these systems, and believe that they could be just as effective for any organisation that owns vehicles and equipment.

There are many vehicle tracking systems available, but we have installed Skyline systems into in our vehicles.  When in place we have a full 24-hour surveillance, which allows us to monitor our vehicles online at any time we want.  We can also receive email updates in a variety of formats; making the system extremely convenient.  We have access to a full report for each vehicle in our fleet, which logs in the dates, times, and durations it has been used; we can see the exact times the engine is turned on and off.  It also shows us any irregularities in the driving style, such as excessive acceleration and harsh steering, as the system is so finely-tuned.

As well as being informed of when the car has been started, driven and stopped again, the Skyline vehicle tracking system also records the car’s exact location.  When we log onto our account, we can look at a Google Maps view of each journey a vehicle makes, and we can view the route through satellite images if we wish.  This allows us to thoroughly and comprehensively ensure that our vehicles are being used for the right reasons, and not being used for private journeys.  As we pay some members of staff for the amount of time they work on a job, not for whole days, the vehicle tracking system allows us to make savings on our wages too.

As we have recently discovered, one of the biggest advantages of installing the Skyline vehicle tracking system is that it heightens the security.  Last week, one of our vans was stolen outside the home of one of our members of staff in the middle of the night.  When the van was discovered missing the next morning, we logged on to Skyline to see what had happened to the vehicle; it took us just 20 minutes to discover its exact position.  We could see the time the engine was switched on, the exact route it travelled and at what speed, the eratic way the car was driven and where it was eventually abandoned.  We can place the tracking devices on our road fleet as well as our plant equipment, which doubles the security benefits.

We cannot emphasise enough that there are some excellent benefits of the Skyline, and other vehicle tracking systems.  They save the business finances on wages and increase the security of our vehicles, so we can immediately see a return on our investment.

For more information on the Skyline web-tracking system, visit www.enigmavehicle.co.uk/skyline

In February, Daily Telegraph journalist Rupert Neate reported a clash between two think tanks on the always controversial topic of the minimum wage.

Neate’s article stated that Steve Coulter, of the Social Market Foundation, had made the  suggestion that the Government should raise the minimum wage.  Coulter, who is the economics analyst for BBC News, said that the increase would encourage employers to acquire employees with more refined skills and qualifications.  He assured that a skilled and better-paid workforce would also result in an increase in productivity in the workplace.

This was refuted by Sam Bowman, head of research at the Adam Smith Institute, who argued that if the Government increased the minimum wage it would create even more unemployment.  He argued that workers are paid in proportion to the value of their labour, and that some jobs are not worth a higher paid rate.  For example, in the cleaning industry people do not pay very much for cleaning, so it is very common for most daily cleaners to be paid minimum wage.

It is attitudes like Bowman’s that puts cleaning contractors such as ourselves in a very difficult position.  If we accepted this theory, we would never be able to pay our daily cleaners a substantial wage, otherwise we would be in fear of losing money overall.

We are however, fully aware that the minimum wage completely undervalues how hard our cleaning staff work, and therefore pay our cleaners as much over the minimum wage as we are able to.  As already stated in previous blogs, the minimum wage is not a living wage; you couldn’t pay rent, a mortgage, bills, give your children everything they need and put food on the table on that alone.  No-one deserves to be working on a minimum amount, and this include cleaners who work extremely hard, undertaking unpleasant tasks that for a wage many would deem unacceptable.  At Newlife Cleaning Systems, we believe that cleaners deserve more for what they do.

How do we achieve that?  Well in terms of the above think tank debate, I have already stated that I agree with raising the minimum wage.  I also agree that it is important for employees to gain as many skills and qualifications as possible, to improve their chances of earning more than the minimum wage.  Employees legally have the right to request appropriate and relevant training from their employers, and we support that.   We therefore have training available for our cleaning staff, if they require it, to enable themselves to become more qualified in what they do so well.

As we have suggested before, another way to pay above the minimum wage, especially in the cleaning industry, could be to change the way each job is priced.  The most common procedure is to price a job depending on how long it will take to complete, in which the hourly cost of labour is also taken into account.  If instead, each job is priced depending on a promised result, rather than time it will take, you can incorporate a higher wage for the staff.

For us, the way forward with the minimum wage debate sees us placed firmly in Steve Coulter’s camp, as  we think raising it is very important.  However businesses can help it along, by providing as many training opportunities as possible and by pricing their work differently, so they can afford to reward their staff’s hard work.

For more information on doing this, visit www.newlifecleaning.com.

Original article can be found at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/8351143/Think-tanks-clash-on-minimum-wage.html

When you walk into any high-end  hotel, restaurant, clothes shop or even supermarket, you enter with  certain expectations.  You hope to receive an excellent level of service from smartly dressed staff and you expect the environment to be spotless.  These factors make places like this a pleasure for consumers to visit and makes them return time after time.

In the economy we are in, most business owners in industries such as these cannot afford to make drastic, all-encompassing changes to improve their standing; costs to refurbish are too high, and often staff turnover is so great that extensive staff development isn’t an option.  One small, affordable change can be made, which will make a real difference to the overall appearance of their business; their floor polishing routine.  This claim may sound dramatic, but when you’re next in a Marks & Spencer’s Food Store, or if you visit a five star hotel like the Hilton you will notice; the floors have a reflective shine that enhances the overall presentation of the room.

This shine can be achieved in several ways, although most business owners turn to contract cleaning companies, who take away the hassle in exchange for hefty invoices.  An alternative, more environmentally friendly and cost-effective way to achieve this type of shine, is through the use of diamond polishing pads.  Diamond polishing pads are specialist floor cleaning pads which contain minute diamonds.  The hard diamonds in the pads effectively remove dirt and give a standard of polish that other polishing pads cannot; they can improve soiled and scratched floors beyond recognition.

Diamond polishing pads are a very economical way for businesses to make quick and drastic improvements to their flooring, because they do not require any change to the cleaning routines already in place.  Existing equipment can be used as normal, as the pads can attach to most wet and dry scrubber driers, burnishers and high speed floor polishers.  No new machinery is required to make the pads work, and the cleaning staff do not need any specialist training to use them; removing two  substantial financial burdens from the business owner.

With diamond polishing pads, the business owner is only steps away from achieving an enviable floor shine equivalent to their top-end competitors.  The pads come in a variety of textures, which when utilized correctly, give a deep-clean to scratched, dull and damaged surfaces, giving them a glossy shine.  Once their floor has undergone one deep-clean, regular cleaning with the pads is enough to maintain the shine; the daily work time does not need to increase, so the inconvenience to the business owner, staff and public is also minimised.

The diamond polishing pads would be an investment into a business’s future, rather than a one-off purchase, because they are very adaptable.  They can be used on several  types of flooring; to maintain the surface of terrazzo, reverse scratches on stone and granite, and even polish concrete.  This means they could be used one more than one surface and in different areas, maximising their output for the business.  They are also constructed to be extremely durable, in order to withstand the friction caused by dry burnishers, so can be used several times; making even more out of the investment.

The business could also improve their green credentials by using diamond polishing pads, as they do not require the use of harsh, or dangerous chemicals; detergent and water can achieve an immaculate finish.  This creates a safe, more pleasant place for staff and public to operate in, and is advantageous to the environment and the atmosphere.

A business’s decision to change the cleaning pads on their polishers and scrubbers to diamond polishing pads is small, but can have a big impact.  Whilst their cleaning routine, staff, and time remains  the same, the quality of shine is unquestionable; improving the overall appearance of the building and creating an environment that appeals to consumers.

For more information, visit: http://www.diamondpolishingpads.co.uk/

The last two months have seen the rapid spread of a deadly strain of E. coli throughout Europe.   The number of people being diagnosed with E. coli has risen to over 3000, and the infection has claimed around 50 lives.  Now, food hygiene specialists are suggesting that hygiene reforms must be made to prevent a disaster like this from happening again.

Escherichia coli, known commonly as E. coli, is a bacteria found in the stomachs of humans and animals.  The type that resides our gut is usually not harmful, however the rare O104 strain discovered in Germany in May, swept across Europe producing some terrifying symptoms:

The patient develops a gastrointestinal infection which causes diarrhoea.  Their kidneys are also affected, as the bacteria release toxins which cause them damage.  Some of the patients in Hamburg clinics also suffered epileptic fits and slurred speech a few days after falling ill.  The characteristics of the strain allow it to stick to the gut very effectively, which means it can grow in the gut and remain in the system for longer.  The World Health Organisation (WHO) remark that that the strain has been discovered in humans before, but there has never been an outbreak like this.

Since May, various agencies have made accusations about who is responsible for the outbreak.  Infected cucumbers in Germany were identified as the cause, but their source was under question.  Spanish produce did come under some scrutiny, as did some British, but the most up-to date investigations point to a bean sprout farm in Uelzen, Germany.

Although finding the source of the infection is of the highest importance, to prevent it from happening again we must know how the bacteria infected people.  Any E. coli, not just the O104 strain, is associated with contaminated meat, as livestock can carry it in their gut.  Vegetable products are affected when an infected cow’s manure is used to fertilise crops; the bacteria will rest on the vegetable surface if improperly washed.

This disaster has prompted experts in food hygiene and preparation industries to give advice, suggesting changes to be made to prevent a repeat occurrence.  Patrick Wall, the former chairman of the European Food Safety Authority, argues that it takes a disaster like this to identify weaknesses in the system, and to prompt a response.

Patrick Wall names several causes of the spread of food-borne infections, such as E. coli.  These include:

Lack of knowledge and training of staff:
If staff are unaware of legislative the hygiene regulations and procedures that will stop the spread of bacteria and infection, they will be unable to follow them.  The appropriate training of the staff who prepare the food, and knowledgeable food factory cleaners, will reduce the likelihood of mistakes.

Contaminated ingredients:
The surface of raw ingredients becomes contaminated if infected manure is used as a fertilizer.  Bacteria can also reach ingredients if they are fed with infected water; the roots can draw up the bacteria, taking it within the plant.  It is important to be aware of the ways in which E. coli and other food-borne illnesses can reach your ingredients, so you know how to prevent it.  Wall suggests that you ensure that your irrigation water is clean, and that you heat your manure and compost to temperatures which kill bacteria, you can help to prevent your ingredients getting infected.

Inadequate food and hygiene facilities:
In the areas in which food is prepared, it is essential that every surface is immaculate; if bacteria remains on any surface it can contaminate ingredients and contaminate people.    Hiring a food factory cleaning contractor to take care of cleaning issues may be one way to tackle this, as they are specially trained to treat this kind of environment and up to date on all legislations.

Cross-contamination of cooked products from infected raw products:
If raw ingredients which are infected come into contact with cooked ingredients, they will contaminate them too.  Keeping cooked and raw products separate, including in packaging and transportation, is one way to prevent this.  For example, in the spread of this E. coli strain, it would only take one contaminated cucumber to contaminate a whole box.

Inadequate cooking of the ingredients:
If a raw ingredient is contaminated, the bacteria can still be killed if it is cooked to above 70 degrees Celsius.  Cooking the food at this temperature will destroy the bacteria present in the food.  If the food is not cooked properly, the harmful bacteria could still remain on the food.

Storage and refrigeration facilities:
The alleged cause of the outbreak, a German bean sprout farm, used steam drums of 38 degrees Celcius to grow the bean sprouts.  This is the ideal temperature at which bacteria breeds, experts argue.  Therefore knowledge of storage temperatures is very important.  Chilled food must be stored below five degrees Celsius, to make sure the bacteria is dormant and not being nurtured.

To consumers in Germany and the surrounding areas, the advice was to avoid eating salad products until the E. Coli source had been identified.  Now that control has been established, consumers should prioritise washing their fruit and vegetables before eating.  This may appear like obvious advice, but a simple rinse with cold water removes a large variety of bacteria from the surface.

For help with bacteria prevention and hygiene in your food factory, Newlife Cleaning Systems welcome your enquiries.  Visit www.newlifecleaning.com or contact 0800 0189099 for more information.

Sources
www.bbc.com/news
http://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/news/2011/06/german-e-coli-outbreak-may-trigger-new-food-regulations.aspx

Local business is awarded with an accolade that names them ‘clean’ in every possible way…

Newlife Cleaning Systems is a nationally operating cleaning organisation, located on Beach Road in South Shields.  The company has provided a high quality, cost-effective service across the cleaning industry for over 30 years.  Taught by years of experience and intent on providing a package that is both modern and relevant, Newlife have worked hard to obtain a prestigious award, which will allow them to clean up more than just their contract work.

Newlife Cleaning Systems have been granted an ISO 14001: 2004 certificate, acknowledged worldwide for being the highest environmental award that an organisation can attain.  To obtain the award, Newlife Cleaning Systems had to operate an Environmental Management System that adhered to the strict guidelines set in place by the ISO award.

Managing Director of Newlife, Phil Dixon, explains why it was important for the company to obtain the certificate:

“We live in a time where the preservation of the environment is more important than ever, so it became essential for us to update our service to include this.  Having researched many avenues, we decided that the ISO 14001: 2004 was the most relevant and esteemed certificate we could find, and we set our sights on earning it.”

ISO is the International Organisation for Standardization and is responsible for developing and publishing standards on an extensive variety of topics.  ISO is the largest organisation of its kind in the world; affiliated with 162 countries it has a Central Secretariat based in Geneva.  The standards and regulations they set are completely inclusive; applicable to both the public and private sectors, they are without any governmental influence.  ISO ensure that both the requirements of the business and the needs of wider society are met.

To be awarded with the ISO 14001:2004, Newlife had to learn how to become environmentally friendly; reducing the waste produced in their cleaning process, learning how to recycle and to make environmentally sound decisions.  They also had to prove that they strictly followed the official environmental legislations expected of them.  The certificate was only awarded when Newlife provided evidence that their Environmental Management System’s policies, plans and actions were made using the ISO 14001:2004 certificate’s framework; including their organisation’s activities, services and choice of products.

Phil Dixon looks forward to the future of his company with this award is in place:

“We are extremely proud to be working in accordance with the award.  We are now subject to annual reviews to ensure these standards are being maintained, and we will endeavour to continually improve and update our Environmental Management Systems as time progresses.

“We can now guarantee that every process we execute, piece of equipment we operate or product we use, is in compliance with the standards set by this certificate.  As a client of this company, the ISO 14001:2004 gives you the guarantee that you are working with an environmentally conscious organisation that conforms to the legal standards and obligations expected from them.

To know more about the services Newlife Cleaning Systems provide, visit www.newlifecleaning.com or telephone 0800 018 9099 with your enquiry.

Ends: 14.06.11

Notes to editor:

• Interviews with anyone from Newlife Cleaning Systems can be made by contacting Shaun Causer on 0800 018 9099.
• Newlife Cleaning System? can be found at 7 Beach Road, South Shields, NE33 2QA.
• Information on ISO, and the ISO 14001: 2004 can be found at http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_14000_essentials.

National cuts in government funding for the public services, trickling down through our local councils, has left many sectors feeling the pinch.  This has resulted in vital services, once provided by the council, becoming the responsibility of the individual sector in question.  For many, outsourcing these services to specialist companies has become the best solution.

Tyneside schools are a prominent example of this; alternative arrangements for cleaners had to be found when the council gave intent to remove this service in April.  Instead of having in-house cleaners, many opted to use the services of cleaning companies.

Barry Sleightholme, Business Development Manager at Newlife Cleaning Systems, has worked closely with some of these local schools to provide them with new cleaning services.  He explains why outsourcing cleaning has become a viable option for these services.

What are the benefits of outsourcing cleaning?
The main benefit is that you are releasing your cleaning department to another company, who is professionally qualified to provide you with everything you need.  You can expect a high level of delivery, quality, and uniformity with a contractor’s service.  Alongside this, every issue surrounding this department becomes your contractor’s responsibility.  This can include any staffing issues, the standard of cleaning, the procurement of products and supplies and the organisation of the whole operation.  With someone else taking responsibility for all of these tasks, you and your staff can focus on other duties.

Won’t the quality of work decrease?
The quality is more likely to improve when you outsource your cleaning.  Contractors promise an excellent result, which they then go to great lengths to maintain.  They ensure monthly site inspections from the area manager, who makes sure that the cleaning is at the highest standard possible.

It is also this area manager’s job to respond to any concerns or feedback you have, so you have direct contact with them at all times.  When speaking to the schools we worked with, we found that they preferred this instant contact with the company, as they found that queries they had with public sector cleaners had to travel through a number of official channels before they were answered.  Through direct contact, any issues with staff or damaged equipment can be resolved immediately through a phone call, which keeps the standards at a consistent level.

Will the cleaning staff I currently employ be out of a job?
No, they will instead become employees of the cleaning contractors you outsource to.  There are laws in place to protect them from loosing their jobs, or any of their employment rights, if you choose to outsource.
TUPE Regulations, Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) are in place to protect their rights.  This law states that employees’ contracts and job titles must not be altered at all if you hire a contractor to run the department they work in.  The contractor must duplicate the employee’s contract exactly and keep every detail the same.  For example, when we worked with the schools, many of the cleaners previously worked for the council, and had benefits which were unique to the public sector.  When we became their employers, we duplicated these job benefits in full.
This included the matching of existing pension rights, by working with a national provider which possess the required GAD certificate, to facilitate LGPF comparables.
The contractors also become responsible for any CRB clearances, holiday cover, sick cover, payroll, pensions, administration and HR- including disciplinary and grievance issues; every staffing issue becomes the contractor’s responsibility.

What services will I receive if I outsource my cleaning?
Usually, you will receive two different types of cleaning from your contractor.
The first is daily cleaning, which maintains the day-to-day appearance of the building.  When working with the schools, we provided cleaners in the mornings or afternoons depending on their requirements, during term time.
The second is deep-cleaning, which is more extensive work that takes me a bit longer.  This could be anything from stripping the floor, to kitchen extraction, window cleaning or external grounds maintenance.  Working with the schools, we found it best to do this in non-term time, but cleaning contractors will always work with you to find what is best for your company.

What if there was a service I needed that my contractor couldn’t supply?
If your contractor couldn’t provide something in-house, they can usually provide a sub-contract supplier for you, who you could deal with directly.  For example, none of our window cleaners are trained abseilers, but we work with companies who have them, who could provide some if they were needed.

Can it really be cost-effective to outsource to a private company?
When you consider all that outsourcing can include, you will find that it can truly be a cost-effective option for your company.  A way we cut the overall costs for the schools, was to look at some of the extra services that they were paying for, to see if we could provide them more cheaply.

For example, the schools were spending additional funds on paper products, such as toilet roll and paper towels, as well as soaps and hand creams.  We have access to these products, so we helped the schools make a saving by providing them at cost price.  We also assisted them with water management; by controlling the water tanks in the urinals, water costs can be reduced by 80%.  Finally, we helped the schools we were working with to cut down the costs of security.  The school was charged by the council each time the police were called to a break-in; I reduced the costs by using one of our security suppliers, who was available to visit the building after break-ins.

These little adjustments can be made within any public sector, and result in big savings overall, making outsourcing cleaning as cost-effective as it is high quality.

If you are interested in outsourcing your cleaning department, or would like to know more, Newlife Cleaning Systems welcome your enquiries.  You can visit www.newlifecleaning.com, telephone 0800 018 9099 or contact Barry Sleightholme in confidence on 07720 461 582.

• At least 5,000 patients die of complications due to infections they acquired  in hospitals each year.
• 9% of patients in UK hospitals pick up an infection that they did not have before they arrived.
• A hand contaminated with Influenza A virus will contaminate the next 7 surfaces it touches.

These terrifying facts summarise the prolific danger that hospital-acquired infections pose to the NHS and to their patients.  Every year, the NHS spends roughly one billion pounds in an attempt to clean hospitals, in order tp defeat these infections and lower the mortality rate they cause.  Many of these hospital-spread infections have become household names, including MRSA, E. coli, klebsiella pneumoniae which causes pneumonia and clostridium difficile which causes tetanus.  In more recent years, bird flu and swine flu have also threatened to infect British hospitals.

In recent years, evidence has been found that offers some hope; hospitals can stop the spread of these germs and infections through the use of  copper.

Roughly 80% of all infectious diseases are spread by touch; the contact of one surface with another.   In hospitals, certain surfaces are touched hundreds of times a day; push plates, door handles, bed rails, light switches, table tops and counters, dressing trolleys and soap, alcohol and paper towel dispensers are all heavily responsible for the spread of infection.  Research has proven that if these surfaces are replaced by copper, or high-copper alloys like brass, the spread of infectious germs in hospitals can be dramatically reduced.

Why it works
Copper prevents the spread of infectious germs because it is a natural antimicrobial; something which can kill or deactivate microbes.  The microbes that make up the harmful bacteria present on many hospital surfaces can stay alive and active for hours, days or even months if untreated.  If this surface is then touched, the active bacteria can spread, creating the potential for infection.  The antimicrobial quality of copper means that when the same dangerous bacteria lands on its surface, it cannot survive; a copper surfaces kills more than 99.9% of the bacteria that lands on it within two hours, and kills over 99% after repeated contamination.  Copper is proven to deactivate microbes which cause the most dangerous hospital-acquired infections, listed earlier, which once done will reduce their spread throughout the hospital.

Tried and tested
Using copper to fight against the spread of infection was first tested in laboratory research at the University of Southampton, where they tested MRSA’s survival rate on different surfaces.  The results showed that after just 90 minutes on copper, the MRSA bacteria was deactivated; a stark contrast to stainless steel, used in many hospitals, where the bacteria was unaffected.  A  clinical trial then followed in Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham, which discovered that replacing hospital surfaces that get touched every day with copper could reduce hospital-acquired infections by 90-100%.

The tried and tested concept has now started to work its way into hospitals.  St Francis Private Hospital in  County Westmeath in Ireland pioneered the idea, and was the first hospital in the world to change frequently-touched surfaces to copper-based substances.  The concept soon spread and in January 2011, French care home Centre Inter Générationnel Multi Accueil became the first in France to use copper in this way.

There is every argument for hospitals and care homes to replace regularly-touched surfaces with copper and high-copper alloys, as a preventative measure against the spread of disease.  Once installed, the copper fixtures will  quickly and endlessly kill dangerous bacteria, which will without a doubt reduce the spread of infection.  The cost of replacing he surfaces with copper may seem off-putting, but when the battle against hospital-spread infections is costing the NHS a billion pounds each year, this one-off payment is something worth investing in.

“We want residents and visitors to the borough to be able to enjoy their food safe in the knowledge that it has been produced, stored and prepared in a hygienic manner.”

This was spoken to the Government’s News Distribution Service after Mr Chitta R. Das, owner of frozen food company Euroversal International released a statement last week which assured the public that his produce was safe to consume. This came after his factory was exposed for being unhygienic earlier this month. The Food Standards Agency discovered a mouse infestation in the factory and traces of mouse droppings were found inside food packaging, on shelves and in the food itself. The company was charged with six food hygiene offences, fined £5,730 and had their ‘Mithaighar’ yoghurt product recalled.

In areas where food is prepared, packaged and distributed to the public, the hygiene and cleanliness of the building and the staff who work in it must be impeccable.  Any dangerous bacteria must be removed from all surfaces, even if they are not in direct contact with food; harmful bacteria can cause food-related illnesses such as salmonella, listeria and E. coli.

It is the responsibility of business directors who run food factories to adhere to constantly updated rules, regulations and legislations which are monitored by a number of official bodies.  Firstly, the Food Standards Agency, an independent Government department, was set up to monitor food production in the interest of the consumer’s health.  They set guidelines for food preparation, which they monitor and enforce frequently. The BRC, British Retail Consortium also sets a standardised level of hygiene that retailers expect from their suppliers.  They modify the rules frequently and a sixth edition of their regulations is due in 2012.

With all of these pressures on owners of food production factories, it can quickly become impossible for them to keep up. With so many other aspects of running a business to think about, the easiest way to make sure it is done properly, and with minimum fuss, is to get a cleaning contractor to do it for you.

Cleaning contractors are often highly experienced when it comes to working in industry. They are subject to stringent hygiene, safety and cleanliness regulations as part of their job; making it important for them to be knowledgeable in the latest food hygiene and cleanliness laws.

They will have specially-trained teams to set to work, who will be very experienced at working in industrial units.  The contractor will be responsible for staffing issues, including ensuring that staff are up to date will all legislations. The procurement of any specialist equipment and supplies will also become the responsibility of the contractor.

Another issue for owners of food production factories is the time constraints against them; to maximise the company’s productivity they need to be open for business for long periods of time. Some specialist cleaning processes require time and potentially an emptied factory, which could clash with production times. A cleaning contractor will fit in with the company’s schedule and requirements to make it as convenient as possible.

Alongside daily cleaning, there are some special services that a contract cleaning company can offer.  Firstly, there is high level cleaning, which requires experienced staff cleaning hard-to-reach areas, making every surface spotlessly clean. They will also be trained in machinery and process parts cleaning, an essential process that removes the residue of bacteria and it keeps the machines working efficiently; dirty machines break down which makes the factory lose money. Many insurers now also want ventilation and duct cleaning and testing to be undertaken by professional contractors, which they will also be able to help with.

Hiring a cleaning contractor to do your food factory cleaning can therefore ensure that the factory maintains the highest standards, will remove the stresses from a business owner and will undertake regular daily cleaning as well as specialist tasks.

If you would like to know how hiring a contract cleaner can help your business, Newlife Cleaning Systems welcome your enquires on 0800 018 9099, or visit www.newlifecleaning.com.