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Asset Skills is the Sector SkillsCouncil (SSC) for cleaningservices, facilities management,property services and housing. Itreceived its licence to operate asa Sector Skills Council inSeptember 2004. This wasgranted by the Secretary ofState for Education and Skills,Charles Clarke, in conjunctionwith the lifelong learningministers for Scotland, Walesand Northern Ireland.

As an SSC, Asset Skills is one of up to 25members of the Skills for Businessnetwork, a powerful grouping of SSCs setto influence skills, recruitment, education,training, and qualification policythroughout the United Kingdom in theyears to come.

Asset Skills is a company limited byguarantee and has a not for profit remit.In the Cleaning Industry its well knownfore-runner was CINTO, led by ChrisJames, now Asset Skills Director of SkillsResearch and Development. It iscontrolled by an employer led board ofmanagement, recruited from a crosssection of industry employers.

The Asset Skills “footprint”

Asset Skills started life in March 2003 as anew organisation formed from the former

National Training Organisations forcleaning (CINTO), property services(PSNTO) and housing (Housing PotentialUK). It was recognised from the outsetthat the discipline of facilitiesmanagement was a common thread.

The work of Asset Skills

Much of the work with which Asset Skillsis involved is across the whole sector. Wedeliver a network of Open Learningcourses, online learning, NationalOccupational Standards (which providethe platform for Cleaning NVQs andSVQs) to name a few of the initiatives withwhich we are involved. In addition to ourcross sector work, we also work onprojects specifically tailored to the needsof our sub-sectors.

Asset Skills is committed to having a BIGimpact on the training and educationagenda in the cleaning industry. We canonly do this with the recognition, supportand involvement of employers of all sizes,so get in touch and find out how we canhelp your business!

If you would like to know more aboutAsset Skills and how they can benefit yourbusiness, please contact Chris James at theNorthampton office of Asset Skills on01604 233 345, or e-mail him [email protected] Alternatively youcan visit our website atwww.assetskills.org

In the cleaning industry, thefollowing are two examples ofprojects Asset Skills arecurrently undertaking:

1. Asset Skills is currently reviewing theNational Occupational Standards forcleaning, which will enable candidates tomore easily progress from Level 1 to Level2 and provide candidates with genuinerecognition of their competencies. Work isongoing towards the revision of theassessment strategy for NVQs and SVQsrelating to the cleaning services industrywhich aims to make the process morecoherent.

2. CINTO and now Asset Skills is workinghard to develop the vital basic skillsagenda across all UK industry and willcontinue to work for support andrecognition for all entry level workers, notleast in the cleaning industry.

– an outline for the cleaning sectorby Steve Benton (Asset Skills)

Richard Beamish Chief Executive

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BCC newsletter Issue 13 v3 29/10/04 10:46 AM Page 4

A current argument existssupporting zero tolerance ofgraffiti. The message issimple, graffiti spreads andtherefore must be nipped inthe bud.

As the problem of graffiti continues toplague urban environments, morecouncils are finding improved ways ofdealing with it. The cure to the problemincludes the development ofenvironmentally friendly cleaningproducts to eradicate graffiti withoutcausing damage to historic or listedbuildings.

However, prevention is key. It’s vital topersuade writers who take part in thisillegal act that not only are they causing aholy mess but also the council taxpayer ispaying through the nose for the clean-up.BCC members are in agreement thatgraffiti needs to be cleaned up as soon aspossible before it breeds, to the detrimentof neighbourhoods.

One of the real issues facing those ingraffiti ridden areas is the fear ofcrime/violence and real crime leading toan overall feeling of social unrest. If graffitiand other anti-social by-products such aslitter are left to fester in suchcommunities, residents can feel like noone cares for them or their location.Surveys have shown that people are moreafraid of vandalism and graffiti in theirarea than they are about drunkenness,noise and even drug dealing.

Anti-graffiti organisations’ struggle isrendered even more difficult due to the

fact that its profile is raised through pro-graffiti websites and art galleries. There isa widely held belief by some that graffiti iscool, something that brightens up thebleak urban landscape.

BCC supports its members’ ongoingcampaigns to tackle graffiti. It is thescourge of building exteriors, walls andpublic transport, particularly trains andthe London Underground.

The Building Cleanability Awards,organised by the BCC member,Worshipful Company of EnvironmentalCleaners takes this issue intoconsideration. Not only does this schemeencourage architects to review the designof a building (with cleaning in mind) butit also takes in to regard the fact thatbuilding exteriors require graffiti resistantmaterials.

Indeed, the British Institute of CleaningScience (BICSc) organised David BellamyAward encourages children to keep theenvironment clean and tidy.

Graffiti is considered an art form in manycamps, so it is difficult to change people’sperceptions. Indeed, its darker forms takeshape in racist and paramilitary (especiallyin Northern Ireland) etchings on manycity walls. Graffiti is often linked to gangs,particularly in the US where perpetratorsare deemed violent.

Prosecutions against graffiti writers are onthe up. Successful campaigns to crackdown on problem writers includemonitoring of “tagging”. Tagging is asignature that a writer leaves to mark theirwork. There are increasing numbers ofcouncil initiatives to engage with taggers

and redirect their creative energieselsewhere. When this is unsuccessful itusually leads to prosecution. Withincreasing education and enforcement,UK councils are becoming betterequipped to wipe out this problem.

What do you think? Do you believe thatzero tolerance is the way forward? Or doyou agree with the provision of graffitiwalls? Please respond to EibhlinO’Somachain at [email protected]

Graffiti Crackdown

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AA NNeewwsslleetttteerr ffrroomm tthhee BBrriittiisshh CClleeaanniinngg CCoouunncciill ((BBCCCC)) -- TThhee VVooiiccee ooff tthhee CClleeaanniinngg IInndduussttrryy AAuuttuummnn 0099 Issue 31

Contents: 2 Chairmans Comment 3 Ladder Exchange 4 BTA Launch New Campaign 5 Tidy Wales Week 6 Asset Skills Relicensed 7 Studentification 8 Round Up

Well folks, that exciting time hasreached us again. The Top 10finalists for Britain’s Cleanest City,2005, have been announced. Thecompetition finale will be takingplace at the Cleaning Show at theBirmingham NEC on 1st March,2005.

The potential winners of the coveted cleanthrone of 2005 are Birmingham, Bristol,Cambridge, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Ely, London,Manchester, Truro and Westminster.

All of the UK’s cities will be invited to attend thisglittering ceremony where city centre chiefs willreceive the prestigious accolade for keepingtheir city clean and tidy.

This biennial competition dates back to 1988.The winners from past to the present areCanterbury, Plymouth, Aberdeen, Rochesterupon Medway, Birmingham, Chester, City ofLondon and most recently Westminster. Withthree past winners in this year’s line-up, theseven other finalists will be especially battling itout to put their name on next year’s plaque.

The Cleanest City judges, who have a wealth ofexperience in the industry, will be taking to the

streets again between now and the final inMarch.

Ruth Drysdale, Chief Judge, reliably informedthe British Cleaning Council’s ‘Why are CleanCities Important?’ conference attendees that inorder for a city to win it must have ‘sparkle’.Both Ruth and Matthew Bird, BCC judge, havefound that with litter an attitude of ‘not myproblem’ often exists.

Ruth reassured the conference audience of localauthority figures that she was pleased toobserve cleaning personnel on the job in auniform. Seeing council workers at work givesthe judges a sense that if something isn’t clean,someone is on the way to clean it up. Peter Bird, Head of the Judging Panel, claims

that they not only consider urban streets butpublic buildings; visitor attractions; railway/busstations; shopping centres and market places.Peter warns all those Top 10 cities that “nostone will be left unturned”.

So for all the keen finalists looking to getrecognised in this competition, it would beadvisable to manage litter hotspots includingthose full of graffiti, chewing gum, trade waste,cigarette butts and takeaway scraps.Remember, a clean city is a prosperous one, doyou want your city to be left behind?

A Newsletter from the British Cleaning Council - The Voice of the Cleaning Industry Winter 2004/5 issue 13

Let’s Shine

Could the City of London regain the title?

Brian Cole

It was with sadness that the BCC learnt ofthe death of former Chairman, Brian Cole,on Friday 9th July, 2004. Brian spent hisfinal days in the Garden House Hospicenear his home in Letchworth.

He worked hard to campaign for membersof the industry and his efforts wereinstrumental in raising the profile of theunrecognised heroes in the cleaning world.During his role as Chairman he promotedindustry improvements and standards.

Brian had been ill for the 14 months priorto his death, but he continued to make aneffort to attend several industry events. Heplayed a large part in the BuildingCleanability Awards and was a Past MasterEmeritus of the Worshipful Company ofEnvironmental Cleaners.

Brian will be remembered fondly as a well-known, popular and respected individual.BCC Chairman Paul Pearce said:

“This is a great loss for the Cole family andfor all of Brian’s colleagues at BCC. Brianwas a good man who will be sorelymissed.”

Contents: Opinion 2 Graffiti 3 Asset Skills 4 ENCAMS 5 Building Cleanability 6 BCIC 7 News 8

BIRMINGHAM • BRISTOL • CAMBRIDGE • CARDIFF EDINBURGH • ELY • LONDON • MANCHESTERTRURO • WESTMINSTER

Could Ely beat the big contenders?

BCC newsletter Issue 13 v3 29/10/04 10:39 AM

British Cleaning Council member KeepBritain Tidy has revealed its latest weaponon the war on litter – Kirstie Allsopp.

Following advertisements in the nationalpress over the summer, Keep Britain Tidysearched the world of celebrities to findsomeone “fabulous, famous and inspira-tional” to lead their fight on litter and fol-low in the footsteps of The QueenMother, Abba, Frank Bruno andMorecambe and Wise.

After a personal application by the star ofchannel 4’s Location, Location, Locationby telephone their mind was made up.Dickie Felton from Keep Britain Tidy said :"Kirstie phoned Keep Britain Tidy person-ally to put herself forward for the job. Itcame across at an early stage how pas-sionate Kirstie is about tackling litter. Sheis an ideal ambassador for us and will helpus raise the profile of litter campaigning.She will act as the face of Keep Britain Tidyand promote our messages and cam-paigns”

Kirstie added: “I am a supporter of KeepBritain Tidy and passionate about promot-ing the anti-litter message so I didn’t thinktwice about applying for the ambassadorrole! I believe the act of dropping litter isas detrimental to society as it is to theenvironment, which is why campaigning,and educating on the issue is so important– and I am looking forward to gettinginvolved in the campaigns”

During her two year term Kirstie will act asthe “face” of England’s anti-litter move-ment and help promote all of their anti-lit-ter campaigns, the first coming in theform of the Big Tidy Up Campaign. In aplea to locals to get to grips with theproblem of litter in their area, Keep BritainTidy have set themselves the lofty targetof doubling the 40,000 bags of rubbishcollected last year.

In other news, the charity has launched anew website to coincide with their returnto the Keep Britain Tidy moniker after 8years as ENCAMS. You can demonstrateyour support for their work by registeringonline, where you will receive a free lapelbadge. They have also embraced the newmedia zeitgeist with twitter and facebookpages now operational, links to which areavailable from their website. www.keepbritaintidy.org

Cross Party Supportfor BTA’s CauseWhether viewed as a symbol ofmunicipal pride, a source of hygienehorror, a welcome break or anunnecessary blot on the landscape,the topic of public toilets has alwaysprovoked strong feelings. Althoughthe topic has slid from the public’sgaze a little in recent times, itrecently returned into view thanksto Liberal Democrat MP Tim Farron’sadoption of the cause.

Earlier in the summer the MP forWestmorland and Lonsdale tabledan early day motion requestinggovernment aid to maintain lavato-ries in public places; ‘the decline inthe number of public toilets in ruralareas is the result of the governmentpassing the buck. Groups such asthe elderly, those with young chil-dren and people with disabilities areparticularly badly hit. The govern-ment needs to act to address this’. You may well ask, what is the differ-ence this time around? In a speechto the British Toilet Association in2006 Phil Woolas the then ministerfor local government relayed anidentical message when he calledfor ‘a cultural change in the way wethink about this very importantissue; sanitation is dignity’. Sincethen the decline in public conven-iences has continued at an alarmingrate, decreasing from a onetimehigh of 15,000 to the 5,500 ofrecent estimates. These numberspeaked during what is now consid-ered to be the heyday of the publiclavatory in the 19th Century, whenit was seen as a key component ofpublic health and often used as aplatform for the most innovativearchitectural work of the day. SteveWright, Chairman of the BritishCleaning Council, recalled that 'fordecades the provision of goodmunicipal facilities was a matter ofconsiderable civic pride, but formany years we seem to have gonebackwards. We need to reverse thisdecline.”

Continues on Page 6.

Keep Britain Tidyunveils Kirstie Allsoppas new ambassador

THE VOICE autumn 09:THE VOICE october 30/9/09 13:14 Page 2
















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CChhaaiirrmmaann’’ss CCoommmmeenntt

Steve Wright

Anybody who has spent an afternoonwatching daytime television will befamiliar with the advertisementsoffering “no win, no fee” legal servic-es to anyone involved in an accident.One of the possible consequences ofsuch cases is that employers may facelegal action.

Accidents involving slips and falls areall-too-common in the workplace,but simple measures often prove tobe the most effective. Every yearapproximately 11,000 people sufferserious injury as a result of a slip ortrip in the workplace, and simple pre-ventive measures can be taken tominimise the risk.

• A risk assessment is important.Check whether spillage controls arein place and that staff are correctlytrained to remove obstructions fromfloors and dispose of rubbish.

• Encourage all employees to ensuretheir work area is kept as tidy aspossible and make them responsible

rather than leaving it to somebodyelse.

• Introduce measures that preventcontamination from spreading intoother areas.

• Investigate improving the qualityand positioning of lighting and additional signs where possible. Ifworkers are unable to spot hazardoussituations, the risk of an accidentincreases.

• Weather can also prove to be a bigfactor in creating possible slip andtrip conditions — wet floors wherepeople walk through or warehouseswhere vehicles may carry water ontothe floor.

• The condition of the floors isextremely important: holes, unevenfloors, loose carpets, and unmarkedchanges in floor levels all contributeto the risk.

• Changing the type of floor surface

Hello and welcome to the autumn edition of TheVoice. The browning of the leaves usually signals thebeginnings of what is historically the most accident-prone season; it was only 12 months ago that wesaw the beginnings of a banking-collapse whichpushed the global economy to the brink of theabyss.

I think it is safe to say that it is unlikely we willwitness such a seminal moment this time around, asthere is very little evidence of the gathering stormthat tends to precede such a catastrophe. In fact, atthe time of writing it appears that the British economy will officially depart from recession in thefourth quarter, with growth expected to be around0.5 percent, mirroring encouraging figures comingfrom both the Eurozone and America. While we areweary of the ‘‘false-dawns’’ that plagued the downturn in the nineties, where fillips of growthwere followed by even bigger declines, I am sure wewill all be thankful for any positive news from theeconomic pages and hope that it continues.

So we move gingerly into the final quarter withplenty of activity from our members. This edition ispacked with news from all of our members, which isa reflection of their hard work and efforts to keepthe industry moving forward in these difficult times.Asset Skills have announced that they have been

officially relicensed as one of the 4 sector skillscouncil’s, which will allow them to continue theirwork in improving skill levels amongst employees.The BTA has managed to garner cross party supportin their campaigning to raise the quality andavailability of public toilets around the UK, as well asrecently launching their new campaign ‘Where CanI Go’ at their annual Conference. There is someunwelcome news from the private sector, where amajor retailer has announced cutbacks to itsprofessional cleaning budget.

Keep Wales Tidy launched another of their annual‘Tidy Wales Week’ at the end of September to agreat response from the public and politicians, whileBICSc and Asset Skills announced a new cleaningqualification alongside the University ofNorthampton. Finally, the BCC, CSSA and CHSA allreleased news on their charity and community activities, as they improve our industries relationshipwith the wider community.

These examples are just a taster of what has beengoing on since our last edition, please check ourmembers websites for further information on all oftheir work.

Enjoy the read, Best Wishes,

Steve WrightChairman

Advice on avoiding gettingsued over health and safety issues

to improve grip, and reduce slips, isimportant when eliminating the risks.Footwear plays an important part inpreventing slips and trips and it’sessential that people consider theenvironment they'll be working inwhen purchasing footwear. Whereflooring can't be kept dry or clean, itmay be appropriate to purchase slipresistant footwear.

The Health and Safety Laboratory(HSL) carries out research onfootwear testing for HSE. The resultsare available on HSE's website(www.hse.gov.uk/slips/research/footwear.htm) and can help when considering what type of footwearwill be appropriate for different workenvironments".

















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Despite a sustained long term reduction,falls from height remains the most commontype of fatal injury. In 2007/08, a total of 58workers died and over 3600 employees suf-fered major injury as a result of a fall fromheight in the workplace. Many of these inci-dents could be avoided by using the right

Reality TV Star supports Ladder Exchange

Initiativeequipment and taking simple precautions.

To help promote the initiative this year theHSE have used the same award winningimagery on our Ladder Exchange posterand postcard that makes the ShatteredLives messages so memorable, which arefree to download from their website. HSE isworking in close partnership with industryto ensure that anyone who needs to use aladder uses the right equipment for the joband uses it safely.

In addition, the Federation of WindowCleaners is introducing an awareness cam-paign on the benefits of the HSE LadderExchange Initiative 2009 to its members, aspart of its ongoing and long standing com-mitment to working in partnership withHSE. Through the FWC Ladder training andindirectly within the Impact43 Group Cityand Guilds NVQ Level 2 Certification, hun-dreds of window cleaners are now beingeducated and trained to correctly select,inspect, and or replace the correct type ofladder.

FWC Chairman Bryan Dolby commented:“The ladder remains an important part ofany window cleaners equipment whenused safely. The Initiative runs until 31stDecember 2009 will allow anyone with abroken, damaged or bent ladder to partexchange it for a new one with discounts ofup to 50%. This has to be an ideal opportu-nity to replace and remove damaged orbroken ladders.”

Philip Malpass appointedDirector General of the UKCPIThe UK Cleaning Products Industry Association have appointedPhilip Malpass as its new Director General. He takes over the

role from Dr Andy Williams who isretiring after eight years in therole.

Malpass previously held the postof Vice President ofCommunications for the drinksgiant, Constellation Europe. From1997 to 2005 he heldsenior external relations positionsin other alcoholic beverage sector companies including Bass,Inbev and Interbrew NV inBelgium.

His earlier experience spans a variety of senior communicationspositions in the pharmaceuticals and chemicals sector, workingfor Rhone-Poulenc (Sanofi) and RTZ Chemicals (Rhodia). Philipstudied marine biology and has an MSc in environmental chemistry and was for four years a lecturer and post graduatetutor specialising in environmental toxicology.

Philip Malpass

New identity for CIWMEnvironmental Body better reflectstheir strengthsThe environmental body CIWM (EB) has announced a change ofname to ‘CIWM Research and Project Management (RPM)’ tobetter reflects its remit, activities and objectives.

“With the demise of funding for waste-related research underthe Landfill Tax Credit Scheme and the replacement LandfillCommunities Fund, it was only natural for the organisation tomove on,” explains its chairman Oswald A Dodds MBE. “Ourskills have been in managing complex projects, often with amultitude of stakeholders, so the new name better reflects ouractivity and objectives and builds on the reputation we haveearned for the delivery of major programmes on time and onbudget.

We would be happy to hear from public or private organisationsin the wastes and resources sector requiring the dedication ofskilled professionals to the efficient management of research anddevelopment projects or external consultancies.”

BIG Brother star Craig Phillips has stepped upto offer his support to a new safety cam-paign.

The builder, who won the first series of theTV reality show, is backing the Health andSafety Executive’s (HSE) ladder safety cam-paign for 2009.

The campaign centres around a ladderexchange, which gives everyone the chanceto get rid of old, damaged and broken lad-ders and trade them for new ones.

More than 5,000 ladders were exchangedunder the scheme since it was launched in2007.

Craig said: “To be a winner in the construc-tion industry, you have to take health andsafety seriously. If you take a chance withdodgy ladders, you are risking your life.Every month more than 10 people fall off aladder at work and suffer serious injuries. Somany of these accidents are avoidable andhaving safe equipment makes a huge differ-ence.I hope companies not just here, but inevery city and town in the UK, will be able totrade in old ladders.”

Left to right Don Aers, The LadderAssociation, Craig Phillips, Peter Brown,HSE

















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“The position of cleaning workers is protected by TUPE when a cleaning contract transfers, including if it isbrought in house. I will be seeking confirmation from WH Smith that TUPEwas correctly applied in this case and thatcleaners were not made redundant whenthey should have been employed by WHSmith.”

“The use of a professional contract cleaning company is the best guaranteefor retail outlets to make sure that theirpremises are clean and also hygienic forstaff and customers. By asking shopworkers to clean stores, WH Smith isdepriving itself of the skills and expertiseof cleaning professionals. There is noguarantee that the shop workers willhave the necessary skills or training to be

WH Smith RejectsProfessional Cleaning

able to maintain the stores to a satisfactory standard.

The most effective way for organizationsto acquire the proper general infectioncontrol practices and hygiene measuresnecessary to reduce transmission of theswine flu virus is through the knowledgeand experience of cleaning professionals.As many thousands of us leaf throughmagazines in WH Smith every day, forWH Smith to be cutting back on thisinvaluable resource at this critical time isboth dangerous and irresponsible, fortheir staff and their customers.”

When asked to respond to these concernsa WH Smith spokesperson said: "It is ourcompany policy not to comment onstaffing matters.”

Despite opposition from staff and thecleaning firms under contract with theretail chain WH Smith has instructed staffthat they will now be responsible forsweeping floors and cleaning stores aspart of their general duties. The strategy,implemented over the Summer in an efficiency drive, has meant that professional cleaners that were once usedevery day by the firms at their 1,000stores across the UK have been reducedto once a week, with staff required tosweep floors and clean stores instead.

Speaking on behalf of the CSSA and BCC,Andrew Large said that these measureswere potentially unlawful and wouldundermine the drive for good hygiene ata time when this was of utmost importance.

BTA Annual Conference Launches New Campaign

The annual British Toilet Association Conference and AGM were held atthe Stratford Hotel in Stratford upon Avon on the 16th September 2009.Opening the Conference, Mike Bone, BTA Director, provided anoverview of the BTA’s political campaign. He also updated theConference with details of BTA Activity throughout the preceding year.

Nickie Brander, Campaigns Organiser for ERIC, updated the Conferenceon the issues that the Bog Standard Campaign, promoting better toiletsfor pupils continues to face. Mike Burton then provided an outline of theAlbany Healthy Schools programme to be launched on 15th October.Albany will be delivering a Hygiene Education Programme into schoolswhich includes Albany Max, an animated character who, through hisroadshow, will visit assemblies to teach children how to wash and drytheir hands.

Next it was the opportunity for Dave Flanagan of Total Hygiene toexplain how correct equipment installed in Changing Places Toilets areimproving the lives of less able people and their carers, particularly those with severe and multiple learning difficulties. Dave explained how varying degrees of disability requiredflexible facilities and how the Clos-o-Mat range of height adjustableequipment can meet all needs. This includes height-adjustable washhand basins, changing tables and shower seats, ceiling tracking hoistsand Clos-o-Mat automatic wash and dry bidet toilets.

Earlier this year, Section 87 (3) (c) of the Public Health Act 1936 wasamended to allow local authorities to charge for use of all public con-veniences, including urinals. In the next session ‘How to charge for theuse of publicly accessible toilets’ Andy Brown, Managing Director of

Willings Services, explained some reasons for charging, provided a briefoverview of the legislation and standards that apply to toilets/buildingcontrol, presented an overview of payment systems, and access controlbarriers. Examples of these systems were also on display and delegateshad the opportunity to familiarise themselves with them

Finally, the BTA ‘Where can I go?’ Campaign was presented andlaunched to delegates. The Campaign recognises the need for BTA tochange focus from a ‘top down’ approach -directedprimarily at Central Government, to a ‘bottom up’ approach’ – directedprimarily at local government – (and commercial providers) the actualsource and the authority responsible for provision of publicly accessibletoilets.

The campaign is a response to the realisation that a ‘call to action’ isneeded with the support of other associations and organisations thatwill add more than the sum of the constituent parts to the force of anew campaign. The result is a campaign that they believe will changeattitudes to meeting a basic human need – provision of clean, hygienic,safe and publicly accessible toilets that are available where and whenneeded for all types of users. The campaign considers the needs of alltypes of toilet users who all need somewhere to go: the old, those withspecial needs, babies and children, women, visitors to the UK and thosewith anxieties about using public toilets.

For further information on this campaign, please see the BTA’s website:www.britloos.co.uk

‘WHERE CAN I GO?’ CAMPAIGNwww.britloos.co.uk

















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Communities Unite for Tidy Wales Week

Keep Wales Tidy organised a seven daynationwide clean-up campaign, Tidy WalesWeek, which ran from September 21-27th.Environment Minister Jane Davidson kickedoff the initiative by riding her bike and trail-er along Cardiff Bay waterfront and invitingvolunteer litter pickers to fill her trailer withcollected rubbish.

Taking the lead from the Minister, theWelsh Assembly staff based in Cathay’s Parkgave up their lunch break to remove graffiti and litter from nearby locations.They were followed by members of theOspreys rugby team and the local

lifeguards who supported the campaign by giving up their Sundaymorning lie in to remove seabourne litter from the award-winningAberavon beach.

The number of people estimated to have taken part in activities wasa record 50,000 with over 1,200 events taking place across Wales.

Environment Minister Jane Davidson said: "It was fantastic to seethousands of volunteers taking part in this year’s Tidy Wales Week anddoing their part for their communities. It is the responsibility of all ofus to tackle litter and make sure all parts of Wales remain beautiful.The sight of litter blighting our streets and countryside is notsomeone else’s problem, but all of ours. Unless we decide to makea difference then nothing will change.”

Environment MinisterJane Davidson

University of Northampton joins with BICSc and Asset SkillsThe University of Northampton, in association with the BritishInstitute of Cleaning Science (BICSc) and Asset Skills, is now offer-ing organisations in the Cleaning and Allied Industries innovativemanagement development opportunities. These include:Certificate in Cleaning Enterprise & Law covering:

• Quantification, Enterprise and Marketing

• Managing Legal Issues

• Environmental LegislationCertificate in Infection Control covering:

• Cleaning Science

• Hygiene & Health

• Biological and Other Hazards in the Cleaning Industry

Each certificate can be completed in one year of part time studyvia distance learning.To find out more, please contact Louise Maxwell by calling01604 892380 or emailing [email protected], contact Suzanne Moen on 01604 678710 or [email protected]

The Government has announced funding for facilities management apprentices for the NHS as the new apprenticeshipin FM has been officially approved. The finance is part of a £25 million package to more than treble the number ofapprenticeships in non clinical roles such as estates and facilities management.

NHS organisations will receive the money to create 5,000 new apprenticeships by March 2010. The funding forms partof the Prime Minister’s commitment made in February to increase the number of apprenticeships by 21,000 across thepublic sector.

Health Secretary Andy Burnham said: 'We are totally committed to being able to provide apprenticeship opportunities for young people. Our ambitious programme to more than treble the number ofapprentices will create over 5,000 new apprenticeships in the NHS.'

'Apprenticeships are an excellent way of giving young people the chance to learn life changing skills and offer a genuineopportunity to train clinical staff.'

Richard Beamish, Chief Executive of Asset Skills added: “FM plays such a crucial role across the NHS and the widerpublic sector and it is only right that this is recognised through investment in skills training. This funding announcementcould not have come at a better time with the brand new FM apprenticeship having just received formal approval.”

“Facilities management now has its first dedicated apprenticeship programme,” said Beamish. “This is an enormous stepforward for the industry and will help raise skills levels right across the board.”

The new apprenticeship comprises an NVQ in FM, a level 3 technical certificate and key skillstraining. There is also theflexibility to take either the NVQ or the technical award as stand-alone qualifications depending on individualcircumstances and experience. It will provide an excellent starting point for anyone wanting to enter or develop a careerin facilities management.

NHS apprenticeships to boost jobs for young people

Andy Burnham Health Secretary

The Chartered Institute of EnvironmentalHealth has announced the Level 2 Awards inFood Safety will replace the FoundationCertificate in Food Hygiene. Aimed at anyoneworking in a catering environment where foodis prepared, cooked and handled, this newqualification provides fundamental foodhygiene knowledge for food handlers and isdesigned to address the specific food safetyneeds of the catering sector.

Successful completion of this course will enablecandidates to understand:

• The laws that apply to food businesses and food handlers

• The concepts of food hazards • The importance of utilising appropriate storage conditions for different types of food

• The importance of high standards of cleaningin food premises to promote good hygiene

More information can be found athttp://www.cieh.org/training.html

The CEIH announce new Food Safety Awards

















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Cross Party Supportfor BTA’s CauseSome London Boroughs demonstrate thetangible advantages of maintaining public facilities. A review of services provided by Westminster Councilrevealed to me the council's 40-plus public toilet facilities serve more than 10million visitors annually. Additionally, theirnight-time pop-up urinals are preventingthe corrosive and unhygienic problem ofstreet-urination, reducing the cost ofmaintenance and repair and easing thetask of street cleaners. The 'SatLav' initiative, text-messaged directions to thenearest toilet in Westminster available onrequest, has received encouraging numbers of visitors since its launch andhas been marked as good practice by thegovernment. Their alleviation of the curseof "bladder leash” – the constraint on thedistances and duration people can travelbecause of the lack of toilets, is undoubtedly reflected in visitor numbersto the borough.

Perhaps the most practical and popular ofthe solutions to this problem is theCommunity Toilet Scheme, where localbusinesses such as shops, pubs and barsare paid to let the public use their facilitieswith the aim of removing the feelings ofguilt one often feels when a visit to aprivate lavatory comes unaccompaniedby a purchase. Mike Bone, Director of theBritish Toilet Association, said that ‘theCommunity Toilet Scheme means thatLocal Authorities can plan and implementimproved provision, without reducing thenumber of toilets available to the public’.He adds that the British Toilet Associationprovides advice and management support to businesses as part of a publictoilet provision strategy.

Although the British Labour Governmentand Boris Johnson endorsed theCommunity Toilet Schemes to be spreadout across London in August 2008,uptake amongst Local Authorities hasbeen sporadic and inconsistent. Add TimFarrons sentiments and it appears that theprovision for better toilets is one of thoserare areas of political consensus; makingthe apparent deadlock surrounding theservice a source of exasperation to thosewho need it most.

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Asset SkillsRelicensing Success

Asset Skills, one of the four Sector Skills Councils, has been suc-cessful in its bid to be relicensed, the Secretary of State forBusiness, Innovation and Skills Lord Mandelson has announced.After receiving an overall performance rating of “good” for itswork within facilities management, housing, property, planning,cleaning and parking industries, the Government formally rati-fied therecommendation that they should continue their work.

Lord Mandelson said: “The four SSCs relicensed have shownthat they are of the highest calibre and are providing a goodservice to employers in their sector. The comprehensive assess-ment process all SSCs undergo as part of the relicensing process

will assist in raising standards even further, and ensure that SSCs have the confidenceand support of employers in their sector.”

Richard Beamish, Chief Executive of Asset Skills, said: “We are delighted to have beensuccessful in our relicensing application. The process has taken more than ninemonths and has been a comprehensive evaluation of our progress. Businesses in oursector are undergoing huge change. The recession has created additional demandfor social housing and for staff with the right skills. And environmental regulationsare changing the skills requirements for facilities managers, cleaning operatives andpeople working in property. We are delighted that our new licence will mean we cancontinue important work in these areas.”

Richard Beamish,Chief Executive ofAsset Skills

ICMMA fights for vacuum cleaner standardsVacuum cleaners carry a risk of causing explosions in explosiveatmospheres, due to sparks that can be created in both the motor, andwithin the hose itself. Because of this and other risks there is a EuropeanDirective that sets out what types of electrical equipment, including vacuum cleaners, can be used in certain explosive atmospheres. In theUK this Directive is enforced by the HSE, which has produced acategorization system is called ATEX to clarify this.

Unfortunately, as currently written, the guidance implies that small craftbakeries do not need an ATEX vacuum cleaner, by virtue of their sizealone. This overlooks the risk of dust explosions caused by flour and hasgiven rise to confusion in the market place. Moreover, equipmentsuppliers run the risk of being charged with not supplying the correctwork equipment, if they knowingly supply a non-ATEX vacuum cleanerfor work in a potentially explosive atmosphere.

ICMMA has already raised this issue with the HSE and we will belooking to redraft the relevant parts of the guidance so that it is clearthat the risk of explosion is the sole criteria in determining the vacuumcleaner to be used.


CIEH label ‘Studentification’ amajor problem in some areas ofBritain

The Chartered Institute of EnvironmentalHealth has called on the government to clar-ify local authority planning laws in order toprevent too many houses in multiple occu-pation (HMO’s) being set up in one area.

The comments are made in response to aDepartment for Communities and LocalGovernment consultation on HMO’s, amidconcerns that some towns and cities werebeing blighted by ‘studentification’. A dis-proportionately high number of students inurban areas can lead to an increase in anti-social behaviour, damage to public propertyand litter during term-time, causing greatstrains on public councils and local authori-ties.

In its response the CIEH criticised the consul-tation for its narrow focus on student hous-ing rather than the wider problem of HMOproliferation.

CIEH Principal Policy Officer Andrew Griffithssaid: “Studentification is very clearly a majorproblem, but only in a few areas. The mosteffective solution would be to require plan-ning consent when a house ceases to beused for single family occupation and to seta clearer HMO definition.”

Based on research carried out by specialistconsultants ECOTEC, the government hasput forward three options to curb HMOs.These include encouraging higher educationinstitutions to work more closely with land-lords, amending planning regulations toallow councils to refuse applications to
















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New Press Officer at the BCCThis summer saw the departure of theBritish Cleaning Council’s PressOfficer Eibhlin O’Somachain to set upher own PR and marketing consultan-cy firm, followed by the appointmentof Peter Carrol as her replacement.

Peter, whose background is in mar-keting and journalism, will be contin-uing Eibhlin’s work of maintainingand growing the BCC’s media profileas well as creating a comprehensiveinformation archive for the industryand a manifesto for the British

From left: Andrew Large, Linda Casey, Martin Rogers and Peter Carrol

Cleaning Council.

Peter can be contacted by email [email protected]

shared housing with more than three resi-dents and granting powers to prevent prop-erties converting to HMOs.

But opponents say the powers would affectmigrant workers and young professionals aswell as students and will effectively dictatewhere people can live based on theirincome.

In response, the National Union of Studentshas announced its objections to the pro-posed licensing legislation stating that itwould reduce the number of lowest priceaccommodation affordable to students andimpinge on students’ free choice of where tolive. Wes Streeting, president of the NationalUnion of Students (NUS) added: “It isextremely foolish to propose that we dis-place all of these people in the middle of ahousing crisis”.

Liz Peace, chief executive of the BritishProperty Federation (BPF), said: “You can’tuse the planning system for social engineer-ing or to tackle anti-social behaviour.

“Only a tiny fraction of places suffer fromhigh concentrations of HMOs and using abroad brush approach to deal with theissues relating to anti-social behaviour makesno sense.”

BACHE Conference 2009BACHE hosted their Annual Conferenceover the Summer at the Institute ofEducation in London. The theme wasEmployee Engagement, with a mixture ofspeaker presentations and workshops along with a trade exhibition. Delegates were engaged bysome excellent and informative speakers; Martin Goodyer spoke on effec-tive change management and HilaryCrook, Partner of Hatch Legal, made anentertaining legal speech.

The workshops were run on variety oftopics including legal issues in Halls ofResidences, multi-tasking Facilities Staff,new cleaning techniques, recycling, managing staff sickness, moti-vating staff, and enhancing the StudentExperience, all of whichprovided some excellent professionaldevelopment for BACHE members.

Next years conference will be at KeeleUniversity 15-17 June 2010 and is opento non-members. For details please visitthe BACHE website at www.bache.org.uk

IoE, London, host to the BACHE 2009Conference

First successes in public sectorNVQ for Hampshire hospital

A 78-year-oldman is provingage is no barrierto learning, hav-ing undergonehis first ever qual-ification. HarryRacey-Brighty is a cleaner atLymington New

Forest Hospital in Hampshire and studied foran NVQ in Customer Service as part of a newscheme.

The programme aims to raise skills in public

services through the Public Service SkillsFramework (PSSF) following research thatshowed a lack of customer service in the public sector.

A total of 53 hospital workers employed byfacilities services group OCS were awarded alevel 2 NVQ in Customer Service which included teamwork, Health and Safety, andequality and diversity.

The PSSF equips staff with skills over and abovethose needed for their basic role to helpimprove their job prospects and give increasedmotivation and improved morale.For many of the staff this is their first nationally accredited qualification and OCS hasbeen keen to support this pilot scheme.

Harry Racey-Brighty with hisNVQ certificate


Golden Service Awards Ceremony,Friday 30 October 2009All 15 winners of the Golden ServiceAwards 2009 will be announced at theprestigious awards ceremony at the RoyalLancaster Hotel in London on Friday 30October 2009.

There is still time to reserve your tickets.Please contact the Golden Service Awardsorganisers by telephone on 08000 192422 or e-mail [email protected]

NCCA Spot and Stain RemovalSpot and stain removal requires a higherdegree of skill and knowledge thanalmost any other process undertaken bythe professional carpet cleaner.

On 23rd October 2009 the NationalCarpet Cleaners Association are holdinganother of the Spot and Stain schools atthe NSPCC Training Centre, BeaumontLeys, Leicestershire. During training thecourse delegates will be taught how toidentify a stain, what specific things tolook out for and how to advise the clientprior to carrying out any work.

The idea of the school is to assist in under-standing the item/s being worked on,identify the stain and establish the chem-ical solution to be applied. It will alsoteach how to determine the expectedresults, not forgetting that completeremoval of a stain should never be guar-anteed.

The course is open to both members andnon-members. For further informationplease contact the National CarpetCleaners Association on: 0116 271 9550,or [email protected]

BACS Hosting SustainableIngredients Meeting

The British Association for ChemicalSpecialities (BACS) are due to hold aSpeciality Surfactants Group meeting on3 December 2009 at Bredbury Hall,Stockport, Cheshire.

Sustainability is high on the politicalagenda, both nationally and at EU level,through various SCP (SustainableConsumption and Production) initiativeswhich encompass the whole chemicalsupply chain, while also becoming a pow-erful marketing tool for ingredient suppli-ers, formulators and retailers alike. Thecleaning and maintenance sector hasembraced the concept of sustainabilityfor many years and many renewable rawmaterials are used in part to produce sur-factants and other ingredients.

This meeting intends to offer a choice ofingredients to formulators of cleaningproducts whereby they may have furtheroptions to develop ‘greener’, more sus-tainable formulations.

Details of the full programme, a bookingform and directions to the venue areavailable from the BACS office([email protected] / T: 01423700249 - Jackie Hall).

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NEWS ROUND-UPCHSA Educational ScholarshipProgrammeNow in its tenth year the CHSAEducational Scholarship Programme con-tinues to forge strong links between thecleaning industry and education.

Employees of all CHSA member compa-nies are eligible to apply for a bursary ofup to £3,000 as a contribution to theirhigher education fees.

After a rigorous selection process includ-ing interviews at Coventry University, withan independent panel comprising repre-sentatives of both industry and education,Pollyanna Cotterill has been selected forthis year's award.

CSSA continues its philanthropic activitiesDoug Cooke, CSSA Chairman, presentingDeepa Korea of the London Centre forChildren with Cerebral Palsy with thecheque for £2000 following the CSSAAnnual Lunch Raffle.

The British Cleaning Councilshows its support for McMillanCancer Support

The British Cleaning Council donated£650 to MacMillan Cancer Support afterparticipating in a sponsored scrubberdryer obstacle race.

DIARY DATESABCD Host Netshop DayThe Association of Building CleaningService Providers has announced thatthey will be hosting another Netshop Dayat Haigh Hall in Wigan on Thursday 15October 2009. The purpose of this eventis to allow cleaners to network and meetcolleagues who do the same work asthem, as well as picking up some tipsfrom industry experts at the workshops.

There will be a welcome and introductionfrom Ken Baxter, ABCD chairman andpresentations on ISA and its implications,machine maintenance, body fluids andspillages, pandemics, and marketing.More information can be found on theirwebsite www.abcdsp.org.uk

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BCC Members After the Race

The BCC welcomes articles for publication.Please forward any suggestions to pprreessss@@bbrriittiisshhcclleeaanniinnggccoouunncciill..oorrgg


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