Publications 
Compiled by Bronwyn Barnard in association with Supercare
According to the National Contract Cleaners Association (NCCA), the Contract Cleaning Industry, as it is known, has grown tremendously in recent years as more and more companies have realised the benefits of using a specialist contractor to perform and manage functions not associated with their core business.
This certainly applies to routine building cleaning maintenance services, which are labour intensive, and can be costly and time consuming to manage in-house. This is because a cleaning contractor specialises in this particular field and is able to perform a cleaning service more cost effectively than the client, and certainly with noticeably better results. It is part of the reputable Contract Cleaning Company’s mode of operation to access the client’s requirements with care and to calculate in detail the exact labour, materials, equipment and supervision necessary to perform daily cleaning of premises to an agreed specification and with the utmost possible efficiency. Most important of all, the Contract Cleaner is able to provide the necessary supervision and management of the cleaning team, leaving the client and his staff free to focus on their own particular business activities.
The interior fittings and furnishings of the building are an asset, and they need to be maintained so their values are not eroded. This is all too often ignored, with unfortunate economic consequences, including a subsequently greater expenditure on maintenance services. This may be because there is sometimes a failure by owners and occupiers to appreciate that buildings are indeed an asset, and to realise that the buildings they occupy are a resource which needs to be protected just as any other form of asset or resource does. A further important reason in itself that maintenance cleaning should be carried out, is to ensure the health and safety of those who work in the buildings. There are basic statutory requirements (Occupational Health & Safety Act) that buildings are kept safe and healthy for their occupants and for those who visit or pass by buildings. Poor cleaning, or the use of inappropriate cleaning methods, can have a significant, adverse affect on the life of buildings and services. Consequently, it is important that maintenance / facility / building managers co-operate closely with those responsible for cleaning and that owners and users are aware of this requirement.
Store managers need to be aware that the real enemy, when it comes to cleaning, remains invisible. With so many immune-compromised people in South Africa, every person has a responsibility to prevent cross-contamination. As a store manager – this responsibility is increased.
Effective cleaning assists in reducing the spread of disease. In accordance with the Bill of Rights, each individual in society has the right to a clean, hygienic and safe environment. Regardless of the industry, cleaning should be viewed as a “must have” instead of a “nice to have”.
The building or facility manager, store manager and owner need to understand the importance of a clean environment as a key factor to protect, not only their asset, but also the environment and society at large.
Criteria for selection of a contract cleaning company
Often viewed in the same light as insurance, users of outsourced cleaning services often view this as an area where they can save costs and, as such, contract cleaning becomes a grudge purchase. Specialist companies can provide more efficient and cost effective solutions, however, certain companies have been known to achieve savings for their clients by flouting the law in terms of non adherence to minimum terms and conditions of employment. When selecting a contract cleaning company to provide a cleaning service to a retail store, there are numerous issues that should be considered by the decision maker, besides price. This editorial series will cover and deal with these aspects to give the end user of cleaning services the tools and knowledge required to select the right contract cleaning company. Legislative requirements
Price remains, in more cases than not, the determining factor when selecting a cleaning company. However, what many people fail to realize, is that the cheapest price oftentimes exposes the store, and in turn the group, to various liabilities that can have serious reputational and financial implications. There are certain legislative requirements that need to be adhered to by the cleaning company.
These include:
A registration with the various authorities for payment of UIF.
Compensation for Occupational and Injuries (Workmen Compensation).
Tax.
Skills Levy.
Furthermore, there are legislated Basic Conditions of Employment that require cleaning staff employed by a cleaning contractor to earn a minimum rate of pay and be placed on the Industry Provident Fund. Unfortunately, there are cleaning companies that flout these legislative requirements but pay well below the legislated wage, excluding staff from all social benefits - such as Provident Fund - and thereby passing these exploitative savings onto the client by way of undercutting cleaning companies that comply.
Pending primary legislation will ensure both the cleaning contractor and the client be held jointly and severally liable in this situation. In essence, the client will be held legally and financially responsible for non-compliance by the cleaning contractor and will have to back-pay, possibly with penalties, all short payments made by the cleaning contractor to its staff.
It is advised that clients audit their cleaning contractors on an ongoing basis by insisting on Compliance Certificates and Letters of Good Standing from, among others, the various departments within the Department of Labour and the Provident Fund.
Added to this, pay slips of cleaning employees should be scrutinized in order to ensure strict compliance to the Sectoral Determination for the Contract Cleaning Industry. This prescribes legally the minimum terms and conditions of employment, such as wage and entitlement to a Provident Fund, leave and bonuses. The Sectoral Determination covers these terms and conditions of employment in 10 of the 11 provinces in South Africa with the 11th province being KwaZulu-Natal, which has a Bargaining Council that prescribes benefits for staff that work in the province.
The Minister of Labour has stated enforcement, through the Department of Labour shall, which shall occur in order to ensure that cleaning staff are not exploited. This is viewed as a priority and it remains apparent that clients utilizing non-compliant contract cleaning companies will be held responsible and financially liable to make good any current and past exploitative practice by contract cleaning companies on their premises.
Germs and disease
There are several ways in which disease causing germs could enter the body. Namely: Direct contact: Physical contact between source (person infected or carrier of the pathogen) and the victim - by means of touching or kissing such a person would spread Hepatitis A or B.
Another example is if you did not wash your hands after toilet visits, you could transfer disease causing pathogens, such as E. coli, and even become sick yourself by handling or serving food.
Indirect contact: This could occur if a person infected, or a carrier, touches a surface, product or utensil, tool and then contaminate the same. This is why it is important for the cleaning contractor to apply the best operating practices and methodology. Surfaces could be contaminated and, through the elimination of dirt and soil during the cleaning process, it would limit the possible contamination from source/surface to the victim.
If an infected or ill person coughs, the droplets becomes airborne and we breathe in the germs. Tuberculoses could spread this way. It could also be transferred if we use utensils that have been contaminated by an infected person or carrier. Cleaning and Hygiene Contracting companies should ensure that their staff report notifiable diseases, such as TB, and then get their staff on a wellness program to manage the risk of cross contamination.
Ingestion could occur when eating, or through the use of contaminated food products and/or water. E. coli is one of the most common diseases, as people tend sometimes to not wash their hands if and when necessary, or omit to practice basic personal hygiene principles.
The owner of a food handling enterprise must take the necessary steps to ensure that all food handlers are trained on an ongoing basis regarding the application of regulations aligned to the HACCP (Hazard Analysis, Critical Control Point) system. (Refer to the Government gazette no 30822 the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Amendment Act 2007). The HACCP System serves to identify, evaluate and control hazards (of which one for the purpose of this document refers to is the biological hazard). The HACCP system is a proactive and reactive plan in document form, aimed at outlining the identified hazards such as: biological, physical and chemical to mention a few. The hazards, in relation to the industry, service or product, is then identified to determine how to prevent and control such hazards as per critical points. Such a system has to be kept on record and external audits needs to be done by a registered and accredited person. Only if, and when, such an audit verifies that this system is in place, and that it meets with the requirements and regulations, could such a person issue a certificate. The Cleaning Contractor forms part of this HACCP team in identification, planning and control of such hazards in relation to cleaning and hygiene best practice standards.
The housekeeping, cleaning and hygiene services form part of the hygienic practices that need to be in place in order to prevent cross contamination. It is only when we, or our loved ones, are infected or affected that we suddenly realize the value of effective cleaning. We should all value our health, appreciate cleanliness and hygienic surrounds.
Types of pathogens:
Viral: The most modern, the HIV virus, infected several million humans globally and has an even better-known friend, the influenza virus.
Bacteria: The bacterium Yersinia pestis may have been the cause of the Black Plague.
Fungal: Pneumocystitis causing pneumonia (lung infection).
Prionic: Responsible for the transmissible spongiform encepholopathies known as prionic illness affecting the neuro system.
Other parasites such as helmintic infestation: intestinal worms.
With medical research and advances, we could be treated and safeguarded against infections through the use of vaccinations, antibiotics and fungicides. Yet pathogens are known to still threaten human life, and this is why:
It is important that we apply basic hygiene and food safety practices. By protecting our environment, food and water supplies, we could reduce this threat.
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