The Official Publication of the Cleaning Industry Trainers Guild

November 2013 l Issue 61

Custodial Operations by the Numbers

By Alan Bigger Simon Institute University, college and school campuses are increasingly being exposed to numbers and are being asked numbers. A recent issue of the Chicago Tribune indicated that for fall 2013 over 3,000 teachers would be laid off because of budget constraints. We have all heard about the nancial woes of Detroit and other cities, but those seem far and distant unless you live there and are presented with the reality of a city that has gone into receivership. However a recent article in the South Bend Tribune, the town that I live in, brought the issue much closer to home. The facilities director position at a local college was cut because of lack of funds, and the director was out of work. These operations were and are being severely impacted by the numbers and those numbers impact custodial operations as well. Custodial operations are being exposed to expectations to provide increasing levels of service while decreasing costs. Universities and colleges are challenged to be more creative in meeting the expectations of students and parents to provide modern facilities with stateof-the-art technology and nishes while holding down tuition costs down. Something has to give. When the senior facilities ofcer looks at the budget of facilities one element that looms very large is Do you want to save $2.1 million? The University of Michigan was facing budget cuts in 2009 and set a goal of 10% savings. We knew we were facing multiple years of reductions so we offered up 10% over ve years We have met that 10 percent goal of $2.1 million and managed to improve services at the same time, said John Lawter, Associate Director of Plant Buildings and Grounds. U of M was able to reduce 11 FTEs, increase their APPA level of appearance, increase quality scores 30%, and reduce defects by 70%. The University of Michigan managed this by utilizing a proven system of cleaning based upon engineered standards, science and professionalism. Do you want to reduce costs while operating a sustainable and green practices program? The University of Texas (UT) at Austin reduced their inventory of cleaning chemicals from over 200 different chemicals to 25 chemicals, a reduction of nearly 88%. Their change in cleaning processes decreased the annual water usage for the cleaning operation by roughly 70% from 863,000 gallons to 262,302 gallons. UT managed this by utilizing a cleaning process that is engineered from the rst step to the last step, a cleaning process (Continued on Page 3)

the custodial budget; and the largest part of that budget is tied up in labor costs, and labor costs translates into people. Oftentimes the custodial manager will try to control the costs of supplies and chemicals, however, this represents 10% or less of any custodial operation. The giant elephant in the room is the total costs associated with labor and benets. Concentrating on supply costs is like grabbing the tail of the elephant, it will move costs very little. The major issue is to nd a way to tackle the elephant. The numbers are in and some major universities have managed to do this, decreasing numbers while providing a level of service that is either equal to or higher than they had when the budget cuts took place.

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The Official Publication of the Cleaning Industry Trainers Guild

November 2013 l Issue 61

Cleaning Industry Trainers Guild Leadership Group OFFIcERS

President Joseph Garcia Mt. San Antonio College Vice President Mary Clark Michigan State University 2nd Vice President Guido Piccarolo Los Angeles Habilitation House Communication Director & Editor-in-Chief Chris Wallace Service Point

Wake Forest Cleaning Workers Put a Shine on New Facility

By Matthew Lawrence Wake Forest University Farrell Hall, a new 53 million dollar facility on the campus of Wake Forest University, opened this July and has been a huge hit on campus. Pictured here is the Founders Living Room, which features oriental rugs, North Carolina made living room style furniture, and an Einstein Bros bagel shop. Most importantly to us cleaning workers, however, is the stunning epoxy terrazzo ooring throughout the ground oor. Post construction the oor was disappointingly dull, and this caused considerable hand wringing. However, the terrazzo has no nish, and we have been delighted to nd that it gets shinier and shinier the more we polish it. The NSS Wrangler 2010AB was the obvious choice for daily cleaning. Mark McKenzie of NSS Enterprises and a graduate of Janitor University (Class 70) was on hand to assist in the initial equipment training. We are looking forward to getting our NSS Charger 2022ABLT with AGM Batteries. This oor is going to look great for years!

ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Julian Castillo The University of Texas at Austin Melody Hartford Rappahannock Goodwill Industries Nick Pangaro KBM Facility Solutions Chris Romero Sandia National Labs Matthew Lawrence Wake Forest University Mark Samios Cleaning Alliance Representative PortionPac

Editor-in-Chief: Chris Wallace Publisher: Clark Kidman

The Cleaning Gazette is the ofcial publication of the Cleaning Industry Trainers Guild. The Cleaning Gazette is published monthly to promote the growth of professionalism in the cleaning industry. For subscription information contact via email jill@managemen.com

(OS1) team leader Thela Muhammad demonstrates the use of the NSS Wrangler 2010AB in the new Farrell Hall School of Business at Wake Forest University.

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The Official Publication of the Cleaning Industry Trainers Guild

November 2013 l Issue 61

Custodial Operations By the Numbers

(Continued from Cover) that provides for standardization of the cleaning operation. Reworks decreased by 76% and janitorial services began leading the university in sustainability and green practices. Do you want to decrease injuries and decrease costs from injuries? Wake Forest University had zero cleaning workers injured during 2011 on the third shift because they utilized a process that was beyond safety compliance and proactively addressed safety issues each day. During the same time period the day shift had 24 lost work days and the second shift had 177 lost work days, the third shift had zero lost workdays and zero restrictions tracking. Any injury is unacceptable and by using a safety program that sets a standard to beyond safety compliance is a huge step forward. Wake Forest was able to achieve this remarkable accomplishment by using an engineered, scientically proven and professional cleaning system on the third shift. Do you want a system of cleaning that reduces costs while maintaining quality? According to a case study written by Jeffrey L. Campbell, Ph.D. of Brigham Young University and published in the September/October issue of APPAs Facilities Manager In 2008, the University of Massachusetts (UMass) was facing a $46 million reduction in funding campus-wide. UMass hired a consultant to test a system that would reach UMasss

objective of reducing costs while maintaining quality. After implementing the recommended engineered cleaning systems, UMass was able to improve the level of appearance from Causal Inattention to Orderly Spotlessness, saved $360,000 the rst year, and decreased work hours by 89% in rst the two years. So the numbers are in! You can decrease your organizations costs, improve quality, decrease the environmental footprint, decrease injuries and lost time, and decrease stafng. How? By utilizing and fully implementing a system that has engineered standards, is scientically proven and that enhances and enriches the cleaning industry through best practices in career development and training. How on earth can you achieve such successes as above with limited resources of both time and money? The numbers are in, and the numbers validate, across institutions, that it can be done and has been done by using a system called (OS1). In July 2006 Michael D. Berry, Ph.D. former President of The Simon Institute and a distinguished professional with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) addressed a meeting of cleaning professionals and stated In (OS1), youve got a fantastic management system. Youve got the management of cleaning nailed down. Youre going in the right direction. There is no need to design, develop and organize a cleaning system from scratch as it already exists, and the effectiveness of the program demonstrates the factors by the numbers. As John Lawter of the University of Michigan stated (OS1) was the only operating system we could nd that was comprehensive and had been tested in a university setting for better than 10

years. The numbers are in and tell the facts. (OS1) is the only engineered, scientically proven and professional cleaning system available today that is world class, the best of the best.

NOTICE

Janitor University will be offered once per year from 2014 forward. This decision has been made to ensure ample planning time for prospective students and organizations to coordinate budget and travel. The class will no longer be restricted in size and registration for the 2014 session will be open all year.

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The Official Publication of the Cleaning Industry Trainers Guild

November 2013 l Issue 61

Tested and Proven

Next Generation of Backpack Vacuums Feature Performance, Durability and Comfort

By Kelly Robinson ProTeam PR A scientic, engineered cleaning process is inseparable from the tools and techniques that make its efciency gains possible. The Next Generation of backpack vacuums from ProTeam were designed to give Vacuum Specialists greater comfort than ever before. A team of engineers at the UL-certied laboratory at Emersons Tool Company Engineering facility conducted the design and testing process for ProTeams new Super Coach Pro. This lab has been testing different varieties of vacuum cleaners for over 40 years. When Manager of Technical Development Mark Tomasiak and his team took this new challenge, they looked at customer feedback on ProTeams existing top-performers and started working on making them even better. Here, Mark answers questions about the design and testing process as his team worked to improve ProTeams backpack vacuums and validate the safety and durability of their new design. What features of the ProTeam backpacks did you work to improve? Well, the ideal scenario would be a backpack vacuum that doesnt weigh anything, makes no noise, and has lots ders of the user, making them more taxing to wear. In engineering terms, this is a cantilevered load. We knew we needed to move the weight as close to the body as possiblethats how the shape got to be a narrow triangleto remove that cantilevered load. We also created more articulation in the harness to make it more responsive to the user. So its comfortablemore like an extension of the body. And how did you make it sound quieter? We tweaked the shape of the body to change the way sound exits the vacuum. It is aimed away from the ears of the user now, making the experience quieter for the user, and we were able to improve the users experience without sacricing power. So you improved upon the previous designs, then you tested for UL safety certication? Right. We had a template for testing the safety of vacuum cleaners, both from UL and ProTeam. We used that template as a starting point and adjusted it for the new features of the Next Gen vacuums. The tests involved evaluation during normal operation, and then there are the abnormal tests where
(Continued on next page)

of power. In lieu of the impossible, we tried to nd new ways to move even further towards those goals. When we had done everything we could to make the vacuum lighter, we made it feel lighter. When we had done everything we could to make the vacuum quieter, we made it sound quieter. We think we came up with some innovative ways to improve on an already robust design. What do you mean feel lighter? Something we got from customer reviews was that the old models sat too far back. They pulled back on the shoul-

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The Official Publication of the Cleaning Industry Trainers Guild

November 2013 l Issue 61

we defeat one safety feature at a time to make sure it fails in a safe manner. How was your lab equipped for these tests? Our team used test cells to create the correct conditions for an exhaustive series of safety tests. One cell was equipped to test airow and suction measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM) and inches of water lift. The cell we used to test burnout resistance had re extinguishers mounted on the walls, ready to discharge at the push of a button. We used probes of different sizes to be sure that an adults or childs nger could not t into any part of the vacuum and touch an energized or hazardous moving part. So after the safety of the units was veried, were the vacuums ready to release to the market? The tests did not stop with the minimum UL safety requirements; they went much further. We also had to validate the durability of the units. ProTeam backs these units with a 3-year warranty on parts, labor, and motor and lifetime warranty on the molded body parts, so we had a high bar to clear. Anywhere the new design differed from previous designs we tested more extensively. For example, ProTeam had never used injection molded body parts on the older style backpack vacuums, so we needed to validate that they would be just as strong as the previous molded bodies. Where UL only requires a threefoot drop test, we performed a series of

six-foot drops from the top of a ladder and conrmed that the vacuum still operated normally. The worse thing that happened was the HEPA lter doors would pop open. We also simulated aging to make sure the plastic parts dont become brittle over time. We tested in 32 degrees Fahrenheit and 105 degrees Fahrenheit, so we know the backpacks will perform after being transported in winter or spending the night in a garage in Arizona. We conrmed that the motor runs over 800 hours on one set of brushes. We had to

the unit with 10 quarts of dirt in it, and picked it up 20,000 times. We never had a failure. At the end of this process, do you feel that you met your goals with the Next Generation backpacks? I think so. We had people from every discipline involved in the project teammarketing, engineering, safetyand everyone had their say along the way. We proved its every bit as durable as the previous generation of backpacks, which have always been excellent. Its better looking, and we went way beyond what was required in making it comfortable, so its easier to wear and use. The Next Generation backpacks, the Super Coach Pro 10, the Super Coach Pro 6, are different than anything else weve seen on the market. We knew they would be game-changers for the industry, so it was exciting to be a part of this project.

The Next Generation of backpack vacuums from ProTeam were designed to give Vacuum Specialists greater comfort than ever before.
prove that the new backpacks live up to ProTeams legendary durability, especially the new FlexFit articulating harness system. How did you simulate 3 years of wear on the harness system? We took a couple of air cylinders and articulated each shoulder strap for 20,000 cycles, trying to wear out the straps. We articulated the upper pad for 20,000 cycles rotating it 30 degrees both ways trying to wear out the ball joint. We tested the carrying strap to see if it was thick enough by loading the vacuum with 25 pounds, twice the weight of

Reminder: Bakers Dozen Inservice Lessons for 2013

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The Official Publication of the Cleaning Industry Trainers Guild

November 2013 l Issue 61

How Sandia National Laboratories/New Mexico Sustained Custodial Services Through Uncertain Times
The recent federal budget impasse caused widespread uncertainty, and the Custodial Services Department at Sandia National Laboratories/New Mexico weathered this challenging time exceptionally well. The key to the departments success was an established process-driven culture that emphasizes careful supply management and a predictive rather than reactive approach. For three weeks in the fall of 2013, Custodial Services ordered no paper products, trashcan liners, or chemicals, but because the department follows the ManageMen (OS1) system, which requires rigorous management of cleaning supplies, it was prepared for a situation in which supply orders might need to be delayed. As part of the (OS1) system, Custodial Services adheres to a maximum/ minimum process for its bulk storage, pantries, and chemical control cabinets, which means the department always has two months of supplies on hand. Each of the eleven Custodial Services teams labels and tracks its supplies consistently, and this standardization across the site ensured sufcient supplies were available to the custodians. Although supplies were not ordered for three weeks, the customers at Sandia National Laboratories/New Mexico experienced no interruption in custodial service.

Standard maximum/minimum bulk storage supply.

Bulk storage after three weeks still within maximum/minimum standards.

Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energys National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000. SAND 2013-9689 J

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The Official Publication of the Cleaning Industry Trainers Guild

November 2013 l Issue 61

Fall 2013 Certication Passport Program Continues at LAHH

By Guido Piccarolo LAHH Trainer It is Tuesday October 1, 2013, the U.S. Government has just shut down. We received an email followed by a phone call from our POC at the USCG in San Pedro where we provide janitorial services. Today you are not coming to work. The janitorial services provided by LAHH will be resumed only when the government will end the shutdown. Five of our employees are temporarily out of work. Money is tied. Most of them will have problems buying food and paying their rent. Still, three days later ve LAHH employees at 9:30 a.m. showed up full of enthusiasm and hope in our ofce to begin their journey with the Light Duty Specialist Passport Certication Program. We were amazed! Due to the temporary unemployment caused by the government shutdown, they had millions of reasons not to show up. They decided to come and begin the journey. Why? This is a question for all of us. The poorest, the weakest and the most in need are the ones who better and with an incredible simplicity shows us that no government can stop our desire to learn and be educated to what we recognize to have a value for our life. No matter how small is our attempt compared to the magnitude of impact that the decisions of our government has on us, we know that what has awaken our hope and desire to become men and women cannot be stopped and reduced by anyone even when it is the U.S. Government.

Despite government shutdown, LAHH cleaning workers forge ahead with Light Duty Specialist Passport Certication Program.

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The Official Publication of the Cleaning Industry Trainers Guild

November 2013 l Issue 61

Reminder: Bakers Dozen Inservice Lessons for 2013

January 27-29, 2014 (OS1) Disaster & Emergency Preparedness Workshop

Restoration Sciences Academy, James C. Meyers Education Center Hotel Location: Gaylord Opryland Convention Center Nashville, TN http://managemen.com/education/ January 26, 2014 Pre-Event House Flooding

2014

Mark Your Calendar

July 16, 2014 Simon Institute Meeting

The Menger Hotel San Antonio, TX http://simoninstitute.org/201-simoninstitute-symposium/

Super Secret Websites

Websites you should check regularly for professional updates include:

May 8-9, 2014 (OS1) Expert Trainer

Disneys Contemporary Hotel Orlando, FL http://managemen.com/education/

September 18-19, 2014 (OS1) Coach Class

Disneys Grand Californian Anaheim, CA http://managemen.com/education/

May 10, 2014 Simon Institute Meeting

Disneys Contemporary Hotel Orlando, FL www.simoninstitute.org

October 6-10, 2014 Janitor University

Little America Hotel Salt Lake City, UT http://managemen.com/education/
www.managemen.com www.managemenstore.com www.simoninstitute.org www.cleaningindustrytrainersguild.com www.youtube.com/user/os1channel www.scribd.com/TheCleaningLibrary https://twitter.com/JanitorU

July 13-15, 2014 Simon Institute Symposium

The Menger Hotel San Antonio, TX http://simoninstitute.org/201-simoninstitute-symposium/

October 11, 2014 Simon Institute Meeting

Little America Hotel Salt Lake City, UT www.simoninstitute.org

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