ORGANIZATIONAL ASSESSMENT
In a highly competitive market and in the context of increased economical shifts, our clients are faced with decisive choices to remain competitive and increase their market share. ValkarTech not only offers its clients the opportunity to structure and plan the future of their janitorial services, but also assists them in defining the strategic vision, evaluating the various options, developing the strategy into a roadmap, and preparing for its implementation by offering all the necessary tools.
Our objective is to define your current hygiene and sanitation practices, "good or bad", through an evaluation of general cleanliness, including the condition of the equipment as well as the current architectural features, in order to identify the corrections and/or modifications to be made that would allow you to achieve an efficient management and organization of the sanitary maintenance services in your establishments. Our observations are complemented by recommendations when an adjustment is necessary in your facilities.
There are several paths that can be explored in your environment to improve the quality of sanitation, specifically, by adopting sound sanitation management and by improving the technical knowledge coupled with the latest available technology.
The following topics will be observed and analyzed:
Download a typical report :
Cleaning Chemicals
Chemicals are essential to the worker's performance and require knowledge of their use. It is essential to ensure their quality and performance in the work situations. For optimal performances, the use of automatic dispensers is essential in observing manufacturers' recommendations, avoiding product handling and significantly reducing pouring times compared to manual dispensers.
Equipment and accessories
For both the automation and the work accessories, it is important to carefully consider the organizational needs and the work techniques beforehand to better select the appropriate tools. For example, the use of disposable cloths instead of microfiber cloths is something to think about. The optimal use of tools will depend on what you already have and the organizational requirements. The employees should select appropriate and ergonomic equipment to perform their tasks. For example, it is highly recommended to use microfiber mops, wet or dry, because they absorb dust and organic matter better and leave less than 35% of water on the floor. Flat-shaped, it is best used with a microfiber headband to better retain the finest dust.
Working techniques and methods
Sanitary maintenance has evolved a lot in the last few years. For each job, there is a good technique and several bad practices that can have critical repercussions. To carry out the maintenance of the premises, it is necessary to use approved techniques. Nowadays it is unacceptable to clean a floor using only a broom or to clean windows without the appropriate accessories or professional techniques. Most people spray the product directly on a piece of furniture, for example, without knowing that there are health consequences that can arise in the short or long term. Indeed, the sprays have the effect of spreading volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the air ducts and one can imagine what happens next: these pipes blow the fumes that the product gives off when it is sprayed.
Read our blog on this subject: The Spray Bottle is Partly Responsible for the"Sick Building Syndrome"
Organization and planning
Each custodian must be thoroughly familiar with their environment, have a work plan outlining the areas to be maintained and the tasks to be performed daily, weekly and monthly. In addition, the daily schedule of tasks (the order of tasks, the time of specific tasks at specific locations) should be described in the "Typical Day" document that everyone can consult. The use of computerized management tools greatly facilitates the organization and completion of tasks.
Supervision and control
"The search for quality naturally results in greater productivity, while the search for productivity does not result in better quality," according to William Edward Deming, American professor, author and consultant. An important part of a manager's task is to establish key performance indicators to ensure the desired results. The development of a quality control tool, allowing to evaluate the state of sanitation, is essential.
Continuous training program
Modern work techniques, UHV polyvaporization methods, the trend towards microfiber cloths (disinfection), new models of carts and automatic dispensers are now being added to the professional sanitation tools. It is necessary to maintain the knowledge of the workforce through a continuous training program. Training is the key to creating a sense of belonging and increasing staff pride, as they become aware of the reasons for and actions to be taken in each situation.
Water leaks, mold, odors, and other harmful deterioration
The cleanliness of your facility is directly related to the physical condition of the building. It is important to consider the maintenance of the general structure of your building in your management of housekeeping operations to obtain an optimal quality of hygiene and sanitation.
Visual cleanliness
Your facility's cleanliness is a very important aspect of maintaining the overall health of your employees and tenants. Scientific evidence shows that employees are more productive in a clean environment. And customers prefer to patronize clean businesses. We use a state-of-the-art handheld system to perform our quality control checks. It allows us to collect and record more data per hour. With this data, we are able to generate conclusive statistics per building, because we have relevant and accurate information. In this way, we transform a subjective notion into an objective and measurable one. An expert auditor, accredited by the Mouvement Québécois de la Qualité, will be assigned to your case. Then, our expert will collect the information, compile it to translate it into a report and file the findings for your building.
Disinfection
Like many, you have upgraded your facilities for a safe return to work after the COVID-19 containment. Your housekeeping standards are higher. Your cleaning and disinfection methods have been reviewed and adapted to prevent the spread of any harmful pathogens. But in the fight against the invisible, how do you ensure that surfaces are really clean and disinfected? In the event of an infectious disease outbreak, the question is not whether the germs are present but rather where they are hiding. Using the UV marker assessment method, our auditors are able to verify the quality of the cleaning performed by your maintenance teams and therefore assess the effectiveness of the disinfection.
Safety
In Canada, a WHMIS program must be established in all workplaces where hazardous products are used. Workers are required to be educated and trained to understand the hazards present and how to work safely with hazardous products. All workers who use or may be exposed to a hazardous product in the course of their work must be provided with information regarding the hazards posed by the product(s). (CCOHS)
Janitorial room inspections
Janitorial rooms are the heart of the housekeeping operation. The sanitation and organization of these spaces directly influence the thoroughness and quality of the staff's performance. In addition, it is mandatory to respect the safety rules regarding the storage of chemical products. Our observations and recommendations allow for greater efficiency on the part of the workers, facilitate inventory management and provide a safe environment.
Documentation review (Technical specifications, space type categories, frequencies, work routes, …)
For the most accurate conclusions and before making recommendations, it is important to conduct a thorough assessment of all the documents governing your cleaning operations to identify any discrepancies between expectations, obligations and actual service delivery performance. The quality of the information that is provided to employees to detail and guide their duties determines the effectiveness of sanitation services.