A good, clean relationship

John Crouch, Divisional Director at REACT explains the importance of utilising a flexible specialist cleaning and decontamination service

The key in any business relationship, particularly when appointing an organisation to carry out deep cleaning of void properties, is knowing who you are working with. A company that understands your needs and can get the job done quickly and to a high standard is crucial. This is because specialist deep cleaning and decontamination is often life-threatening work making environments not just clean, but safe and secure.

A good relationship is particularly important when working with housing associations where landlords have a duty of care to their tenants. Specialist cleaning and decontamination contractors are there to ensure properties are free from toxic substances, bad odours, clean from graffiti, debris and needles, and even, in some cases, free of human and animal remains.

With such harmful and hazardous materials around and sometimes having to work in difficult environments, React realises that this type of work is not suited to everyone - which is why a hand-picked, experienced team of operators/technicians is essential, not just to the customer but to us.

Specialist cleaning and decontamination contractors can work in many different ways; either as a day-to-day solution, as an extension to compliment existing teams, or just to provide a stand alone service in an extreme situation or everyday clean, clears and sparkle cleans on a regular basis.

It is important that the client is able to trust the specialist cleaning provider to deliver the most professional and appropriate service and by understanding and agreeing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) upfront to make sure they provide a safe, full and timely service.

It is crucial to select a ‘can do’ company, which is professionally trained to a high standard and is flexible to be able to handle all eventualities.

In React’s experience of working with numerous housing associations across the country, tenants can leave properties in a number of different states; either in a clean and tidy manner with just a need for low level/basic cleaning, or, in extreme circumstances, where they may have caused damage to the property and left all sorts of articles and debris behind, some of which can be dangerous to incoming tenants.

Philip Knipe, REACT’s Development Manager for the North of England, says: “Each specialist cleaning contract or job can differ and we don’t always know what to expect from day to day. We work by assessing the needs of each individual job - so we can assess the resources, tools and equipment required, before briefing our technicians with full and accurate specifications before they arrive at the job.”

Depending on the resource levels needed, if it is a simple cleaning and refuse moving job, one technician will go out as a single mobile operator, but more often than not, two or three technicians will go out together. All REACT operators will have all the appropriate PPE, including protective suits, sharps gloves and high protectors and the use of approved chemicals. All technicians carry and use relevant Method Statements, Risk Assessments and Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (CoSHH) data sheets as routine because of the ongoing training they receive.

We believe that Health and Safety is of paramount importance and we provide separate training sessions for all our technicians on correct procedures as well as information folders containing the appropriate Health and Safety and CoSHH documentation. All staff are kept up to date on environmental issues which may have an impact on their work especially as we have now gained our ISO14001 Environmental Management accreditation.

We agree with the Facilities or Void Manager the specification so they fully understand exactly what to expect from a specialist service such as ours by going through a site specific Method Statement and Risk Assessment to ensure all parties are clear on what the main aims and objectives are as well as the operational protocol.

For a typical house clearance and cleaning task, REACT technicians will begin by fumigating the property before cleaning and removing rubbish from the property. Technicians will then ensure the windows are cleaned, carpets are steamed and hard flooring is scrubbed and, if appropriate, resealed. Hard standings and rubbish bins are both jet-washed and scrubbed whilst outdoor spaces are tidied.

If needles are suspected in the property, Sharps Search and removal procedures will apply. Technicians will use appropriate hypodermic protectors and gloves and will follow procedures for these items. The contaminated materials and sharps will then be taken away for safe incineration off-site and a certificate of disposal issued to the customer.

One of the most bizarre housing association properties that REACT tackled was a residence which had two dozen feral cats. The animals were defecating uncontrollably all over the house. In the living room, the situation was so bad that the floor boards had rotted and the cats were starting to live under the house. There were also a number of animal carcases which needed to be removed. The property needed to be completely fumigated, toxic waste removed and fully cleaned. Following the removal of the cats, the house was thoroughly cleaned, decontaminated and fumigated. The house was then made habitable for the next residents. The skill, experience and speed of turnaround by REACT meant the housing association was able to avoid a lengthy void period and loss of rental income.

Top Tips

When looking for a cleaning provider, the main things to look for are:

• - Experience and the diversity of service on offer.
• - Flexible resource in place to cope with fluctuating levels of Voids
• - Appropriate appraisals and risk assessments in place.
• - An Extreme-Clean option and a team which are happy to clear in the most hazardous conditions.
• - Whether staff are trained, vaccinated and security checked for all eventualities.
• - Fully traceable disposal system to ensure no fly tipping.