Household cleaning products group Jeyes has taken its first step along the acquisition trail after a period of restructuring. The company has acquired Powder & Liquid Products (PLP) of Consett, County Durham, for an undisclosed sum. PLP, makers of the 'Easy' range of household cleaning products at its Consett site, recorded annual sales of £15 million to 31 December 2007. Its value for money products, such as Easy Aloe Vera washing up liquid, are stocked in leading supermarkets, other retailers and wholesalers across the UK.

Roger Burdett, chairman, Jeyes Group, said: "PLP is an excellent first acquisition for us and signals our determination to strengthen and grow the Jeyes Group. It compliments the current Jeyes business by providing access to new market segments and new product categories, largely through the fast-growing Easy brand. We expect to make further similar announcements in due course."

This acquisition is the next step in the transformational programme at Jeyes that has included investment in a new state of the art manufacturing and distribution facility at Kadan in the Czech Republic. The Group has also invested heavily in a programme of new product development and innovation for its core household categories of toilet care, air fresheners, insect control and household cleaners.

Ridge Crest Cleaning Limited is already an established business but now, Welsh rugby captain Ryan Jones is putting his weight behind the launch of Ridge Crest Wales. Ridge Crest Cleaning is a specialist cleaning and support business and claims to have pioneered the UK’s first 100% sustainable cleaning contract.

When Ryan Jones teamed up with Ian Beach, managing director of Ridge Crest, he soon recognised an outstanding opportunity to expand this service into Wales. Ryan Jones, chief executive of Ridge Crest Wales, is launching this sustainable cleaning business with its new headquarters in Swansea. Ian Beach said: "As a Welshman, I’m delighted that the focus of our growth in 2008/9 should be in Wales. In partnership with Ryan, we’ve already had tremendous interest in our services and I know that many businesses here are eager to operate in a more sustainable way. Our cleaning contract gives them the opportunity to save money, have their premises cleaned more thoroughly and help the environment. It really is a win-win solution for everyone."

Ridge Crest Wales will deliver a complete range of services to commercial, public sector, leisure and industrial premises using only environment-friendly and biodegradable products. As well as being a committed environmentalist, Ian Beach is an astute businessman and knows that Ridge Crest’s service offering has to be competitive. He continued: "On a typical office contract, 16 traditional cleaning products would be required - but using our contract, only four green products are needed. This leads to a saving of around 20% on overall cleaning costs whilst simplifying the process and improving general standards of cleanliness."

Ridge Crest’s work for the Greyhound Racing Association alone has saved them more than £20,000 annually. Ridge Crest Wales was proud sponsors of the Welsh Rugby Players Association

(WRPA) Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year awards 2008. Ryan Jones said: "There is no bigger accolade to be recognised for your contribution to Welsh rugby. These awards mark the well-deserved respect and admiration from fellow players and fans. Ridge Crest Cleaning is launching its new operation in Wales and as chief executive I’m delighted that we can recognise the work of the WRPA through our sponsorship of these two very important awards."

The Aberdeen branch of Arco, supplier of safety equipment and workwear, is celebrating winning a national award for service excellence. The prestigious British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF) Service Award recognised Arco as "offering exceptional service and innovative service solutions in occupational safety". Arco’s Aberdeen branch was voted to win the award by its local customers. A panel of judges from the safety industry selected Arco as the overall winner of the category, which was entered by some 55 companies throughout the UK.

Dougie Lowe, branch manager, said: "I am absolutely thrilled! Winning this award is testament to the dedication and motivation of the highly conscientious team of individuals at Arco’s Aberdeen branch."

The award ceremony took place during a reception at Safety & Health Expo, Birmingham last month.

Fergal Morris, 3M country business leader safety & protection services, the award’s sponsor, presented the award to Dougie Lowe at Arco’s Aberdeen branch. David Lummis from the BSIF introduced the award, and said: "Arco’s customers were extremely complimentary about the level of service Arco Aberdeen provides. There were some fantastic comments and the branch scored 92 out of 100 points. This - and being overall winner amongst such stiff competition - will make the award especially poignant for the team at Aberdeen."

To qualify for the Service Excellence Award, companies had to ask five of their customers to testify why, in their experience, the entrant should win. The panel of judges evaluated over 55 entries on a point system and by customers’ comments.

Lowe continued: "Business is extremely buoyant at the moment and consequently we need to respond quickly and with authority to meet our customers’ demands for safety products, equipment and workwear. The award is recognition from our customers that we understand the specific needs of their particular industry and can offer specialised safety expertise and a product range that suits their requirements. It’s great news for Arco and a real coup for our branch team."

Web: www.arco.co.uk

Emprise Services plc, the independent support services provider, has achieved an accreditation from SAFEcontractor for its health and safety standards. The award applies across its workforce, from those on the ground to company directors. The accreditation was granted following an independent review of a range of potential health and safety problem areas, including training and inductions, the use of chemicals, standards of equipment and appropriate action plans.

The review covered all aspects of Emprise’s cleaning and security services as well as subcontractors. Once a business is successfully accredited, it is registered on a database where potential clients can access their details and be assured of a high standard of service. The assessment is well-regarded in the support services sector and ensures that all health and safety regulations are upheld.

"Accreditation from SAFEcontractor is testament to our commitment to safe working practices throughout every level of the company," said Mark Gillman, group health and safety manager at Emprise. "It acts as a benchmark to our clients, reassuring them that Emprise is committed to running a safe and secure company. SAFEcontractor complements our other industry certifications, such as the OHSAS 18001:2007, which we received for our outstanding efforts in occupational health and safety."

Darran Hughes, operations director for SAFEcontractor at National Britannia, said: "Emprise’s high standards have set an example which hopefully will be followed by other companies within the sector. Major organisations cannot run the risk of employing contractors who are not able to prove that they have sound health and safety policies."

Web: www.emprise.co.uk

In June and July, young people from secondary schools across the UK are participating in an interactive programme designed to raise awareness of the impact of litter on their local environment. The Bin It! Schools Programme, an actor-led presentation, will visit schools in Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales this summer, educating pupils on the correct way to dispose of their chewing gum and other litter.

The Bin It! Schools Programme was developed by the Wrigley Company in conjunction with specialist education consultancy EdComs, and is tailored for students aged 11-13 years. The programme aims to help young people develop a sense of personal responsibility and to reflect on the impact of their behaviour, such as the costs of removing dropped chewing gum and its impact on the environment.

The actor-led presentation programme is supported by a free educational resource pack consisting of teachers’

notes, resource and activity cards, posters and an interactive website.

Resource packs are available to all secondary schools across the UK all year round, and are designed to be taught through citizenship classes, personal, social and health education and English. This is the third year the Bin It! Schools Programme has been available to schools. The resource has been accredited by the Institute for Citizenship.

In a survey of schools that took part in the programme in 2006, teachers found that 41% of pupils thought about gum disposal more after having a lesson using the resource pack; 32% of pupils claimed they did Bin It! more often after taking part in the lesson.

An interactive website, www.chewitbinit.com, accompanies the programme, featuring facts about chewing gum, a teacher’s area, and games and quizzes to encourage responsible chewing gum disposal amongst young people.

Alexandra MacHutchon, communications manager at Wrigley UK & ROI, said:

"Following the success of the 2006 and

2007 Bin it! Schools Programmes, we want to continue to build on the momentum of the education resource. The Wrigley Company believes it is important to help young people understand the responsibility they have towards helping to keep their local areas clean and free from litter and teaching young people about the correct disposal of all litter, including chewing gum, from an early age is something that we have been committed to for a number of years."

The reputation of training courses organised by BICSc continues to draw visitors from ever further away.  Recently James Mukiri, technical sales manager for Soilex Prosolve in Nairobi, Kenya visited the UK to attend a BICSc training course at Matthew Boulton College in Birmingham.

As well as the BICSc course itself, a further important segment of Mukiri’s ongoing professional development while in the UK was a visit to the Millbrook, Southampton headquarters of Truvox International.

Here he spent one day in the company’s training facility gaining hands-on experience of working with Truvox machines for the care of both hard and soft floor finishes. He then went out for a further day accompanying Truvox’s regional account manager Colin Macey on customer site visits to understand exactly how they were tackling their cleaning problems.

Simon Collins, national sales manager at Truvox, said: "We were happy to host James as he works for one of Kenya’s premier distributors. The visit saw him leave with substantially more product knowledge that will enable him to accurately match machines from the Truvox range to his customer’s floorcare needs. In particular, James thought that the Truvox Multiwash and our new range of tub, upright and backpack vacuums were particularly suitable for Kenyan users."

While in the UK, Mukiri also gained valuable knowledge from a day at Kennedy Washroom Systems in East Sussex.

Web: www.truvox.com

Over 80% of primary care, mental health, ambulance and care trusts have signed-up for the National Patient Safety Agency’s (NPSA) cleanyourhands campaign. Registration closed at the end of April with over 170 trusts committing to improve the hand hygiene of healthcare workers in the fight against healthcare associated infection (HCAI).

The expansion of the cleanyourhands campaign follows its success in changing the hand hygiene behaviour of healthcare workers in hospitals and trialling of the campaign in 19 ‘pioneer’ organisations representing the mix of different care settings.

There has been a strong response to the campaign across the different types of trusts with 100% of ambulance trusts, 89% of primary care trusts, 83% of mental health trusts and 75% care trusts in England and Wales signed up.

Likewise by strategic health authority (SHA) region in England; with 100% of trusts in the North East SHA and 97% of trusts in London registered.

The campaign is now being rolled out in a phased approach. Trusts will first undertake a three-month preparation period, which enables them to ensure the internal systems are in place to manage the campaign and engage staff throughout their organisation prior to launch.

Any trusts who have not registered for the campaign will have the opportunity to join when stage two is rolled out next year.

The expansion of cleanyourhands outside hospitals has the potential to significantly reduce healthcare associated infections, as the majority of healthcare now takes place outside hospitals. Improving hand hygiene across all settings will also help to cut the risk of cross-transmission, as patients - particularly the elderly and vulnerable - often move frequently between care settings, for example from hospital to community hospital to care home and back again.

Martin Fletcher, chief executive of the NPSA, said: "Good hand hygiene is critically important to patient safety, confidence and satisfaction and we want to help staff to make healthcare safer across all care settings. The high levels of sign-up to this new phase of a totally voluntary scheme is a reflection of the dedication of NHS staff to constantly strive to improve patient safety and quality of life. Hand hygiene is on the public and healthcare agenda; we’re seeking to provide the practical tools to make a difference at the sharp end of care delivery. Hospital staff have really engaged with our cleanyourhands campaign. Now we’re seeking to replicate this commitment outside hospitals, to fight infection from as many angles as possible."

The cleanyourhands campaign supports NHS trusts to improve the hand hygiene of their healthcare workers in order to help prevent the spread of healthcare associated infections. Staff are prompted to clean their hands at the critical time and place - where and when patient care is provided.

Since the NPSA launched cleanyourhands in September 2004, it has been adopted by all acute NHS trusts in England and Wales. Independent research shows that the campaign has been effective in changing hand hygiene behaviour in acute NHS hospitals in England and Wales, with a significant increase in the use of alcohol handrub and the majority of trusts rating cleanyourhands as a top priority.

Participation in the cleanyourhands campaign is voluntary; trusts have been invited to sign-up to the campaign and receive the campaign materials, tools and resources free of charge. The supporting materials provided to trusts include posters and information for patients which explain the campaign’s aims and how they can play a role.

Web: www.npsa.nhs.uk/cleanyourhands