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Air washing technology gains approval from Allergy UK
Environmental Hygiene Solutions, provider of airborne purification technology for the private and public sector, has announced that the Sanyo Virus Washer product range has been awarded the seal of approval from Allergy UK (The British Allergy Foundation). Environmental Hygiene Solutions is the exclusive UK distributor of the Virus Washer, which can neutralise airborne allergens as well as viruses and other contaminants.
One in three of the UK population is affected by allergies at some point in their lives. Airborne allergens such as house mites, animal hairs, pollen and mould spores present a year round problem to sufferers. With symptoms ranging from runny noses to itchy skin to poor concentration, Sanyo developed the Virus Washer product range, which suppresses airborne allergens using Sanyo’s electrolysed water technology.
Created for both domestic and commercial use, the Sanyo Virus Washer technology operates by forcing air to circulate through a honeycomb filter containing electrolysing tap water, removing 99% of airborne allergens and producing a constant stream of cleaned air from the unit.
The Virus Washer technology does not require any additional chemicals and uses the chloride ions present in ordinary tap water. When electrolysed within the Sanyo unit, hydroxyl radicals and hypochlorous acid are created that destroy the spikes on the surface of the virus.
Electrolysed water particles also wrap around, disinfect and deodorise airborne viruses, bacteria and mould, as well as pollen, dust mite faeces and odour molecules.
The commercial grade VW-VF10BG Virus Washer model offers 360° protection to areas up to 100m² (300m³), with a powerful three stage fan distributing ‘washed air’ around the room. Air is forced through a first stage particle filter and then through a disinfectant element which has electrolysed water running over it. The smaller ABU ABC units, which are suitable for areas up to 40m², use a HEPA 4 stage filter to carry out the first stage of cleaning.
In addition to cleaning the air that passes through the units, Sanyo Virus Washer technology also produces air containing safe molecules of hydroxyl radicals and hypochlorous acid which cleans air outside of the unit.
Neil Ellwood, commercial manager at Environmental Hygiene Solutions, said: “The United Kingdom is currently experiencing a massive rise in the number of allergy sufferers and as a result, demand for simple and eco-friendly solutions is at an all time high. Virus Washer offers a discreet yet powerful solution that delivers cleaner and allergen-free air at the touch of a button. We are thrilled to be officially recognised by Allergy UK as a product that is helping to support allergy sufferers to breathe easy through innovative and environmentally friendly technology.”
Virus Washer has been approved and tested by health experts worldwide including Allergy UK, British Lung Foundation and the Health Protection Agency.
www.enhys.com
Getting tough on graffiti
The writing is on the wall for nuisance graffiti everywhere, thanks to Sheffield-based Gems Hygiene’s comprehensive range of removers. Gems supplies solutions for removing graffiti from any surface, including plastic and paint finishes, which were traditionally hard to treat.
Heading up Gems’ range of graffiti removal products are Gem Wipes, a quick and effective way to eliminate spray paint on all non-absorbent finishes such as road signs, telephone boxes and public transport, without causing excess waste or damage to the environment.
Dennis Strong, school marshal at Perse Upper School in Cambridge, said: “Gem Wipes are fantastic - I have never used anything like them before. The handy wet-wipe formula minimises mess and makes light work of graffiti removal, vastly reducing the time it takes to treat the affected area. I would have no hesitation in recommending Gem Wipes to colleagues, particularly when they are accompanied by such excellent customer service.”
Graffiti can now be removed safely from solvent sensitive surfaces, without damaging the finish, thanks to Gems’ Plastic Safe Graffiti Remover. This graffiti remover is ideal for use in enclosed spaces and for cleaning off adhesive labels. It has been extensively tested, boasting an exceptionally good environmental profile and is suitable for all plastics, laminates and polycarbonates, as it breaks up aerosol spray paint without attacking the polyurethane or powder- coated base.
For really tough jobs, Gems’ Heavy Duty Graffiti Remover is ideal. Its gel formula helps prevent run-off, enabling the water soluble solution to dissolve or break up all types of paints without giving off unpleasant odours or fumes. The strong solvent action works on felt tip, ball point pen, crayon and cellulose, acrylic or polyurethane paint. It is also effective on floor paints and varnishes.
Sarah Wade, Gems’ marketing manager, said: “Graffiti removal is an ongoing problem for many organisations, but now we can tackle it without damaging the surface underneath, it is not such a time- consuming task. Gems takes pride in sourcing products that are sensitive to both our customers’ needs and the environment and I am pleased to say that our entire graffiti removal range meets these requirements perfectly.”
www.gemshygiene.co.uk
NHS prompt payment survey finds wildly varying performance
A new survey has found ’astonishing’ differences in the amount of time different health trusts are taking to pay their suppliers. Research carried out by the Forum of Private Business (FPB) discovered some NHS trusts are paying more than 90% of their bills within 10 days. However, others are processing absolutely none in the timeframe - and some are barely managing to pay one in five invoices within 30 days.
The FPB used the Freedom of Information Act to reveal the figures, more than a year after all public bodies were urged to pay bills within 10 days to help small firms through the recession.
The FPB found at least five NHS trusts had paid fewer than 1% of their bills in 10 days over the past year. Additionally, at least 35 trusts processed fewer than 10% within 10 days.
Tameside Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in Lancashire emerged as the best-performing trust in England for 10-day payment, paying 94% of invoices within 10 days. Three trusts in London and the South East were joint worst on this count, all reporting 0% figures.
The Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in the West Midlands was the best for 30-day payment, processing 99.9% of bills within the month. The Royal Bolton Hospital NHS Foundation Trust was the worst, with a figure of 18.7% for 10-day payment.
FPB spokesman Phil McCabe said: “These figures show an astonishing lack of consistency and uniformity when it comes to prompt payment in the NHS. Some trusts are obviously well aware how important getting paid quickly is to their suppliers. As a result, these trusts are commendably processing the majority of their invoices within 10 days and many have voluntarily signed up to prompt payment schemes. But others seem worryingly oblivious to the Government’s guidance on this issue and don’t appear to be making any attempt to increase prompt payment at all. This ‘postcode lottery’ reflects what we found when we carried out similar research on payment among local authorities. Many public bodies don’t appear to be singing from the same hymn sheet and small businesses are suffering as a result.”
McCabe added: “We appreciate that the NHS has a hugely important job to do. As a result, we carefully worded our requests to minimise the work involved in responding to them. We also appreciate that, to organisations which save countless lives every day, the speed with which they pay invoices from small businesses may not be their first priority. But the better-performing trusts show that prompt payment is entirely possible and shouldn’t cost anything extra to implement.”
When compared with local authorities, NHS trusts perform much more poorly on prompt payment. Recent research found 44% of invoices to English councils were being paid within 10 days, but only 31% of bills were paid as quickly by NHS organisations.
Similarly, the average NHS bill in England took 26 days to be paid, compared to 18 days for local authority invoices.
New app helps keep London’s streets clean
Londoners can now notify their council of the dirtiest areas they encounter using their smartphones. The online application - LoveCleanStreets.org - enables people to load pictures of litter, vandalism or urban decay directly from their phone onto an online map. Contributors to the site can then monitor the response of the local authorities’ street cleansing teams via the site.
Lewisham Council, which has successfully run a similar borough-wide scheme since 2005, has been tasked with developing the site across the whole of London.
Andrew Large, chief executive of the Cleaning and Support Services Association, said: "We fully support this innovation; it allows the public to interact and make a positive contribution to their environment. We hope that this app will help keep London cleaner, greener and a more pleasant place to visit.”
Complaints about graffiti in the borough fell by 30% between June 2007 and August 2009 following the launch of the LoveLewisham.org website.
Steve Wright, chairman of the British Cleaning Council, said: “The success of Lewisham's pilot meant that it was inevitable the LoveCleanStreets.org scheme would be rolled out across the capital. We encourage everyone to participate in helping the local authorities keep the streets of London clean and tidy.”
www.britishcleaningcouncil.org
Sodexo launches diversity and inclusion programme
Sodexo has launched a company-wide programme aiming to raise awareness of diversity and inclusion issues within the workplace. As part of its Diversity and Inclusion strategy, Sodexo has trained over 40 employees to facilitate ‘Spirit of Inclusion’ workshops for its 4500 managers.
The facilitators have been selected from all areas of the Sodexo business, including operators, learning & development executives and central support function staff.
The programme aims to raise awareness of diversity, enabling Sodexo to attract, retain and develop the widest and most diverse pool of talented employees - reflecting the local communities and businesses it operates within.
The workshops are designed to be interactive, thought-provoking and practical, encouraging managers to devise tailored action plans that will maximise diversity and create an inclusive work environment for its staff.
The main objectives of the workshops are to:
• Enhance knowledge of diversity and inclusion and Sodexo's commitment to it.
• Describe Sodexo’s six main stands of diversity and the changing demographics.
• Help clarify and understand the business case for, and the benefits of, maximising diversity and inclusion.
• Explore some of the barriers and solutions to leading a diverse team.
• Understand more about prejudices, stereotypes, discrimination and harassment.
• Explore how behaviours impact on others.
• Develop skills to effectively manage a diverse population.
• Increase awareness of and ways to maximise all employees' potential.
The one-day workshop, compulsory for all managers, has been developed by Sodexo’s head of diversity and supported by Sodexo’s executive Diversity and Inclusion Council.
Sodexo aims to have 65% of its 4500 managers complete the course in the next 12 months, and 100% in 18 months time.
Since the inception of the programme in September 2009, approximately 500 employees have attended the workshops already. Such has been its popularity that waiting lists have formed across the business and some Sodexo clients have requested the company’s support in shaping and developing their own diversity and inclusions strategies.
Diversity and inclusion forms a key part of Sodexo’s newly announced ‘Better Tomorrow Plan’, which aims to to consolidate Sodexo’s sustainability performance and provide a framework to measure the impact of the company’s actions worldwide.
Sodexo’s Diversity and Inclusion Council also recently celebrated the addition of another four members to its team, extending its membership to 20 people. It now consists of a member of staff from every segment of the company, be it operational or management. Four members of Sodexo's executive team also sit on the council, chaired by Michelle Hanson, commercial director.
Ian Simpson, Sodexo general manager at Everton Football club and one of the internal facilitators, said: “ Not only have I benefitted personally from my involvement in Spirit of Inclusion, becoming a facilitator has helped me deal more effectively with some difficult issues that may arise in my workplace. My client is so pleased with the programme, that he has asked me to deliver it to some of his own management team.”
Sharon Kyle, head of diversity, Sodexo UK and Ireland, said: “It is important for us to provide our managers with an environment where they can openly and honestly explore what diversity means to them and some of the issues they face. Diversity is not a 'tick box' exercise or list of laws and legislation. We believe that by taking a long-term approach to diversity, we are really able to get to the human and behavioural roots of understanding - something that is far more valuable than learning a list of statistics or acts of parliament.
Fundamentally, it is of paramount importance that we make the most of the talent we have in our business, particularly in challenging economical times.”
Aidan Connolly, chief executive, Sodexo UK and Ireland, added: "Diversity matters to us and our clients. Our dedicated strategy, coupled with investment in a business-wide diversity and inclusion council, represents my belief that diversity and inclusion are matters of competitive differentiation, as much as they are the right thing to do. Other companies may be cutting back on investment in this difficult financial climate, but we continue to invest in our people and our business.”
www.sodexo.com
FM contract at Durham University
MITIE has secured a four-year integrated facilities management contract with Durham University. The contract, which has a total value of approximately £5 million, will cover both of Durham University’s locations in the city of Durham and at its Queen's Campus in Stockton.
MITIE is providing both soft and hard facilities management services with a team of more than 90 people to look after the buildings that house Durham’s 15,000 students and 3000 staff.
The contract commenced in late January with MITIE’s mobilisation process ensuring a seamless transfer of the security, cleaning, grounds and building maintenance services from day one.
Janet Turnbull, account director for MITIE, said: “We are delighted to have secured this contract to deliver FM services to one of the UK’s leading universities and look forward to improving the facilities management services and helping the university to continue to provide its excellent facilities to its students.”
Laura Watson, deputy director of procurement for Durham University, said: “Durham University chose MITIE to deliver FM services to the university following a stringent tendering process which demonstrated that MITIE understood our requirements better than anyone else and could add real value to the service delivery. We look forward to working with them to transform the services at the university.”
www.mitie.com
