How cleaning is changing as a result of Covid19

In the last five years, the FM sector had already come to realise that its purpose is not simply to maintain the bricks and mortar of the workplace (facilities management), but more importantly to care for the people who occupy those spaces. This philosophy was reflected in the name change of our professional body from BIFM to IWFM and now more than ever, that duty of care could not be more important. Covid19 has seen to that!

Covid19 has had an obvious, massive impact on the workplace, the workforce and the way that service organisations operate to look after both. Yet, even recently there have been articles painting a picture of cleaners as the invisible army which magically appears in the dark hours to prepare and restore the office for another day’s work. This is a whimsical and outdated view. Things have changed and cleaners in particular are now as important and visible a part of the service set up as the receptionist, the chef, the engineer and the FM manager.

For those bold individuals who are venturing back into office, the sight of the omnipresent cleaner wiping down work surfaces and door handles and frequently cleaning washrooms and common areas, provides a welcoming reassurance that everything is being managed safely. But is it? The cleaner may be highly visible but what are they doing to stem the invisible threat? Surface wiping with cloths and chemicals is just as likely to be creating a cross-infection problem as removing the problem of Coronavirus transmission on contaminated services.

The pandemic has prompted a surge in specialist, disinfection (fogging) and deep clean services from cleaning companies, designed to remove the presence of Covid19 and convince building owners that they are doing their best by their people. Aside, the reality is that many cleaning companies are seizing the opportunity for a new and lucrative revenue stream. Many of these solutions are expensive and accompanied by spurious claims about the effectiveness and longevity of the treatment. Claims of 30 and 90-day protection against Covid19 simply cannot be scientifically substantiated. Similarly, a product claiming to remove 99.8% of bacteria is statistically falling a long way short of one that removes 100%, because of the rate that bacteria proliferates.

Ironically, when the focus has switched to cleaning as a highly visible activity, it’s perhaps the invisible that should now be getting our focus. Previously you could see when an area had been cleaned. But now, how does a client know that an area is really safe for staff, even after a deep clean? The answer is that they don’t. Q3 has taken the view that using evidence-based cleaning regimes is the only way forward on this issue.

Our approach in the UK utilises a product called DUOMAX deployed daily, which not only cleans but also, according to the manufacturer, kills ALL bacteria. The product destroys viruses including Coronavirus (the family of virus that contains Covid19), to the same level as bleach, but in an environmentally friendly way. DUOMAX has been tested and accredited to the highest level, including a year-long trial in the NHS and has been found to be completely non-hazardous to both people and surfaces.

The chemicals are not noxious, so do not require rigorous COSHH assessments or control measures, negating the wearing of full-body PPE and respirators as one would with some other products. With DUOMAX, it is therefore not necessary for the room to be vacated and isolated for an hour or so after application and avoids out-of-hours working.

The period for which the treatment will be effective will be determined by the number of occupants and level of footfall, but it doesn’t matter how long the product will last because essentially, retreatment is quick, inexpensive and non-intrusive. The important thing is to know when to intervene and how frequently to repeat the cleaning process.

To achieve this, our cleaning teams are deploying ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) monitoring to provide evidence of the presence of bacteria in a test that can be completed in 30 seconds. Typically, in an office we would be looking to record less than 100 RLU (Relative Light Units) and in a food preparation area, <30RUL. Complementing the ATP test, it is now possible to detect SARS Cov-2 on surfaces using a Cov-Hygien Xpress Detection Kit. The process is simple and takes minutes to get results avoiding the normal three-day process of sending swabs to a laboratory. In comprehensive trials using our new chemicals and testing regimes, we have been achieving 0 ATP in office, kitchen and washroom environments.

Based on the data from our results, we can adjust cleaning programmes to maintain a Covid19 safe environment. It’s an approach we believe clients will find appealing, because it’s neither intrusive or costly and everything is underpinned by measurable data. The Covid19 virus may be invisible and deadly, but it can be monitored and managed in the workplace using technology and modern techniques, to ensure a safe environment for all.

For more details click here to contact Alex Gavrilovic

From an article developed for a feature in PfM magazine

Interesting, unparalleled and unprecedented are some of the overworked adjectives used to describe life and times in 2020.
Not the best time perhaps for trying to build a new facilities management business, but a period in which Q3, the company that describes itself as a boutique FM service provider, has continued to develop and thrive. From its launch in 2018, Q3 has seen a rapid growth with revenues expected to top £20m by the end of 2020.

Why has Q3 succeeded when so many FM providers hit a wall during the Covid19 lockdown? According to CEO Martyn Freeman, the secret to bucking the trend lies in the basic philosophy and values on which the company was established. The name Q3 itself, was created to summarise the directors’ desire to achieve a powerful quality blend across the three main elements that make up their business – clients, people and service. This philosophy has held them in good stead in recent months.

Q3’s senior team is proud to be part of an entrepreneurial, privately-owned company, but at the same time operate with the confidence, mentality and governance that served all of them so well previously in larger, public-quoted companies. Q3 did not accept that a complete close down was necessary in every case and they worked closely with their clients to ensure continuity. So, from the outset, they treated the pandemic threat both as a unique change-management project and as a business opportunity.

There was a conscious decision by the management team to be hands-on and proactive to help clients adapt and adjust to the new normal. Instead of telling clients what could not be done, Q3 created dialogue. The team developed workarounds and processes for ensuring ongoing support for the clients’ core activities, whilst keeping those involved in operational delivery safe and secure. Senior-level engagement with all major customers was critical throughout the early days of Covid19, as well as a pragmatic adapt-plan-implement approach. Freeman argues that larger service providers have neither the flexibility and agility to work in this way, nor the intimate client relationships to achieve their support and buy-in.

Working closely with clients in this way has been particularly successful with Q3’s public-sector clients, which represent about half of the organisation’s Q3’s turnover. Looking after people is also a fundamental value for Q3 and during Covid19 and with the support of these clients, the company has managed to retain 100% of its managers and supervisors. This mirrors the 100% contract retention that Q3 has enjoyed since its inception, which is a measure of the strength of relationship the company has with its customers. Indeed, client relationships are so strong that Freeman claims that he could call on any one of his existing clients for a reference and get a good one.

The future for the FM sector has never looked so uncertain. As a result of lockdown, home working became the norm for many previously office-based employees and even now, with workplaces operating at reduced capacity, the whole raison d’être for the traditional FM model has been challenged. Martyn Freeman is of the opinion that the traditional FM delivery models were already creaking well before the global pandemic and that the recent demise of several major industry players was a portent of what was to come. FM providers will have to reappraise their role and their modus operandi if they are to survive and more than ever, clients will be demanding solutions that deliver value. Freeman believes that the all-embracing, Total-FM delivery model has had its day for many organisations, other than the large global multinationals, and even they will be reviewing their property and service provider strategies.

Martyn Freeman has some very unambiguous views on what the future holds for the sector and in particular for Q3 as an emerging force. “No organisations can tolerate the big overheads anymore, so service providers must use technology, experience and skills to achieve a sustainable business model that works for all parties. I see a very clear role for the new breed of service providers like Q3 who don’t seek to be grand, strategic partners, but simply focus on providing key services effectively and efficiently, delivering real value with quality. That simple philosophy will take us to the next step in the company’s development.”

Q3 is delighted to welcome James Douglas to the team as Commercial Director.

Following a successful career in the Royal Air Force in which he served in Iraq, James embarked on a new direction, entering the FM industry as a Sales Executive with Lancaster Office Cleaning, in 2007. Since then James has spent 14 years selling soft services into the corporate and public market sectors.

Most recently, James was Commercial Director with City West Services, where he was responsible for successfully securing numerous high-profile contracts including, British Medical Association, Mayer Brown, Bexley Council, and Newcastle College Group.

Commenting on his arrival at Q3, James said, “I am excited to be working with one of the most experienced management teams in the industry. Even during these challenging trading conditions, I feel Q3 are able to offer an innovative service solution that exceeds many of their competitors, whilst ensuring a transparent and safe environment for our clients and their staff. I am particularly excited about introducing our state-of-the-art technology offering to our future clients.”

Q3 has successfully passed the first step in the Cyber Essentials accreditation programme

Q3 has been working with partners Active Workspace and CS Risk Management on our cyber security strategy and we are pleased to announce that we have been successful in achieving Cyber Essentials accreditation.

The Government instigated the Cyber Essentials scheme in 2014 to provide SMEs with a framework that organisations could use to protect themselves against common online security threats.

Having achieved this level, we are already working on the next stage – Cyber Essentials Plus, which involves third-party auditing of our processes and procedures.

This is a great achievement for our business, providing peace of mind in our day-to-day activities and online interaction with out clients.

Q3 Services has been awarded a prestigious cleaning services contract within the residential areas at Chelsea Harbour

 

Q3 Services has been awarded a prestigious cleaning services contract within the residential areas at Chelsea Harbour. This contract will see the company provide daily cleaning services to six residential blocks, incorporating over 2,000 private dwellings across this high-end estate.

The three-year contract valued at around £0.3 million over three years, has a team of ten dedicated cleaning operatives and an onsite manager to oversee scheduled cleaning and ad-hoc requests that may occur from either the client or the private residents.

The scope of the contract encompasses reception areas and washrooms, meeting rooms and common areas, staircases and corridors plus removal of waste. Periodic works to be carried out four times a year include shampooing of carpets and stripping and sealing of hard floors.

This award is an on the back of our current cleaning, waste, and M&E contract within the Chelsea Harbour Design Centre which Q3 has operated successfully since 2018.