The Dirty Truth about Public Toilets

How clean are your public bathrooms - Do they just look clean or are they really clean—deep down? Does your staff really know how to handle the need to get rid of the down and dirty? According to a recent survey, many public toilets are not as clean as they should be.

Restroom maintenance is an important daily task with which most facility management professionals are familiar since restrooms are a frequently used area in any facility and their upkeep can affect public perceptions. But in the survey, conducted by ISSA and Clorox Professional Products Co., it’s difficult for some managers to uncover what it takes to keep this critical area in top shape.

Visible dirt and unseen germs 

When it comes to public restrooms, there are two important jobs: cleaning for appearance and cleaning for health. Maintaining a visibly clean restroom is important for influencing consumer perception. At the same time, washrooms must be disinfected to kill harmful microorganisms, such as Shigella, Salmonella, Hepatitis A, E. Coli, and Norovirus, which are routinely found in restrooms and are associated with outbreaks of illness.

Keeping a restroom disinfected can help prevent the spread of illness-causing germs to building occupants and the community at-large, especially during the winter months. According to survey results, most professionals (85%) are fully aware of the importance of this dual relationship of cleaning for appearance and health. The vast majority (95%) also believe that restroom cleaning has an impact on overall public health by helping to prevent the spread of disease.

However, this understanding may not trickle down to all employees; only one-half of respondents (49%) believe their staff is aware of all the risk associated with the spread of germs in the restroom.
The survey also found that:

• One in five respondents (20%) believe the general public may think their facility’s restrooms harbor germs.
• Many facility professionals believe that restroom handles harbor the most illness-causing germs and bacteria, particularly restroom door handles (65%), faucet handles (38%), and toilet or urinal handles (36%). However, secondary research shows that this is false and that door handles pose the least risk for germs. The feminine hygiene trash can, which only 12% of professionals believe to be germy, has one of the highest concentrations of germs.
• “Cleaning for aesthetics” tasks are viewed as tougher than “cleaning for health” (disinfecting) tasks.
• Only 29% of supervisors reported instructing their staff to disinfect surfaces most often.  

Turning a blind eye to clean training

Keeping on top of restroom cleaning needs can be demanding, and although only 15% of respondents report a lack of education or training as a challenge to performing optimal restroom cleaning, far more (68%) say their staff does not understand or only somewhat understands the differences between cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting.

At GroupL Services, we understand the importance of cleaning for appearance as well as for health. Our operatives are trained regularly on cleaning techniques and chemicals appropriate for washroom deep cleaning. If you are looking for a professional commercial housekeeping organization, do contact us to know more about how we can help you. Visit – www.groupl.in for details.

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Fire Safety in Public Places

Last month's terrible fire that ripped through two upscale restaurants in Mumbai’s Kamala Mills has come as a shocking wake up call. Fourteen people lost their lives. Most were young people in their twenties and thirties whose bodies were found piled up in the toilet, where they retreated hoping to escape the fire. This could have been any of us, who visit restaurants, bars, clubs to enjoy a night out!!

To prevent such incidents repeating themselves, we have compiled a few useful fire safety tips to keep in mind when enjoying yourselves at a public place.

• Know your exits. Wherever you are, you must take a moment to mentally note where the different exits are. These signs are usually lit up and easy to find. Most of the people who died in the Kamala Mills fire tragedy had trapped themselves in an un-ventilated bathroom with no escape and they suffocation to death.

• Be aware of location of fire extinguisher and / or water hose. Observe as if your life depends on it. It does.

• Our fire safety norms are followed rarely in public places. Therefore, avoid shows where the performers use fire as a prop.

• Heat and therefore smoke rises, staying low, as low as you can get, helps. If there is smoke in the room it is advisable to crawl on your belly. Almost all deaths from fire arise from suffocation caused by smoke and not from the actual fire.

• If you are trapped in a room with no exit the best thing you can do is stay low to the ground, breathe through a cloth or clothing over your mouth and nose, and make some kind of a signal to the outside (example hanging any garment, even a tablecloth out of a window). If windows are locked, break them and try to signal for help. 

We urge you to take a few minutes to be aware of your surroundings and stay safe!

At GroupL Services, we provide fire safety training at our clients’ sites. Please email us on first-impressions@groupl.in to schedule a fire safety training.

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Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

During this holiday season, our thoughts turn gratefully to friends and colleagues who have contributed to our success. Thank you and best wishes for a fabulous 2018!

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Air pollution has spiked, how can GroupL Services help you

Air pollution has spiked, how can GroupL Services help you

In India, human health and safety problems caused by air pollution are becoming increasingly serious.

According to ICMR and PHFI study, air pollution led to over 2,750 cases of deaths or severe illnesses per lakh people in 2016. Leading causes of illness were non-communicable diseases like cardiovascular disease and respiratory infections.

Over the past month, North India has been covered by thick smog. There are several factors that contribute to the spike in outdoor air pollution at this time of the year.

                                                                                                                                                    

The severely high level of outdoor air pollution combines with indoor air pollution creating a modern work hazard that deserves attention. Employees spend an average of 8 hours a day at work. Poor quality of air affects workers, causing various symptoms including allergic reactions, physical and mental fatigue, headaches, eye and throat irritation. This in turn reduces productivity and increases absenteeism at work. A recent Lancet study has said that indoor air pollution caused 1.24 lakh premature deaths in India in 2015.  

Indoor air pollution is generated by poor ventilation. The use of office equipment and machines which emit pollutants like carbon monoxide that are harmful. Cleaning products using pesticides and harmful chemicals. Dust from construction. Mould and bacteria in office furnishings like blinds and carpets, ceiling panels etc.

By using a professional, well trained housekeeping and building management service provider such as GroupL Services you can combat the effects of air pollution on your employees. We can check your HVAC's and ensure they are running optimally and there is proper air circulation. Your office will be cleaned daily to remove dust, dirt, grime and prevent build up of mould and bacteria. Our team is trained to use environmentally friendly cleaning chemicals in the most efficient quantities. We use vacuums with HEPA type/media filters, which can filter the air more effectively. 

Call GroupL Services today to discuss what best we can do to reduce air pollution at your office. You can reach us on +91 9717719303 or visit our website - www.groupl.in.  

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Marble Polishing and Restoration, New Delhi, Gurgaon, Faridabad and Noida

Cleansweep provides marble polishing and restoration services in NCR region. We understand that our clients may want to see samples of our work and question what we can do for them.

Put your mind at rest and be satisfied knowing that we provide quality diamond polishing services for marble.

Click here to see samples of our work.

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The harmful effects of dust on the health and performance of office workers

It goes without saying that India has turned into a huge construction site. There are numerous road repairs works being carried out, construction of new underground metro, several residential and commercial projects being developed, expansion of roadways etc. The unavoidable consequence of these necessary development activities is - DUST! Unimaginable quantities of dust have been released into the air, which is settling in our homes and offices.  There are countless offices and work spaces in India that literally bath in dust causing health concerns to their employees.

Science confirms health concerns caused by dust

According to the findings of a study conducted in Oslo, Norway almost 20 years ago, it has been proved that office employees are very likely to experience symptoms directly associated with harmful dust exposure. Two groups of employees were tested, although only one was exposed to indoor polluted air. As expected, the group who worked in an office that was thoroughly cleaned and maintained didn’t experience any health issues. On the other side, the group forced to work in an office that lacked proper cleaning ended up with serious respiratory infections and health issues. The conclusion was inevitable, thorough professional office cleaning can significantly reduce the quantity of airborne dust that can harm your office employees.

The dust is harmful to both humans and machines

According to the findings of another study, the lifespan and proper functionality of computers were significantly reduced as a result of the dust exposure. The computer vents don’t have the capacity to operate if office cleaning fails to remove the dust. Before you know it, your computers, covered in dust will make you spend much more than expected and planned for in terms of constant repairs and servicing. What’s even worse, you will be forced to acquire new machines much earlier than planned. All of these problems and costs can be avoided if routine office cleaning is carried out thoroughly by professionals.

What can GroupL do for the well-being of your office workers and computers?

We have been successfully providing office cleaning and maintenance services since 1973. The best thing you can do for both your employees and machines is to absorb air borne dust on a regular basis. Outsource all of your cleaning requirements to our experienced and motivated team. This important task will be conducted by our professional cleaners as many times as required and according to your requirements and budget expectations. We will use best in class machinery and cleaning chemicals to give you a sparkling clean office. Get in touch with us in the most suitable way for you by paying us a visit to one of our branches all over India, calling us, or sending an email. Together, we will discuss the most suitable cleaning solutions for your specific business needs.

Our contact details:

Website: www.groupl.in

Email: info@groupl.in / first-impressions@groupl.in

Contact Number: 9717719303

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Manpower Outsourcing and Payroll Management

Outsourcing manpower and payroll management is your competitive advantage!!

Click here to find out how your organisation can benefit from outsourcing.

Contact GroupL Services to learn more about how we can help you streamline your business.

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