April 2020

Businesses spend a lot of money to stand out. Presentation is all important, and the attention to detail in maintaining a brand’s reputation commands significant investment. However, standing out for all the wrong reasons is something that also comes at a cost. PWE reports. Why successful companies clean up their act P otential customers often request a tour of your premises as part of their assessment of possible new suppliers. Equally, it might be tempting to invite a prospect to see your operation in action. Either way, you want them to see you at your best. Hours of effort ensuring that your production line is running smoothly only for them to see an untidy factory floor or warehouse undermines all that preparation. Worse still if unsightly or possibly dangerous spillages appear to have been left unattended for days. The need for change It’s not just car manufacturing plants that have transformed from oily, grimy engineering operations into gleaming, well-lit environments with painted floors and walkways. Modern companies now have a keen understanding of other debris blocks radiators and clogs air filters. This disrupts planned maintenance schedules designed to keep your operation running smoothly and at minimal cost. Cleaning out these blockages, with its associated time-is- money delays, is a preventable issue. Expensive equipment isn’t the only source of issues from airborne dust. Long-term exposure for employees can have equally damaging implications for employers as injuries do. Risk-free benefits These all seem like perfectly rational reasons why companies pay attention to cleaning. But are there influences from a higher level, broader considerations that can provide that direction? Large corporations often issue clear guidelines for their sites and this can stem from 44 | Plant & Works Engineering www.pwemag.co.uk April 2020 Premises & Facilities Cleaning SPECIAL FOCUS the benefits of a properly implemented cleaning strategy. Aside from the obvious influence that a well maintained working environment can have on employee morale, there is the impact on productivity. Clear aisles and walkways not only improve access but also reduce the risks of slips, trips and falls that bring their own consequences of reduced productivity, lost working time and potential workplace injury claims. Movements of goods around the workplace are unhindered by obstacles that must be moved or spillages that have to be avoided. Beyond the logistical, there’s the mechanical factor. Discarded material such as pallet wrap is a hazard for moving vehicles. Damage caused to axles by plastic banding and strapping is an easily avoidable cost. Dust and