Poor cleaning standards may expose employers to litigation
Each day New Zealanders arrive at work blissfully unaware of whether their workplace has been adequately cleaned or worst unaware that they face contamination as a result of untrained commercial cleaners.
In the growing health or aged care sectors workers face increase risks from not only a personal safety perspective, but in Australia, if adequate care is not taken to prevent the transmission or cross contamination of infection then issues of legal liability may arise.
Currently the $1 billion commercial cleaning industry in New Zealand is largely unregulated. This can result in poor cleaning practices in workplaces or schools or aged care facilities and can lead to increased sickness of staff, children and ultimately a loss in productivity.
Crest is publicly calling for better standards and for legislation that covers the commercial cleaning industry. It is an industry that provides a crucial service across a range of sectors yet some cleaners are unknowingly increasing workers’ risks through a simple lack of training.
We believe that legislation should be introduced that sees cleaning staff required to have gone through a nationally recognised training programme before working in the industry and commencing commercial cleaning contracts.
While Crest’s committed to training has seen over 500 Crest personnel put through a NZQA national qualification programme, our company believes this type of approach if implemented across the industry would be very positive, especially when considering its estimated only 5 per cent of commercial cleaners have participated in NZQA recognised Health and Safety training programmes.
In today’s highly competitive world, businesses that have committed to training its staff have seen the time invested pay dividends as well as develop a competitive advantage in the market place.
This commitment to training across our business can also be seen in the length of tenure of the franchisees who have contributed to Crest’s ongoing growth and success.
Over 50 per cent of Crest’s personnel have been with the business over three years with a further 27 per cent having franchisee tenures over five years. The result is that Crest regularly features in the Deloitte Fast 50 fastest growing New Zealand companies.
Crest believes a government commitment is needed to ensure that not only workers within the cleaning industry are protected but a commitment that provides business across New Zealand with confidence in the service delivery of an often unseen, but incredibly invaluable workforce.
Grant McLauchlan
Managing Director
