Cleaning warehouses and industrial buildings

Close scrutiny of a warehouse or factory can tell you a great deal about the company concerned. How internal space is managed, the volume and type of goods that are handled, the importance attributed to safety…the activity within these areas of operation is an interesting informal indicator of the company’s overall health.

In commercial terms, a clean and well-organised building, when shown to potential suppliers or customers, provides an excellent opportunity for positive engagement and the development of new business relationships.

• Are materials stored correctly in designated spaces? Are goods easily accessible? Are the most frequently needed items conveniently located for packaging and shipment?   
  If they are, it means that the company has an interest in the efficiency of its processes.
• Do staff move around safely, using PPE where necessary, and are all the tools needed for the job readily available?    
  If so, excellent! This means that operating procedures and practices are properly shared between those who organise the space and those who work there.
• Are the shelves and floors clean? Is the floor swept and washed regularly?    
  Even better! This means that the company even takes care of the details.

Some of the key benefits derived from keeping warehouses and workplaces clean and tidy are:

Risk prevention

1. Accident prevention. A clean and tidy environment reduces risk. It prevents collisions with unmarked, badly placed material, tripping and slipping. All these issues can cause accidents, even serious ones. A clean and tidy environment on the other hand allows operators to move around more safely and more rapidly. The result is fewer injuries, greater workforce wellbeing and higher productivity.
2. Preventing goods from falling. Dusty shelving, oil stains on the floor, and objects of different shape stacked higgledy-piggledy all contribute to creating a high risk of accidents in the workplace. It only takes one false step, or one wrong manoeuvre, and tools, semi-finished products or even finished products can come crashing to the floor.

Preventing the deterioration of goods

Poorly maintained warehouses and factories, especially in the food sector, are extremely attractive to insects, small rodents and other animals. In these contexts, pests can easily find food to eat and well-protected corners to hide in. Pests not only carry disease and dirt but can also damage products and structures. Even without such drastic results, failure to perform regular cleaning leads to the accumulation of dust and to faded surfaces. In the case of goods destined for sale, this sort of damage has a significant cost. Goods are stored better and last longer in a clean environment.

Workers’ health, positivity and engagement

1. Limitation of influenza outbreaks. Every year, influenza and seasonal illnesses are the most frequent causes of absenteeism in any company’s employee records. Viruses and bacteria proliferate in the absence of proper sanitation, greatly increasing the risk of infection and of consequent problems like absenteeism due to sickness and delays in production and delivery.
2. Productivity and staff turnover. Nobody feels motivated to work in dirty, unhealthy or inhospitable places. The sense of discouragement produced by sloppiness and negligence in organising cleaning soon leads to poor worker performance and to a high rate of staff turnover.  

So how do you clean warehouses and industrial buildings?

Here are some useful tips for cleaning industrial buildings and warehouses:

• Arrange a clear and agreed cleaning schedule.

  One of the most important rules for keeping a factory, warehouse, or any other work environment clean and efficient is to schedule daily, weekly, monthly, and special cleaning sessions. Special cleaning can be arranged as and when needed. Dirt can build up quickly in large factories. Scheduling shifts for dedicated cleaning personnel, or including work place cleaning in employees’ day-to-day tasks keeps cleanliness under control and never allows dirt to reach serious levels.

• Implement a check-list for proper cleaning of the environment.

  Creating a list of items that can be ticked off is a good way to keep standards uniform across the company, share a unified method of working, and ensure that there are no misunderstandings and frustrations about who should do what when the next shift takes over. A check-list is extremely useful for planning and verifying that all tasks are done on time, and for quickly checking that all the cleaning products and tools needed are available at all times, and replacing them as necessary.

• Provide all the tools and machinery needed for safe, fast and effective cleaning and keep them in a convenient, dedicated area.

  Very often, workers themselves are the first to perceive the need to keep their work areas clean and tidy. They are also happy to assume responsibility for cleaning up immediately after an accidental spillage. Spillages can range from coffee spilled on the floor to oil stains caused by mechanical mishaps. Both for spontaneous cleaning of this kind and for end-of-shift cleaning sessions it is easy to obtain the cooperation of workers provided they are empowered to help. Everybody should know exactly where to find the tools they need and how to use them, and tools should be conveniently located, well stocked and tidily arranged. While cleaning machines obviously need to be effective, above all they need to be easy to use. They must not prove challenging to operate even for people who do not use them often. The perception that a machine is easy to use is a key characteristic as it determines whether people feel motivated to use it or not. An easy-to-operate machine is a great incentive for taking the initiative in cleaning.

Eureka specialises in the design and manufacture of industrial cleaning machines. Over 35 years of activity we have developed products for all applications, industrial and otherwise, and our machines are thoroughly appreciated in large and small logistic centres and in industry.

Eureka industrial scrubber-dryers and sweepers are particularly effective, safe and ergonomic.