Fact sheets
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Cleaning for health
The link between cleaning and health has become a growing threat to building owners under broad OHS requirements in relation to duty of care to prevent the spread of disease and other health risks that may result in breaches of OHS laws and regulations. High workloads, high work intensity and poor equipment provision do not produce the kind of quality clean that is vital for providing a healthy and safe working environment. The Clean Start Agreement provides the environment necessary for a quality healthy clean by linking shift hours to the size of area to be cleaned.
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Green buildings
Tenant demand for green buildings is growing rapidly. Many governments are already committed to occupying only buildings with a National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) rating of 4.5 or higher. Green buildings offer clear benefits to property owners, including reduced operating costs and a longer life cycle. Government has introduced mandatory disclosure information for the commercial building sector on emissions, but this is expected to broaden to reporting on cleaning company operations. Large Australian Real Estate Investment Trusts (A-REITS) have added reporting responsibilities and liabilities where combined emissions of a portfolio push them above the corporate aggregation threshold. Owners have been encouraged to actively manage the tender process in light of new and emerging legislation on green buildings. Tenders for cleaning should also include enough time and training to cleaners to implement green cleaning initiatives.
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Occupational health and safety in commercial properties
OHS legislation places a duty of care for property owners and managers to take all reasonable steps to ensure their buildings are safe for tenants, the public, customers and cleaning companies. Civil and criminal penalties have increased in most jurisdictions for injuries including industrial manslaughter where commercial property owners have acted negligently. The structure and nature of work in the contract cleaning industry presents a number of challenges for property owners trying to provide a safe work environment. Clean Start companies are committed to working with responsible property owners and the United Voice to change the structures preventing property owners and cleaning companies from meeting OHS laws and regulations and to ensure that cleaners are consulted and able to work in a safe work environment.
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Pandemics in the office and retail environment
Resurging fear about pandemics has seen State and Federal governments introduce greater obligations on employers and property owners to take responsibility for disease prevention in the workplace. Insurers have tightened policies to block commercial property owners and managers from pandemic coverage. By using cut-price contractors, owners have been leaving themselves vulnerable to a range of risks that carry severe financial imposts. Clean Start Collective Agreement signatories are legally accountable to cleaners and their union to ensure workloads and hours are reasonable, structured training is provided on best practice cleaning techniques and use of equipment which will provide the cleaning standards needed to minimise the risk and spread of pandemics.
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Cleaners' tasks and injury rates: A danger for them and you
Contract cleaners are exposed to one of the highest injury rates out of any industry in the country and cleaners injuries are likely to be serious. These injury rates ultimately push up the price of cleaning contracts through high workers compensation premiums and expose property owners to prosecution under OHS legislation. The physical nature of cleaning work combined with poor provision of cleaning equipment contributes to the high accident rates of cleaners.
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Public liability
Public liability claims present a significant and sizeable risk to property owners and managers. Many large claims are the result of slips and trips from "cleaning deficiencies". Owners are increasingly found to share the liability of accidents, even where cleaning companies and subcontractors have indemnity clauses included in contract undertakings. In order to limit and control risks, owners are advised to make sure adequate systems of work are implemented at all levels of business. United Voice is working with Clean Start cleaning companies to implement safe systems. Property owners can limit their own liability by ensuring tenders include safe working systems and thus meet the conditions necessary to implement these reforms.
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Subcontracting and illegal practices
Competition is fierce and contract prices are falling in real terms leading to a situation where the industry is 'devouring itself from within' with cleaning companies cutting corners and illegitimately subcontracting to make a profit. Consequently, subcontracting is flourishing and a significant number of cleaning companies are failing to meet statutory obligations to their staff who are risking serious injuries and poverty level wages. Owners and tenants have been left with substandard services. Owners are increasingly aware that liability cannot be completely limited and that minimum cost practices encourage subcontracting and other practices that leave them exposed. The Clean Start campaign has been working with all parties to minimise risks through a Collective Agreement and broader industry reform to ensure safe and responsible practices –a systematic approach with across industry co-operation will the issues associated with subcontracting and other illegal practices resolved.
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Tenant satisfaction and retention strategies
Providing quality property services and maintenance is key to retaining the value of properties and attracting and retaining tenants. Cleaning is a relatively small cost compared to rental revenue but has a massive impact on the presentation and level of tenant satisfaction in your buildings. The high levels of cleaners' workloads and work intensification has made it impossible to provide the standard of cleaning services expected from tenants and clients. For example, 'one in five cleaners had to use the same mops for toilets as other areas and that some cleaners were asked to cut sponges in half to save on supplies'. Clean Start provides the framework for achieving a quality clean and securing the agreement of all industry stakeholders to work towards sustainable cleaning without compromising the work of cleaners or owners corporate social and environmental responsibilities.
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Work structure: The risks of poor work structure and the opportunities to change
The high and serious injury rates in contract cleaning are partly a result of informal work structures and recruitment processes and incredibly high workloads exacerbate physical risks. Cleaners are often not given the time to provide a quality clean or complete tasks. Work structures and recruitment processes are informal in the cleaning industry and this leads to a culture of exploitation and greater precariousness in turn leading to cleaner injury rates and therefore owner risk. Opportunities exist for improving the working environment for cleaners through formalised work structures and the flow on effects of such improvements for owners would be a greater level of service and security, along with risk minimisation due to minimised risk of injuries. The Clean Start Collective Agreement gives specific instructions to remedy these issues and Clean Start cleaning companies and owners are working with United Voice to make these changes.
