bital micro scrubbing, to accomplish streak-free clean using less detergent and water and fewer chemicals. This option reduces potential slip and fall injuries, chemical expo-sure and environmental impact. Slip And Fall Prevention Some automated cleaning equipment utilizes vacuum technology that cleans a floor with water or chemical solutions and then imme-diately dries the floor surface. This prevents water and solution from seeping into a floor’s base materials, which can lead to long-term damage. It also improves safety as reducing slip and fall incidents has be-come a serious concern. As it has been reported, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupa-tional Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), has even revised its Walking and Working Surfaces regulations, requiring that facilities have an effective cleaning process and incorporate more stringent oversight. To help ensure that the proper precautions are taken, the National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI) — one of several groups that help iden-tify key criteria that should be considered when selecting cleaning chemicals, equipment and procedures — offers independent prod-uct testing for equipment and product manufacturers. One of NFSI’s tests evaluates products’ slip resistance; incorpo-rating the slip resistance test results with the product makes pur-chasing decisions easier for end users. With the aid of such information, facility managers can select the proper equipment and ensure that the most stringent safety mea-sures and guidelines are met. Minimizing Building Disruptions Equipment noise level is also important. Regardless of the facility, using low-noise equipment enhances operator safety without disturbing building occupants. Finding equipment that operates with low noise is preferable in many settings, especially in schools, hospitals, religious facilities and other noise-sensitive and high-traffic areas. By utilizing such equipment, facility managers can thoroughly clean floors during business hours. This ability increases safety, since puddles, soil, spills and other potential hazards can be cleaned without disturbing building oc-cupants. Going Beyond Appearance Given the cleaning industry’s technological advances, changing safety regulations and increased facility management standards, today’s maintenance practices go beyond improving a facility’s ap-pearance. By selecting the proper equipment, facility managers can ensure that modern hard floor cleaning values — promoting long-term floor life and meeting the immediate requirements of providing a healthy, safe environment — are being met. Green chemical solutions, working to prevent accidents and minimizing facility disruptions are practical ways to exercise those values. CM FREE INFO: Reader Service 251 or CMMOnline.com/freeinfo www.cmmonline.com 19
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