cleanthoughts Cleaners Converge Publisher Matt Gallinger MGallinger@EBSCO Associate Publisher Micah Ogburn MOgburn@EBSCO Editorial Director Rich DiPaolo RDiPaolo@EBSCO Managing Editor Aaron Baunee ABaunee@EBSCO Assistant Editor Amanda Martini-Hughes AMartini-Hughes@EBSCO Account Executives Susan Pierce [email protected] Pat Harrington PHarrington@EBSCO Art Director Marty Harris [email protected] Graphic Designer Justin Lancaster ext. 3159 In London One of many storylines surrounding the 2012 Summer Olympic Games was that of the custodians. ext. 3179 (516) 404-4532 ext. 3157 ext. 3154 N Now that the 2012 Summer Olympic Games have wrapped up and America has again confirmed its worldwide athletic dominance, I’d like to reflect on some of the stories that surfaced regarding the custodial professionals who cleaned and maintained London’s Olympic Village for more than three weeks. We ran several stories in the CM e-News Daily about the diversity of the 3,600 indi-viduals comprising the custodial staffs and the energetic enthusiasm they brought to the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But, what did not garner much attention — maybe because the small army of cus-todians, nearly all of whom were students, voiced few concerns — was their plight. While athletes lived lavishly, the 2012 Summer Olympic Games custodians stayed in what was dubbed “Camp Cleanevent,” a slum village of sorts consisting of 100 temporary structures, each sleeping 10 indi-viduals in bunk beds. What’s more, 25 people shared a single toilet and there was only one shower for every 75 people. According to British housing laws, any accommodation where more than two adults have to share a room is considered overcrowded. And, in accordance with health and safety guidelines, employers should provide, at a minimum, one toilet and one sink per every 20 people. It is not a far stretch to call the conditions a cramped hygiene concern. I do not know with certainty, but I can assume that the facilities utilized by the cus-todians cleaning and maintaining the venues hosting the greatest sporting show on Earth were not adequately looked after. A 19-year-old student from Spain who was counted as one of the custodians said, “If it’s wet, it gets really, really dirty. It’s uncomfortable to have a shower because you can get dirty when you come back to your room.” For their efforts, the smorgasbord of cus-todians were paid the equivalent of $12.40 an hour, were supplied with three meals each day and received free transportation to the sporting venues. However, the fee for the shanties in which they stayed was the equivalent of $861 a month, roughly the price it would cost to rent a one-bedroom apartment in London. But, regardless of the living quarters’ quality, the vast majority of custodial profes-sionals were thrilled to be a part of some-thing historic. A 22-year-old Hungarian student who was among the lot of custodians quipped, “I came here to be a cleaner and live next to the Olympic Park. That’s enough for me.” (256) 715-0342 ext. 3153 Director of Business Operations Michael Perkins MPerkins@EBSCO ext. 3133 Ad Materials Manager Rebecca Wilson RWilson@EBSCO CMI ® Administrative Manager Sharon Hillis [email protected] ext. 3137 ext. 3165 Editorial, Advertising & Publishing Offices NTP Media, division of 19BritishAmericanBlvdWest•Latham,NY12110-6405 (518) 783-1281 FAX: (518) 783-1386 Subscription Questions or Inquiries Toll Free (866) 721-4807 Outside U.S. (847) 763-1867 or e-mail [email protected] Subscribe / Renew / Change of Address: http://www.CMMOnline.com/Subscribe Would You Go For The Gold? Would the rate of pay, free meals and the ability to say you were among the 2012 Summer Olympic Games custodians be rewarding enough for you to spend a month cleaning up after rabid fans and the com-petitors for whom they patriotically cheer? I can honestly say that the chockfull nature of dormitory life in college — which, in contrast to the conditions endured by these custodians, seems inconsequential — was enough for me. Then again, these 3,600 individuals will have some great stories to share with their domestic coworkers and family members for many years to come. CM Canada Post: Publications Mail Agreement #40612608 Canada Returns to be sent to: Bleuchip International, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2 Corporate General Manager Barry Lovette [email protected] Vice President of Operations [email protected] Brent Kizzire Chief Marketing Officer, Publishing Services Group [email protected] Hank Brown Vice President of Business Publishing [email protected] Tracy Aston-Martin Vice President of Finance [email protected] Brad Youngblood Group Circulation Director [email protected] Delicia Poole Circulation Analyst Anna Hicks [email protected] Editorial Advisory Board: Benjamin Tanner, Antimicrobial Test Laboratories; Bill McGarvey, Phillip Rosenau Company; Darrel Hicks, St. Luke’s Hospital; David Holly, The Ashkin Group; Kathleen Stanton, American Cleaning Institute (ACI); Jeff Cross, Cleanfax magazine; Russell Kendzior, National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI). Aaron Baunee, managing editor Send comments or thoughts on this topic or any other article that appears in CM/Cleaning & Maintenance Management ® magazine, to [email protected]. CM/Cleaning & Maintenance Management Online™ Service at www.CMMOnline.com 4 CM/Cleaning & Maintenance Management ® • September 2012
CMM – Archives Sept 2012: 4
