Does your cleaning operation have a "Green
Cleaning" program? If so, is your green program supported by a Green
Cleaning Policy? What are the typical components of such a policy? Green
Cleaning Policies may vary a bit across different organizations; however, the
most effective policies do share some common components and characteristics. In
this article we will review the typical goals, and the description of roles and
responsibilities, as contained within many Green Cleaning Policies.
Stated Goals
An effective Policy will
contain a few high-level objectives. Some typical examples:
- LEED O+M Certification Compliance: The Policy will
establish the protocols and procedures necessary to ensure that the
cleaning service provider---whether BSC or internal---is in compliance
with its customer's green cleaning requirements. This includes those
clients---internal or external---that have been LEED certified via the
Building Operations and Maintenance (O+M) rating system.
- Reduction of Waste: The Policy will set forth
methods and procedures that support waste reduction efforts. This would
include product selection, measurement techniques, and recycling. For
example:
- Utilization of
chemical dispensing stations to reduce waste of chemicals and water.
- Use of
microfiber cleaning materials that can be effectively cleaned and reused.
- Reduction of
use of paper products.
- Environmental
Objectives: In addition to reduction of waste, the Green Cleaning Policy
will establish requirements that promote a healthy environment. This would
include:
- Use of cleaning
products that are Green-Seal certified and reduced reliance on use of
toxic chemicals.
- Reduction in
the use of volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) to improve the quality of
indoor air.
- Increased use
of cleaning products that are biodegradable.
Roles and Responsibilities
The Policy will identify various roles within your operation
and will specify their respective responsibilities as related to Policy compliance.
Policy Owner
The Green Cleaning Policy will contain a designate name
and/or title that will have overall responsibility for the Policy. The
responsible party is typically the "owner" of the Policy and carries
the ultimate responsibility for execution of the Policy. The Policy will
establish the process for the owner's delegation of various components of
policy compliance throughout his/her organization.
Policy
Management
Individual managers are
typically responsible for:
- Development of
training procedures and schedules for cleaning staff.
- Measurement and
verification of performance of cleaning procedures to ensure compliance
with the Policy.
- Establishment of
corrective action routines to address instances of Policy non-compliance.
- Other supporting
tasks as dictated by the Policy.
In next week's post (Part
2) we will review additional aspects of a Green Cleaning Policy, including....
- Standard
Operating Procedures
- Purchasing
of Preferred Products
- Quality
Assurance and Continuous Improvement
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