Modern society is characterized by the coexistence of large numbers of people in concentrated spaces, such as those of cities, and is made possible by hygiene and health, provided by the quality of cleanliness. Problems related to this issue arise and, consequently, there is a need for initiatives to create and innovate and, along with the advent of knowledge about hygiene practices, new technologies in cleaning products and equipment are developed day after day.

The technology applied to professional cleaning is not just about automating machines and vacuum cleaners that perform the tasks themselves, or cutting-edge equipment and products. But also to all those factors that can contribute to the development and evolution of this sector. For example, we can mention the application and improvement of communication through our smartphones, systems that help to manage employees and perform inventory control.

These tools that are now in the palm of our hands provide us with many advantages, such as having access to cleaning product datasheets, machine usage videos, researching different equipment to improve cleaning techniques. It also optimizes the work environment by making service schedules available to all employees, easy-to-complete checklists and standard operating procedures that link theory to work practice.

It should be noted that the use of technology in the cleaning sector, comes together with greater training of professionals, because, despite the fact that automation also intends to reduce the workforce, it will require skilled employees to operate this equipment.

In this way, regarding the use of a machine, the necessary skills include not only its operational use, but also its concepts, its adjustments and regulations, the recognition of malfunctions, the use of proper cleaning and/or disinfection techniques, aiming not only to improve the cost-efficiency-benefit ratio of the work performed, but, above all, to be concerned with the development, participation and perception of the team when performing this work, with the necessary ease and interactivity, a humanized assistance with resolution and quality.

The pressures for new performances on the one hand threaten stability and the knowledge gained on the other have been the great opportunity for change, with modernization, performance evolution, critical maturity, the creation of new paradigms, the values of preservation, quality of commitment and professional autonomy. Constant worker training and development are important to keep them constantly improving and satisfied with the development of their duties.

Training was once considered simply a way to fit a person to their position. Today it has become a way to improve their performance. It is currently considered a means of developing skills in workers to become more productive, creative and innovative in order to contribute to the fulfillment and achievement of organizational goals.

And technology is increasingly bringing quality and efficiency to the practice of this sector. The list of benefits from automation is extensive, such as saving water and chemicals; the correct use of chemicals for a given area; the optimization of time; worker health and safety; ergonomics, and especially, increases the quality and efficiency of tasks.

Today, organizations are seen as having a technical dimension (equipment and processes) and a social dimension (individuals), where technology can be seen as one of the essential resources for a successful business operation. These aspects, although of greater management complexity, also bring a great opportunity: to emphasize the importance and scope of our sector, especially for the promotion of public health.

Man’s relationship with the environment tends to become more complete and realistic when we interact with socioeconomic issues. In doing so, the term SUSTAINABILITY was born. Sustainability is to make use of natural resources in a planned and organized manner, promoting economic development but ensuring their continuity for future generations. Thus, for something to be considered sustainable, in fact, it must be ecologically correct, socially fair and economically viable. Therefore, it is currently called Conservation and not Preservation. Preservation is something that cannot be changed, moved, visited. Conservation is something that one can enjoy, can share, but use with awareness, meaning they knowing how to use it.

Among the most common activities that we can perform in Conservation of the Environment are the so-called 3R´s practices : Recycling , Reuse and Reduction .

To illustrate the importance of the Recycling process, we take aluminum cans as an example. With this, we have reduced some “direct” environmental impacts, such as the extraction of bauxite ore (aluminum ore) and the reduction of electrical power; widely used in the processing of bauxite. In indirect impacts, this recycling keeps the cans from being disposed of in landfills or even dumps.

In Reuse , we can think of the PET bottle. Made from a type of plastic derived from petroleum, Ethylene Polyerephthalate . That, in addition to the environmental impacts inherent in oil extraction, needs energy and water to make it. Today, along with recycling, handicrafts such as PET reuse are at large: garden pots and watering cans, brooms, lamps, educational games and so on. The same PET also participates in another environmental action when collecting cooking oil. Ensuring safety and practicality in proper packaging until the proper disposal and destination.

Last but not least, Reduction in waste generation. As all actions are behavioral. This would be no different. It depends solely and exclusively on each person. When buying goods or products:

– Try to avoid disposable products and give preference to durable ones;

– Choose products with returnable packaging or ones that have refills;

– Go shopping with eco-friendly bags, which can be used many times, minimizing the number of plastic bags and buy what you really need;

– Keep some water from your washing machine in your home, it can be useful for washing sidewalks and even rinsing recyclable waste;

– Have a rainwater collection cistern for reuse in sidewalk washing, toilet flushing and gardening activities;

But in the workplace, we must also think about sustainability:

– Diluting the cleaning products properly, according to the label specifications and not “by eye”, thus avoiding the waste of water and the product itself;

– Treating machines, accessories and personal protective equipment with due care, aiming at conservation, because with durability, replacements can be made after longer periods;

– Consciously following the work plan, as if cleanliness is maintained continuously, it will not take time, energy and resources to restore the environment to make it healthy;

– Turn off the lights when leaving the room, close the taps at the end of use;

– Separate waste according to specifications and give them proper destination;

– Work with awareness, communicate assertively and maintain an ethical posture. Good examples undoubtedly contribute to a healthy environment, as conflicts are avoided and, above all, rework also facilitates interpersonal relationships. 

            There are several actions we can do to conserve the environment. As long as we can reduce the shipment of recyclable/reusable solid waste to landfills, while we can separate cooking oil and lamps and give them the right destination, we will minimize environmental impacts.

Every little action we do has an impact on the world. So we propose: come with us, respect the environment? Come to FACOP.

In this context, professional qualification is undoubtedly the best guide that an individual can follow. Qualification expands knowledge, enables renewal, and opens new perspectives. Inserts new content that can give better action and greater productivity to the professional.

In the cleaning and conservation sector, the services provided consist of professional cleaning, copying, reception, access and concierge control, gardening, pest control and can also include kitchen assistant professionals, garagists, valets, elevator operators, cargo operators and others. It is a sector that has been growing enormously and increasingly encompassing roles and service stations.

Modern reality is revealed before this public: nowadays the cleaning and conservation sector has been suffering significant technological influence. Computers, security cameras, intercoms, video intercoms, coffee makers, management software, voice commands… Nothing, however, compared to the professional cleaning market. Backwashing machines, hydrojet machines, low speed waxing machines,   and high speed waxers, extractors, MOP system, not to mention the highly concentrated chemicals and equipment use techniques.

The demanding market no longer accepts professionals who simplt perform their task. Knowing how to use equipment, products and techniques, knowing how to behave, to maintain relationships and being empathic is not enough. These skills can equally be learned. So, it is fundamental and smart to know how to deal with change, adapt, learn and relearn is fundamental and intelligent, in every position, from operational to strategic.

Professional qualification increases the possibility of achieving the desired job, but it certainly helps those who already have one to maintain it.

I study, I train, I change. Is that you?

Knowing how to control and deal with emotions is one of the most valuable professional characteristics for the market and, at the same time, one of the most complicated for the worker.

An individual’s ability to understand and cope with his or her own emotions and to learn to deal with those around him or her in order to achieve positive results in both personal and professional life is called Emotional Intelligence.

The  importance of emotional intelligence is for life. Its essence is when we can reconcile the emotional and rational side of the brain, neutralizing the negative emotions that generate destructive behaviors,  then empowering the positive emotions to achieve the desired results. It enables the construction of healthy relationships and conscious decision making, avoiding impulsive acts.

By working on emotional intelligence you:

• Decrease anxiety and stress levels;
• Improve interpersonal relationships;
• Develop more empathy;
• Acquire more emotional balance and clarity in goals and actions;
• Improve decision making, time management and productivity;
• Increase the level of commitment to your goals;
• Raise self-esteem and self-confidence.

Because of the many benefits that emotional intelligence can generate for your professional practice, we suggest some actions to start developing your own:

1 – Invest heavily in self-awareness

The first step is to know yourself, analyze your emotions and the actions you take in response to stimuli.

2 – Learn to control your emotions.

Learning to handle and control your emotions will move you in the right direction, depending on your situation, and make all the difference between balance and dysfunction.

3– Empathy

Learning to put oneself in another’s place, to recognize others’ emotions and understand their behaviors, makes us more sensitive and open.

4 – Know how to relate interpersonally

Another key to success is knowing how to have good relationships, guiding the emotions of others. This will create a positive environment around you, improving not only your quality of life but also affecting those around you.

5 – Work on your spirituality

You will find a way to be more compassionate and unafraid of being human.

6 – Practice physical exercise

The hormones released in physical activity balance the emotions.

 7: Meditate

Being in the present moment does not feed you anxiety (focus on the future) nor develop depression (excess of the past).

Those who learn and apply emotional intelligence know how to think, feel and act intelligently and consciously, not allowing their emotions to guide their lives and hinder their work.

It’s always good to remember that emotional intelligence is something we spend a lifetime perfecting. It is a kind of maturity that never comes, for there are always ways to be better and to act in a more balanced and appropriate manner.

In almost all professional activities, workers may be exposed to electricity, whether to a greater or lesser extent. But, in general, contact with a device, equipment, tool, machine, connections, and other electrical materials usually happens during the workday. Because the use of these materials often happens indirectly, proper care is not always taken when handling electrical equipment or machinery, and this can lead to serious accidents.

It must be understood that the action of electricity is extremely harmful to human health, often lethal. An accident with electricity can happen as a result of a short circuit, electric shock (the passing of an electric current through the body) or electric arc or voltage (phenomenon with extreme intensity that results in discharge of electric current flow in the air). All of these electrical accidents can result in severe burns, loss of limbs (such as hands, arms and feet), cardiac arrest, respiratory failure, falling, convulsions and even death. The risk of fire still also needs to be considered.

And, what does all this have to do with cleaning and conservation activities? Simply everything.

In my professional career, I had the opportunity to work in companies from various segments: financial, productive, commercial, educational, including professional experience abroad. And, in all of them, I have always been close to the cleaning and conservation professionals and this made me realize that the use of machines and equipment by most workers in this sector is intense.

Today, the cleaning professional, for example, uses more than just cloths, buckets, brooms as they did years ago. Quite the contrary, both the professional and the activity were modernized, with companies investing in new work processes and, mainly, in technology.

The cleaning and conservation sector is gradually intensifying the use of robust floor treatment machinery. Non-electrical equipment is being replaced by floor scrubbers, washers and sweepers or industrial floor polishers, which makes the process more productive and standardized, however, it increases worker exposure to the dangers of electricity.

Some very common procedures to observe are the use of extensions, “T” outlets, with multiple machines connected to the same one, working with equipment with unprotected cables or electrical connections, and seeing that industry professionals of distinct sectors, including those for cleaning and maintenance, have free access to corporate electrical cabinets.

These practices are very common, but extremely dangerous. Here is a list some examples:

Table 1 – Examples of hazardous practices related to electricity

And what to do to prevent accident? First, it is necessary to follow safety measures. When it comes to caution with electricity, it is recommended to follow the requirements of Regulatory Standard 10 (NR 10) which provides safety parameters, preventive measures, prohibitions, personal and collective protective equipment, training and other requirements that minimize the risks when working with electricity. . Some of our guidelines are:

• Performing a safety checklist of machines and equipment, especially if the wire is in perfect working condition, it must not be stripped;
• Site risk analysis (check that there is no nearby power grid that could cause an accident);
• Wearing PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) and CPE (Collective Protection Equipment);
• Always switch off the appliance when cleaning, storing, plugging in or unplugging it;
• Do not leave plugs on wet floors while performing the activity (water is an excellent electrical conductor, which may cause a short circuit or electric shock to the worker);
• Do not run over the power cord with operating equipment, as the cord may break and cause a short circuit and shock;
• Unplug by pulling it by the plug and never by the cord;

• Do not pull or carry the devices by the cord;
• Do not use common extensions to connect high energy consuming appliances. Use industrial cables with the adequate capacity;
• When charging a device, be careful not to touch live areas;
• Do not touch the electrical part of appliances with metal objects;
• Do not run wires under furniture as this may cause fire;
• Keep any appliance away from humid places. Even when turned off, appliances can cause shocks;
• Do not tamper with electrical switchboards, not even to turn lights on/off. Access to electrical cabinets should only be done by authorized professionals;
• In case of an accident, do not touch the victim, turn off the power source immediately and call for medical help.

The danger of working with electricity will always exist, but following the guidelines provided by the company and training correctly will make you work safer and easier.