F&S Building Service Workers (BSWs) began rolling out a new cleaning program this summer. So, when each employee received certificates honoring workshop completion, pomp and circumstance played for all.

Much deserved!

F&S partnered with the Cleaning Management Institute, the education division of the International Sanitary Supply Association (ISSA).

Approximately 40 BSWs from all three working shifts are enacting the program, which is being piloted in five buildings this fall: Campus Instructional Facility, Talbot Laboratory, Grainger Engineering Library Information Center, Lincoln Hall, and the Materials Science and Engineering Building.

These high-usage facilities were selected based on the ability to successfully evaluate and replicate the program in other similar facilities moving forward. A list of departmental expectations is available to help further explain key aspects of this initial effort.

ISSA consultants performed an initial analysis of university cleaning practices last November. Using what they learned, they’ve provided the university with a professional development plan that will help organize cleaning tasks and provide a more systematic, efficient approach. This helps eliminate the potential for cross-contamination through color-coding and streamlined processes.

Building Services Specialist Cleaning Program

Each specialist will now perform the same task in multiple spaces.

For example, on a given day, one BSW may be a vacuum specialist, who vacuums carpets, hard floors, and furniture; another a restroom specialist, who cleans, disinfects, and restocks the restrooms; a third a light duty specialist, who dusts, spot cleans, and empties the trash; and so on.

Vacuuming tools and materials are labeled blue,

restrooms red,

light duty green,

and utilities yellow.

ISSA has found that focusing on one cleaning task at a time “promotes faster, more efficient cleaning by each Specialist member,” as well as “more efficient utilization of equipment and supplies.” More BSWs are expected to become involved in the new system as the program is tweaked and refined.

Thanks for your continued support as F&S strives to raise standards and improve cleanliness in campus facilities as a part of the Building Services Transformation Initiative. For questions about the Specialist Cleaning Program, especially service adjustments in the pilot facilities, contact Director of Transportation & Building Services Pete Varney pvarney@illinois.edu, 217-333-7583.