FMJ.CO.UK
OUR STANDARDS.
YOUR GUARANTEE By Lorcan Mekitarian, Chair of the Cleaning & Hygiene Suppliers Association
MONTH IN FM
NOVEMBER 2021 53
Cleanliness and hygiene have never
been more important than during the
Coronavirus pandemic. The cleaning operatives
and teams being celebrated at the Kimberly-
Clark Professional 2022 Golden Service Awards
are testament to the professionalism and
commitment of those working on the front line.
To keep workplaces, public spaces and health
and care settings safe these teams needed
cleaning and hygiene products fit for purpose.
It should have been straightforward, but in the
context of unprecedented and urgent demand, the
unscrupulous made the most of the opportunity.
They flooded into the market, making spurious
claims and
peddling faulty
products.
Di erentiating
between
these rogues
and credible
and ethical
companies
is not
straightforward.
With no
expertise or track record, people set
up businesses or new operations
overnight to sell aprons, gloves, hand
sanitisers and products for cleaning
hard surfaces or so˜ tissue. They
claimed expertise, knowledge and
product excellence.
The UK hand sanitiser market
has been described as a ‘wild west’,
organisations with no relevant track
record, turning to the production of
alcohol hand gels.
Shiploads of products like masks
and gowns have been rejected as
not fit for purpose, a consequence
of the increase in imported Personal
Protective Equipment (PPE) with fake
or no CE marking. The CE certification
mark indicates conformance with
European Union health and safety and
environmental protection directives.
There have been extraordinary claims about
cleaning chemicals, including cleaning once with
a hard surface sanitiser will keep a surface sterile
for days. It sounds perfect, but it’s only true in
laboratory conditions. New methods of application,
including fogging and misting, have been described
as the panacea but the evidence suggests they are
more about the drama of cleaning and hygiene.
Buyers and users need to look behind the headline
claims.
Our advice is simple. ‘Be cautious.’
Be sceptical about product claims. It if sounds
too good to be true, it probably is.
Ask for evidence to back up product claims. A
reputable manufacturer will be pleased and
able to show you data sheets or other relevant
evidence to support the claims made for the
product.
Ask for the CE declaration and any other test
reports to show conformance to specification.
Check if the testing was carried out in the UK or
Europe.
Buy from a reputable supplier with a track
record. Getting customer references is always a
good idea.
Finally, look for the CHSA Accreditation Scheme
mark.
We operate Accreditation Schemes for
manufacturers of paper-based and woven,
plastic-based, and cotton-based products, and for
manufacturers of cleaning and hygiene chemicals.
We also operate an Accreditation Scheme for
Distributors of cleaning & hygiene products.
Every CHSA member has also signed our rigorous
Code of Practice. It requires them to “maintain a
high standard in the conduct of its business”.
The combination of our Code of Practice and
Accreditation Scheme membership means every
member:
Trades ethically and sustainably;
Provides quality, fit for purpose products; and
Makes sure what’s on the box is what’s in the box.
Our commitment to standards is underpinned by
Independent Inspection. An auditor, an experienced
quality assurance professional, visits every member
to ensure compliance.
If you want to buy from an ethical business with
a respected track record in providing good quality
cleaning and hygiene products, look for the CHSA
logo and CHSA Accreditation Scheme mark.
It is our long-standing commitment to standards
that means we are proud to be the Gold Sponsor
of the Kimberly-Clark Professional Golden Service
Awards, which celebrate excellence on the cleaning
frontline.
www.CHSA.co.uk @CHSACleaning
/www.CHSA.co.uk
