From left: Paul Emery BSCNZ president, Lillian Small BSCNZ CEO and Gareth Marriott OCS NZ Limited managing director

Article by Lizzie Hunter on September 6, 2017 in New Zealand

Building Service Contractors of New Zealand (BSCNZ) CEO Lillian Small has been recognised for her effort in celebrating the unsung heroes of the cleaning industry.

The award was presented at the inaugural BSCNZ Cleaning for a Brighter Future conference, held in Rotorua on 6 and 7 September.

Small created Thank Your Cleaner Day™ in 2015, in what has become an annual event dedicated to cleaners to show they are valued and appreciated.

BSCNZ president Paul Emery said Small has been the driving force behind the day, which has been well received and supported by the industry.

“Our cleaners often work outside of normal hours and in the middle of the night. They play a major role in keeping our economy moving, particularly when it comes to productivity around health and hygiene,” said Emery.

Research shows a clean facility can reduce occupants’ chances of catching a cold or flu by up to 80 per cent, slashing absenteeism by almost half.

“In New Zealand, that is a total cost to the economy of around $1.26 billion annually and these unplanned absences result in a reduction in productivity, sales and customer service.

“Lillian had the vision to do something special for the people who literally keep our workplaces moving, and Thank Your Cleaner Day has been a huge success. It’s great to have new ideas and initiatives to give the recognition – and its people – the recognition it deserves,” said Emery.

Small said it’s great to have support from BSCNZ members across the board, with a number of companies celebrating and acknowledging their cleaners.

“I am very proud to be part of the New Zealand cleaning industry that continuously strives for excellence not only in their business ethics and services to the community but through supporting a campaign like Thank Your Cleaner Day that recognises the skilled work cleaners do every day.”

BSCNZ conference heralded a success

The BSCNZ’s Cleaning for a Brighter Future cleaning conference has been heralded a success by attendees and exhibitors alike, with the two-day event providing valuable insights from a range of speakers as well as networking opportunities for delegates.

In her opening address Small said the event was a chance for the industry to come together and strive for excellence.

“Our industry is continually growing and is often put under many challenges,” Small said. “Over the next two days we hope to deliver inspiring, thought-provoking content to help you on your journey of striving for excellence.”

Highlights of the two-day conference included keynote speakers Bruce Cotterill and Kevin Biggar, as well as Auckland Transport CEO, David Warburton; Kathy Schluter from EROAD; Stu Lumsden, acting national manager of the Labour Inspectorate and Auckland District Health Board’s Shankara Amurthalingam and Diner Sundararaj.

An industry panel discussion was also held between FMANZ representatives City Care Services and Prisma Facilities Management, and BSCNZ members OCS NZ and TPS NZ. The conference wrapped up with an exclusive tour of the Tork Manufacturing Plant at Kawerau.

Major sponsors of the event included Tork, Karcher, Livi, Careerforce and Enable Business. Dinner at the Skyline Restaurant following the first day was sponsored by Diversey. Exhibitors included Premier Hygiene, EROAD, NZ Safety Blackwoods, Kiwi Maintenance Group and Vault.