“It is not uncommon, especially in India, to act after a crisis has struck,” says Bharathi Kamath, Managing Director, Carewel Facilities India Pvt. Ltd. “By preparing for foreseeable havoc monsoon could create in any office, the organisation will be in a better position to handle any eventuality caused due to flooding or water logging.
Hence, every organisation must draw up a list of possible problems which are likely to arise. This will tremendously impact upon the working conditions and daily business operations.
The service provider should meet the facility & administration team of the client and understand at least the past two years experience.
- Go through the records, if, mainta
ined. - Document the meeting and action plan.
- Prepare a detailed report and checklist to be followed during pre-monsoon & monsoon.
What are the problems likely to arise?
- Water leakage which can lead damage to interiors and electrical installations indoor
- Electrical leakage
- Dampness
The following areas need to be addressed:
- Periodic cleaning of terrace.
- Terrace drain pipes must be checked to ensure there is no clogging.
- Balcony water outlets to be checked to ensure there are no blockages and water flows through.
- Windows must be kept closed and checked periodically as there is possibility of employees opening the window.
- Window openings must be checked for any gaps or defective locking system.
- Walls to be checked for any cracks.
- Basement to be checked if water outlets are sufficient and are not clogged.
- Different types of door matting to control and prevent slippery floors.
- To install lightening/thunder controller.
- Avoid renovation work during monsoon. Particularly painting and polishing jobs.
- The external façade paint can be sealed with a surface sealant paint before the onset of monsoon to prevent seepage.
- Optimum utilisation of air conditioners to be studied and planned as the weather is cooler.
- Rain water harvesting.
Finally, the housekeeping staff should be alert to monitor if any damage is being caused due to rain and inform the facility head immediately.
In offices where there is no night shift the security personnel should be informed to check the premises and report immediately.”
Banks
We are constantly on the look out for dirt & flies and take action immediately. During monsoons, tissue papers and hand dryers are put to more use.
A bucket with a message ‘Put your umbrella or raincoat inside’ is a common sight at the entrance of many banks and offices.
Absenteeism cannot be called a monsoon issue but for any housekeeping company, this can cause trouble. Keeping a couple of relievers on site is important. Janitors falling ill or getting late due to traffic jams during rains is a matter of concern.”
Industrial Cleaning
The following areas to be attended to:
a. High pressure jet cleaning of all drains.
b. Use of industrial vacuum cleaners.
c. Use of industrial sweepers to clean outer areas prevents clogging due to clustering of dry leaves/waste.
d. Carpet & upholstery cleaning with cleaning agents.
e. Use of floor scrubbing and polishing machines to deep clean.
f. Separate waste bin positioning for wet and dry garbages.”
Residential/Township
In the residential complexes, basically the lobby and the lift area should be kept dry. In the gardens there could be fear of snakes, etc., and housekeepers have to be prepared for it. Drain blockage can be avoided if proper cleaning is done prior to monsoons. In places where rainwater harvesting is being practiced, question of water logging does not arise at all.
- Arresting any leakage on the terrace of the residential and other premises.
- De-clogging drains and de-silting sewer lines to avoid overflow.
- Treating small pests which find their way up from the bathroom drains into residences.
- Pre-treatment of wood surfaces to save it from termite attack and fungus formation.
- Bushes and trees to be timely trimmed, especially around the houses.
- Checking latches and window glass in the stairways
The township is around 750 acres. We have been maintaining some of the residential areas, which have 5420 quarters divided into sectors. Our activities also include maintaining toilets in the quarters inhabited by the workers.”
Corporate Houses
“Outer areas, parking lots and entry ramps are alarming areas of safety, since water collected results in moss formation leaving the surface slimy & slippery, often leading to accidents. As housekeeping experts, we not only take precautionary measures but also educate our clients to make sure our standards of cleaning meets the required safety standards.
Cleaning becomes tough where human traffic is heavy. Receptions, washrooms, common cafeterias or breakouts are often the most crucial areas that need special attention during monsoons. Neglected drains can choke the main drainage due to increase in ground water levels and cause serious trouble. Employees of many corporate houses use C-fold napkins to dry their hair or body on reaching the office. These increase the consumption of toiletries. Heavy rains delay the sign-out time of employees who prefer waiting back with a cup of coffee till the gushing rains stop. Along with cleaning towels/tissues the consumption of eatables also go high, demanding prior planning by us to make sure that we do not run out of stock.
If you think that only humans fall sick in this season then it is not correct. Your building is equally at a risk. Dampness leads to sick building syndrome.
Carpets pose the major challenge in corporate cleaning. Regular vacuuming can do wonders to keep them looking good and welcoming. But damp footfalls during rains can mar the appearance of carpets and also reduce their life. Carpets tend to stink due to the moisture and start looking dull and lifeless diminishing the aura in the corporate atmosphere. Carpet blowers can help dry the loops post shampooing, but not many clients wish to invest in them.”
Hospitals
- Extra discarded towels
- Extra water pusher
- Wet caution sign board
- Torch lights
- Emergency lights
- Umbrellas
- Gum boots
- Rain coats
- Extra blankets
- Wet and dry vacuum cleaner
- Anti slippery mats
- Sand bags
- Additional hose pipes
- Extra dusters
- Extra mops
Things to be followed during monsoon:
- Follow the weather forecast.
- Supervisors should take frequent rounds of all the areas.
- All the materials are made readily available.
- Deployment of extra staff to manage excess water at the entrances.
- Continuous mopping in the lobby to remove the foot marks.
- In case of any seepages, should be informed immediately to the maintenance supervisor.
- All the drain blocks should to be frequently checked by the supervisor.
- Anti slippery mats to be placed in all the entrances.
- Wet caution board to be placed in all the guest areas where the floors are wet.
- List of leakage areas to be prepared by the housekeeping supervisors and one copy to be given to the maintenance supervisor. Once the rain stops, all the problem areas to be rectified.
Hotels
Some of the common steps taken by housekeeping at hotels include:
- Keeping additional umbrellas ready at the bell desk for guest use.
- Provision of anti-skid door mats at all external entrances and staircases. These mats also hold a certain amount of mud and water from the footwear.
- Swimming pool is closed both for guest safety as well as for hygiene purposes
- All poolside deck chairs, tables and umbrellas are covered with proper rain covers. Some hotels cover the swimming pool as well.
- Guest rooms and public area windows are monitored carefully. The window gasket and the silicon layer should be completely intact in order to avoid any wind or traffic noise or water from coming in.
- In close coordination with engineering personnel developments of any kind of dampness in the walls or ceilings is monitored. If not addressed timely the air conditioning system and carpets in the room give out a stale or musty smell. Air conditioners should be serviced and the carpets refreshed during this season.
- Provision of sand bags to arrest excessive water flow in any particular area of the hotel that is susceptible to flooding.
- Caution signage displaying “wet floor” in such areas.
- Wet pick up vacuum cleaners and wipers are kept at handy for picking up any amount of extra water that comes into the building.
- Additional blowers are made available to dry off wet carpets in rooms or public areas.
The rains’ impact on housekeeping
a. Lack of Total Quality in work levels all round.
b. Pronounced absentee(ism) amongst workers at all levels.
c. Increased consumption of sanitizing agents.
d. Equipment / vehicular damage owing to accident/rusting.
e. Default at key housekeeping functions:
i. Maintenance of uniforms becomes a difficult proposition for the housekeeping personnel
ii. Sewer, drainage, AC plants, fountains, outer areas, hoods, water tanks/dispenser, door/foot mats cleaning and maintenance becomes problematic.
iii. Dumping and disposal of waste (dry & wet) is a key issue in monsoons.
iv. Machine/equipment lubrication/cleansing, carpet deep cleaning/debugging and upholstery maintenance adds on to housekeeping cost.
Keep your property moisture free
Housekeeping is not only a cleaning process for removal of dust, dirt, foreign matter, tarnishes and stains from various surfaces but it is much more than that. Similarly during monsoon, housekeepers have to face real touch task to handle different issues from dampness to increase in problem of pests and insecticides. Therefore, a housekeeper must follow some practical processes and tips to keep the property fresh, the moisture away and sometimes to quick fix the problems that monsoon, could cause.
Renovation and repair of damp walls
As a practice, major renovation works should be done before or after the monsoon. Similarly, the areas where one has faced the problem of dampness in the walls the previous season need to be repaired by waterproofing. A leak test should be conducted to find the reasons for the leaks like broken pipes, weak wall plaster, a worn terrace floor etc. Also moss and other natural debris like leaves that get collected at the mouths of drain pipes and block the rain water from draining off, should be periodically removed.
For Furniture
Wrought iron furniture requires a thick coat of anti-rust application followed by fresh painting. Also, hair oil (non-scented) could be used to prevent rust on the furniture especially during the monsoon.
Moisture should be prevented from getting into mattresses of beds and sofa sets to control Silverfish. Plastic sheets should be places over the mattress before you put the mattress protector or sofa covers.
For closets and drawers
Camphor or silica gel should be kept in cupboards/ closets to keep the clothes fresh and keep away the moisture and fungus from the clothes. Neem leaves or cloves are also very effective against Silverfish, therefore could be used in the closets.
Window coverings
Instead of drapes or curtains, blinds should be preferred as the curtains or drapes tend to absorb moisture and the problem of mildew is always there. Or, to protect the fabrics, a little baking soda could be sprinkled, as they absorb moisture and unpleasant smells also.
For floors
Wooden flooring should be properly waxed (polished) and inspected for any moisture presence, as the moisture warps the hardwood floorings. Carpets need to be vacuumed at frequent intervals with cleaners to take away not only dirt but also the moisture that seeps into fibre and causes musty smell. Rugs should be rolled up and wrapped properly in polyethylene sheets during the monsoon.
Ventilation of rooms
Windows should be opened up for enough cross ventilation & fresh air and to let sunlight enter the rooms. This will help get rid of humidity as well as take away the musty smell. Room fresheners can be used during cleaning processes to freshen up the rooms. Automatic airfreshner dispenser in the bathroom or bedroom is effective during rains. You can preset it to spray every 5-20 minutes.
Bhupesh Kumar, BCIHMCT, New Delhi
General tips
Pre-planning will enable the facility manager to ensure that the impact of rains on day-to-day operations is minimal. The floods in Mumbai in 2005 highlighted the unpredictability of the severity of the monsoon and thus, adequate preparation will go a long way in enabling business to function without interruptions.
The preparations can be divided into pre-monsoon activities and activities during the monsoon period. The preparations should ideally be started two months before the commencement of rains. The key focus areas that should be covered in the monsoon management plan are:
- Review of defects/leakages of previous monsoon period
- Building fabricA thorough check of the intactness of the sealing is essential.
- Rooftops/Terrace inspectionsLeakage through seepage from locations on the roof where water stagnates. The stagnation could be because of blocked drains or storage of unwanted materials on the terrace.
- Basements: Adequate means to pump out water from basements are essential. Pre-monsoon activities would include testing of the sump pumps, clearing of the sumps and drains and testing of sump flooding sensors.
- Storm water drains
- Inside office preparationsLeakages in the electrical shafts are common and thus a check on the sealing of the distribution boards and electrical panels is necessary.
During rains monitoring of the situation on a day-to-day basis is equally important. An area often neglected is the increase in housekeeping effort on account of employees dirtying the facility. Adequate arrangements for stowage of rain gear help in minimizing the amount of water that enters the office premise. The moisture content in the air increases, the facility manager should identify areas that require humidity control and monitor these areas closely during this period.
