A facility management holiday season checklist can help you avoid unnecessary headaches.

It happens every fall. All of a sudden, holiday season is around the corner. Don’t be caught unprepared. It’s a busy time of the year. Use the holiday check list below to make sure you’ve got your cleaning and maintenance in order —with any extras covered.

1. Let your commercial cleaning company know your holiday schedule!

Schedules can get mixed up over the holiday period, but the cleaning still has to get done. Retail facilities may have longer hours; manufacturing typically has shut down periods; service-related businesses often need to work around holiday-related factors such as staff schedules and client needs. Again, let your commercial cleaning company know your holiday schedule!

Let your commercial cleaning company know:

  • Changes, additions or cancellations in your regular schedule
  • Deep cleaning needs for a specific area, e.g. carpets, bathroom grout, ceilings and ceiling fans, air vents, etc. (Note: Healthcare services, in particular, may want to do a total disinfection to combat the holiday cold and flu season.)
  • Any additional end-of-season cleaning requirements to prepare for the new year
  • Speciality equipment cleaning (more about this on checklist below!)

2. Schedule maintenance of equipment.

Proper equipment cleaning keeps manufacturing equipment free of dirt and grime. Otherwise, parts wear faster, breakdowns occur more often, and efficiency and productivity suffer. Good “housekeeping” also is essential for your health and safety program. Air quality is a big contributor to employee productivity, and staff are less likely to have accidents when equipment is well maintained and the work area is clean and organized.

Let your commercial cleaning company know your maintenance and specialty cleaning needs:

  • Equipment cleaning, in particular, equipment and areas subject to winter conditions, such as ice, snow and cold
  • Additional cleaning because of salt being used to clear walkways and driveways (depending on your location)
  • HVAC equipment servicing, which can always be arranged by a professional through your facility maintenance partner
  • A thorough cleaning of electrical cabinets. Dust can impair the performance and even cause a fire of electrical equipment.

3. Health and safety review.

Every workplace today has a comprehensive health and safety plan that requires regular review to ensure staff are protected from accidents and illness. Use down time at the end of the year to check the following:

  • Are all safety control systems up to date and working? If not, this can have disastrous consequences in terms of a workplace accident.
  • Are fire and emergency exits clear from clutter?
  • Are fire extinguishers up to date and training provided to employees?
  • If you have an increase in seasonal employees during the holiday period, have you a plan in place to train them effectively in your safety practices and procedures?

4. Be prepared for inclement weather.

For many locations, ‘tis the season of freezing rain, ice and snow. It’s time to make sure you’ve got all the right tools, equipment and supplies to deal with whatever comes your way. Depending on the weather (and our climate area), your facility need to keep snow and ice cleared in parking areas and walkways. Remember, the use of salt impacts an internal facility because it leaves wet patches on floors, which are a slipping hazard.

Check your inventory (and clear a space) for the following:

  • Wet floor signage
  • Extra matting to prevent slips and falls
  • Areas at entrances for people to store wet boots, perhaps a bench to sit on
  • Containers of salt to reduce slipping on icy walkways
  • Shovels and snow removal equipment (blowers, ploughs, etc.)

5. Fight cold and flu germs.

Unfortunately, cold and flu season coincides with the holiday season. With indoor air and holiday social gatherings, germs are more likely to spread and cause sickness. To protect customers and employees (and prevent absenteeism due to sickness), It’s wise to plan for a extra cleans during the holiday season, or a special disinfecting clean.

Check the following:

  • For retail environments: Request extra cleaning on door handles, elevator buttons, reception areas and washrooms.
  • For office environments: Consider a disinfectant clean for shared common areas like meeting rooms and kitchens.
  • Por all facilities: put out bottles of hand sanitizer at reception areas and boxes of tissues

6. Plan for increased foot traffic.

For retail, hospitality and healthcare facilities, the holiday season may mean an increase in foot traffic, which impacts the cleanliness of your indoor facility, washroom supplies and your waste management system. Special events during the holidays held in your facility can also impact the cleanliness and increase the waste collected e.g. food, decorations etc.

Check the following:

  • Contact your facilities maintenance service or commercial cleaning company to schedule an increase in the cleaning services during this time
  • Decide on extra services that might be required such exterior snow removal, carpet cleaning, etc.
  • Align on whether decorations need to be cleaned before they are installed, and then cleaned before they are packed up for another year

7. End of year clutter and “stuff”.

There’s always areas in any workplace that get forgotten, such as cupboards in common areas, kitchen appliances, closets, even the employee refrigerator! Holiday season is the perfect time to empty the clutter and start the year fresh.

  • Announce a “throw out” date and discard everything left in the refrigerator
  • Remove clothing left in closets, donate to charity what isn’t claimed
  • Arrange for an extra clean of common areas, including appliances, garbage cans, storage areas, closets, etc.

 

For more than 35 years Kleenway has been providing superior and trusted commercial cleaning and exterior maintenance services. Contact us for a quote to make sure your facility is winter-ready!