It is estimated there are more than three million workers in the professional cleaning industry in North America today; however, less than 10 per cent have been professionally trained in state-of-the-art cleaning tasks and procedures. Unfortunately, this means many cleaning tasks are performed on a trial-and-error basis, without the benefit of an established foundation of knowledge.
This is of even greater concern when it comes to floor care because it is so labour-intensive. A lack of training can prevent workers from performing their jobs efficiently and can also threaten the workers’ safety and the safety of visitors. Fortunately, associations such as ISSA, the Canadian Sanitation Supply Association, Building Service Contractors International, and the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification provide floor care programs using the most advanced techniques and technologies.
- Robert Kravitz is a former building service contractor and now a communications professional for organizations in the professional cleaning and building industries. He may be reached at
