Untrained Cleaning Industry Costs ACC 4.5M

The release of new ACC figures showing the cleaning industry is costing ACC $4.5 million further reinforces the need for the introduction of a training standard for commercial cleaners says New Zealand’s largest privately owned commercial cleaning company.

“The commercial cleaning industry needs to take some responsibility for these costs and make efforts to reduce their burden on ACC,” says Grant McLauchlan, Managing Director of CrestClean.

“To have an industry lodging near on 2,000 ACC claims, representing more than 5 claims per day shows not enough is being done on the prevention front,” said Mr McLauchlan.

“It would not be surprising to see a majority of the 1,948 new claims made over the past year were the direct result of a lack of training.”

NZQA 2014 figures showed only 219 people successfully gained an NZQA qualification for undertaking a commercial cleaning job. In addition to this CrestClean put 214 people through its accredited programme – representing 50 per cent of all certification of commercial cleaners in New Zealand.

“CrestClean believes costs to ACC from the cleaning industry could be greatly reduced with the introduction of a Cleaning Industry Training Standard (CITS). In August, the company briefed Parliament’s Transport & Industrial Relations Select Committee about the absence of training standards within the cleaning industry,” said Mr McLauchlan.

The lack of training standards within New Zealand’s commercial cleaning industry results in a loss of productivity with businesses, schools and workplaces facing increased absenteeism as people suffer illnesses; often the result of poor hygiene practices that can be traced back to the lack of training by their cleaners.

The introduction of a CITS programme is designed to ensure training is undertaken to recognised standards and form the base level of competence required before an employee is permitted to work on-site unsupervised.

“Until there is a training standard for the cleaning industry, statistics like these will roll round year after year impacting us all. These figures demonstrate the time has now come for action on a CITS programme,” said Mr McLauchlan.

ENDS

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