Executive Housekeeping Today - October 2008 - (Page 8)

Frugal (continued from previous page) Case Study: University of Miami When the University of Miami wanted help going Green, the question really became, what could Green Seal do to help this institution go Greener? Like many organizations, local governments, businesses, and academic institutions, the University of Miami already recognized the importance of good environmental stewardship and had made a commitment to taking a leadership role. With its GreenU program, it set an admirable, universitywide goal of increasing sustainability through the procurement of environmentally-responsible products and environmentally-sound maintenance and operations procedures for new and existing buildings. The University called upon Green Seal two years ago to help identify areas in which it could improve energy efficiency, reduce toxic exposures, maximize natural resources, and increase conservation efforts. Green Seal conducted a six-month evaluation, including on-site visits and interviews with staff and management, in which it thoroughly audited the Coral Gables, Marine, and Medical campuses and provided a detailed list of recommendations. Using checklists of criteria developed for similar clients, Green Seal evaluated the University’s Green progress in areas such as purchasing, lighting and electronics, custodial services and products, landscaping, and other areas, such as roofing, parking, pest control, and recycling programs. Because of the unique climate considerations in Miami, the audit paid special attention to opportunities to improve the efficiency of the University’s cooling and ventilation systems. Green Seal also identified existing areas of strength at the University— such as its highly efficient and effective purchasing department—to help maximize resources and assets that would help it reach its sustainability goals as quickly as possible. Likewise, it identified areas of leadership—such as the University’s conservation initiatives in lighting and electronics—that placed it ahead of the pack in its field. In many instances, Green Seal was able to find areas in which the University could both improve sustainability and save money. For example, improving the efficiency of heating and cooling systems and reducing energy usage by maximizing natural resources saves money and lowers environmental impacts. From identifying native plant species that would help conserve landscaping resources, to recommending environmentally-preferable architectural paints, Green Seal provided the University with a wide range of opportunities to achieve its goals. Green Seal also gave the University the tools it needed to continue making progress in the years ahead: criteria with which the purchasing department could evaluate Green products; detailed checklists of short- and long-term action items; and recommendations for policies that would help maintain improvements over time. Finally, Green Seal provided the University with recommendations for training programs that would enable campus staff to achieve continuous gains in environmental sustainability in all areas. Expanded employee training programs are essential for conserving resources, improving efficiencies, reducing potentially hazardous exposures (for example, to cleaning products), and enhancing employee pride. Armed with a thorough assessment of the progress it had already made, and the detailed steps it needed to take to complete its journey, the University of Miami was well positioned to meet and exceed the highest of environmental standards. For more information on Green Seal, please visit www.greenseal.org. departmental contacts are, where the emergency clean-up equipment is in a building, etc.) • Cross-train employees to be able to operate all types of equipment and not just the equipment that they may be accustomed to using day in and day out. Too often I have observed managers and employees that do not know how to operate all the pieces of equipment in the arsenal of cleaning weapons. If there is a flood in a building and the assigned custodian does not know how to use a flood-pumper, how will the cleaning manager’s department be evaluated, as effective or ineffective? Cross-training is an effective tool in the manager’s toolkit of ideas that can be used to enrich the workplace, to demonstrate that an organization cares about the development of an employee and the career development of an employee. According to Richardson, the benefits of a cross-training program are worth the effort. “The benefits are worth it; an agile and limber staff with a more positive attitude and a greater sense of camaraderie; a workplace where team members can stretch out their strides and perform at top levels. In the end, it translates to a more efficient operation, more satisfied guests, and a healthy bottom line.” Cross-training can bring new excitement and drive to an organization. People will be kicked out of their ruts and encouraged to stretch and grow. Maybe we could also apply the concept of crosstraining to our lives—maybe we could live to be 122! The choice is ours! W © Copyright 2008. Alan S. Bigger and Linda B. Bigger. Alan Bigger, REH, is the Director of Facilities at Earlham College in Richmond, IN, and President of APPA. Linda Bigger is a freelance editor. E-mail them at frugalperson@comcast.net. W 8 Executive Housekeeping Today/October 2008 http://www.greenseal.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Executive Housekeeping Today - October 2008

Executive Housekeeping Today - October 2008� Contents Executive Corner An Easier, Greener, and Healthier Approach to Floor Care Caring for Carpets in 24-Hour Facilities Frugal Housekeeper Case Study: University of Miami My Experiences with High-Speed Machines vs. Spray Buffers Vacuum Floor Care Q&A with Andre Motta Is a Spray-and-Vac System Really Better at Cleaning and Reducing the Risk of Disease? CEU Article The IEHA/CRI Partnership The Green Scene USGBC Green Tip What's in YOUR Janitor Closet? Inside the Industry Product Highlights New Members Joint IEHA/ISSA Members REH/CEH Members Advertisers' Index Calendar of Events Inside IEHA What IEHA Has Done for Me

Executive Housekeeping Today - October 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.