As part of a regular feature entitled Our Stories, Our People, we speak to members of staff in the cleaning, hygiene and waste industry to find out about their work. This is part of the We Clean, We Care campaign, which focuses on the vital role that the sector's skilled and professional personnel have keeping people safe and well and protecting the nation's wealth and health.
Manager encourages others to join the cleaning industry
Deyssy Silva is an Operations Support Manager for a national facilities services company. She is responsible for overseeing contract cleaning teams and their supervisors at 15 sites in Hammersmith and Fulham, totalling around 150 staff.
She spends a lot of time in the field, visiting each site at least once a week, to check on the work of cleaning teams, see if they have any issues or training needs and meet the clients. She also spends time doing paperwork and processing wages as well as dealing with recruitment and interviewing applicants.
She said: “It is a big job but I am very happy to do it. It is challenging but I enjoy it. I enjoy helping my team, they are amazing people and hard working. I enjoy speaking with the clients and getting to know them and their needs. Every day is different and you learn a lot. I like the people around me in the company, my manager, the help desk, it makes my job much easier. “
Deyssy started work in the cleaning sector 20 years ago. She worked as a domestic cleaning operative before taking on a cleaning role at a bank, which ultimately led to promotion to Assistant Cleaning Manager. She has been in her current role for a year.
She said: “I encourage people to join the industry. You meet a wide range of people from all around the world and, if you start right at the bottom, you will have opportunities to progress.
“Cleaning is very important in my opinion, though most people don’t recognise that. Living in a clean environment makes you happier, makes you feel good. I cannot see people having good health without it. Imagine if a hospital was dirty, that would not be the right environment for sick people to recover.”
Window-cleaner describes the pride he takes in his work
Wayne Edgar has worked for a window and general cleaning contractor for 30 years. He is a
foreman overseeing a team as part of the company’s contract with a holiday village in Penrith.
Wayne’s job involves the day-to-day overseeing of up to six staff, who carry out a range of
tasks including cleaning all the windows, outside areas, decking and patios at the site, which
includes 915 lodges. His team cleans and sanitises showerheads in the lodges to comply
with health and safety regulations and carry out high-level cleaning at the village main
centres.
He organises staff at the site, makes sure they have the correct kit and equipment and
ensures that they carry out work to a high standard, as well as taking part in cleaning
operations himself.
Wayne’s high standards helped the team win the client’s ‘Supplier of the Year’ award last
year.
Wayne explains: “I love my job. I wouldn’t have been doing it for 30 years if I didn’t! I’m not
one of those people who likes to be in an office job, I like to be active and hands-on.
“I get a lot of satisfaction from seeing everything look clean. Glass looks nice when it is
clean. Everything looks better when it is clean. Hygiene is essential here, nobody would
want to stay if it didn’t look clean.
“I’m very proud of what I do. My attitude is that ‘if the job isn’t done to a standard I would pay
for if it was done for me, then it has to be done again’. I like to interact with staff and guests
too, which I enjoy.
“The job has changed a lot in 30 years. We were using shammy leathers and scrims cloths
when I began. Then it was mops and squeegees. Now we use long-reach water-fed pole
systems with deionised water, which are safer when working at height. It has come a long
way.
“I would definitely recommend this career to anyone. It keeps you fit, it’s a very healthy
option, you are very active. You get to meet people, there’s a lot of job satisfaction and you
make a difference to the environment.
“What kind of society would it be without window-cleaners? It wouldn’t be a very nice place to live.”
