Floor Care: A Quality Floor-care Program is the Key Ingredient for a Successful Operation

Company Website

Tony Lopez knows the importance of a good floor-care program. A year ago when he accepted the position of environmental supervisor for Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Irvine, Calif., his primary responsibility was to develop a new in-house department. Realizing that much of his department’s success would depend upon the maintenance of the facility’s floors, he first concentrated upon developing a comprehensive floor-care program. When the project was complete, Tony had immaculate floors, he had established an in-house environmental services department, and he maintained a close to zero percent turnover rate throughout the process. Revealing his “back to the basics” procedures, Tony shows that a quality floor-care program goes beyond just aesthetic value—it serves as the foundation for an efficient environmental services department and an extremely clean hospital.

It Starts with the People
From his extensive experience as an environmental services supervisor, Tony knew that he had a big responsibility ahead of him when he accepted the position with Kaiser Permanente Hospital. While he had an entire department to build, he put a primary focus on the hospital’s floors. He knew he would need the right people, the right chemicals and the right processes for maintaining the hospital’s 32,000 square feet of vinyl composition tile (VCT) and 40,000 square feet of carpet.

The first step in developing the new department was finding the right people. When selecting individuals, Tony interviewed numerous candidates for the available positions. He had a clear idea of the attributes of a low turnover workforce, so he looked for candidates who displayed professionalism and revealed an earnest interest in their future careers.

Once his team was assembled, the next step was to train the team. In conjunction with a peer, Teri Bertuco, at Kaiser Permanente Anaheim Medical Center, Tony developed training programs for frontline staff that focused on some of the primary rules in floor care.

“Everyone thinks they can clean,” says Tony. “But many new employees don’t know how to clean properly without the proper training. When it comes to floors, a lot of untrained employees think that if it’s dirty, it’s time to strip it. Our program teaches staff to recognize that if the floor is dirty, we need to do a better job of maintaining. That means getting it back to optimal cleanliness and brightness without stripping it.”

Beyond floor-care training, Tony also believes in extending as many opportunities as possible to his staff. Through open communication within a Labor Management Partnership, the Kaiser Permanente system keeps employees empowered.

Selecting the Right Products
Consistent with his emphasis on maintaining the floor to limit the amount of stripping necessary, Tony needed a product that would help optimize the maintenance program.

“Our floors were in good shape,” he says. “We were looking at a product to use in a high-traffic area that would help out with the maintenance. We didn’t want to have to scrub/coat/scrub/coat and then re-strip it every quarter. We found a product that enabled us to reduce the total number of hours spent refinishing the floors. My maintenance has even cut back so I can redistribute labor to other areas around the Alton/Sand Canyon Medical Office Building 1. Ultimately, this helps us enhance the overall appearance and cleanliness of the facility.”

Finding the right finish for the VCT has also had a complementary effect on the carpet-care program within the medical office building. Because staff members are not wasting labor re-stripping the floors, they are able to attend to carpet spots and stains more immediately.

“My employees often joke with me, thanking me for introducing chemicals that clean on their own,” he says.

Establishing the Maintenance Processes
After taking several educational courses on floor maintenance, Tony knows the components of a good floor-care program. When training employees on finishing floors, he advises them to pay close attention to detail during the process to ensure optimal maintenance efforts down the road. When stripping the floor, employees are trained to be attentive to the edges, making sure that every surface is clean and neutralized before the first coat is applied. After the first coat has dried, the team then applies the second and third coats. The floor is burnished the next day, assuring it’s been properly cured.

“Every month, we primarily just burnish floors,” Tony says. “I’ve seen people completely strip and refinish the floors every month, which is just a waste of time, labor and product. We do it once a year and just maintain it.”

Ongoing Improvement
Fully recognizing that the industry is continually changing, Tony primarily relies upon information provided by his manufacturers and distributors to keep him updated on new technologies. He prefers using products that are backed with extensive training and support, because every bit of information he gleans, he will pass along to his staff members.

“I want to learn so much more,” Tony says. “The better understanding I have of all the products and processes, the better understanding my staff will have. I want to see the testing that these products endure along with the different types of chemicals that are used to make them.”

Overall, Tony feels that the entire department has become more educated over the past year. Rather than advising staff “what” to do, he gives them the “why” to do. By equipping them with the knowledge behind daily tasks, staff members better understand their contribution to the whole cleaning process.

Talk of the Town
A large part of Tony’s success comes from his open communication policies. When it does come time for stripping floors, he makes sure all the customers are advised so no one is caught off-guard. He meets regularly with the nursing staff to assure that the environmental services department is meeting their expectations and determine if there is anything else that can be done. By sharing a similar relationship with Infection Control and other departments throughout the medical office building, each group has a forum to discuss any potential issues before they happen.

“A lot of [communication] is listening to the needs of the different departments,” he says. “Everyone needs to listen to one another and openly communicate for our operation to be successful.”

He uses the same principles for communicating with his department. For each shift, he conducts “bed huddles” with everyone on staff. He uses this meeting as an opportunity to relate both positive and negative feedback to the whole group and also get their feedback on related process improvements.

“By addressing any issues with the entire staff, it saves time by encouraging others to either avoid making the same mistake,” he says. “The same works for reinforcing positive behavior.”

A Top Notch Facility
Kaiser will add three new buildings to the Sand Canyon campus, requiring Lopez to triple his staff to keep pace with the growth. Excited for the opportunity, he advises that his primary goal is just to continue what he’s doing now.

“Having a nice shiny floor can make such a difference,” he says. “It really says to both patients and staff that someone is working hard and keeping the facility clean. We are continually receiving compliments on the appearance and cleanliness of our facility.”

As many environmental service directors and supervisors currently struggle to do more with less, Tony has found the recipe for meeting these demands. By recognizing that floor care should not be a chore but an opportunity for empowering staff and freeing up labor and budget dollars, he optimizes the resources at his disposal to get the job done. Using just the basic ingredients, he keeps the floor clean and safe for the staff, patients and physicians of Kaiser Permanente Alton/Sand Canyon Medical Office Building.

This study was sponsored by JohnsonDiversey.