L&A News — Page 23 of 43 — L&A Housekeeping Consultancy and Training

PEHN seeking participants for International Housekeeping week 2012

This year International housekeeper’s week is set for 9 September to 15 September. PEHN The Professional Executive Housekeepers Network in Victoria is looking for interest from Hotels who may like to open their doors for a site during the Housekeeper’s Week (this may or may not offer refreshment – up to hotel), as Housekeeper’s and Suppliers always want to check out other hotels. Make sure to indicate the maximum number of people that can be accommodates. If you are interested could you please let Marian Stratford  know what day/time would suit by putting your hotel name below.

The idea is to have a different hotel each day. Once the calendar is set PEHN will send out invitations to all ( What maximum numbers could you accomodate)  please let me know. Will confirm numbers once I have set hotels.

Monday 10 September   Hotel Name:________________    Time:_____________  Refreshments:  Yes __  No___.  Max No.____
Tuesday 11 September   Hotel Name:________________    Time:_____________  Refreshments:  Yes __  No___.  Max No.____
Wednesday 12 September no site as Picnic @ Albert Park Lake @ 4 pm please RSVP to this event. Invites will be sent soon.
Thursday 13 September Hotel Name:________________    Time:_____________  Refreshments:  Yes __  No___.  Max No.____
Friday 14 September     Hotel Name:________________    Time:_____________  Refreshments:  Yes __  No___.  Max No.____

Thanks to all for helping to make this event a success.

Contact: Marian Stratford
Email: stratfordmarian@gmail.com
PH: +61 0411 590 136

To celebrate International Housekeeper’s Week (9 – 15th September) PEHN is organising a Picnic @ Albert Park Lake on Wednesday the 12th September. Non members are welcome, the important thing is to bring a dish to share around from your country of origin, as we all know this department is multi-cultural and to celebrate that diversity, we encourage all to share a dish, you can co-ordinate this with your team if you like or you can just bring one individually, ensure there is enough to share around.  There will be lots of fun and games. Don’t hesitate to bring blankets and chairs, if you want to get comfy.

Date: 12 September 2012
Time: 4pm to 7pm
Location Albert Park Drive, Albert Park

RSVP is a MUST to get numbers, please do not just turn up – reply by the 7th September @ pehn.aus@gmail.com, 

L&A announces another lucky winner!

Thank you to all that have entered in this competition! We have a winner! Pritam Vats, Executive Housekeeper, Days Hotel Neemrana (Wyndham Hotels Worldwide). Pritam will be participating in the 3nd online course: Finance for Housekeeping Managers starting 2oth August 2012.

We will organise another lucky draw later on this year. You can re-enter if you missed out this time.

Kuwait Housekeeping Olympics a roaring success

Last year the Kuwait Housekeepers Group organised an inaugural Housekeeping Olympics and after the overwhelming response from sponsors and housekeeping staff in 2011 the Group decided to make this an annual event. The second Housekeeping Olympics was held last month and again the housekeeper fraternity of Kuwait responded with such immense enthusiasm it was noted among all circles in the hospitality sector.

The sponsors were more then generous and after advertising the prizes to be won, teams were formed and colleagues started to practice and train for the events.

The teams were very competitive and all were keen to win the fabulous prizes, but in the end it was a way to push housekeeping and housekeepers at the fore and celebrate their achievements and importance in the industry.

Spectators were also keen to participate, the winners were celebrating and the losing teams were already planning how they could win next year.

Keep an eye on the Kuwait Housekeepers Group calendar and mark in your diary for 2013.

For more information on the Kuwait Housekeepers Group email Prabhat Shukla, Executive Housekeeper, Holiday Inn Kuwait Downtown prabhat.shukla@ihg.com

Win one free admission to the online Finance for Housekeepers course

To all housekeepers around the world! For only 5 days L&A is offering 1 person FREE ADMISSION to its online Finance for Housekeepers course
For your chance to win and start this course on Monday 20 August with fellow housekeepers from around the world register your name, position, hotel and email address with Josephine.
Email her your details and your name will go in the draw. Email josephine@lycetteandassociates.com

The winner will be notified by email.

More information about the course:
This self-directed course enables Housekeeping Manager’s to think critically and become more financially savvy. The focus is on practical skills for the workplace, expanding and developing professional confidence. The course is facilitated, clear and simple learning via the internet – scheduled over 8 weeks and over approximately 20 hours:

• downloadable on-the-job tools and templates
• interactive forums with global peers
• case studies and practical work exercises
• assessments evaluated by the facilitator and returned with individual feedback
• awards for successful participants with a L&A certificate or within Australia, a Statement of Attainment

SEQPHA Seaworld August Breakfast

SEQPHA is holding their monthly breakfast at Seaworld Shoreline restaurant. On Wednesday 8 August at 7.00 am. Members $20.oo and non-Members $25.00. For more information contact Melissa Bent, melissa@corporatedesigns.com.au

Housekeeping presentation to 100 students at Republic Polytechnic Singapore

When Liz was in Singapore recently she took the opportunity to make a 1 hour presentation to the 100 1^st year students studying hospitality.

The 18-20 year olds learnt what housekeeping is about as well as some of the new trends and innovations.

About Republic Polytechnic – the campus 

Republic Polytechnic is the fifth polytechnic in Singapore. It was born out of the conviction that the education landscape would benefit from diversity, both in the way the campus is built to enable learning, and the delivery of its curriculum which is geared towards technical education for our young in a vibrant city state with its attendant demands on citizens being entrepreneurial, innovative problem solvers. RP opened its doors to students in 2003, all charged to give a refreshingly new zest to the conventional classroom that many of them were accustomed to. For more information visit www.rp.edu.sg

PLOH Team enjoys Housekeeping workshop

While L&A was in Singapore a ½ day workshop was conducted for the team from PLOH. PLOH is a Singapore based bedding and linen company run by  Richard and Charlotte Loh, who are passionate about making your sleep experience an integral part of a life lived fully. They believe it’s what’s inside that counts. PLOH source the world for natural fills to make exclusive pillows, duvets and featherbeds which deliver a sumptuous experience to the well-dressed bed.

They are also passionate about developing fabrics that pamper the senses focusing on the exquisite “hand” which enhance the feel of our plush bedding. favoring the freshness and simplicity of clean, crisp white over busy patterns and seasonal colors, their bed linen (yes, they come in high thread counts but that’s not the most important factor) start with the finest cotton fibers before going through expert milling, weaving and finishing.

The programme which was conducted at the Grand Hyatt Singapore included information all about Housekeeping and what a Housekeeper does so the PLOH team can understand more about this key member of the client s team.

Emphasis was given to Housekeeping budgets and how Housekeeping manages their linen and bedding. The workshop culminated in a fun team building activity of bed making – speed vs. quality. GO PLOH!

If you wish to inquire about L&A’s housekeeping workshops please email info@lycetteandassociates.com or visit www.lycetteandassociates.com

PLOH Bed making

PLOH participants

PLOH workshop

Melanie Hernandez was the lucky winner to receive free admission to Finance for Housekeepers – the online course.

Melanie Hernandez - Assistant Housekeeper, Hotel Michael

Melanie Hernandez is the Assistant Housekeeper at Hotel Michael, Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore The hotel has 475 Rooms with 40 Room attendants, 10 Public area attendants. Melanie entered the Lycette & Associates competition to win free admission to the online Finance for Housekeepers course and she won! Melanie was hoping this course would provide her with the additional know-how in finance for housekeepers to add to her qualifications.

Her current responsibilities include:

• Work closely with the Asst. Executive Housekeeper. Assisting her with the overall housekeeping operation. Assist in housekeeping linen and stock inventory. Evaluates guest feedback. Coordinates with the Front Office for guest arrival/departure rooms. Guest Request/Preferences.
• Supervises 40 Room Attendants and 10 Public Area attendants ensuring all work done are up to the highest standard at all times
• Responsible in doing daily floor assignment for the attendants.
• Making daily report for staff’s daily performance, maintenance report and other issues within the department.
• Records lost and found
• Inspecting 60 rooms per day
• Ensuring that the cleanliness and maintenance in all guest rooms, public and crew area are maintained to a highest standard
• Staff counselling, trainings and performance appraisal

After attending the course Melanie went to HR to give them  a copy of her certificate that showed she had completed the online Finance course. They congratulated her on her successful completion of the course and told her she was right  on track and that the L&A certificate was recognized by the company. Melanie’s superiors attended the Housekeeper’s Development Program in conjunction with e2i, Singapore last June and were happy to see Melanie had attended the L&A online course. Melanie recommends the course to her colleagues and is looking forward to more update courses in the future!

The next online Finance for Housekeeper’s course starts on 20 August. Between now and 20 August there will be another competition for free admission to the online Finance course. Stay tuned and register your name when we hold the next competition.

For more information on the online Finance for Housekeepers course visit our website: http://www.lycetteandassociates.com/housekeeping-courses-training/?finance-for-housekeeping-online or email Josephine for more information Josephine@lycetteandassociates.com

The Impact of the Carbon Tax on Housekeeping Operations

By Stephen McGoldrick, Institute of Sustainability and Hygiene International

Global Warming is changing the way we have to do business

The Federal government has introduced a carbon tax this July 2012 as well as incentive programmes to encourage investments in green solutions. Stephen McGoldrick from the Institute of Sustainability will give you some simple but in depth explanations about global warming, the carbon tax and the impact on your hotel, housekeeping and the planet. 

Who will have to pay the Carbon Tax?

The carbon pricing mechanism, introduced by the Clean Energy Act 2011 and the NGER Act, applies to Australia’s largest emitters (known as liable entities). Liable entities either operate facilities that meet an emissions threshold of at least 25,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) or supply, or use large amounts of natural gas. The mechanism covers approximately 60 per cent of Australia’s carbon emissions and includes emissions from electricity generation, stationary energy, landfills, wastewater, industrial processes and fugitive emissions. Around 250 companies will have to pay the carbon tax in 2012/13. The tax will increase the price of electricity, fossil fuels and land fill i.e. Energy and landfill costs are likely to go up especially operators of large landfills.

Will Carbon Tax go up?

In the 2012-2013 financial year, the carbon price is $23 per tonne. The carbon price will be $24.15 per tonne in 2013-14 and $25.40 per tonne in 2014-15. From 1 July 2015 onwards, the number of units issued by the Government each year will be capped by a pollution cap, this is set by regulations. Most carbon units will be auctioned by the Clean Energy Regulator (CER) and the price will be set by the market. You will not see the carbon tax on invoices. Industry groups predict that the energy costs are likely to rise 10% every year over the next 10 years. It’s likely that energy costs will double by 2020.

Sustainability Definition

Sustainability is the long-term maintenance of responsibility, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of stewardship, the responsible management  of resource use. Sustainability economics is sometimes referred as Triple Bottom Line (TBL).

Global Weather

It is important to note that the meteorologists and scientists advised governments that the planet is warming.

What is CO₂e?

You may hear the term CO₂e. What is that? CO₂e stands for CO₂e = Carbon Dioxide Equivalents

You cannot measure your carbon footprint without understanding what a CO₂e is. 

What does Carbon Dioxide Equivalents mean?

Let’s start with Carbon Dioxide or CO₂. Carbon Dioxide is a 3-atom molecule – 1 Carbon and 2 Oxygen atoms. We breathe in O₂ in and we breathe out CO₂. Not surprising our atmosphere contains a lot of CO2. CO₂ is measured in %’s or parts per million (PPM). The current amount of CO₂ in our atmosphere is around 350 PPM or 0.35% and rising. CO₂ is a Greenhouse Gas. A Greenhouse Gas is a molecule that is in a gaseous state, i.e. in our atmosphere with the specific ability to radiate heat energy from the sun back to the earth rather than allowing the sun’s heat energy to return back into space. The main greenhouse gases are listed in the diagram below – Carbon Dioxide, Methane, CFC’s, Ozone and Nitrous Oxide.

The more greenhouse gases in our atmosphere the more gas molecules reflect heat energy back to earth and warm the planet.

To calculate the impact the combined impact that greenhouse gases have in ‘warming the planet’, scientists have measured the potency of greenhouse gases to ‘trap heat energy’ in the atmosphere. Because CO₂ is the main greenhouse gas it has a potency of 1. The other greenhouse gases are compared to CO₂ and given a potency score, e.g. methane (a colorless, odorless, flammable gas that is the simplest hydrocarbon. It is the major constituent of natural gas and is released during the decomposition of plant or other organic compounds, as in marshes and coal mines.) is 21 x more potent as a greenhouse gas than CO₂.

So when fossil fuels such gasoline, LPG, coal burning to make electricity, different amounts of these greenhouse gases are emitted into the atmosphere. The amount of CO₂ gas Equivalent emitted is measured by multiplying the potency by the amount of each gas given off. The government has produced greenhouse gas tables for each fossil fuel your business or home uses. For example 1 kWh of electricity in NSW uses 0.89 Kgs of CO₂e. This means if your hotel uses 10,000 kWh per annum the power station up the road will emit 8,900 Kgs or 8.9 tonnes of CO₂e into the atmosphere because of the hotel’s energy consumption of electricity. Go look at your bill and multiple by 0.89 to see how many Kgs of CO2 per quarter your hotel emits.it is important to note that each state’s electrical generation emit different levels of CO₂e based on the efficiency of the power they use, for example Victoria uses brown coal and emits more CO₂e per kWh than NSW. This is why hotels in Victoria have a higher carbon footprint then a similar hotel in NSW with the same kWh usage per annum.

Greenhouse Gas Potency

Carbon Dioxide                  (CO₂)       =                CO₂

Methane (CH₄)                    =                21 x more potent than CO₂

Nitrous Oxide (N₂0)          =                310 x more potent than CO₂

1 Kg of each of the above Greenhouse Gases would be equivalent to 322 CO₂ gas, i.e. not 3 Kgs.

Or (1 Kg of CO₂ x 1 + 1 Kg of CH₄ x 21 + 1 Kg of N₂0 x 310) = 322 Kgs of CO₂e.

What is a Carbon Footprint?

Your carbon footprint is the amount of CO₂ generated by your process. However your process has upstream inputs and downstream outputs that cause carbon emissions associated with your business activity, i.e. Housekeeping requires energy, water, chemicals and the waste from the process creates landfill that emits high amounts of carbon emissions. To understand carbon footprints more clearly you have to be aware of the term “Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions”.

What are Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions?

The gases in the cloud are greenhouse gases.

Scope 1 emissions

Are the carbon emissions from the energy used at the Hotel to do Housekeeping chores, e.g. vehicle fuel used to get supplies 

Scope 2 emissions

Are the carbon emissions from the electricity company up the road for you to do Housekeeping chores, e.g. use of air-conditioners, vacuum cleaners etc

Scope 3 emissions

Are the carbon emissions of everyone upstream and downstream associated with housekeeping Examples of this are fuel used by staff to drive to work, energy used to make chemicals, laundries, textiles used in rooms, disposables and a downstream example is the volume of waste going to landfill as landfill generates around 1 Kg of CO2e per Kg of waste. The more your recycle the less greenhouse gas your business will emit.

What does 1 Kg of CO2e look like?

A black balloon can help your staff understand that every 1 Kg of CO2 that can be prevented from being emitted helps the planet and visa versa. In most cases the lower your carbon footprint then the lower your ENERGY BILL. Therefore it’s good for your business to know your carbon footprint and work out how to lower it. It is also good for staff morale and team work to set goals that are meaningful to your employees and your customers.

A Carbon footprint is a measure of carbon emissions as a result of an activity. Your carbon footprint is measured in Kilograms of CO₂e – carbon dioxide equivalents

Here are some examples of measuring the carbon footprint?

Hotel Stay

1.5 Hours at a Hotel                                            15 Kgs CO₂e / room night[1]

1 Linen Change (10 Kg/room)                        0.4 – 1.0 Kgs CO₂e/Kg Linen[2]

1 Kg of Cotton Sheets                                         25 Kgs CO₂e/Kg of Textiles

1 Kg of Polyester Sheets                                   31 Kgs CO₂e/Kg of Textiles

On Premise Laundries are significant contributors to carbon emissions in a hotel. It is best to outsource laundries to a more energy efficient laundry.

Energy Consumption %’s in Hotels

Housekeepers are associated with many of the energy usages of a hotel.

Dining at a Restaurant

Energy to make [3]Meal                      1 Kg CO₂e / meal

Food at a Restaurant

500 gm’s Chicken Meat                                    2 Kgs CO₂e / Kg

58 gm’s Beef3                                         17 Kgs CO₂e / Kg

The menu combined with the energy efficiency of the restaurant determines the carbon footprint of hotel dining. Accor Hotels found that feeding their clients beef was the biggest environmental issues in their hotels because of the amount of water required to make beef.

Travel to / from Hotel

Travel by bus 15.7 km                      BNE/SYD =   60 Kgs CO₂e

Travel by car 6.3 km                          BNE/SYD = 150 Kgs CO₂e

Travel by plane 2.2 km                    BNE/SYD = 420 Kgs CO₂e

Public land based travel has the lowest carbon emissions whilst air travel has the highest. It makes environmental sense for governments to build a high-speed rail from Brisbane to Sydney taking 3 hours!

Carbon Emissions of Housekeeping

Scope 1, 2 and 3 Carbon emissions will vary by site, but here is an example. Assume a room attendant cleans a room 30 minutes.

Items                                         Usage                                        Energy                     Kgs CO₂e

Scope 1 & 2

Electricity                               3 x 40 watts                          60 W                        0.07

Air Conditioner                                     2.0 kW  @ 30 min’s          1 kW                         0.89

Vacuum                                   1.8 kW @ 5 min’s              150 W                     0.17

Scope 1&2                                                                                                                       1.13

Scope 3

Linen change                       10 Kg’s                                                        10 Kg’s                    5.00

Waste                                       0.2 Kg                                        0.2 Kg                      0.22

Chemicals                              100 ml’s/room                    0.1 Litres              0.20

Scope 3                                                                                                                                                5.42

Note: scope 3 can include other types of activities or products 

Example Only

400 room hotel with 25 Room Attendants x 13 rooms/day or 325 rooms cleaned

Scope 1&2                            367 Kg’s/day                        = 134 T CO₂e / year

Scope 3                                                     1,761 Kg’s/day                    = 643 T CO₂e / year

The Scope 1,2 and 3 Carbon Emissions associated with Housekeeping of a 400-room hotel

2 Tonne / day of CO₂e

777 Tonne / Year of CO₂e

Note: example only

If the hotel outsources its laundry their scope 1 and 2 emissions will fall dramatically however the hotel’s scope 3 emissions will go up dramatically because the commercial laundry that supplies the hotel has to buy textiles and use significant amounts of energy to wash, clean, dry and deliver linen to you daily. Therefore it is important to know ‘some’ of the leading scope 3 emissions of your main inputs and outputs because the suppliers of a service that handle inputs and outputs are likely to pass on carbon taxes associated with their scope 1 o 2 carbon emissions. The carbon tax applied to the electricity and water suppliers of your laundry will most likely an increase in your laundry service by 1 – 4% over the next year depending on their energy efficiency.

You cannot manage what you do not measure (and visa versa)

We learn that 367 Kgs of scope 1 & 2 greenhouse emissions occur from housekeeping in the example above for a 400-room hotel cleaning around 325 rooms a day. We can estimate then that housecleaning in this hotel has a carbon footprint of 1.1 Kg / room. Therefore housekeeping excluding the laundry service impact the greenhouse emissions of a hotel around 7%.

Room Night                           15 Kgs

Cleaning                                    1 Kgs                      7.3%       (Scope 1&2 only)

The Housekeeping Staff are the EYES and EARS of the hotel

Despite cleaning representing 7% of the carbon emissions of one room night, the Housekeeper plays a critical role in reducing the guest’s carbon emissions by implementing sustainable housekeeping practices. For example, 20 – 30 % of guest carbon emissions could be reduced per room night by the Housekeeping team and their GM being committed to becoming a sustainable hotel

Towards Sustainable Housekeeping

Room Attendants and Housekeeping clean and service all of the rooms of a hotel regularly. Consequently, Room Attendants and Housekeeping Staff play a significant role in monitoring and reporting unsustainable practices as part of their day-to-day activities. Business Sustainability Assessors are trained to measure carbon, energy, water and waste footprints and help you lower them. Here are a few ways to improve your sustainability, although the best way to improve sustainability is to adopt a sustainability program with goals, monitoring and training of staff.

There are many ways to improve sustainability

• Turning taps, lights, TV’s and air-conditioners off when they are not in use
• Ensure the design of each room allows for good ventilation and thermal performance, e.g. shut curtains if direct sunlight is heating up a room
• Clean rooms in the least amount of time; use lean housekeeping methods
• The selection of laundry and textile suppliers
• Ensure you have sound cleaning practices

How can Lean methods help housekeeping – use less time to clean a room

• Measure Hour productivity rate
• Cycle times – sequence of service
• Use Lean Housekeeping Principles such as 5S and waste elimination 7W
• Develop overall efficiency scores % for housekeeping

The following ideas are ideas that housekeepers can use to reduce their carbon emissions and reduce the hotel bills for energy, water, chemicals and waste.

Lights

• Clean lights
• Turn off lights
• Use sensors to turn lights off (and on), e.g. movement, timers depending on application
• Use key entry auto switch off lights
• Occupancy sensor lights
• CFL – 70% < incandescent
• Replace T12/T8 fluro’s with T5 fluro’s
• Use energy efficient appliances, e.g. hair dryers, kettle, microwaves, televisions, irons etc.
• Investigate switch appliances that prevents them operating on standby mode
• Check that refrigerators are sealed and are working effectively
• Avoid one switch turning on many lights
• Use sensors for lighting, e.g. presence, light levels etc
• Use auto-off / auto-on key systems to conserve energy
• Conserve lighting whilst cleaning without impacting your ability to see defects
• Label light switches so clients know what switch turns on what light

Energy Efficient Ventilation

• Use natural ventilation where practical
• Cross ventilation
• Use a digital thermometer to monitor room temperature
• Are thermostats regularly adjusted and checked

Air Conditioners

• Turn off Air Conditioner
• Set thermostat on a wide range to prevent heating & cooling
• Set temperature
  • Summer                 23 – 25
  • Winter                                      18 – 20
• Heating Ventilation Air Conditioner systems to use timers
• Keep thermostat away from heaters
• Check when A/C last serviced
• 1^oC on thermostat = 10 – 15% impact on energy

Windows & Doors

• Close the window and doors when the A/C is on
• The glazing of window can significantly improve the thermal performance of a room
• Report hot or cold rooms to management
• Seal doors and windows effectively, i.e. check seals

Office

• Turn off lights, computers and standby’s
• Use both sides of paper
• Network computers and have one printer
• Minimise the use of paper where possible
• Use energy efficient lights
• Check energy efficiency of your computers; use power save mode

Water

• Turn taps off
• Report leaky taps
• Dual flush toilets
• Use water meters to measure water usage, e.g. per floor
• Low flow shower heads
• Water efficient laundry equipment, e.g. continuous batch washers < 6 L/Kg
• Water reuse equipment in the laundry
• Check water bills

Encourage the Reuse Linen by Customers

• Customer awareness that linen does not have to be serviced daily
• Customer linen reuse programs, e.g. boomerang on the bed
• Carefully consider linen stocking levels to avoid over-servicing of rooms

Cleaning Chemicals

• Choose biodegradable chemicals
• Measure and monitor your chemical and water usage
• Seek expert advice to minimise chemical use without effecting the cleaning process
• Use multiple coloured micro-fibre cloths to reduce chemicals and to improve hygiene

Waste

• Remember that 1 Kg of waste = approx. 1 Kg of CO₂e in landfill!
• Recycling programs will cut greenhouse gas emissions and reduce waste bill
• Ensure recycling systems are in place, e.g. cardboard, plastics, mixed, organic etc.
• Use dispensable solutions where practicable
• Analyse suppliers use of packaging and challenge your suppliers
• Ensure bins are used efficiently; the bin is full when it is emptied
• Monitor waste levels related to Housekeeping

Textiles

• Minimise the loss of linen
• Durable linen has less carbon emission per use; i.e. more washes per purchased item
• White linen lasts longer than coloured linen because it doesn’t fade
• Outsource textiles and laundry services to laundry specialists that have energy / water efficient plants
• Request commercial laundries suppliers to supply you with energy, water per delivered Kg measures
• Choose energy and water efficient laundries

Be Sustainable
Start Today! Develop a Sustainable Housekeeping Programme by engaging a sustainability assessor

• Obtain support of senior management and managers
• Team up with other departments
• Understand historical trends for energy, water, waste etc.
• Engage a sustainability assessor if you need assistance
• Establish baselines, benchmarks and targets/goals
• Know your NABERS (Performance based rating system for existing buidings) star rating based on your region (Google it)
• Develop a sustainability checklist for auditing
• Meet regularly and prioritize action plans
• Monitor and measure your progress
• Celebrate your achievements

Finally …

• Engage a Business Sustainability Assessor that understands hospitality!
• Develop a team of sustainable room attendants that your hotel and GM will be proud of

Even if political parties change in Australia, the Carbon Emission issue will not go away. So now you can explain to your GM about the Carbon economy and its implications to Housekeeping.
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About Stephen McGoldrick – Sustainability Institute and Hygiene International
Stephen McGoldrick manages a consulting business that provides sustainability solutions across multiple industries such as hospitality, commercial laundries, cleaning and as diverse as agriculture. Stephen has over 10 years experience consulting to and then managing a large (250 tonnes a week) commercial laundry in Australia. Through that role he has had the pleasure working closely with executive housekeepers. Now Stephen is a Business Sustainability Assessor providing businesses (or specific operations, eg housekeeping) with formal assessments of the operation’s carbon footprint. The Institute offers an affordable program that includes a sustainability assessment, practical ways to reduce energy, water etc, staff training, forms and procedures and ongoing monitoring of key indicators such as carbon, energy, water, waste etc. Businesses that participate in sustainability programs can obtain a Bronze (participation), Silver (monitoring and carbon goal setting) and Gold (carbon reduction achieved). For more information on Stephen McGoldrick or the Institute or Sustainability and Hygiene International visit www.ishi.com.au or contact Stephen by email isustainhygiene@gmail.com or mobile 0414 535 161.

Friends of Sala Bai celebrate 10th intake of Sala Bai students completing course with two special events

The completion of this 10th intake represents a significant milestone for Salai Bai and all its friends as it marks the fact that nearly one thousand students have graduated since the school’s inception. Moreover, Sala Bai has achieved the remarkable record of 100% graduate placement in hospitality positions. This accomplishment is even more heartening when we remember that, on average, every Sala Bai graduate supports 10 family members via their income. Thus, through Sala Bai, we can all be proud that the lives of an estimated 10,000 Cambodians has been markedly improved as a result of our support.

To celebrate this amazing achievement we have decided to stage two special events for Sala Bai supporters.

The first, on the 23 August 2012, is an Anniversary Dinner organised again by Maurice Cooper along with the students and staff from the Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School. This year will be a special  “10^thAnniversary Dinner with a Cambodian Twist”. We ask all again to fully support our “Mountaineers” by attending this wonderfully popular event and hope that some might even venture up from the big smoke. Last year our mountaineers were especially successful with fundraising, contributing nearly 50% of the total Australian pledge of $50,000. Maybe it is the fresh mountain air, or the persistence of Maurice, or simply the creative staging by the students that makes these mountain events so successful. To book a table or just a couple of seats please contact Maurice as soon as possible by email: maurice@bygonebeautys.com.au.

The second event is organised by our “City Slickers”. We will have a special 10^th Anniversary Dinner on 16^th November 2012 at the Q Station, Manly. As usual, our main focus will be the wine auction, but this year a special dinner with entertainment will provide lots more fun. We can’t verify for certain if the Ghosts of Quarantine Station have been invited to the dinner or not! Max and his team will warmly welcome the Friends of Sala Bai Australia (FSBA) for this exciting event and will also offer special rates for guests who can’t (or don’t want to) drive home after the wine auction and dinner. Panadol will be available at the breakfast buffet!

The Friends of Sala Bai have given $10,000 to Sala Bai as a Special Anniversary Present. This means we need to raise $10,000 more than last year. We therefore hope that if we all dig a little deeper into our pockets, we can achieve our new goals. Can we make it? Yes we can!

We look forward to welcoming you soon in the Mountains and to catch up with you later at Q Station.

Best wishes,

The Consuls of the Friends of Sala Bai, Australia

Sala Bai Hotel school staff and students