(OS1) Users Symposium 2009 - Planning the Future of Cleaning
Posted In : (OS1), The Dirt
Here in Savannah, Georgia, General James Oglethorpe built the city with the vision for future expansion. It is beautifully laid out with 21 (currently) squares that provide open space, structure, and aesthetics to the area. Savannah has grown quite a lot since the first squares were laid in 1733, but it is still easy to get around and a pleasure to visit.
And not by accident, this was the place and theme of the (OS1) Users Symposium this year. Now in it’s eighth year, the Symposium is the annual meeting for all (OS1) users, both in-house and building service contractors. This year featured excellent speakers and topics such as monitoring indoor air quality, measuring the results of carpet treatment for enhanced vacuum pick-up, and what is happening with (OS1) and government initiatives. I also had a part in presenting on the topic of “The Rookie Road” which my fellow users found entertaining. Ask me about it if you see me.
Some of the highlights were:
- Dr. Jeff Campbell of Brigham Young University gave a preview of his upcoming book and related the longevity of the QWERTY keyboard to the current state of the cleaning industry. The short story is that current day keyboard has been around since 1837 despite the fact that it is not the most efficient keyboard available. (Jared Diamond outlines this story in Guns, Germs and Steel.) In fact, it has been rejected and opposed by the industry and end users for at least 60 years. His analogy is that (OS1) is in the same situation as Dvorak (which is 95% more efficient and which I have personally been using for over 5 years). There is an entire industry not willing or able to adopt a system that is so vastly superior to the current system and that it is our job as (OS1) practitioners to spread the word. His analogy was that (OS1) is(Dr. Campbell is also a head researcher on the recently released APPA “Cleanliness and Learning in Higher Education” that ties students’ success in learning to the cleanliness of their school.)
- Ohio State has introduced House Bill 229 that would implement an (OS1) Pilot Program in three schools. There is still a long way to go, but legislated cleaning to our high standards would go a long way towards further adoption.
- Tom Lambert of Service Point discussed the pros and cons of measuring indoor air quality, including the interesting fact that testing air quality to verify janitorial practices can have adverse side effects like discovering unacceptable levels of mold or other toxins (coming from sources outside of the janitor’s control, of course!).
As always, the best part of this event was networking with other (OS1) users, but there are many exciting things down the road for everyone involved.