ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

Poland is getting ready to welcome visitors for Euro 2012 with a major clean-up, as Marek Kowalski explains.

For the last two years the Polish Cleaning Industry Chamber and its members have actively supported preparations for the most important sporting event in the history of our country. Is Poland ready to welcome the visitors who will arrive Poland this June for the Euro 2012 football tournament? I think it is, in most parts.

Two years ago CWS Boco  started its Toilet 2012 campaign. Public toilets at places such as railway and coach stations and airports were scrutinised. The results were alarming - only around 25 per cent of toilets in the Euro 2012 host towns roughly met hygiene standards. The toilets were dirty, deprived of soap, towels, hot water and sometimes even toilet tissue!

For the next two years CWS Boco patrols have been watching the changes at those facilities, informing the public about what was going on there at press conferences. A recent report proved the campaign was only partly successful. In places such as railway stations in Warsaw, Wroc?aw and Gda?sk, the coach station in Pozna? and at all the airports and sports facilities in host towns football fans will be comforted to know the toilet conditions meet the highest standards.

Unfortunately there are still places where toilet comfort is far from high, but there is still time to correct that.

The Polish Cleaning Industry Chamber also took part in the campaign improving the standards of public facilities which will be visited by football fans at Euro 2012. In June 2011, by request of the Polish Railway Train Station Department (PKP) work on development of know-how, standards and assessment criteria for services at train stations all over Poland began. Warszawa Centralna railway station was the training ground.

After six months the results were reported by Tomasz Koz?owski, PKP technical director: "Searching for solutions to the problem of cleanliness at our railway stations we decided we needed professional and expert support as that was the only way to make sure we were going in the right direction. Therefore in conjunction with Polish Cleaning Industry Chamber we developed the first Polish Railway Station Cleanliness Maintenance Standards Book. Currently the project is being implemented at Warszawa Centralna Station. If anyone remembers what the facility looked like only a year ago, they will easily appreciate the result and the rationale behind such activities."

In April the Polish Cleaning Industry Chamber starts the railway carriage monitoring programme called ‘Railway Car With Class’. This campaign is aimed at checking the current cleanliness standards in railway cars, presenting relevant solutions from other European countries and showing how to improve the current situation. A web page will be made available where passengers can have their say, and to monitor the campaign. We will be supported by members who will carry out polls among the travellers, provide photographic reports and suggest the direction of any changes.

Due to the scarcity of space available I have only mentioned our most remarkable activities. The involvement of Polish Cleaning Industry Chamber members in cleanliness maintenance during Euro 2012 is much wider. At sports facilities and fan areas organised in host towns, cleanliness will be taken care of by many companies.

I do hope that their input will pay off, so Euro 2012 in Poland will be remembered as the cleanest in history.