Swiftclean – Investors in Training
Swiftclean has always been committed to training and mentoring its employees and now helps train and increase the skills of the wider industry. A champion of compliance and best practice in ventilation hygiene for many years, Swiftclean has helped to author the specification with which it must now comply, urging commercial rivals to aspire to its exacting standards, putting the safety of employees at the forefront. One of only three BESA Training Academies in the UK, Swiftclean will soon expand its training offering to encompass other, often neglected cleaning safety disciplines, such as fire damper cleaning and maintenance.
At its formation in 1982, Swiftclean was one of the first companies in the UK to offer dedicated ventilation and extract ductwork cleaning services, and necessarily devised its own pioneering methodologies. Training was therefore foundational in forming company culture; every new employee had to be trained to perform what was then a rare specialist service competently and safely.
Kitchen extract cleaning is a key fire safety measure, removing cooking-related grease deposits that can cause fire to spread through ductwork and devastate a property. Meticulous competence is required in removing them and, therefore, training is vital.
Swiftclean has been an early adopter of training at every stage of the development of training for this industry. It was the first to put technicians through the pioneering BESA Green Book Scheme, the first formal industry training programme, which it also helped to formulate. Swiftclean’s insistence that its entire field team undertake Green Book training resulted in more trained Swiftclean operatives than the rest of the industry combined.
Swiftclean launched its training centre in 2017, training not only its operatives to the highest industry standards of skill and competence but also those in the wider industry, including competitors. One of only three accredited BESA Training Academy centres in the UK, initially Swiftclean was host to guest BESA trainers, but now delivers BESA courses with its in-house trainers, Richard Crews and Abbey Maxwell. A practical training facility has been developed to provide hands-on experience for course attendees. Swiftclean also offers training in other key disciplines, including Legionella awareness and control.
Swiftclean was heavily involved in the development of the BESA Grease Hygiene and Air Hygiene courses. Swiftclean, as a leading industry expert, has helped to develop both syllabuses, as well as the TR19® specifications with which ductwork cleaning must comply. The company is working towards adding further courses very soon, including Fire Damper Testing training and Fire Door Inspection Training.
Swiftclean provides a personal development plan for every member of staff, giving opportunities to train and progress. For several years it has taken on business apprentices, allowing them to initiate improvements to processes and systems. In 2023, reporting to clients was improved following suggestions from Vinney Wall, who was named Apprentice of the Year at the 2023 Rochford Business Awards.
Swiftclean always aims to identify and develop outstanding in-house talent. Current Commercial Director, Martin Hembling, began his career at Swiftclean as a casual ductwork cleaning operative, and was encouraged to develop his many skills and strengths, achieving board level in a few years.
In late 2023, the company renamed its training centre the Swiftclean Academy, with plans to increase its offering to include courses in Fire Damper Awareness and Fire Door Inspection. Swiftclean actively promotes a culture of colleague respect and inclusion, and individual successes in training are celebrated.
