HFI interviewed Mili Washington, The Clean Trust Standards Director. Her answers are enlightening.
1. What is The Clean Trust’s ultimate aim in promulgating standards?
At The Clean Trust we are constantly working towards being recognized as developing the most credible, collaborative, and current standards of care for our allied industries. We see our standards as the building blocks for certification and accreditation programs in the cleaning, inspection, and restoration industry.
2. What new standards are coming down the pipeline?
We are currently working to complete work on two new standards – BSR-TCT S600 Standard and Reference Guide for Carpet Installation is being developed with the support of industry leaders CRI and WFCA; and BSR-TCT S800 Standard and Reference Guide for Carpet Inspectors. We expect these two standards to be out for public review towards the end of 2012.
We are also working to initiate the development of a new Standard and Reference Guide for Hard Surface Inspection, Maintenance, and Restoration. We expect to start putting this consensus body together in the spring of 2012.
Additionally, we are beginning the process of revising IICRC S300: 2000 Standard and Reference Guide for Upholstery Cleaning; and ANSI/IICRC S520: 2008 Standard and Reference Guide on Professional Mold Remediation. Both these consensus bodies will be constituted in the spring of 2012, and work on the revised standards will begin soon after.
Finally, we are working to complete the revision of ANSI/IICRC S500: 2006 Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Water Damage Restoration. The Standard is expected to be available for public review this summer.
3. Which professionals is The Clean Trust targeting to participate in re: certification to the standards (past or future)?
The Clean trust Certifications are focused on three primary industry segments, Cleaning/maintenance, Restoration, and Inspection. Within each of these general areas there are several specialty groups.
Cleaning and Maintenance includes textiles (i.e. carpet, & upholstery), hard surface flooring (e.g., ceramic, wood stone, vinyl, and concrete), and recently general house cleaning.
Restoration includes fire & smoke damage restoration, water damage restoration, mold & microbial remediation, trauma and crime scene cleanup, and odor removal & control.
Inspection certifications specialize in the various flooring types (e.g., carpet, wood, stone, and vinyl). Audiences here include flooring manufacturers and retailers as well as consumers.
4. What is the most challenging aspect of standards development and how is The Clean Trust meeting the challenge?
Anyone who has worked on ANSI or ISO standards understands that the process can be laborious and time consuming and be a heavy load on limited volunteer resources. My goal at The Clean Trust is to ensure that we provide the best support and facilitate the standards development process effectively and in a timely manner. All our new consensus bodies are now using an online workspace to develop the standards, conduct reviews, comments, and ballots electronically, and track and maintain a document library. I believe that as long as our process is open and transparent, affording due process to all materially and directly affected stakeholders, our standards will continue to gain wide acceptance and credibility in the cleaning, restoration, and inspection industry.
5. Where would The Clean Trust like to see the cleaning industry “at” (professionally and philosophically) in 5-10 years?
It has long been and continues to be the goal of The Clean Trust to raise the level of professionalism within the inspection, cleaning and restoration industries through education & training, Certification, and of course standards. It is our hope that within the next 5 – 10 years these segments of the industry will see heightened levels of science based documentation and standards, accredited & recognized training and certification, and greater respect as true professionals by related industries as well as the general public.
