disgusting toilet cleaning techniques by LHR T5 personnel
Nov 30, 2014, 3:44 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2014
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disgusting toilet cleaning techniques by LHR T5 personnel
so while I was waiting for my bags at T5 last Wednesday I popped to the toilets (mens). A cleaner staff was busy mopping the floor around the urinals. Nothing wrong with that and thanks very much.
Afterwards I proceeded to wash my hands but what I saw let me re-consider the idea: the cleaner staff lifted his mop (a proper one, good 2.5 feet long) of the floor, went to the hand wash basins and proceeded to rinse the mop under the fairly short taps. Mop touching two sinks and run-off soiling both sinksin the process. I mean, can it be more disgusting?
I watched him continuing to mop the floor not having bothered to clean off the sinks. I asked him whether this was general practice, if he didn't have a bucket to rinse his mop and whether he knew how disgusting and, frankly, dangerous it is what he did there. He just smiled slightly embarrassed, shrugged, said "don't know" and went on mopping. Note that there were many more "customers" around so it wasn't that the guy was doing this sneakily but rather matter-of-factly.
I tried to find a supervisor or another person employed by the airport but the only people in uniform, BA staff and customs, were not able to point somebody out so I just left it at that.
I thought only NHS hospitals would have hygiene and cleaning standards drawn from 18th century manuals. Very sad and astonishing to see a supposedly first world nation's "gateway to the world" being so negligent.
Afterwards I proceeded to wash my hands but what I saw let me re-consider the idea: the cleaner staff lifted his mop (a proper one, good 2.5 feet long) of the floor, went to the hand wash basins and proceeded to rinse the mop under the fairly short taps. Mop touching two sinks and run-off soiling both sinksin the process. I mean, can it be more disgusting?
I watched him continuing to mop the floor not having bothered to clean off the sinks. I asked him whether this was general practice, if he didn't have a bucket to rinse his mop and whether he knew how disgusting and, frankly, dangerous it is what he did there. He just smiled slightly embarrassed, shrugged, said "don't know" and went on mopping. Note that there were many more "customers" around so it wasn't that the guy was doing this sneakily but rather matter-of-factly.
I tried to find a supervisor or another person employed by the airport but the only people in uniform, BA staff and customs, were not able to point somebody out so I just left it at that.
I thought only NHS hospitals would have hygiene and cleaning standards drawn from 18th century manuals. Very sad and astonishing to see a supposedly first world nation's "gateway to the world" being so negligent.
Nov 30, 2014, 7:40 am
#3
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Nov 30, 2014, 8:25 am
#4
Original Poster
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good for you 
Of course this was a bit exagerrated and tongue-in-cheek but we do know about the problems there. Of course, it depends on which hospital, how closely you look and, sometimes, how lucky you are.
The point here being that nowhere should anyone rinse a toilet floor mop in or over public hand wash sinks and get away with it.
Of course this was a bit exagerrated and tongue-in-cheek but we do know about the problems there. Of course, it depends on which hospital, how closely you look and, sometimes, how lucky you are.
The point here being that nowhere should anyone rinse a toilet floor mop in or over public hand wash sinks and get away with it.
Nov 30, 2014, 10:03 am
#5
Moderator: UK and Ireland & Europe
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Welcome to the world of outsourced cleaning, where the big players offer cheap rates by paying as little as they legally can, put barely achievable time constraints on the work, use zero hours contracts, and whatever they can to make every employee completely replaceable.
Is it any wonder you end up with stuff like this?
Is it any wonder you end up with stuff like this?
Nov 30, 2014, 11:21 am
#6
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I hope you have contacted LHR directly about this. There is a 'contact us' on their website.
It is all very well posting on here but direct contact is far better
It is all very well posting on here but direct contact is far better
Dec 1, 2014, 1:33 am
#9
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I would definitely urge the OP to contact HAL about this immediately. If true it's very disturbing... And I cerrainly have no reason to question the veracity of the OP.
Dec 1, 2014, 4:34 am
#10
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 740
I agree that in my experience with the NHS, standards are way higher than depicted in the media. Other visitors were the only dirty buggers who didn't wash their hands or use the ample disinfectant provided by the hospitals.
Re the original issue, of course it's disgusting and the airport owners are responsible for providing these facilities for cleaners. The cleaners themselves earn next to nothing and they probably don't care.
More generally, public toilets are filthy places. Even if you wash your hands, others don't and their hands end up on the door handles, as well as the banisters, lift buttons, etc. etc. elsewhere.
The airport owners probably don't really care though. They're not interested in "trivial" things like this.
Re the original issue, of course it's disgusting and the airport owners are responsible for providing these facilities for cleaners. The cleaners themselves earn next to nothing and they probably don't care.
More generally, public toilets are filthy places. Even if you wash your hands, others don't and their hands end up on the door handles, as well as the banisters, lift buttons, etc. etc. elsewhere.
The airport owners probably don't really care though. They're not interested in "trivial" things like this.
Dec 1, 2014, 6:00 am
#11
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,438
Totally OT, but we need a separate thread on the NHS. My son needs to see a pediatrician and we got the letter yesterday - they should be able to schedule an appointment for him within the next 18 weeks..
Dec 1, 2014, 6:06 am
#12
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Dec 1, 2014, 6:26 am
#14
Moderator: UK and Ireland & Europe
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NHS discussion/debate would definitely be OMNI. NHS advice has its place here, I think - I can always move it on if the discussion becomes more general.
However, I fear we are getting off topic for this thread (unless the OP has developed some infection as a result and needs hospital treatment...)
However, I fear we are getting off topic for this thread (unless the OP has developed some infection as a result and needs hospital treatment...)
Dec 1, 2014, 9:11 am
#15
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