This week, facilities and industrial services provider Iris is introducing the use of a cleaning robot at Chirec hospitals in Brussels.
A cobot or co-robot is a robot designed to work with humans in a shared working environment. A cobot thus differs from other robots as they are designed to operate independently or with limited supervision.
Ideally suited for high-traffic locations such as hospitals, the cobot drives its work rounds according to a pre-programmed schedule. It is small in size, deployable in different areas of the hospital, capable of performing a variety of tasks and, above all, safe.
Equipped with a unique patented navigation system and intelligent software, it separates people from fixed objects such as hospital beds and tables. If it cannot reach a particular area, it will remember it and return later to clean the spot. The rest of Iris' cleaning crew can then concentrate on other work and at the same time, the quality of the floor cleaning improves. Iris thus fully opts for a increase of the cleaning efficiency and cleaning quality.
When man and machine work well together, we can take our services to the next level."
Not only does it improve quality, but it is also a big step forward in terms of experience. After all, the cobot has a digital face and addresses people in a friendly manner. That fits in perfectly with the Betterness concept of Iris, as Philippe Vekemans, Business Director Iris Facility Solutions, emphasizes.
"We see it as our mission to create perfectly maintained workplaces and ensure a pleasant, clean and safe environment for Chirec's patients, visitors and employees. Every day we keep people healthy and safe in places where they can give their best. The technology has now grown to meet our high cleanliness requirements. At Iris, we are constantly looking for new technologies to make our work more ergonomic and economical. And when man and machine work well together, we can take our service to the next level."
"The most important thing for us is that the hospital environment is as clean as possible."
Daniel Minne, Operations Manager Healthcare, added: "we are delighted that the hospital Chirec is as interested as we are in developing cleaning services in an innovative way. In this way, Iris wants to drive the development of cleaner hospital environments where patients do not contract diseases on the wards themselves, and we see technological innovation as a very important means of achieving that. The most important thing for us is that the hospital environment is as clean as possible, and it feels great that together with BOMA we are the first in Belgium to rely on innovative robotics to make that possible."
Moreover, together with BOMA, our supplier, we have also pulled the card of probiotic cleaning products. Thus, Iris has committed to using only Pro Bio products as of March 1, 2020. Pro Bio is an eco-friendly cleaning range based on probiotics with EU Ecolabel and Cradle to Cradle certification from manufacturer Greenspeed. These cleaning products are not only more environmentally friendly than the classic, often chemical products, but also have a direct impact on the well-being of the users. The purchase price is higher, but because fewer periodic products, such as descaler, need to be used, consumption is more economical.
In a hospital environment, it is quite unusual to use probiotic cleaning products as they have to meet standards. Iris is currently looking at starting a pilot project with Chirec on the use of probiotic products. Not only do they have a more favorable impact on the environment, but they also have a long-term effect because the bacteria continue to work between cleanings. And just let that be important. In a hospital like Chirec, everything is focused on hygiene but also on reducing the number of infections.
Iris Facility Solutions has been Chirec's cleaning and greencare partner since 2010 and works daily in the 3 hospitals and the 4 medical centers in Brussels and Braine-l'Alleud. Our in-depth expertise, flexibility and relentless ambition to create well-being within Chirec makes Iris the ideal partner in facility services.
Want to know more about probiotic products? Click here To download the product sheet.