The Brief

The client is a category B men’s prison located in Hampshire. it has an operational capacity of 690. The prison has four wings in use by prisoners: A wing was initially meant to house induction inmates for their first night in prison, but has since turned to a permanent wing; B wing is the largest wing which is mainly used for remanded prisoners; C wing is a drug detox wing and houses mainly prisoners with drug and substance issues; D wing is the vulnerable prisoner wing, for those who are a threat to either themselves or others. E wing is used for offices.

We were called to the prison to deep clean the shower block facilities and the serveries located in wings A, B, and C.

The Objective

The shower areas in each wing are old and in need of deep cleaning to allow inmates to maintain the daily cleaning of the areas. We found a number of areas where paint was flaking off the walls and some areas where the floor paint had begun peeling away.

Some of the shower blocks within A, B, and C wings are purposed built areas, with tiled walls within the shower cubicles. However, others were comprised of a stainless steel portal that has been installed into the wash area.

Both A and B wing have three landings, while C wing has four. A and C wing have shower blocks on each landing, while B wing has shower blocks on two.

Each wing has one servery each, which consists of plastic-lined walls and heavy duty non-slip vinyl floor covering.

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The Technical Part

The purpose of the clean was to remove dirt and grime, while any discolouring due to internal contamination or natural features of the material will not be removed.

It was decided that the best method to clean the shower blocks and serveries was to use a combination of hand-cleaning and the DOFF technology where appropriate. After the initial inspection, it was established that wings B and C could benefit from the DOFF technology, while wing A was to be cleaned by hand.

DOFF is a steam-based cleaning system. Using high-temperature steam but low-pressure, the DOFF is extremely gentle on the surfaces being cleaned and the volume of water used is kept low. As a result, the surface area being cleaned is not saturated and dries within a matter of minutes. The DOFF is suitable for even the most delicate of surfaces and provides less water ingression opportunities than other cleaning methods.

Even though the volume of water is kept to a minimum with DOFF, there is always the possibility of water runoff from water that condenses against the wall. However, this is still minimal compared to pressure washing. DOFF will not only clean the area, but will also remove the flaking paint, leaving a clean surface that’s ready for redecoration if required.

The areas which needed hand-cleaning were completed using degreasers and scrubbing equipment to give the best deep clean results possible.

A wing consisted of a total of three shower blocks made up of stainless steel shower cubicles, with four showers in each. The area was approximately 4m x 2m x 2m with non-slip heavy duty lino flooring and painted walls and ceiling. The servery in A wing had plastic-lined walls and ceiling, with heavy duty lino flooring and stainless steel sink and serveries. The servery area was approximately 4.6m x 4m x 2.4m.

B wing consisted of stainless steel shower cubicles over two landings with each cubicle housing three showers each. Like A wing, the floor had heavy duty lino flooring and painted walls and ceiling. The shower areas were approximately 4m x 2m x 2.7m. The servery, like wing A, had plastic-lined walls and ceiling, with heavy duty lino flooring and stainless steel sink and serveries. The servery area was approximately 4.6m x 4m x 2.4m.

Unlike the others, C wing consisted of tiled and painted shower cubicles with four showers in each cubicle, and a total of four shower blocks. The areas were approximately 4m x 2.8m x 2.7m and like the others, the floor had heavy duty non-slip lino laid while the walls and ceiling were painted. The servery in wing C was much the same as the others with plastic-lined walls. It had a painted ceiling, non-slip heavy duty lino to the floor, and stainless steel sink and serveries. The area was approximately 5.5m x 3.6m x 2.8m.

It was established that noise from the equipment may disturb the inmates and work could only be carried out during the hours of 6pm and 9pm, with each wing being completed one at a time.

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01622 926 505