Spotless : staff go above and beyond following earthquake

Spotless would like to salute its New Zealand team for their exceptional hard work in the wake of the recent earthquake.

Our staff showed great courage in the hours and days following the event, providing essential support to our clients and the community.

Spotless employees faced a number of challenges as they gave assistance in locations such as the Wellington CBD, Blenheim and Kaikoura.

Due to the threat of aftershocks, Spotless was aware of the risks posed by damaged and unsafe structures as well as impacts on food safety and transport. As a result, there were regular communications with staff and clients to ensure every possible safety precaution was taken.

Spotless staff provided a range of clean-up work, such as cleaning carpet damaged by water, collecting dangerous broken glass and tiling, as well as damaged food, pot plants and dust.

These tasks were made difficult due to the lack of public transport and the limited road access courtesy of landslips and flooding caused by heavy rain and burst pipes.

Additionally, the Spotless Wellington CBD office was closed for some of the time, providing another challenge for coordination efforts.

In the immediate aftermath of the quake, Spotless staff went above and beyond to help their fellow New Zealanders.

One example involved employees who had finished a function at the NZ Parliament remaining onsite through the night to feed more than 120 people. A 24-hour catering service was established in an earthquake control bunker under the building to provide for cabinet ministers and VIPs. This is expected to continue until November 27.

Additionally, Spotless' Vbase team delivered a breakfast for 500 Kaikoura evacuees, while hospital teams in Blenheim and Wellington provided essential services despite ongoing power and elevator issues.

Spotless provides services that are essential to the functioning of critical facilities, particularly hospitals, correctional and aged care facilities. It is during challenging times such as these when the community relies on Spotless more than ever - and our thoughts are with all New Zealanders.