Using Robotic Devices to Supplement Hospital Environmental Services
The integration of autonomous cleaning machines is gaining significant traction in healthcare environments as they strive to maintain cleanliness, particularly as staffing environmental services teams has become increasingly challenging. With careful consideration and planning, robots (or more accurately, cobots) can be especially helpful in complementing the efforts of human workers by taking on redundant tasks while staff are freed up to perform more high-value or patient-focused activities.
However, before taking the leap into the realm of robotic cleaning, it is crucial to conduct a thorough evaluation of each site’s specific opportunities, challenges and risks to determine if this is the best option for your hospital.
Here’s what you should know.
Suitable Environments
If you are considering adopting robotic cleaning solutions, you must first identify the environments in your hospital where they can be used effectively. Not all environments are conducive to the effective implementation of autonomous cleaning machines, and not all robotic cleaners are fit for all locations.
Autonomous machines often work best in large, unoccupied areas where they can operate safely, effectively and efficiently with minimal close supervision. Long, wide-open corridors are ideal for autonomous vacuums and autoscrubbers, however, areas with increased human traffic, tight corners and odd angles pose greater risks and challenges. Autoscrubbers, for instance, require close monitoring in potentially occupied spaces to mitigate slip and fall hazards and ensure they don’t become stuck; autonomous vacuums should be carefully selected with consideration for appropriate noise levels for the areas where they will be used.
When appropriate areas for use are selected, many robotic devices can be programmed with a high level of precision to make sure no areas are missed.
Risks
While autonomous cleaning machines can offer plenty of benefits with careful planning, it's important to consider the specific risks to your hospital to ensure that it will enhance safety and efficiency rather than introduce new, unexpected challenges. The complexity of the environment, the presence of delicate equipment, or the need for human oversight in certain situations should all be carefully considered.
If plans are not made to re-capture labor time, team members can lose valuable time simply supervising robot performance. For areas where machines can’t operate fully independently, or require monitoring, team members should take advantage of the time saved walking behind a machine to perform other tasks within their scope of work.
For robots that do function more independently, significant time savings can be found by putting them to work in low-risk, unoccupied areas during slower times or overnight.
Return on Investment
If employing a robotic cleaning solution, it is important to ensure the equipment is valuable capital rather than becoming a burdensome expense. To calculate how many hours of labor savings are needed to offset the cost of the robot, use this equation:
Total cost of device over 3 years
___________________________________
Average loaded hourly rate (hourly rate + benefits) =
Hours required to be saved to be cost neutral
When calculating the total cost of a device, be sure to consider maintenance costs, accessories that might be required to operate the device such as various scrubber heads, and additional products or chemicals that are needed to be effective. Do not forget to consider how many total devices will be needed to effectively clean your required spaces in your calculations as well as downtime for recharging and maintenance that can impact how many machines are needed to ensure sufficient coverage.
Find an Expert to Help
Consulting with experts in the field can prevent the costly mistake of investing in a robot that does not meet your hospital’s specific cleaning needs or fails to provide the value that you might expect. As experts in the latest environmental services innovations, Sodexo Healthcare can help you determine if a robotic cleaning solution will work for your needs, and if so, provide guidance on selecting the right device for you.