Property and facilities management services firm phs Compliance has launched a new coronavirus surface swab test as part of a range of measures to support businesses reopen safely as lockdown measures ease. The new surface testing service alerts businesses if their premises are contaminated by Covid-19 and helps identify infected areas, enabling them to take action. The ability to swab test premises for Covid-19 is particularly important following reports infected droplets can contaminate indoor surfaces and remain there for several days, spreading the infection. The surface swab test is undertaken by expertly-trained testers at all workplaces, on everything from door handles and desks to machinery and is carried out in line with World Health Organisation guidelines.

Schools and colleges in England are being prompted to order their free period products now to help combat period inequality. Period product supplier phs Direct has announced that nearly 40% of eligible schools and colleges have ordered free products, funded by the Department for Education as part of the scheme to tackle period inequality. However, the clock is ticking for the remaining educational organisations to place their orders for this year’s budget allocation before the end of the autumn term.

Leading hygiene services provider phs Group has appointed a new head of human resources. Mike Winstone joins phs as Group HR director and will champion the firm’s people agenda. The permanent role with phs for Mike follows an eight-month stint as contract director, leading the delivery of phs’ contract with the Department for Education, supplying every school and college in England with free period products.

Leading infrastructure support service provider Amey has secured a deal to provide facilities and estate management services across Highways England’s extensive and growing operational estate. Starting on 1 November 2020, the five-year £40 million contract will see Amey provide maintenance, cleaning project and asset management across 40 Highways England sites including offices, regional operational centres, traffic officer outstations and one highway maintenance depot.

phs Group has appointed Emily Vernon as the new Managing Director of its horticulture services company phs Greenleaf. Emily takes the helm at Greenleaf following six years at phs Compliance and will build on the firm’s position as horticultural experts. With more than 8,000 customers nationwide, Greenleaf has over 25 years’ experience of providing horticultural services, including indoor and outdoor planting displays, artificial and live planting, living walls, grounds maintenance services and decorated Christmas trees. Greenleaf’s customers span a variety of sectors including hospitality, retail, FMs and the public sector. It also holds a royal warrant for the installation and maintenance of plant displays at Buckingham Palace.

A new management team has been appointed at property and facilities management services firm phs Compliance. Dan Lee will lead the phs Compliance business as managing director, having been appointed from crate rental provider phs Teacrate, both part of phs Group. Dan spent nearly two years as managing director of Teacrate, delivering a restructure of the business and launching new digital trading platforms. During this time, he also managed phs’ hygiene division in Ireland. Prior to joining phs, he spent a decade at private-equity owned Safetykleen UK, most recently as managing director and part of the group executive team.

“We have lost nearly one third of our Q3 revenues relative to last year due to COVID-19. Nevertheless, our On-site business broad geographic mix, strong Facilities Management (FM) and large integrated accounts combined with Benefits & Rewards have given us resilience. At the start of the crisis, our focus was on protecting the health and safety of our people, consumers and clients. With a significant number of sites fully or partially closed, we immediately identified all means to protect our cash and reduce our costs.

Horticulture services company phs Greenleaf has launched a new range of products to support businesses to implement social distancing and hygiene measures. The new products include portable ‘freewall’ plant dividers, hand sanitising units, directional signage, bins and planting with built-in dispensers – all combining practicality with aesthetics. The new concept brings a fresh, green design to the functional objects now needed for everyday life to provide hand sanitising stations, create queuing systems, keep people a safe distance apart and direct customers through one-way routes.

Hygiene services firm phs Group has launched an emergency-response cleaning service for organisations affected by coronavirus. Premises which have had a case of coronavirus can be deep cleaned and sanitised by the emergency taskforce from phs Interclean, the specialist cleaning division of phs Group. Reported cases will be treated with the utmost urgency and aimed to be cleaned within 24-48 hours of commission.

Washroom and hygiene services provider phs Group has launched a new range of environmentally-friendly period products to support organisations to tackle period inequality. phs has overhauled its product line-up following a surge in demand created by the period equality movement. After initiating a period equality campaign and winning new contracts to supply millions of period products across the UK, phs has expanded its product range both from existing partners as well as working with new suppliers such as Bloom and Nora and Mooncup to source new products. The new range, available from phs and its washroom consumables division phs Direct, includes plastic-free organic pads, non-applicator organic tampons and cardboard-applicator tampons as well as reusable pads and menstrual cups – all designed to reduce plastic waste and limit its environmental impact.