Automated floor cleaners can get that winter grime out of hard-to-reach areas by way of design. As technology develops, the machines can be customized to fit into commercial spaces, such as the technology used to make the cleaners for shipping containers, according to Markets Insider.

For BSCs in the Midwest, the advancement of this technology also means reallocating employees. As the machines collect the dirt, snow and debris, the containers will have to be emptied and the machines will need to be monitored and run properly.

Employees need to be trained on how to transport the automated cleaner if it is not already located at the facility, how to set up safety barriers and signs while the machine is running, how to safely operate it and how to do basic troubleshooting in case of a problem.

This topic also brings up the question of quality control. Who will check a robot’s work? Most quality control training will translate, but some facility managers may need additional training when it comes to making sure the floors have been cleaned even in those hard to reach places.

This technology is also extending to cleaning windows as well. The window-cleaning robot sector, according to Markets Insider, is one of the sectors expected to grow.

In the Midwest, automated cleaning technology could not come at a better time. Winters can be messy and persistent, making usual cleaning tasks take up more time. In 2018, as labor costs rise, investing in automated cleaning machines may help BSCs better allocate people’s time for efficient cleaning during winter in the Midwest.

News from the Midwest For the past year, BSCs in the Midwest have experienced a lot of changes that will affect the industry going forward.

On the topic of robotic development and its impact on cleaning in the Midwest, OSHA established a two-year alliance with the Robotic Industries Association and NIOSHA. The alliance is geared toward improving awareness of occupational hazards from both industrial robots and advancing robot technology.