The World Federation of Building Service Contractors (WFBSC) has published the first comprehensive Worldwide Cleaning Report.

Covering 38 countries, this survey gives an overview of the size and importance of the cleaning market in those countries and the key issues for the sector. It addresses subjects such as staffing and training issues, the pressure to lower costs and provide greater value for money, the need for increased professionalism and improving the industry's public profile, the impact of the economic downturn, the increasing use of technology and demand for sustainability and the impact of domestic and international regulations (regarding, for example, pay and conditions and legislation concerning the movement and labeling of chemicals).

Speaking at the launch, WFBSC Executive vice-President Andrew Large said, "The publication of this report marks a big step forward in the work of the WFBSC. Only a global organization like the WFBSC has the scope to take such a broad overview of the sector and we believe that this report breaks new ground in the knowledge and understanding of our industry.

"I hope that the members of the WFBSC and the purchasers of this report will be able to use it to add value to their own knowledge and understanding of their domestic and regional cleaning markets."

The WFBSC Worldwide Cleaning Report extract are free to view on the WFBSC website. The full report can be purchased from the WFBSC.

In 2009, the WFBSC made public its first overview of the world cleaning industry. That 2009 report covered only a few countries but it gave a valuable insight into the sector and the challenges that it faces.

"To ensure that the WFBSC's work remains relevant, we have commissioned this second, much larger report, covering some 38 countries, which gives new and deeper understandings of building service contracting and the role it plays in the 21st century world," wrote Andrew in the report's foreword. "Looking into the future, it is clear that in the current volatile economic context, this report will require regular updating, which we expect to do on an annual basis from now."