The backgrounder: About Akut SOS Clean GmbH
The beginnings
Akut SOS Clean GmbH was founded in 1994. Over the years, Marcell Engel, founder and managing director, has continuously expanded his company's range of services.
The range of services
Today, the core competencies include all areas of rapid and professional disinfection, cleaning and decontamination. The spectrum ranges from disaster control in the event of an epidemic/pandemic to the disposal of toxic substances such as cyanide and ricin to the disinfection of mass transport and buildings. Akut SOS Clean also covers all areas of cleaning any dirt, contamination and odor nuisance. For example, water and fire damage, hoarder apartments, corpse finds, crime scene cleaning, graffiti, commercial kitchens and much more. Akut SOS Clean currently offers over 50 services in the areas of hygiene, disinfection and pest control.
The clients
The clients include authorities, the military, industrial, commercial and commercial companies as well as private individuals, throughout Germany and abroad. Marcell Engel is also involved in research and science.
The experiences
The expertise of Akut SOS Clean was also in demand in 2014. In the wake of the life-threatening Ebola virus, there was a great need for disinfectants. Within a very short time, the company received a large number of inquiries from authorities, companies and private individuals. The central questions were "You are carrying out disinfection. Can you help us?" and “What should be done if a person with Ebola is identified in the region?”. Based on years of practical experience, a very quick response was possible by developing a specific component for the existing emergency plan and making it available promptly. This also led to collaboration with the Federal Health Office. At the federal level, Akut SOS Clean operated a professional advice hotline for the developed component from 2014 to 2015. The most pressing questions about the Ebola problem were answered here. The following figure shows how important this step was for the population: At peak times, up to 1,000 people called per day.
The master plan
Long before the coronavirus pandemic, Akut SOS Clean had a master plan in place. Why? Due to globalization, the international economic cycle and ever-increasing travel traffic, epidemics or pandemics have long been impossible to rule out or are difficult to contain. As an experienced practitioner of disinfection and decontamination, the company has specialized for years in helping companies, organizations and operators of public facilities and, of course, governments in emergencies. The expertise of the core competency “Disinfection” is based on over 25 years of experience in this area and collaboration with many experts. The specialists develop individual and interdisciplinary solutions. This is essential due to the variety of different pathogens. Tried-and-tested measures are used, and new developments that are constantly being worked on build on them.
The expert network
Given the complex developments of viral diseases in recent years, it made sense to pool interdisciplinary expert knowledge and develop a profound master plan. The basic idea: to use Akut SOS Clean's practical knowledge and years of experience in the field of disinfection in order to optimize it with proven experts. The goal: to develop a master plan for any epidemics or pandemics, which is expanded individually to include urgently needed components in the narrowest possible time frame. Depending on the situation, the tailor-made plan is provided quickly and effectively. The big advantage is that the company is in constant communication with a professional, highly qualified network and can therefore put together a team of experts within a very short time. As a result, special emergency concepts emerge very quickly. Marcell Engel, Managing Director of Akut SOS Clean GmbH, said: “In my opinion, this is unique in this form in the whole of Europe.”
Quality and guarantee
Strict compliance with all legal regulations is a given at Akut SOS Clean. A variety of certifications and quality standards ensure this. MISSION COMPLETE CERTIFICATE is also a specially developed, in-house quality management system. Customers receive this guarantee certificate after the order has been carried out. In addition, discretion, professionalism and empathy are part of the company's self-image.
The crime scene cleaner – the training
The specialists undergo regular training at the in-house academy in order to bring their specialist knowledge up to date and guarantee the best possible quality of service for customers.
They also have all the requirements that these activities require. They have completed the fitness examinations of the professional associations (BG), are tested for aviation security (reliability check in accordance with Section 7 of the Aviation Security Act), are regularly examined by occupational medicine and are checked for trustworthiness and reliability through references and a police certificate of good conduct.
New: The Online Academy
Akut SOS Clean is always looking for crime scene cleaners and disinfectors: even before the Corona crisis, but even more so now. As a solution for personnel recruitment, Marcell Engel came up with the idea of creating an online academy. Originally designed for crime scene cleaners, the company is now focusing on online training for disinfectors as a first step.
It will soon be possible to begin this approximately 50-hour training course (planned to include the Chamber of Commerce and Industry). Requirements that applicants must meet are physical health, fitness and condition. The breathing masks make breathing more difficult and the well-insulated protective suit causes increased sweating. However, outside of the Corona crisis, wearing protective suits is only necessary in around 20 percent of operations.
The prevention
Akut SOS Clean has always considered the topic of prevention to be important in order to be prepared for eventualities such as the current coronavirus. This requires in-depth know-how, many years of practical experience and an individual association of tried and tested specialists. This is the only way to ensure quick, targeted and solution-oriented action. That's why the company is continuously working on further developments in order to be best prepared in an emergency and thus prevent the worst consequences. The further development relates to both the expert teams and special equipment and resources. This has proven successful in the past. And this is the focus of Akut SOS Clean in the present and the future.