As many as 338 cleaning operatives and 23 supervisors and managers were mobilised for the event

How does an FM company mobilise its resources to clean up after an event that was attended by 1.7mn people?

Planning ahead, timely action, smart mobilisation of workforce, use of assistive technology, and coordination with subcontractors: these are the key ingredients to getting a city back on track after a large-scale celebration, as leading FM service provider Emrill proves.

According to news reports, around 1.7mn people turned up to watch the New Year's Eve celebrations at Downtown Dubai.

Emrill, which has been providing cleaning services for Downtown Dubai New Year’s Eve celebrations for nine years, was able to draw on its experience and successfully restore the area within over two hours, despite the rain and the high number of visitors.

The company increased its workforce by nine per cent compared to the previous year. As many as 338 cleaning operatives and 23 supervisors and managers were mobilised for the event. 

"During the evening's celebrations, Emril teams were responsible for ensuring the safety and cleanliness of a two square-kilometre area, including the removal of litter, frequent emptying of waste receptacles and ashtrays to minimise the risk of fire, and keeping pathways clear of obstructions,' a press release stated.

"Despite facing the additional challenges of heavy rainfall and strong winds, our foresight, planning and ability to adapt quickly to changing circumstances meant we could ensure high standards were always maintained and customer expectations were met. It was critical Emrill could deliver cleaning services quickly, efficiently and with minimal disruption to visitors and residents before, during and after this prestigious event. We achieved this, completing cleaning ahead of schedule, by closely coordinating with our client and being prepared for any eventuality,” said G Gopalakrishnan, operations director, Emrill.

Emrill cleaned the surrounding areas of Downtown Dubai, including Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashed Boulevard and Burj Park, returning the site to its original state and opening it to the public again by 2.30am on January 1, 2022.

Planning ahead was crucial to ensuring ensuring resources were mobilised in the best way possible. Preparation for the event began months in advance. “Working closely with the event organisation team, Emrill used crowd movement forecasts to map routes to and from designated viewing and seated areas,” the release stated.

The safety of visitors was given prime consideration, and the company took several steps to ensure that the area was ready to welcome them.

“Ahead of the world-famous fireworks and laser display, Emrill sanitised the entire surrounding area on December 30, 2021. Also, Unlike heavy rainfall on December 31 made it necessary for Emrill's teams to carry out further sanitisation activities and remedial works to ensure the area was ready to receive guests,” the release stated.

Emrill also conducted a deep clean and sanitization process after the event to mitigate chances of cross contamination. 

“Emrill used authority-approved personal protective equipment and cleaning chemicals to mitigate the risk of cross-contamination. Emrill also utilised specialised cleaning equipment, including the CMAR street cleaner and modified club car pressure washers, which enabled the cleaning crews to cover a wider area in a shorter amount of time during the sanitisation phase of operations,” the release stated.

Gopalakrishnan concluded, "Health and safety is a priority for Emrill and guides everything we do. We took the responsibility of providing a safe, accident-free environment for the thousands of visitors who visited the area very seriously, and we are proud of the dedication and commitment displayed by every member of the team."