Safety And Prevention Measures In The Cleaning Sector
Services to Buildings and Gardening Activities are one of the ten activities with the highest incidence of work accidents during the working day, according to the latest annual report on Work Accidents in Australia.
Today, on the occasion of the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, we are going to talk about the main risks and prevention measures to be applied in the professional cleaning sector.
Risks in the cleaning sector.
Cleaning professionals, during performing their work, may encounter risks of various types:
- Falls on slippery, wet, or uneven surfaces.
- Risks derived from handling chemical products. We made cleaning products up of chemicals that, although necessary, can cause serious health problems if used improperly. These risks can be burns from splashes, risks of inhalation or ingestion of the product. Although alternative products with less toxicity are appearing more and more, the risk continues to exist.
- Cuts from the use of cleaning tools and utensils.
- Electrical contacts during cleaning or by contact of water with electrical outlets, cables, etc.
- Overexertion, posture, or non-ergonomic use of cleaning equipment causes muscular problems, such as low back pain.
- Risks derived from the use of mechanized cleaning equipment (such as industrial scrubbers, rotary…)
- Biological risks, especially during disinfection tasks in hospitals and educational centers. This is the risk of contagion from infectious diseases when handling infected surfaces or carrying out work in spaces that may be sources of contact. Although they have always been present, because of Covid-19 this risk has become even more clear for cleaning staff.
Prevention measures in cleaning and maintenance services.
It’s better to prevent than to cure. For this reason, safety prevention is so important. The main prevention measures in the cleaning sector are:
- Marking of cleaning areas, to prevent falls, both by staff and users of a space, and use non-slip footwear.
- Maintain order while carrying out work, taking care that cleaning equipment and products are in the right place, to keep spaces clear.
- Monitor the state of the electrical installation and machinery, and inform the person in charge of the center in case of breakdowns or deficiencies.
- Chemical products must be marked, kept closed, and avoid mixing. The staff must know how to use these products correctly (dose, temperature, combination with water, use in closed spaces, etc.)
- Use PPE(Personal Protection Equipment) such as gloves, masks, approved uniforms, etc. Also, follow the hygiene and prevention measures that we all know today (frequent hand washing, avoiding contact of the hands with the mouth…)
Good practices in the cleaning sector
Training in safety and prevention is essential in cleaning and maintenance service companies. All staff must know what the risks are in order to avoid them and comply with current regulations on occupational safety. Similarly, cleaning workers must know how to act in the event of an accident.
With SCS Group Integrated Services, always prior to the start of cleaning services in a new center, coordination is carried out with the client’s Occupational Risk Prevention team or manager, in order to study the safety and prevention needs, or of specialist personnel who have the professional certificates, for extraordinary jobs such as cleaning at height or cleaning confined spaces.
We hope this post has helped you to learn about Safety And Prevention Measures
in the sector and to raise awareness about safety in cleaning tasks.
Remember that you can contact us to manage the cleaning service in your company or organization.
